Apple is reportedly still trying to negotiate additional content partners for its Apple TV device in time for the 2012 holidays. The company is apparently trying to get a streaming TV service in place by Christmas, according to a recent New York Post report, though it seems that content providers are still balking at Apple's proposals.

Apple has long been suspected of working on some type of subscription option for TV and movie content since as far back as 2009. At the time, rumors claimed that Apple wanted content providers to let Apple TV users stream unlimited content from iTunes for about $30 per month. Some networks had supposedly expressed interest, including Disney/ABC and CBS. Rumors of negotiations continued since, with a Wall Street Journal report last August claiming Apple was working on "new technology to deliver video to televisions."

According to the Post, Apple VP of Internet Services Eddie Cue has been making the rounds among content providers, still trying to strike a deal. However, the Post's sources claim that the problem is Apple's legendary attempts to maintain control of every aspect of its services, including price.

One source described Apple's stance as "We decide the price, we decide what content." Another unnamed media executive claimed that "[t]hey want everything for nothing."

Apple may be pitching different channels to stream content via a branded app, as many already do on the iPad and iPhone. That strategy has seemed to work so far for Netflix, MLB, and NBA, for instance, and Apple has demonstrated that live streaming is a viable option for the Apple TV with a recent Paul McCartney concert. If that's the case, Apple may be negotiating pricing that is better than—or at least no worse than—what viewers can get from cable or satellite services. Our guess is that these demands are viewed as asking for "everything for nothing."

Still, it's increasingly clear that viewers would rather stream content to the device that's most convenient for them, at the time that is most convenient for them. The bar has already been set by Netflix, which offers unlimited streaming of a huge library of content for just $8 per month. At some point, Apple's demands may no longer seem all that unreasonable.