Apple in Comcast talks about streaming TV

NEW YORK, Mar 24 (AFP) : Apple is in talks with US cable and Internet giant Comcast about a streaming-television service that would use an Apple set-top box, a report said Sunday.

Talks are in their early stages but any deal would allow Apple to get special treatment on Comcast's cables to ensure it bypasses congestion on the web, The Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

"But the deal, if sealed, would mark a new level of cooperation and integration between a technology company and a cable provider to modernize TV viewing," the WSJ said.

"Apple's intention is to allow users to stream live and on-demand TV programmeming and digital-video recordings stored in the 'cloud,' effectively taking the place of a traditional cable set-top box."

Apple hopes the tie-up will mean viewers will not have to contend with frustrating buffering that can take place while streaming web video.