Jump to content

Apple TV app

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Apple TV Channels)
This article is about the media player application. For the operating system for early versions of Apple TV, see Apple TV § Software. For the streaming service, see Apple TV+.
TV
Developer(s)Apple Inc.
Platform
Predecessor
  • Videos (iOS)
  • iTunes (macOS)
Type
Websitewww.apple.com/apple-tv-app/ Edit this on Wikidata

The Apple TV app[12] (also known as Apple TV,[13][14] TV, and the TV app[15][16])[n 1] is a line of media player software programs developed by Apple Inc. for viewing television shows and films delivered by Apple to consumer electronic devices. It can stream content from the iTunes Store, the Apple TV Channels a la carte video on demand service, and the Apple TV+ original content subscription service.[17][18] On iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Vision Pro, and Apple TV devices it can also index and access content from linked apps of other video on demand services.

The app was released in the United States in December 2016 for iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads and was rolled out to other countries starting in late 2017.[19] During the course of 2019 and 2020, it was brought to Macs and the third generation Apple TV[20][21] and gradually, with certain feature omissions,[22] to non-Apple devices: post-2015 Roku and Amazon Fire TV models[23] and some newer television models on the Roku TV, Fire TV Edition, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Vizio SmartCast smart TV platforms, with select new Sony Android TV models gaining access in October 2020.[1][24][2][3][4][5]

History

[edit]

First-party devices

[edit]
The TV app icon used in iOS and tvOS from December 2016 to March 2019

TV was announced at an Apple media event on October 27, 2016, and was released in the United States on December 12, 2016, with iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1, replacing the "Videos" application in earlier versions of iOS. It aggregates television shows and movies from the iTunes Store with content from installed partner apps, and can track progress across devices using the same Apple ID. Only content from Apple's services opens inside the TV app; other content is opened in the linked app.[25]

The app originally contained five sections: "Watch Now", "Sports", "Library", "Store" and "Search".[26][27] Push notifications for sports scores can be enabled.[28]

TV received a major redesign following Apple's March 2019 media event, which refocused it as a hub for Apple-distributed video streaming.[29] The new version added support for Apple TV Channels and debuted a new icon similar to the Apple TV hardware icon, replacing the previous icon resembling a television.[30]

TV was added to the pre-tvOS 3rd generation Apple TV in March 2019, though this version lacks the ability to link with other video on demand apps.[31] Picture-in-picture and switching between multiple Apple IDs was added in tvOS 13 to fourth generation and newer Apple TVs.[32][33]

TV was released with macOS Catalina on October 7, 2019, as one of three applications created to replace iTunes.[34][20] It supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR10 on MacBooks released in 2018 or later, while 4K HDR playback is supported on the iMac Pro[35] and other Macs released in 2018 or later when connected to a compatible display.[36]

TV was released for visionOS on February 2, 2024, alongside the release of the Apple Vision Pro, and includes support for viewing 3D versions of selected movies purchased through the service at no extra cost.[37]

Third-party devices

[edit]

Apple announced in January 2019 that the TV app would be made available on non-Apple platforms for the first time.[38][39] The decision to expand to other platforms was cited as part of Apple's efforts to expand its service revenues by making video content available widely to the public.[40]

It launched on Roku on October 15, 2019, on models with a 3800 model number or higher, and on the Roku TV platform.[41][42][43] It became available on Amazon Fire TV on October 24, 2019, though limited to Fire TV devices released in 2016 or later, and on the Fire TV Edition platform.[44][45]

The app launched on Samsung TVs on their customized version of the Tizen OS platform on May 13, 2019.[46][47][2] It became available on the LG webOS platform on February 3, 2020.[3] It was added to the Vizio SmartCast platform on September 8, 2020.[4]

The app also launched on select 2020 Sony Bravia Android TV models on October 14, 2020.[48] On December 16, 2020, Google announced that the Android TV version of the app would be widely made available to other devices running Android TV, beginning with the Chromecast with Google TV in early 2021.[10] It became available on nearly all Android TV models and devices running on Android TV 8.0 on June 1, 2021.[11]

The app became available on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in November 2020,[7][49] as well as the Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020.[9]

The features available through the software on non-Apple devices are more limited than those on Apple devices, such as a lack of Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support, but additional updates have lessened the differences over time.[50][51]

Content

[edit]

TV supports 4K, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR10 on the Apple TV 4K.[52] Dolby Vision and HDR10 are supported on iPad Pro and iPhone models[n 2] released in 2017 or later, and Dolby Atmos on 2018 iPad Pro models and iPhones.[54]

Content from the TV app may also be streamed via Apple's AirPlay 2 protocol from a device supporting the TV app to particular smart television sets from Sony, Vizio, LG, and Samsung.[24][1]

Sources

[edit]

As an aggregation service, the TV app pulls content from a variety of sources and streaming platforms for viewing. Content can be rented or purchased directly through the "Store" tab in the app, while in versions before iOS 17.2 films and TV shows would instead have to be purchased through the iTunes Store.[55] TV also serves as the hub for the Apple TV+ subscription service, featuring original content created for Apple including productions by their own Apple Studios.

