Apple HD iTV Arriving in September? Deals Being Struck

It’s been a few weeks so I thought I’d have a look around for the latest news regarding Apple’s planned HD television – looking at  the contracts being discussed we could see an Apple telly this Autumn!

Apple seems to be chatting  to the right people.

Word is that the Cupertino giant is currently in talks to bag exclusive movie streaming rights from EPIX who just so happens to be an umbrella for Lionsgate Entertainment Corp, MGM, and Viacom’s Paramount Pictures. Tasty!

According to a Reuters source, the talks are based around Apple getting the rights to stream films on its Apple TV set-top box and, more interestingly, “upcoming devices that stream content”.

This would be very timely indeed as the contract between EPIX and Netflix ends in September – would that be a good time for the new Apple iTV (or whatever it will be called) to say “ta-daaaa!”? I reckon so.

Once Netflix’s US$200 million contract with EPIX ends in September I could see Apple, who is already in talks with them at the moment, making them an offer that they can’t refuse.

That would sit nicely with the Premiership Football deal wouldn’t it?

With it strongly rumoured that Apple iTV will arrive later this year it would make September an ideal time to launch in time for Christmas.

So far it is expected that the Apple iTV or iPanel will be a 50-inch job running iOS on a Sharp made LCD display.