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It’s going to be thin
The mockup designs I’ve seen floating around the inter-webs mostly seem to be based on existing non-descript black tvs or Apple desktop displays. The reality is that if Apple is working on a TV it likely won’t resemble either of those. The design characteristics might be closer to one of Apple’s newer products (think iPad here)— or even give away design cues that are going to be found in upcoming products. Yes, the new Apple TV will probably look more like a giant iPad of the future than like a giant sized 27” cinema display. I would imagine that one of the closest templates would be a Sony Google TV that’s thinner, and uses a stand that is more invisible from the front.
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Kinect - like
I believe that the often quoted “I’ve finally cracked it” remark Steve Jobs made about the interface of the Apple TV refers not to Siri, but to hand gestures. With the iPhone the stylus was reduced to fingers— and gestures— the swiping motions that became a standard action of user interface in iOS. By saying that camera based gesture interfaces have been done by Kinect is just about the same as saying touch screens had been done before iPhone. There won’t be a floating cursor on the screen that’s for sure. The user will be able to navigate by swiping in the air at the TV. Siri will help with searching mostly, just like how we’re already using it— and the bulk of the interface will be gesture based in a very simple way.
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Production design
Now that iPads and Kindles are becoming ubiquitous enough to not stand out in coffee shops I start thinking about them as elements of production design: how they show up in the wild and how people are using them. 2001 A Space Odyssey and Star Trek seem to provide a basis for technology prognostications (talking to the computer is the big one), but with the iTV people might start thinking about the other big sci-fi franchise a bit more.
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Magic
The iPad was magical, or so the lead point in Apple marketing said because we can swipe, pinch, and tap with our five finger styluses to our heart’s content— and the iPad responded by doing things. The point about the magic effect is that in order to pull it off, it has to be both simple and have a low learning curve (not Minority Report). I can see the same situation with a gesture controlled TV made by Apple. Imagine a giant iPad where your TV sits and doing similar gestures in the air to control it. A simple magical gesture in the air would remind you of what sci-fi franchise? In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the initial criticisms about the iTV is that it’s simply a giant iPad, just like the iPad was criticized as just a giant iPhone.
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Software
Yes, it will use iOS that’s looks a bit more familiar than the current Apple TV. Yes, the iPhones and iPads will integrate seamlessly to the TV. But no, the iPhone and iPad won’t be used as remote controls. The TV interface will stand on its own.
Yes, grandparents will finally be able to video chat with their kids’ iOS devices from the comfort of their living room and be able to figure it out.
And yes, there will be apps and kinect style games made for the iTV, which could be huge for Apple if you consider what iOS did to handheld gaming.
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Cable?
The biggest question mark is how well the iTV will integrate with existing cable service and dvr like functionality. I believe that it’s correct to figure that Apple won’t introduce a TV without these elements. If it’s a compelling enough solution, cable providers will welcome it with open arms because more people will actually be happy with their cable service.
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RIP TV remote
The pitch will be based on the similar reasons Apple entered the phone market. They realized what the iPod did was going to be integrated into phones… and they hated their phones.
The only way for Apple to crack the tv interface is by making the hardware. I imagine the pitch: a screen filled with TV remotes and Tim Cook saying “we’re killing the TV remote” and “we’re all going to be Jedi in the future” …
