Apple has begun talks with Comcast, the US' largest cable company, to team up for a streaming-television service, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The service would go through an Apple set-top box, according to the report. The talks are said to be in the early stages, but the ultimate goal of Apple's is to allow the live streaming of live and on-demand TV content from over the internet, instead of over cable like has been traditionally been done.

Apple is said to have proposed that users would sign on to the Apple set-top box using Apple login IDs. Apple wants to control customer data and reduce their fees, while Comcast has been saying internally that it wants to retain control. 

Read: Apple reportedly working to bring Time Warner Cable channels to Apple TV

Apple's talks with Comcast come at a time when competitors like Sony and Google are said to be building similar web TV streaming services. Apple is hoping an agreement with Comcast would mean a slew of content coupled with Apple's apps and services to make the ultimate television delivery device.

Apple wants Comcast to give it preferential streaming treatment, so users wouldn't see laggy content. 

In June 2013, it was reported Apple was working with Time Warner Cable for a similar agreement. Interestingly, Comcast just acquired Time Warner Cable last month, probably making it easier for Apple to launch the service it wants, now that it has access to the first and second-largest cable companies in the US in one swoop.

It sounds like the service is far off, and that the talks are very early. Apple would still need to gain license to use the content streamed, even if it had an agreement with Comcast.