The Apple HDTV rumors won’t die

They’ve been around for a while, and they just aren’t going away. I’m speaking, of course, about the AppleTV rumors. As in Apple actual-TV.

Since Apple first put out the AppleTV, there have been those suggesting that it is only an intermediary measure for bridging media to the computer. Now, once again, rumors are kicking up that Apple will be releasing a TV that has an AppleTV built into it. I don’t get it.

What benefits would an Apple HDTV hold other than lack of a couple wires stringing the AppleTV to your TV set? If we take the Apple Cinema Displays as an example of what the Apple HDTV roadmap might look like, given their similarities as products, we might see complete non-updates for years on end.

The person spouting the rumors now is Jason Calacanis, in a CNet.uk interview. Unless Apple adds functionality that couldn’t exist in the AppleTV box now, I see no logical reason why they would sell a >$1000 TV that can do the same thing as a $200 AppleTV plus a TV of your choice.