The versions of the TV app on iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS can also integrate and curate content from supported third-party video on demand apps installed on the same device, and can track progress across devices using the same Apple ID. Only content from Apple's services opens inside the TV app, for other content it will open the linked app.[25] Support from apps varies by country.[56] Support for Netflix is limited; their television shows and films will appear in search results and play, but other features like curation and progress tracking are unavailable.[57]

Apple TV Channels

[edit]

Apple TV Channels is a service that aggregates content from popular video on demand a la carte subscription services and is accessed from the TV app.[17][18] Announced in March 2019, it is designed to simplify subscriptions by making them purchasable and accessible in one video content hub, so the consumer need not use each service's own sign-up mechanism or view the content through each service's own app or website.[58][59] It is designed to compete with similar services such as Amazon Channels and Hulu Add-Ons, which similarly make multiple subscription premium networks available in one location.[18] The payment method can also be centralized through Apple's own billing service.[59] Because the content is from paid subscription services, it will be ad-free.[59] Content can also be downloaded to the device for offline viewing, and there is an option to share accounts within families.[59]

Partners include Cinemax, Boomerang, Discovery Channel, Motor Trend, Tastemade, Starz, MGM+, Showtime, BET+, Paramount+, Nick+, Noggin, Curiosity Stream, Mubi, Globoplay, BBC Select, BritBox, AMC+, Allblk, Shudder, and Acorn TV.[59] HBO was a launch partner but deprecated their channel following the launch of HBO Max, discontinuing new subscriptions and retaining existing ones for Apple users who registered for the channel before the May 2020 launch of HBO Max (while granting access to HBO Max at no extra charge) until July 22, 2021, when it was discontinued for existing subscriptions.[60][61] The broad reach of the 1.4 billion Apple devices in use globally induced major services, some of which already have their own content distribution systems, to make deals with Apple.[62]

Netflix declined to be involved with the service, with CEO Reed Hastings saying that they chose not to integrate its service's programming into Apple TV Channels because "we prefer to have our customers watch our content in our service."[62] Netflix would have received little or no data about viewers from Apple TV Channels.[62] AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, during an on-stage discussion with CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin at a fintech event, pushed back on the suggestion that content providers like AT&T's HBO would "not have the same level of access to the data" captured from Apple TV Channels that they currently receive through their own apps and websites to "see what everybody's really watching and be able to make certain decisions", instead insisting that AT&T's digital distribution deals provide it "access to data ... critical to advertising delivery, [ ] critical to marketing".[63][64]

MLS Season Pass

[edit]

