Apple iTV to revolutionize living rooms next year

If there's one person who wants to see the Apple iTV more than anyone else, it's Gene Munster, the Piper Jaffray analyst who first predicted that Cupertino would jump from mobile devices into the living room.

Although Munster believes the Apple iTV will launch in 2013, he seems more skeptical about its chances to revolutionize the living room - at least right out of the gate.

The revolution will be televised

Munster claims that Apple will price the iTV between $1,500 and $2,000 when it launches next year, according to a report on Sunday.

While the initial HDTV offering may not be so different from the $99 Apple TV box the company sells today, the analyst predicts a slow revolution that should peak within five years.

And, at which time Apple is likely to show cable and satellite providers who is the new boss.

Munster predicts that Apple will eventually bring content providers around to an à la carte way of doing business.

Owners of its HDTV can pick and choose which channels they'd like to watch each month instead of being forced to subscribe to packages the way things are currently done.

The Apple iTV is expected to be offered in several sizes ranging from 42 inches to 55 inches, complete with Siri's virtual assistant technology and the ability to run apps, including games.

Munster's initial expectation for an Apple television set was in 2011, but the analyst has since shifted that arrival back to the first half of next year.