Apple TV Releases Next Week: Everything You Need to Know

Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced that the newly revitalized Apple TV will be released next week, with the tech giant looking to up its game when it comes to its digital media player.

With early incarnations of the Apple TV largely being overlooked in favor of the likes of Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast and Roku, the last Apple event saw the company look to make significant strides in this space, unveiling a device that could well become an excellent alternative to cable TV.

Also See: The Internet Dissects the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer: Rey’s a Skywalker, Chewbacca’s Dead?!

With that being said, let’s take a closer look at Apple TV: 

 

Release Date and Pricing

It has been revealed this week that orders for the Apple TV can be made on October 26th, with shipping starting later that same week. It will retail at $149 (roughly £100) for the 32GB model and $199 (£129) for 64GB. 

 

Apps

The most important facet of Apple TV is, of course, its selection of apps. How else would you stream movies and TV? Like many other digital media players, Apple TV also features a selection of apps providing more varied services, including a dedicated Airbnb offering that allows users to browse rooms using their TV, and Plex, which lets users stream movies, TV shows and music that they own through the device.

Here’s the full list of confirmed apps so far:

  • HBO GO
  • Showtime
  • Netflix
  • Airbnb
  • Hulu
  • MLB
  • ABC
  • Plex
  • VLC Player
  • CNN Go
  • Fox Now
  • YouTube
  • PBS/PBS Kids
  • NBC Sports Live Extra
  • ABC News
  • Disney Channel
  • Watch ESPN
  • WWE Network
  • Vimeo
  • Crunchyroll
  • Vevo
  • TED Talks
  • Bloomberg TV
  • NFL Now
  • NHL Gamecenter
  • Qello Concerts
  • MLB.TV Premium
  • Red Bull TV
  • NBA.com League Pass
  • Hopster

 

Games

Apple has pushed gaming to the forefront of the new Apple TV, and while their claims that it rivals current-generation consoles in terms of power are very much debatable if not outright lies, it’s still shaping up to have a wide selection of titles to play upon release. While the games that have thus far been announced wouldn’t look out of place on a mobile device, some will undoubtedly have been designed with the Apple TV specifically in mind, and while you shouldn’t expect anything particularly ground-breaking they will likely serve as a fun little distraction from streaming movies and TV shows.

 

Siri Remote

The Siri remote is a major addition to the Apple TV, with it allowing both voice and touch functionality. Siri can help you navigate the media player’s user interface, while the glass Touch surface on the new remote will allow you to browse with precision and fluidity. Siri also inevitably makes searching a lot easier, allowing you to make broad voice commands such as “show me sci-fi films released in the ’70s” (Apple’s example, not ours) and then providing you with the relevant results. Apple also states that Siri will be able to show the user “sport scores, control playback, pull up the weather, access your settings and even check your stocks,” with it also able to turn on the player’s Enhanced Speech mode in order to boost dialogue and reduce the volume of music and sound effects, and asking “What did he/she just say?” will cause Siri to rewind a film/show by a few seconds in case you’ve missed an important moment.

 

tvOS

Apple has devised a brand new operating system for Apple TV. Based upon iOS, it is exclusive to the new version of the Apple TV, meaning those who own previous models won’t be able to update to the new OS. As is typically the case with Apple software it’s sleek and minimalist, with a far better design than that which was boasted by early incarnations of the device, and it also boasts its own tvOS store for downloading apps and games.

 

Specs

The Apple TV will boast a 64-bit A8 chip processor, which is a lot faster than those featured in previous models and will allow games to be player at a higher frame rate, and will speed up browsing for the user. It also features the new developer tool Metal, which will allow app and game developers to squeeze more out of the A8 chip.

 

AirPlay

This mode allows you to stream content to your Apple TV using your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Mac. It will also allow you to mirror the display of these devices on your TV, allowing you to swiftly show your friends something on your device without even having to input a Wi-Fi password.

 

 


 

A History Of Apple Products

 

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