For those who are not yet aware about the new Apple TV, well, it is finally here.
Apple's new streaming video box, available now for US$ 149 (32GB) and US$ 199 (64GB), comes with a bevy of new features, including a full-fledged App Store (with games!), an awesome touchpad remote and Siri-powered voice recognition.
According to David Katzmaier of CNET, the first wave of new apps, not surprisingly, include several ports from the existing iPhone and iPad world, everything from Zillow real estate to Periscope, the personal live broadcasting app. But most people will be buying the Apple TV for its already huge offering of video and audio channels.
The good news is that nearly all of the channels from the previous Apple TV, which remains on sale for US$ 69, are available on the new model, too. And many of the services that aren't available - the most important one being Amazon Video - can be streamed from any iPhone, iPad or Mac on the same Wi-Fi network at the touch of a button, using Apple's nifty AirPlay feature.
It's clear the new Apple TV has laid the groundwork for the TV service Apple has been trying to make happen for years — the truly cable-free, live TV experience that lets users, in the words of Cue, buy whatever they want how they want it.
The Apple TV's app-based design exposes the friction that exists with watching shows and movies today. Unless the app is truly an internet-first streaming service like Netflix or Hulu, chances are users need to authenticate with their cable company through some horribly designed web login from their computer. Or sometimes even streaming services that by all indications should be on the Apple TV, like Amazon Video, aren't.
When users have streaming services with simple pricing and easy logins, like Netflix, watching content couldn't be easier.
Apple's new streaming video box, available now for US$ 149 (32GB) and US$ 199 (64GB), comes with a bevy of new features, including a full-fledged App Store (with games!), an awesome touchpad remote and Siri-powered voice recognition.
According to David Katzmaier of CNET, the first wave of new apps, not surprisingly, include several ports from the existing iPhone and iPad world, everything from Zillow real estate to Periscope, the personal live broadcasting app. But most people will be buying the Apple TV for its already huge offering of video and audio channels.
The good news is that nearly all of the channels from the previous Apple TV, which remains on sale for US$ 69, are available on the new model, too. And many of the services that aren't available - the most important one being Amazon Video - can be streamed from any iPhone, iPad or Mac on the same Wi-Fi network at the touch of a button, using Apple's nifty AirPlay feature.
It's clear the new Apple TV has laid the groundwork for the TV service Apple has been trying to make happen for years — the truly cable-free, live TV experience that lets users, in the words of Cue, buy whatever they want how they want it.
The Apple TV's app-based design exposes the friction that exists with watching shows and movies today. Unless the app is truly an internet-first streaming service like Netflix or Hulu, chances are users need to authenticate with their cable company through some horribly designed web login from their computer. Or sometimes even streaming services that by all indications should be on the Apple TV, like Amazon Video, aren't.
When users have streaming services with simple pricing and easy logins, like Netflix, watching content couldn't be easier.
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