CBS CEO Leslie Moonves mentioned in an interview recently that Steve Jobs had approached him about syndicating television content on Apple TV. Jobs pitched the partnership as a subscription service, but there aren't many details beyond that. Moonves shot down Jobs, citing concerns about disrupting the traditional CBS revenue stream. Specifically, Moonves said "You know more than me about 99 percent of things but I know more about the television business." As you might expect, Jobs vehemently disagreed with Moonves about the revenue situation. In the interview, Moonves reiterated that they full support digital distribution of content, having played a huge role in Hulu's earlier days, and being a Netflix partner.

While this headline might be getting Moonves some attention, he's hardly the only person ever to have said "no" to Steve Jobs. Verizon did as well, landing the iPhone exclusively on AT&T for 3 years. Given Jobs' track record, and his ability to see the future of consumer demand, it might not be something Moonves is smart to be shopping around. But hey, if Apple launches their rumored television set, and it takes off anything like the iPhone and iPad has, at least we'll be able to link back to this in a few years and see, right?

Meanwhile Apple TV is seeing a refresh with 1080p video quality, but for most TV, that's overkill. There's already a wealth of CBS content available on Apple TV through Netflix, but If Apple is still interested in this sort of a setup, a subscription-based premium Apple TV service may still be in the cards. In any case, this kind of thing has been rumoured for awhile, so I wouldn't be holding my breath to see a launch any time soon. Would you guys be interested in a $10/month Netflix competitor from Apple? What would they need to do differently to stand out?

Source: Hollywood Reporter

USA Today, based on sources who have previously worked at Apple, is contributing some more information to the increasingly large Apple television rumor pile.

Apple is said to be looking at a 42-inch or larger LCD TV with built-in Wi-Fi. Inside the locked-down studio of Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, there's a slick 50-inch TV, according to the source who worked at Apple.

Previous speculation out of China suggested a 32 or 37-inch television with Siri controls.

Although this report mentions that talks with media executives have stalled, it's apparent that a 42 or even 50-inch model vs a smaller display would likely help Apple get a better foothold during their primary push into this new and already-crowded product segment. And with CES just around the corner, rumors of Apple making a television are only going to get more frequent.

Source: USA Today

Hit-or-miss rumor site Digitimes has additional speculation from "industry sources" that Apple may be looking to Foxconn to assemble orders of their upcoming Siri-powered Apple Television.

Following sources' claims that Samsung Electronics and Sharp will manufacture chips and displays, respectively, for the so-called Apple "iTV," others have suggested that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) have the potential to win orders for Apple's smart TV.

The "sources" also added to conjecture that Apple is planning to release the Apple Television in late 2012, which may debut in 32 and 37-inch form.

Source: Digitimes

Randomly accurate rumor site, Digitimes has word from "industry sources" that suppliers are starting to build materials for 32 and 37-inch Apple Televisions for release in the second or third quarter of 2012.

Instead of a form of set-top box (STB) like the Apple TV launched in 2006, Apple's new products will be full TV sets, the sources added [...] The displays of the new iTV sets will focus on 32 and 37-inch sizes initially, noted sources in the supply chain.

Steve Jobs mentioned in his official biography that he'd finally "cracked" the television, and we've heard rumors that Apple was recently in talks with media executives about a television set product. However, Apple is no doubt working on a lot of new products in the lab, so keep this filed this in your "expect it when you see it" folder for now.

Source: Digitimes

Would you like to know how to connect your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to your television set? Apple provides options for both standard definition and HD TV, with cables or streaming over Wi-Fi. We'll show you how after the break!

There are a few different ways to connect your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad to your TV. Which one you use depends in part on what kind of TV you own and which ports it has.

Connecting via cable

Apple supports 4 different cable adapters for TV:

1. Composite adapters fit the connectors most likely to be found in old tube-style 4:3 standard definition TVs. They have the dock port on one end for your device, a USB cable for power and/or sync, and RCA plugs on the other for stereo sound (white and red) and video (yellow). Only video apps that support the cables (like iPod, Air Video, etc.) will function with this cable.
2. Component adapters are for those transitional period TVs that were still analog but supported greater resolution. They have the dock port on one end for your device, a USB cable for power and/or sync, and RCA plugs on the other for stereo sound (white and red) and Y, Pb, and Pr video (red, green, and blue). Only video apps that support the cables (like iPod, Air Video, etc.) will function with this cable.
3. VGA adapters are for older televisions and computer displays as well as projectors that support the VGA standard. They have the dock port on one end for your device and a VGA plug on the other end for video. They don't provide audio, you'd have to use a separate 3.5mm to RCA stereo adapter for that. Only video apps that support the cables (like iPod, Air Video, etc.) will function with this cable.
4. HDMI adapters, called the Apple Digital AV Adapter, are brand new from Apple and support the latest TV standards up to 1080p. They have dock port on one end for your device and an HDMI port and dock pass-through (so you can charge) on the other. On iPad 2 the HDMI cable will support Video Mirroring so everything from the Home Screen to apps can be exactly duplicated on your TV (unless a specific app like Hulu chooses to block them. Grrrr!) On older devices, including iPhone 4, only video apps that support the cables (like iPod, Air Video, etc.) will function with this cable.