On June 14, 2022, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced that it had signed a 10-year broadcasting deal with Apple that would take effect with the 2023 MLS season, under which Apple would hold the global over-the-top streaming rights to all MLS and Leagues Cup matches, and selected MLS Next and MLS Next Pro matches.[65] The service, known as MLS Season Pass, launched on February 1, 2023 as a channel in the Apple TV app. In addition to offering a discounted rate to Apple TV+ subscribers, a package of MLS and Leagues Cup matches is available for Apple TV+ subscribers, with a subset of these matches available for free.[66]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Ref.
 United States December 12, 2016 [67][68]
 Australia September 19, 2017 [69]
 Canada
 Norway October 31, 2017 [70]
 Sweden
 France December 8, 2017 [71]
 Germany
 United Kingdom
 Brazil March 30, 2018 [72]
 Mexico
90 additional countries May 13, 2019 [73]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Apple TV app – Devices". Apple.com. November 1, 2019. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Dilger, Daniel Eran (May 16, 2019). "Editorial: Why Apple's first port of the new TV app isn't to Android, but to Samsung's anti-Android". AppleInsider. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Byford, Sam (February 3, 2020). "The Apple TV app is now available on LG's 2019 TVs". The Verge. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Spangler, Todd (September 8, 2020). "Apple TV App Launches on Vizio Smart TVs". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Welch, Chris (October 14, 2020). "Apple TV app arrives on some of Sony's latest 4K TVs". The Verge. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  6. ^ Sony Electronics Inc. (October 14, 2020). "Sony Launches the Apple TV App on Select Smart TVs" (Press release). PRNewswire. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Mayo, Benjamin (October 22, 2020). "Apple TV app launching on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 next month". 9to5Mac. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  8. ^ "Get Apple TV on Microsoft Store". Microsoft Store. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  9. ^ a b Tuttle, Will (2 November 2020). "Apple TV and Your Favorite Streaming Apps Available on Xbox Series X|S at Launch". Xbox Wire. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  10. ^ a b "The Apple TV app is on its way to Chromecast with Google TV". blog.google. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Apple TV app comes to Android TV devices". App Insider. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Apple TV app". Apple. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  13. ^ "Apple TV". App Store. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  14. ^ "Apple TV – Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  15. ^ "TV App – Apple". 2017-10-07. Archived from the original on 2017-10-07. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  16. ^ "Use the TV app on your Apple TV 4K, Apple TV (4th generation), iPhone, and iPad – Apple Support". 2017-10-15. Archived from the original on 2017-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  17. ^ a b Holloway, Daniel (March 25, 2019). "Apple Reveals New TV Streaming Service". Variety.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  18. ^ a b c Hardawar, Devindra (March 25, 2019). "Apple TV Channels is an a la carte way to watch your favorite networks". Engadget. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  19. ^ Hall, Zac (December 12, 2016). "Apple releases iOS 10.2 w/ new emoji, Messages effects, US-only TV app, wallpapers, more". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  20. ^ a b Pasarow, Anabel (October 8, 2019). "Mac's Newest Software, Catalina, Is Here — & These Are Its Best Features". Refinery29. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  21. ^ Clover, Juli (May 13, 2019). "Apple Releases tvOS 12.3 With Updated TV App". MacRumors. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  22. ^ Katzmaier, David (October 28, 2019). "Apple's TV app is on Roku, Fire TV and Samsung, but only Apple devices get every feature". CNET. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  23. ^ Newman, Jared (November 7, 2019). "Apple TV+ has arrived: Here are the details (and some fine print)". TechHive. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  24. ^ a b Haslam, Karen (October 28, 2019). "Which TVs work with Apple TV app and AirPlay". Macworld. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  25. ^ a b Vincent, James (2016-10-27). "Apple announces a TV app to put all your content in one place". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  26. ^ Dirks, Brent (November 7, 2016). "Apple's TV App Arrives in iOS 10.2 Beta 2". AppAdvice. AppAdvice LLC. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  27. ^ Viticci, Federico (December 13, 2016). "Apple Releases iOS 10.2 with new Emoji, TV App, and More". MacStories. Federico Viticci & Friends. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  28. ^ "Sports in the Apple TV app". Apple Support. Archived from the original on 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  29. ^ "Apple's Two-Word Plan for the Future of the Internet: Subscribe Now". Fortune. Archived from the original on 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  30. ^ Broussard, Mitchel (25 March 2019). "Apple Reveals Redesigned Apple TV App With 'Apple TV Channels' Subscription Feature". www.macrumors.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  31. ^ Owen, Malcolm (March 27, 2019). "The new TV App is coming to third generation Apple TV hardware". AppleInsider. Archived from the original on 2019-11-16. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  32. ^ Welch, Chris (2019-06-17). "Apple is adding picture-in-picture mode to the Apple TV". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2019-10-02. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  33. ^ "tvOS 13 powers the most personal cinematic experience ever". Apple Newsroom. Archived from the original on 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  34. ^ Chen, Brian X.; Nicas, Jick (June 3, 2019). "Apple's WWDC Highlights: Death of iTunes and $6,000 Macs". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  35. ^ "Find and watch movies with 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, or Dolby Atmos". Apple Support. Archived from the original on 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
