I popped over to Macrumors this morning and found a story about a newly excavated Apple, Inc owned patent application that got me wondering about that elusive Apple TV set.

For a few years now we have all been devouring the rumors about a high def or 4k set from Apple. It seems a logical next step for the Electronics manufacturer, and would fit nicely into the ecosystem they have built. More and more not only our offices, but our living rooms are becoming dominated by connected, computer like devices.

But upon reading the gist of the patent application I began to see a different path for Apple, Inc. One that would create a new category of electronics for them to dominate.

Why create a TV with fixed screen sizes, heavy overhead for parts sourcing, shipping and logistics when you could create an entirely new device that removes many of those issues? Why not build a mac mini with a 4K projector attached?

Home theatre's based around projects have many advantages over the more traditional setup many of us have in our homes. Viewing areas in the upper 80 - 100 inches. More flexibility in placement. Portability. Add to the mix that the patent covers that this new hybrid projector can function as a traditional computer and you begin to see the potential.

Apple has been rumored to be investigating gaming as well. This could easily be a solution that allows them to take on the Playstation and Xbox consoles head on. Create a compatibility layer to play iPad games natively until the Apple Gaming SDK has made the rounds, and you instantly have a compelling ecosystem of content.

Imagine setting in your living room playing your favorite iPad game with your shiny new iPad Game Controller. You decide this would really look better on the big screen, so you pause the game and fire up your iTheatre.

Once it is booted up you tap the Airplay button and choose your iTheatre. You then resume play using the iPad as a controller, and the screen as a source of additional info much like the WiiU controller. Done playing the game?

Time to watch the latest episode of your favorite show downloaded via Season Pass. Use the iPad to navigate the iTheatre and watch your show.

Very, very interesting.