BY JIM FLINK

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

Ever talked to your TV before?  Did it talk back? If so -- you might have gotten a glimpse of Apple’s future.

iTV -- is reportedly set to roll-out next year -- according to DigiTimes.

“The supply chain of Apple will start preparing materials for iTV sets in the first quarter of 2012 in order to meet Apple's schedule to launch the new display products in the second or the third quarter of 2012 … Instead of a form of set-top box (STB) like the Apple TV launched in 2006, Apple's new products will be full TV sets...”

Now we should note, iTV has been rumored for years. Those rumors picked up -- with the release of the Steve Jobs’ biography by Walter Isaacson.

CNET quotes Jobs from the book...

"I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use … It would be seamlessly synched with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."

And, some media outlets are speculating -- it could be equipped with Siri-enabled voice control. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Apple execs had a confab with media industry execs to discuss the future of TV.

“Apple ... has discussed new ways they could stream media companies' content, allowing a user to watch a video on a TV set, then pick up another device, such as a smartphone, and keep watching the video on the move...Apple has worked on technologies for integrating DVR storage and iCloud, its online syncing and storage service, into the device...” 

All of which, comes after the foreign press leaked out details of partnerships which may make an iTV set come to life. 9to5Mac has those details.

“... the Korean press are running stories that confirm Samsung Electronics is producing chips for the Apple branded HDTV, while Sharp will supply the displays.”

Still Venture Beat says -- iTV seems to be out of character for Apple.

“It’s hard to believe Apple would produce a television set, since price is a main factor in consumer buying habits for internet-connected TV products, and an Apple TV is likely to be far more expensive than those from competitors.  At this point, it’s still impossible to know exactly what Apple is working on. But it’s clear that the company’s plans include shaking up the smart-TV market.”

Speculation has iTV sets ready to be under the Christmas tree -- by the time Santa’s sleigh rolls -- in 2012.