National Geographic Channel content added to Apple TV days before refreshed hardware is expected
With less than a week to go before the WWDC keynote, where a new Apple TV is expected to be unveiled, the existing platform has gained access to the National Geographic Channel's next-day content.
Owners of the second- and third-generation set-top box will find the channel as part of their lineup automatically on Tuesday. The channel's name is stylized as "NatGeo TV," which is the name for the National Geographic Channel's free, next-day access to full episodes.
Content available on the channel includes "Street Genius," "The Big Picture with Kal Penn," and "Wicked Tuna." Nat Geo TV includes content from both the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild.
As with other cable content available on the Apple TV, a valid cable subscription login is required for access. Participating TV providers include Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner, Verizon and Charter.
The newly available channel comes just days before Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. There, it is expected that the company will unveil an entirely new set-top box, updating the Apple TV for the first time in years.
Rumors have said the new Apple TV will feature an A8 processor, a dedicated App Store, Siri voice controls, and a new touchpad controller.
Owners of the second- and third-generation set-top box will find the channel as part of their lineup automatically on Tuesday. The channel's name is stylized as "NatGeo TV," which is the name for the National Geographic Channel's free, next-day access to full episodes.
Content available on the channel includes "Street Genius," "The Big Picture with Kal Penn," and "Wicked Tuna." Nat Geo TV includes content from both the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild.
As with other cable content available on the Apple TV, a valid cable subscription login is required for access. Participating TV providers include Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner, Verizon and Charter.
The newly available channel comes just days before Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. There, it is expected that the company will unveil an entirely new set-top box, updating the Apple TV for the first time in years.
Rumors have said the new Apple TV will feature an A8 processor, a dedicated App Store, Siri voice controls, and a new touchpad controller.
Comments
Just getting more and more depressing. Now just hoping for a "Hail Mary" on Monday.
Just getting more and more depressing. Now just hoping for a "Hail Mary" on Monday.
Why the **** is an extra channel that you didn't have yesterday "depressing"?
And yes, Apple really needs a "Hail Mary". Really, the company might not even survive until next week they're in such dire straits.
For all intensive purposes, Apple TV is dead.
I hate saying that.
A lot of these chanels require you have a cable subscription to watch them. What i the point?
The objective should be to eliminate the cable and Sat. guys.
Apple TV:
The Hobby of The Eternity
New Apple TV hardware is so long overdue. They'll jump off the shelves.
The problem is not the hardware, but the software especially UI. Apple TV UI is not intuitive at all. If you subscribe 20 channels from the providers, you need to go in Apple TV to get activation codes for those fucking channels separately and go online 20 times to enter the damn codes. I did that last time and I hated the fck about it. Oh, last but not least, some channels you can't even activate through the program website because your TV provider is not in their drop-down list...
ATV should have a better way to activate the channels hopefully when Apple can work directly with program providers instead of cable/satellite TV providers...something like...log into iTunes, check the channels and activate them. Done.
Don't see a refresh happening.
For all intensive purposes, Apple TV is dead.
I hate saying that.
Apple wouldn't drop the price to $69 to let it die. Something is coming out to replace it.
I bought the original Apple TV when it came out in early 2007.
Honestly, not much has happened.
Starting to lose the faith.
When I got my first ATV, I loved how simple and uncluttered it was - far superior to the inconsistent, bloated mess that came on my "smart" TVs and Blu-Ray players. The Netflix interface was and still is among the best. Then, Apple started adding all these junk channels that couldn't be hidden except through parental controls. Apple finally addressed the last part, but now it's like playing Whack-A-Mole deleting all these useless, junk channels - especially for those of us who have multiple Apple TVs. It seems like every time I turn one on now, I'm wasting time hiding unwanted icons. Also, due to my ISP's usage allowance, I intentionally lower the resolution of my ATVs to reduce data usage, but over the last half-dozen or so firmware upgrades, the damn resolution settings won't stick and randomly reset themselves back to 1080p. From my perspective, the user experience has declined over time and this constant barrage of useless channels is the biggest culprit. I expect this junk from Sony, Samsung, LG, and others, but the Apple TV is becoming very un-Apple-like (or perhaps Apple is now abandoning their roots and beginning to conform to the masses). I kind of like the "old" Apple at a time when none of my friends had Apple products - they were more exclusive.
What I want in the next AppleTV: more 1337 specs. Support for 5K Retina TV. Thinner. Liquid metal exterior. IGZO. Faster quad core CPU. More RAM. Faster SSD. Touch screen with pen support. A camera. App Store. Game controller. Siri and Shazam built in. Dual-stage airbags. Microsoft Office compatibility. I don't know why I want these things, but AppleInsider forums exist so I can post this wish list. /s
You're not expecting the Apple TV to be a TV, are you?
Don't see a refresh happening.
For all intensive purposes, Apple TV is dead.
I hate saying that.
Sorry for being pedantic, but the expression is "for all intents and purposes."
Apple wouldn't drop the price to $69 to let it die. Something is coming out to replace it.
There's little doubt we'll see a new Apple TV soon, but I wouldn't use that logic to support the idea.
Apple dropped the price of Aperture form $499 to $299 and finally $79, before waiting three years to abandon it.
There's little doubt we'll see a new Apple TV soon, but I wouldn't use that logic to support the idea.
Apple dropped the price of Aperture form $499 to $299 and finally $79, before waiting three years to abandon it.
Talking about an app? This is a hardware with millions sold out there and still need supports. Have Apple ever cut the price of a hardware and discontinued it right after?
Don't see a refresh happening.
For all intensive purposes, Apple TV is dead.
I hate saying that.
Sorry for being pedantic, but the expression is "for all intents and purposes."
No. Not at all. There is a statue of limitations that says that is correct.
Just getting more and more depressing. Now just hoping for a "Hail Mary" on Monday.
Why the **** is an extra channel that you didn't have yesterday "depressing"?
And yes, Apple really needs a "Hail Mary". Really, the company might not even survive until next week they're in such dire straits.
No concern about survival. Just about lost ground.
We'll find out Monday.
I only buy electronics to run benchmarks on them, and if the new AppleTV doesn't measure up, I'm going to tell the Internets how disappointed I am and how Apple is doomed. /s
This is a great addition, now Apple please add SyFy, Amazon, FOX News and 4K support to ATV!