The latest release of the new iPad has been a success worldwide, but there are already rumors swirling around its new investment in Japanese liquid crystal display (LCD) company, Sharp.

While nothing is certain, Taiwan's Hon Hai Group - which also manufactures iPads and iPhones for Apple - has decided to invest 133 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in Sharp. Many are somewhat puzzled by the investment, because, according to BusinessWeek, Sharp expects to lose more than $3 billion in 2012, due to the weakening of the yen and the expensive costs of its state-of-the-art new factory.

Perhaps, however, Apple's partnership with the LCD manufacturer is related to its latest venture, Apple TV.

"Maybe [Hon Hai's founder, Terry] Gou is betting on 60-inch TVs seeing a renaissance," Alberto Moel, a senior research analyst in Hong Kong, told the news source. "Or maybe on the yen depreciating. Or maybe on Apple TV."

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of Apple TV, it is a small device that resembles a cable box and allows you to streamline music and video directly onto your high-definition television (HDTV) from iTunes.

Apple TV is set up on a pay-per-view process that automatically stores purchased items in the cloud for future use. Its newest version was released on March 16, 2012, alongside the iPad 3, and has increased its support for 1080p video, along with an updated A5 processor.

Despite the current device, Apple has yet to make its own TVs. For many, the latest investment in a LCD screen manufacturing company is one of the largest hints that a new type of television will be released from the company soon.