Apple adds Showtime Anytime, iTunes Festival channels to Apple TV
Apple on Tuesday added two new channel options to its set-top streamer, bringing on-demand Showtime Anytime from the cable network as well as a dedicated channel for the upcoming iTunes Festival in London.
Showtime Anytime includes both live programming and on-demand access to episodes of popular shows like Homeland and Masters of Sex. As with most other Apple TV channels from paid television networks, Showtime Anytime requires users to authenticate with their cable provider before being allowed to watch the lion's share of the content.
The iTunes Festival channel, meanwhile, has been updated for the beginning of next month's concert series in London. Like previous years, Apple TV owners will be able to watch performances live or stream them after the fact.
Apple has added a number of channels to the Apple TV in recent months, most recently bringing NFL Now, ABC News, and CNBC, among others. The ABC News channel proved impressively popular, with viewers consuming some 50 percent more live content via the Apple TV channel than on desktop computers and mobile devices combined.
The Apple TV has not seen a major update in years, and rumors surrounding it have largely dissipated in recent months, with one report suggesting that the box would not see a refresh until 2015. Apple is planning a slight user interface redesign to launch alongside iOS 8, however, adding new "flat" styles in the latest beta release.
Showtime Anytime includes both live programming and on-demand access to episodes of popular shows like Homeland and Masters of Sex. As with most other Apple TV channels from paid television networks, Showtime Anytime requires users to authenticate with their cable provider before being allowed to watch the lion's share of the content.
The iTunes Festival channel, meanwhile, has been updated for the beginning of next month's concert series in London. Like previous years, Apple TV owners will be able to watch performances live or stream them after the fact.
Apple has added a number of channels to the Apple TV in recent months, most recently bringing NFL Now, ABC News, and CNBC, among others. The ABC News channel proved impressively popular, with viewers consuming some 50 percent more live content via the Apple TV channel than on desktop computers and mobile devices combined.
The Apple TV has not seen a major update in years, and rumors surrounding it have largely dissipated in recent months, with one report suggesting that the box would not see a refresh until 2015. Apple is planning a slight user interface redesign to launch alongside iOS 8, however, adding new "flat" styles in the latest beta release.
Comments
Great news! I can finally watch Homeland on my ATV instead of my iPad
Curious if Ray Donovan is worth watching...
Ray Donovan is the best show on TV, bar none. Watch it.
I'm thrilled Showtime is finally available on ATV.
I see the long game forming. (US Centric, TL:DR for the rest of the world).
'Networks' (Let's not call them 'cable' networks vs broadcast... they are just content owners) are looking to disintermediate cable networks.
Step 1: create a web/social media presence to measure internet market
Step 2: create non-broadcast content that you can't get over cable to measure 'capable demand' (those that can easily get internet content and will)
Step 3: Create apps/channels in youtube, iOS, android, AppleTV, Roku etc that make for a 'super DVR' that not only measure demand, 'identify it' (username/password/cable market, etc)
Step 4: Monetize these apps by in app purchases for on-demand and uber-live shows that aren't part of their cable packages
Step 5: Use that Cable Market information to recognize potential tipping points where negotiations can be stalled, and have planned 'picket lines' if the comcasts/TWC/Charter play hardball when the next contracts come up and the networks fight for non-exclusive distribution rights.
Step 6: Draw a line in the sand, and push back hard on the Comcast cableopoly in the US, by turning the customers against the cable companies. Demand a major license price increase for say, Discovery Channel, and when the cable companies say 'no, Opt out, and drive that audience to an monetized 'internet only' site/app/ATVchannel.
Step 7: Cable Companies have to realize they either own the content, or they are dumb pipes. like terrestrial and wireless phone companies.
Step 8: Content Networks cash out (NBC) by getting cable companies buy them, or they they go 'drop off cable' and stand on wireless and muni internet to bypass cable's internet final mile monopoly.
Step 9: Communities drop that monopoly power; require 'equal access' to any copper/fiber to the home (see 1984 ATT anti-trust ruling)
Step 10: Cable companies become utilities, and are regulated to make 5-10% profits. Great for the Google's of the world, not so good for the Charters ).
Steps 1-5a Major Content Creators (Sports Leagues, Franchises, Movie Studios, Production companies) build out their own 'channels' (NBA/MLS/NHL/NFL/MLB.com and production houses (think SpikeLee, Apatow, Tyler Perry, Oliver Stone, and the WillFerrells, JimmyKimmell's, GeorgeClooneys... large production houses that want complete artistic/economic control).
Apple TV can play both sides of this... by either becoming the STB for the local Cable co, making their content 'blend into' competitive content, or by being the low cost alternative box that allows cable cutters to cut the content side of cable, and just use the Internet side, until wireless, fiber, DLS can compete for bandwidth (Along with caching non-live content during off hours, optimizing bandwidth during your 'prime time')
The need to 'authenticate with a cable provider' is one very good reason BitTorrent piracy sites will continue to flourish.
