Rumors of an Apple TV have been making rounds for quite some time, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has added more fuel to the fire.

While not explicitly saying that Apple is working to launch a TV set sometime in the future, the CEO did mention that the television industry is an intense area of interest for the Cupertino giant.

In an interview on Thursday, Dec. 6, on NBC's "Rock Center," Cook focused mainly on outsourcing and manufacturing talks. The intriguing reference to the long-rumored Apple TV was just mentioned in passing, but stirred great interest nonetheless.

"When I go into my living room and turn on the TV, I feel like I have gone backwards in time by 20 to 30 years," Cook told NBC's Brian Williams during the interview. "It's an area of intense interest. I can't say more than that."

In other words, the Apple CEO has basically announced that the Cupertino tech giant may finally be ready to enter the TV market, upping its rivalry with Google. The search giant's Google TV has not exactly enjoyed wild success, but Google still hopes to someday change the way consumers watch television. With a little competition, things may pick up steam and advance at a more rapid pace, with more exciting offerings.

While rumors of a Siri-powered Apple HDTV, or iTV, have been swirling for much of the year, Cook has never actually suggested that Apple was working on a TV until now. Last year, however, a quote from Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Apple co-founder and late CEO Steve Jobs drew intense attention.

Before he died, Jobs told his biographer that he wanted to "create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," and would sync with iCloud and the company's iOS devices.

Back in May, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou said his company was getting ready to start producing an Apple iTV, fueling a slew of analyst reports heralding the imminent arrival of and Apple TV. The iTV reportedly features an aluminum construction, Siri, and FaceTime video calling.

Cook's comment is the biggest hint yet that Apple is working on an HDTV, however nothing is certain for now. The CEO did not reveal any details about the company's plans, no projected price range, and certainly no word on when the purported Apple TV would become available. On the other hand, now it is almost certain that Apple will eventually enter the TV market.