Three Apple HDTVs Coming by March 2012; Is Apple Making A Serious Push for the Living Room?

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A fresh report is suggesting that Apple will launch not one, but three different HDTVs by March 2012, in a clear move to become an even more important content provider for our living rooms.

AppleInsider’s report is based on an analyst note (Global Equities Research’ Trip Chowdhry) so we’ll remember that analysts don’t always get it right when looking at his findings. Chowdry seems to believe that Apple’s future HDTV line will be similar to the 46-inch Bose VideoWave HDTV that comes with a 16-speaker surround-sound speaker system and just three cables.

Apple would launch a similar product, that’s just 2-inch thick (compared to the VideoWave’s 6 inches) but still sport 16 speakers. Furthermore Apple will use just one cable, probably some sort of Thunderbolt version, which, combined to all the Wi-Fi streaming Apple has brought to its iOS devices should be enough to cover all your content-craving needs.

Apple would have three different HDTV versions, to meet various budgets, and they will sport a brand new, unreleased DSP chip, currently created by Apple and PA Semi.

Should the competition be afraid? In short, yes, very! Even if this analyst’s report is just smoke and mirrors, chances are that Apple is seriously considering “invading” the living room. It’s time for the Apple TV come out of the “hobby” closet and become a best-selling iOS-running product. I said it not once, but a bunch of times that Apple is poised to attack the console business. Consider the recent reports we’ve seen: iOS devices are a growing part of the gaming business; the Nintendo 3DS is about to become cheaper due to poor sales; the Google TV is far from a best-selling product, and I’m trying not to call it a flop just yet.

With all these things in mind you can easily imagine Apple wanting, and having a very good chance, to succeed in the “living room” business: movies, TV shows, music, iOS apps, a ton of games, compatible devices (iPhone, iPod touch, iPad), or, in short, entertainment, is what Apple is also after. And with a few hundred million of paying iOS and/or OS X customers, chances are the Apple HDTV may become a hit product pretty fast. Care to disagree?