This is the old model. Geographic distribution rights. It will change.
HBO will likely be the the bad guy for a while, until they figure out how to make an Apple TV model feasible. but they have to rewrite their contracts with the cable cos. My guess in 6 years from now HBO will write bypasses into contracts (CableCo,you pay us(HBO) $5 for every HBO subscriber on your net, we'll pay you $1 [assuming non-net nuetrality] toll for every internet user that pays us $7.99 a month for our content).
[most people pay $10-20 for that content now]
I just cancelled showtime and a few other channels a couple of months ago and basically cut my cable bill almost in half, though it's still in the three figures. Oh well, I guess that I'll be hiding this app too.
I think it's called "Showtime Anyti…"
The Apple TV homescreen/layout is a bonafide mess. I dare anyone to challenge that assertion. I mean, seriously; compared to other Apple properties/interfaces, how can one possibly claim that it's pretty and that "it's that simple"?
I accept the challenge. I want to watch an iTunes movie- I click "Movies". I want to listen to music- I click "music". It might not be the prettiest- but simple, it is.
Nope. Cable provider. Why do you need a cable provider skimming off the top? It makes the cost higher.
And buy it. If you want to watch a movie you actually have, you go to Computers, wherein only ONE computer can reside.
The Apple Store elements need to be reduced to a single Store channel.
The Apple TV homescreen/layout is a bonafide mess. I dare anyone to challenge that assertion. I mean, seriously; compared to other Apple properties/interfaces, how can one possibly claim that it's pretty and that "it's that simple"?
I've compared Apple TV's interface to Power Menu, a DOS 3 program from the 1980s. But in Apple's defense I'm positive it has a genre-centric IOS that would make navigating TV programs pure pleasure. The problem is it must be mounted on the existing cable/satellite infrastructure without threatening the underlying industries. Therein lies the hangup.
Is there any way to turn off some of the icons on the AppleTV? It is getting too messy with stuff that I will never use.
I've compared Apple TV's interface to Power Menu, a DOS 3 program from the 1980s. But in Apple's defense I'm positive it has a genre-centric IOS that would make navigating TV programs pure pleasure. The problem is it must be mounted on the existing cable/satellite infrastructure without threatening the underlying industries. Therein lies the hangup.
I really just hope they're in a holding pattern here, not making any revolutionary interface updates until the requisite hardware shows its face, as you imply. Let's see what the future holds, but the present sure is a mess.
Is there any way to turn off some of the icons on the AppleTV? It is getting too messy with stuff that I will never use.
Yes, you can delete those apps you don't use by selecting its icon, making it jiggle, then hitting the x.
Apple TV, man; no X to hit. Select, jiggle, play/pause, hide, and then input a parental control password.
YOU HAVE TO DO THEM ONE AT A TIME since the second most recent software update. It’s COMPLETE INSANITY. What was wrong with the list of channels in Settings before? Show/Hide option next to each, you put in your password ONCE and are able to edit them all.
And buy it. If you want to watch a movie you actually have, you go to Computers, wherein only ONE computer can reside.
The Apple Store elements need to be reduced to a single Store channel.
No I don't. I go to Movies- and go to purchased- and stream from the cloud.
The beating of watching local video is going to computers and having to have your computer on doesnt have anything to do with the UI- it's just inconvenient- period.
Apple TV, man; no X to hit. Select, jiggle, play/pause, hide, and then input a parental control password.
YOU HAVE TO DO THEM ONE AT A TIME since the second most recent software update. It’s COMPLETE INSANITY. What was wrong with the list of channels in Settings before? Show/Hide option next to each, you put in your password ONCE and are able to edit them all.
You can still do that- they just added the "one at a time" deal. I actually always forget about the "1 at a time" and do it the old way via settings. It's the "Menu" category if I remember correctly.
Because you bought it.
That’s a separate argument; I’m talking about the UI.
I'm waiting for Apple to add an 8" AppleTV to their product lineup. They have different sizes of phones and pads. Oh, and maybe an AppleTV Air!
Seriously, I read that Steve Jobs stated that doing for TV what iTunes did for music was just not a profitable endeavor for Apple. In which case, the AppleTV will limp along as a simple Internet Access box for your television (without a web browser). Which is great for us who just need to access our Netflix accounts.
If Apple had the guts to enter the TV market, they would need to expand their "rental" offering and strong-arm content providers to sell their programs on a per-view basis through AppleTV/iTunes Store. Then maybe the media mogul "bozos" will realize they can make money with millions of viewers paying 1.99¢ for one view of a program. And that would be money going directly to the content provider not advertisers. Very simple: content provider sells one view (e.g. download) of a program to apple for .99-4.99 and Apple sells it to viewers for 1.99 - 5.99.
My 2¢.