Apple’s (News - Alert) new video-friendly tablets—the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display—will be going on sale soon, with faster processors to handle all of that over-the-top streaming. But new rumors about Apple's plans for a connected HDTV have also surfaced again, thanks to a pair of analyst notes laying out an argument for the Cupertino giant to jump into the living room screen business.

The so-called “iTV” will be an evolutionary rather than revolutionary product, according to Masahiko Ishino from Advanced Research Japan. He claimed in a research note that the TV will hit the market next year, in 2014, with 55-inch and 65-inch model in the pipeline. And, they will be ultra-high definition 4K displays, apparently.

So far, no differentiation (Samsung (News - Alert) and LG both released 65- and 55-inch ultra-high definition TVs earlier this year), although clearly the middleware experience and content ecosystem will be an important key there. But Ishino also estimated that they will only cost $1,500 to $2,500—which is well below existing ultraHD set costs and could make all the difference for a successful launch.

4K displays are notoriously low in volume and high on price, so it’s unclear how the economic model will square, but Ishino added that LG, Samsung and Corning (News - Alert) may be among the suppliers. LG will supply the LCD displays with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3, and Samsung contributing graphic processing units. Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group (News - Alert) will be the supply-chain integrator.

David Hsieh at NPD DisplaySearch also argued that an Apple HDTV product, at 55- and 65-inches and sporting 4K, is set for a third-quarter 2014 release, but don’t venture a guess as to pricing.

Hsieh thinks that branching into TV may be necessary for Apple to maintain its competitive differentiation in light of Samsung, in particular, overtaking it on the mobile display front.

“Rapid developments in technology and manufacturing of LCD and OLED displays have challenged Apple’s leadership in display adoption,” he wrote in a blog. “Apple is no longer able to offer unique features in its displays as a long-term differentiator. Mobile device brands are adopting the latest displays with large sizes, high resolution, wide color gamut and low color shift wide viewing angle, and low power consumption, supplied by many panel makers not bounded by Apple. Introduction of the iPhone (News - Alert) 5S and 5C was the latest example that Apple has been slow in adopting the latest display technologies.”

Because of that, Apple needs to revamp, and it’s previous history as an early adopter of advanced display technology will stand it in good stead.

“It is clear from its products that Apple is a strong believer in high resolution, wide color gamut and wide viewing angle displays,” Hsieh said. “Apple has several firsts in its record: first to adopt a display with more than 300 ppi in a smart phone; first to adopt QXGA resolution in a tablet PC; first to integrate cover glass into product design; and of course, first to integrate touch sensor into the display (in-cell touch).”