消費(fèi)性電子市場上已經(jīng)可以看到很多連網(wǎng)電視產(chǎn)品，可預(yù)期在2012年國際消費(fèi)性電子展(CES)上以及之后，將會看到更多；但這些日子以來，有個發(fā)燒話題是：蘋果(Apple)能否將相關(guān)概念具體化為消費(fèi)者“一定要擁有”的設(shè)備？就像是該品牌過去成功造成熱銷的MP3播放器、智能型手機(jī)與平板裝置等等產(chǎn)品那樣。 近日臺灣媒體已經(jīng)傳出蘋果即將推出互聯(lián)網(wǎng)電視的消息，據(jù)說該所謂的“iTV”會在今年8月問世，采用由夏普(Sharp)提供的32吋與37吋屏幕，內(nèi)部芯片則是由三星(Samsung)制造。而以上業(yè)界傳言的可信度升高，據(jù)說與剛出版的《喬布斯傳》有關(guān)；在該暢銷傳記中引述了一段喬布斯的話，說他“終于破解了整合型電視產(chǎn)品的密碼”。 雖然也有其它輿論拒絕炒作謠言，指蘋果應(yīng)該仍在開發(fā)電視產(chǎn)品的初期階段；也有人說，電視無法讓蘋果展現(xiàn)優(yōu)勢，因?yàn)檫@類系統(tǒng)很少會升級，對這家計算機(jī)與消費(fèi)性電子產(chǎn)品供貨商來說，也會帶來全新、沉重的供應(yīng)鏈挑戰(zhàn)。但另一方面，蘋果的軟件設(shè)計工程師擅長于以簡馭繁，該公司也與好萊塢有一些聯(lián)系，有助于弭平來自影視制作公司與廣播業(yè)者的一些阻力。 早在2008年，我們就曾經(jīng)熱烈討論過“iTV”；當(dāng)時雅虎(Yahoo!)涉足電視市場，在2009年出貨了350萬臺互聯(lián)網(wǎng)電視。后來， Google 也加入電視供貨商行列，曾經(jīng)受矚目一段時間，最后相關(guān)產(chǎn)品仍然失敗，該公司現(xiàn)正在開發(fā)下一代平臺；Google TV由風(fēng)光到?jīng)]落，也讓芯片大廠英特爾(Intel)在短時間內(nèi)進(jìn)入又退出這個新興市場。 兩年前的CES展會上就可以看到，幾乎每家電視供貨商都展示了至少一款連網(wǎng)電視；今年稍早，一位消費(fèi)性電子產(chǎn)業(yè)界的大佬還積極推動訂定開放性互聯(lián)網(wǎng)電視標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。分析師們對互聯(lián)網(wǎng)電視前景也頗為看好，預(yù)測到2014年，該類產(chǎn)品銷售量將達(dá)到6.5億臺。 我們很想聽聽曾經(jīng)嘗試過推出互聯(lián)網(wǎng)電視的制造商或是相關(guān)人士的看法，究竟到目前為止，這類產(chǎn)品最大的缺失為何？而蘋果到底能不能創(chuàng)造出更好的連網(wǎng)電視產(chǎn)品？歡迎與我們分享你的經(jīng)驗(yàn)與意見！ 編譯：Judith Cheng 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 參考英文原文： Can Apple make a better Web TV?，by Rick Merritt

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{pagination} Can Apple make a better Web TV? Rick Merritt SAN JOSE, Calif. – The consumer electronics industry has seen plenty of Web-connected TVs and will see plenty more at CES 2012 and beyond. The burning question these days is whether Apple can crystallize the concept into a must-have product as it has done with MP3 players, smartphones and tablets. This morning, Taiwan's Digitimes became the latest to weigh in on rumors Apple Inc. will deliver a connected TV. It reported the so-called iTV could ship by August using 32- and 37-inch screens from Sharp and chips made by Samsung. The rumors kicked into high gear following the release this year of the official biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. It quoted Jobs as saying he "had finally cracked the code" on an integrated TV product. Since then others have turned down the volume on the hype, suggesting Apple is still in an early phase of developing such a product. Others have noted TVs do not play to Apple strengths because systems are rarely upgraded and carry new and heavy supply chain challenges for the computer and device maker. On the other hand, Apple's software designers have a knack for making complex things simple. The company also has the Hollywood connections to plow through some of the resistance from studios and broadcasters. We shared our concept of a hot iTV back in 2008. Since then Yahoo! entered the market, enabling 3.5 million connected TVs in 2009. Google followed with its own PR splash and products that flopped and is now working on a next-generation platform. The gyrations have been enough to jerk Intel in and out of this emerging market. Even two years ago, nearly every TV maker had at least one Web TV model in its line up at CES. Earlier this year, one consumer veteran helped launch an open Web TV standards effort. Analysts have put out big projections for sales of as many as 650 million of such systems by 2014. We'd love to hear from TV makers and anyone who has tried a connected TV. What are the sore spots of these products to date? How could Apple create a better product?