I'm just going to come out and say it: Apple won't be making a television set.

Now, I might be eating those words in a few months, but from where I'm sitting, the rumors of a Jony Ive-designed, Siri-enabled 42-inch LED screen just don't make sense.

The TV rumor mill started churning again last week after Reuters reported that Apple is in negotiations to acquire German home entertainment company Loewe. Adding a dash of intrigue is the fact that the struggling speaker and TV maker is already part-owned by Sharp, a major supplier of displays for iOS devices.

A scan of the Loewe website certainly lends credence to the idea of an Apple HDTV, where pictures of gorgeous, nearly bezel-less screens draped in chrome and glass practically beg for a Photoshopped Apple logo, but I just don't think that's what Apple's after here.

It should be noted that Loewe doesn't actually design its own TVs. (The Individual is the work of Stuttgart design firm Phoenix Design; the Connect LED is the work of Hamburg-Based Design 3.) But even if it did, I can't ever imagine a situation where Apple would buy a company for its designs, at least not as long as Ive is in charge.

So, I think we can safely assume that Apple's interest in Loewe is less about pretty TVs and more about the technology inside them. It might have something to do with patents or some kind of a deal to get cheaper displays from Sharp.

Or it could have something to do with this:

Image source: Yanko Design

Winner of the 2011 IF Concept Design Award, the Loewe Invisio is a wonder of minimalism, a clear, frameless pane of glass that practically turns invisible when powered off. 

“As the first of its kind, the Loewe Invisio introduces technical innovation, combining conventional LCD and the latest TOLED display technology," designer Michael Friebe told Yanko Design. "This allows to create non-transparent/solid moving pictures with rich color reproduction and full contrast range from solid black to pristine white.”

But still, I just don't see Apple making a television, no matter how gorgeous it would look. For one, the market is beyond oversaturated, with clear leaders and enough makes and models to fill every need. For another, selling a television set isn't the best way for Apple to continue its push into the living room.

Our iPads, iPhones and Apple TVs have already changed the way we watch TV, with anywhere entertainment and full seasons available in an instant. But the thing to tie this all together isn't another piece of hardware.

It's the single most important piece in every home theater system, the one device that every television, DVD player, DVR and digital media receiver have in common. And it's one that Apple has mostly overlooked.

For the most part, Apple's remotes have been utilitarian and perfunctory, doing what they have to, but little more. The Apple TV remote is basically a navigator, and its accompanying app, while certainly an improvement, still doesn't really bring much of a wow factor.

But the revolution begins here. Without adding a new piece of hardware, Apple could still transform our TV viewing experience, letting us search, socialize, shop and stream anything through a vastly overhauled Remote and a more powerful Apple TV.

Let's break it down. There are lots of apps that enhance your TV viewing experience. Zeebox measures the pulse and popularity of what's airing; Televised tracks your favorite shows and reminds you when they are airing. Next Guide deconstructs the TV guide for the Multitouch generation. Then there's the HBO Go and Showtime Anytime set, with easy navigation of expansive libraries we can watch anywhere, and apps like Verizon Fios Mobile that let us stream live TV to our iPads.

They all do things well, but despite their slick interfaces and varied features, none of them are show-stoppers. But if Apple were to combine all these pieces into one service, kind of like TiVo, it would be absolutely revolutionary.

Imagine an app that lets you search everywhere — iTunes, Hulu Plus, Netflix, your cable guide, even your DVR — to find the show you want to see. And with a tap, sends it to your TV, iPad, iPhone or Mac.

Amid all the rumors of TV sets and gaming consoles, I'm fairly certain of two things: Apple is a) working to gather as many providers as possible under its umbrella, and b) gearing up to launch the long-overdue Apple TV SDK. 

And all that content is going to need a killer remote. Just don't expect it to come with a television.

Find Michael Simon on Twitter or App.net @morlium.