RIM may have Apple TV rival with PlayBook hardware

RIM may have a counterpart to the Apple TV, according to a rumor put forward by a historically reliable source. So far nicknamed the BlackBerry Media Box, it would be a blend between the basic BlackBerry Presenter and a media hub like Apple's box. The design would even take a cue from Apple in N4BB' understanding and use the same hardware as a mobile device, in this case likely the processor and QNX-based OS from the BlackBerry PlayBook.

It wouldn't necessarily be as home-oriented as the Apple TV but might still have some third-party media services. An equivalent to AirPlay hasn't been mentioned and isn't currently known to be in the roadmap for BlackBerry Tablet OS. The OS does already support Wi-Fi file sharing and could use this instead.

Speculation is that the Media Box could be ready as soon as the end of 2011, although this isn't based on concrete information and could slip.

If the device is real, RIM may see the Media Box more as a complement for business users that could show presentations and videos on a larger screen without cables. Any move of the sort could still represent an inroad into the TV arena and an unusual choice given complaints about a lack of focus. Creating the PlayBook is thought by many to have let the core BlackBerry line slip and hurt RIM's most important business.

Mockup via N4BB

By Electronista Staff