  36. ^ Warren, Tom (June 3, 2019). "Apple unveils new macOS update with iPad apps". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  37. ^ Spangler, Todd (2024-01-16). "Apple Vision Pro Will Feature 150-Plus 3D Movies at Launch, Immersive Originals, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and More". Variety. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  38. ^ Tibken, Shara. "Apple bringing iTunes, AirPlay 2 to Samsung's 2019 TVs". CNET. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  39. ^ Dillet, Romain (March 25, 2019). "The Apple TV app to launch on smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV and computers". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  40. ^ Greenwald, Will (March 26, 2019). "Apple TV Is the Death of Apple TV". PCMag. Archived from the original on 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  41. ^ Perez, Sarah (15 October 2019). "The Apple TV app arrives on Roku, ahead of Apple TV+ streaming service launch". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  42. ^ "Apple TV app - Devices". Apple. Archived from the original on 2019-11-01. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  43. ^ Spangler, Todd (October 15, 2019). "Roku Adds Apple TV App, Just in Time For Apple TV Plus Streaming Launch". Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  44. ^ Haselton, Todd (2019-10-24). "Apple's TV app is now on Amazon Fire TV devices ahead of next week's streaming service launch". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  45. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (24 October 2019). "Apple TV app launches on Amazon Fire TV devices". The Verge. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  46. ^ Hall, Zac (May 13, 2019). "Apple TV app and AirPlay 2 debut on Samsung Smart TVs alongside iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 release". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  47. ^ "Samsung Becomes First TV Manufacturer to Launch The Apple TV App and AirPlay 2". news.samsung.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  48. ^ "Sony Launches the Apple TV App on Select Smart TVS" (Press release).
  49. ^ "New media experience and top entertainment streaming apps coming to PS5". PlayStation.Blog. 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  50. ^ Katzmaier, David. "Apple TV app: Do Roku and Fire TV's features match Apple TV 4K?". CNET. Archived from the original on 2019-10-30. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  51. ^ Larsen, Rasmus (February 6, 2020). "LG: Dolby Atmos support coming to Apple TV app, AirPlay 2 later this year". FlatPanelsHD. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  52. ^ Hall, Zac (2018-09-17). "tvOS 12 now available for Apple TV 4 and Apple TV 4K, brings Dolby Atmos audio, screensaver updates, more". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  53. ^ Wong, Raymond (22 September 2017). "The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus don't really support true HDR video playback". Mashable. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  54. ^ "Apple TV+ supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, but device support varies". iMore. 2019-09-11. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  55. ^ "Apple Removes Option to Buy TV Shows and Movies in iOS 17.2 iTunes Store App". MacRumors. 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  56. ^ "Availability of supported apps in the Apple TV app". Apple Support. Archived from the original on 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  57. ^ Hall, Zac (2017-01-19). "No, Netflix still doesn't really work with Apple's new TV app". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  58. ^ Haselton, Todd (March 25, 2019). "Apple unveils streaming TV services". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  59. ^ a b c d e Miller, Chance (March 25, 2019). "Apple announces 'all-new' TV app with 'Apple TV Channels' and more". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  60. ^ Mayo, Benjamin (2020-05-27). "HBO stops participating in Apple TV Channels, users directed to HBO Max app". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on 2020-07-18. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  61. ^ Miller, Chance (22 July 2021). "HBO officially shuts down its Apple TV Channel, cutting off HBO Max access for some users". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  62. ^ a b c Lee, Edmund (March 22, 2019). "Why Netflix Won't Be Part of Apple TV". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  63. ^ Miller, Chance (March 27, 2019). "AT&T's Randall Stephenson discusses HBO's deal w/ Apple, claims HBO gets viewer data in return". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  64. ^ Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Stephenson, Randall (March 27, 2019). AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson at Fintech Ideas Festival – Wednesday, March 27 2019 (YouTube). CNBC. Event occurs at 6m 50s. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  65. ^ "Apple and MLS to present all MLS matches for 10 years, beginning in 2023". Apple Newsroom. 2022-06-14. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  66. ^ "Apple and Major League Soccer announce MLS Season Pass launches February 1, 2023". Apple Newsroom. 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  67. ^ Orellana, Vanessa Hand (December 12, 2016). "iOS 10.2: Here are all the new features". CNET. Condé Nast Inc. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  68. ^ Dirks, Brent (December 9, 2016). "The TV App Just Hit the iOS App Store - But There's a Catch". AppAdvice. AppAdvice LLC. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  69. ^ Moon, Mariella (September 19, 2017). "Apple slowly lets its 'TV' streaming app expand beyond the US". Engadget. Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications). Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  70. ^ "Apple Releases First Beta of iOS 11.2 for Developers [Updated]". 30 October 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-11-05. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  71. ^ "TV App launches in UK, France, Germany (first look screenshots & video)". 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-12-09. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  72. ^ "iOS 11.3 now available: Here are the best features". 30 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  73. ^ "All-new Apple TV app available in over 100 countries starting today". Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-01-26.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Referred to as simply "TV" in Apple operating systems, "Apple TV" on non-Apple devices, and the "Apple TV app" or "TV app" on Apple.com.
  2. ^ iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, XR, 11, and SE (2nd generation) can play HDR10 and Dolby Vision content despite not having an HDR-ready display, done by down-converting the HDR content to fit the display while still having some enhancements to dynamic range, contrast, and wide color gamut compared to standard content.[53]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apple_TV_app&oldid=1238336889#Apple_TV_Channels"