iTunes Creator Jeff Robbin Heading Apple Television Effort?

jeffrobbin 1Jeff Robbin, who built iTunes and was co-lead in the creation of the original iPod with Tony Fadell, is heading up Apple's television efforts, according to a Bloomberg report.

Apple Inc. is turning to the software engineer who built iTunes to help lead its development of a television set, according to three people with knowledge of the project.

Jeff Robbin, who helped create the iPod in addition to the iTunes media store, is now guiding Apple’s internal development of the new TV effort, said the people, who declined to be identified because his role isn’t public.

Earlier today, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster issued a research note with several tidbits of evidence to support his long-held assertion that Apple is working on a television.

Rumors of an Apple television have been getting significantly louder since this weekend, when Steve Jobs' biography quoted Jobs as saying he had "finally cracked" the problems standing in the way of an Apple television set.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...

Top Rated Comments

W1MRK Avatar
176 months ago
But will it support Blu-Ray?

Please no down votes LOL
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reden Avatar
176 months ago
For a company who says the Apple TV is just a 'hobby' it still seems strange to me for to believe they would ever manufacture an actual television.

Although it would be pretty neat to see something like Facetime integrated.

That's what you probably said about a phone, a tablet and an mp3 player.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
176 months ago
"iTunes Creator"? That's a bit generous, given the original iTunes borrowed very heavily from Cassidy & Greene's SoundJam MP-- down to the code it used. Apple bought it, so it wasn't stealing, but it certainly wasn't original.

Hell, even the early OS X (carbon) versions of iTunes still had SoundJam code.
Jeff Robbin is the creator of SoundJam.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Funkymonk Avatar
176 months ago
The man with the plan, Jeff Robbin, returns this summer Apple TV.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
koruki Avatar
176 months ago
Why a tv? Yes it will look nice but what do you think it will cost? Im betting at least $2000 for a 42" 1080 LED. While others sell the same thing for half that.

Stick with computers, phones, and OS X apple.
What I've heard over the years

2001 Stick with computers

2007 Stick with computers, OSX and iPods

2010 Stick with Computers, OSX, iPods and iPhones

2011 Stick with Computers, OSX, iPods, iPhones and iPads

2000-2011 Apple grows to be most valuable tech company in the world by ignoring what you say :cool:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArchaicRevival Avatar
176 months ago
And that doesn't require a 1800$ TV Set, it just requires an Apple TV set top box and a Airport Express connected to an Internet connection.

Why are you people putting a price on something that you have no idea about? You're not a professional analyst so calm down everyone...

A 46" 1080P Samsung TV will cost $1,099.99 after $100 Off, that's straight from the Costco website. Why not have a TV set that has Apple TV built in, and a built in WiFi Card for $1300? Even $1500 would be pretty freaking amazing.

Besides, the investment is not in the actual TV set itself, it's in the UI. I would definitely invest in a $2000 TV if it allows me to get my channels on demand instead of paying for garbage bundles that I don't necessarily need.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)