To use the composite or component cables:

1. Plug the dock connector into your device
2. Plug the USB connector into an A/C power adapter or Windows or Mac PC (if you so choose)
3. Plug the RCA cables into the correct ports on your TV
4. Set your TV to the right channel (might be called Video or AUX)
5. Launch a video-out app like iPod, Netflix, Air Video, etc.
6. Enjoy!

To use the VGA cable:

1. Plug the dock connector into your device
2. Plug the VGA connector into the VGA port on your display or TV
3. Set your display or TV to the appropriate input (might be called PC or VGA)
4. Mirror the video on your iPad 2 or launch a video-out app like iPod, Keynote, etc. on previous generation devices.
5. If you want sound, attach a 3.5mm headset to RCA stereo audio adapter to the audio ports on your display or TV as well.
6. Enjoy!

To use the HDMI cable (Apple Digital AV Adapter):

1. Plug the dock connector into your device
2. Plug an HDMI cable from your TV to the HDMI port on the adapter
3. Plug a dock cable from the dock port on the adapter to a USB port on your Mac or Windows PC or A/C adapter for charging (if you so choose)
4. Set your TV to the appropriate input (might be HDMI 1, HDMI 2, etc.)
5. Mirror the video on your iPad 2 or launch a video-out app like iPod, Keynote, etc. on previous generation devices.
6. Enjoy!

Connecting via Wi-Fi streaming (AirPlay)

iOS 4.2 gave us AirVideo so we could stream our iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad apps -- at least iPod/Video and YouTube -- directly to our TV via an Apple TV. iOS 4.3 will expand this so any app can support AirPlay.

Apple TV requires an HDMI equipped HDTV but if you don't want to fuss with cables, here's all you have to do:

1. Launch iPod or YouTube (or other video apps under iOS 4.3)
2. Find the video you want to watch
3. Tap the AirPlay button
4. Select Apple TV from the list
5. Enjoy!

There you go, that's how to connect your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to your TV. If you have any questions or any other video tips to share leave them in the comments!

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The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has approved a standard for mobile digital television, which means one day you might be able to watch your local station broadcast directly to your iPhone. In the US, that should include ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

Would Apple ever build a TV receiver into the iPhone, given their focus on iTunes digital downloads? If they're considering an FM Radio, why not? With live-pause and tagging technology, it just becomes a value-added feature for users and another potential gateway to iTunes content.

Plus, sports for the sport fiend!

It would not, however, provide access to cable- or satellite-only content, including premium channels like HBO (mocked up in the image above).

[Macworld via TUAW]

I remember well the days of yore when I had a whopping 5 channels to choose from for my viewing pleasure. Now before you start doing some quick math and send me Geritol for my birthday, I was just a wee lad then. Although I didn't have much in the way of choices, I made sure to never miss an episode of "The Six Million Dollar Man", re-runs of "Star Trek", and a generous helping of "Sesame Street" and "Electric Company". I also had to (gasp!) actually GET UP off the couch, WALK to the t.v., and MANUALLY change the channel! Ahhhh, those were the days.

Times have certainly changed. The average home now has about 114 channels to choose from. I switched to DirectTV recently and I get lost in the maze of menus and virtual cornucopia of channels and programming to choose from. You may be wondering what all of this may have to do with your iPhone. HARK! There is a handy AOL site designed just for the iPhone that can help you navigate the ever-expanding universe of televised entertainment!

Open Safari on your iPhone and tap in this web addy: http://iphone.television.aol.com. Next, enter your zip code (or the zip code of where you happen to be located -- this is important). You are then offered a list of providers including Cable (i.e., Comcast), Satellite (Dish or DirectTV), and Broadcast. Select the service you are using. You are then presented with options for viewing listings for "What's On Now", "Complete Listings", "Channel Guide", or "Search All TV Shows" at the bottom. Searching is particularly useful if you are dying to know when and where the next episode of "Gilligan's Island" will be airing (will those poor people EVER get off that wretched paradise of an island??).

If the list you have selected is particularly long, like the 800+ listings for DirectTV for instance, you may notice that there is a bar on the far right side of the screen, along the border, which allows you to tap on a range of channels to immediately jump to that location. Brilliant.

If you are on the road or sitting comfortably in your very own La-Z-Boy recliner at home, keep your iPhone handy and let this AOL TV Listings app help you find what you want to watch. Tune in next week right here (adjusting the rabbit ears is not necessary) for another Tip!

Disclaimer: Tip o' the Week makes no guarantee, express or implied, that any tip found herein will be new or particularly useful to the reader (no, we certainly don't promise you'll enjoy the reruns of "Lawrence Welk" or "Love, American Style").