Could Apple's flatscreen TV be more than a pretty face?

I'm a not 'Mac' man at all. In fact, I use a PC and feel that having an Apple logo on the lid of your laptop is actually just a big sign saying 'I'm an insecure herd-following badge snob'. But that's not to say the company from Cupertino hasn't come up with some innovative new ways of doing things. And I believe another one is just around the corner.

The US brand has already been incredibly successful at completely capturing markets from long-established players. The Macbook has virtually cleaned up in the high-end laptop business that IBM created, and the iPod took Sony's 20-year old Walkman concept, shook it up a bit, and made Apple number one in personal audio hardware - from nowhere. And then there is the mobile phone market, which is now ruled by the almighty iPhone - in my opinion the most life-changing piece of kit since Sky+. Now analysts in the US are predicting that Apple is likely to enter the home TV market, probably in 2011. So watch out Sony, Panasonic, Philips et al, Apple is about to steal your core business right out from under your corporate noses.

Not just a load of app
Why am I so sure? Well firstly, the army of badge snobs will buy an Apple TV just because it's, y'know, an Apple - even if it is twice the price, half the resolution and only offers a tenth of the features of traditional manufacturers' models. Just like Mac computers, in fact.

But the most compelling hint at Apple's potential rise to greatness in home cinema comes from the iPhone - or rather the open development concept of the iPhone. In case you didn't know, anyone can develop an application for the iPhone using easily obtainable and well-documented guidelines. You then simply get it approved by Apple for placement on iTunes - which, judging from some of the dross apps that have got through, can't be difficult.

This allows the iPhone to become the most flexible touchscreen universal remote available. AV hardware makers could supply a very basic remote control, or even none at all, and offer a free control interface download to your iPhone/iTouch. I have already used a BD player that offers an iPhone app rather than a traditional remote, and I'm certain this is how Apple will sell its TVs.

Moreover, while all of today's BD players, amps, processors and displays are software-driven, very few manufacturers have truly exploited this. Virtually every AVR I have tested in the last decade has been capable of firmware updates but very few manufactures go beyond the odd bug fix. And even if they do, the updates/upgrades are universal - everyone gets the same thing.

Apple's TVs will be different, offering truly customisable features, applications and content. Like the iPhone, no two devices are ever likely to be the same 24 hours after purchase, as users download the features that they want rather than what the manufacturer offers as standard. Customisable GUIs for every AV device in your system? Easy. Real-time Apps (stocks, eBay, news, RSS feeds etc) running in PiP windows? Easy peasy. Simplified one-touch DVR recording with a wide selection of interfaces? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Your home cinema system's features will no longer be the product of just a few bods in an R&D department. They will be your personal choice of features and functionality selected from a cornucopia of ingenious apps.

On top of all that, Apple's screens will no doubt benefit from direct access to AppleTV/iTunes content, have stunning good looks and a herd-friendly luminous Apple logo on the front. Frankly if they don't take the market by storm and knock all the big-brand TV makers into a cocked hat within just a few years, I will eat my DVD collection.

Via Home Cinema Choice