Apple updates Apple TV with YouTube support (photos)

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Apple on Wednesday delivered the first of several planned software updates to its Apple TV streaming media hub, adding support for Google's widely popular YouTube video sharing website.



Owners of the $299 Apple TV can download the free update using the device's built-in software update feature (under the "Settings" menu), and then easily navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos.



YouTube members can also log-in to their YouTube accounts on Apple TV to view and save their favorite videos.



Once updated, Apple TV displays a "YouTube" menu with options to view featured videos, most viewed videos, recent videos, and top rated videos. Users can also search YouTube and check their recent viewing history.



Installation of the software update took approximately five minutes on an 802.11n network early Wednesday morning. Step-by-step photos from the installation process follow.



YouTube coming to iPhone as well



Also on Wednesday, Apple said it has designed a new application for iPhone that will wirelessly stream YouTube’s content over Wi-Fi or EDGE networks. The software will be included with each iPhone when it goes on sale June 29th.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 45
    jemsterjemster Posts: 37member
    Apple's iPhone to wireless stream YouTube content????



    Someone's sleepin' at AppleInsider...
  • Reply 2 of 45
    techboytechboy Posts: 183member
    Is YouTube that important for Apple to help people access low resolution contents? Most Youtube videos are barely watchable on a monitor, what makes them think watching these things full screen on a HDTV will be more satisfying?
  • Reply 3 of 45
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    Please tell me there are bug fixes for this thing.
  • Reply 4 of 45
    kasperkasper Posts: 941member, administrator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Techboy View Post


    Is YouTube that important for Apple to help people access low resolution contents? Most Youtube videos are barely watchable on a monitor, what makes them think watching these things full screen on a HDTV will be more satisfying?



    The quality is almost unbearable on a 52-inch screen.



    K
  • Reply 5 of 45
    macflymacfly Posts: 256member
    can anyone comment on how searches for content are done? can you plug in a keyboard and type or is it some other mechanism?
  • Reply 6 of 45
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Techboy View Post


    Is YouTube that important for Apple to help people access low resolution contents? Most Youtube videos are barely watchable on a monitor, what makes them think watching these things full screen on a HDTV will be more satisfying?



    People use to watch VHS YouTube is never going to be about slick production values, but about variety.



    And .H264 clips will look better than the FLV ones. (Same 320x240, or larger?)
  • Reply 7 of 45
    macflymacfly Posts: 256member
    thanks!

    yeesh. what a PITA. wouldnt it be simpler to allow you to plug in a keyboard?

    there is a usb port on the damn thing isnt there?!
  • Reply 8 of 45
    kasperkasper Posts: 941member, administrator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macfly View Post


    can anyone comment on how searches for content are done? can you plug in a keyboard and type or is it some other mechanism?





    We posted some photos in this article -- you have to use the Apple Remote to navigate the onscreen keypad, typing in your search one character at a time. As you type, search results update to the right of the keypad in near real-time.



    Best,



    K
  • Reply 9 of 45
    blacksummernightblacksummernight Posts: 565member
    lol@searching with the Apple remote.
  • Reply 10 of 45
    solsunsolsun Posts: 763member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Techboy View Post


    Is YouTube that important for Apple to help people access low resolution contents? Most Youtube videos are barely watchable on a monitor, what makes them think watching these things full screen on a HDTV will be more satisfying?



    This helps Apple to bring Quicktime and h.264 as de facto web standards for video. With h.264, quality will improve over time. It's all about baby steps.
  • Reply 11 of 45
    eaieai Posts: 417member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solsun View Post


    This helps Apple to bring Quicktime and h.264 as de facto web standards for video. With h.264, quality will improve over time. It's all about baby steps.



    Why? Only the Apple TV and iPhone have access to these h.264 versions. The end-user is completely unaware of what format the videos are in...
  • Reply 12 of 45
    physguyphysguy Posts: 920member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eAi View Post


    Why? Only the Apple TV and iPhone have access to these h.264 versions. The end-user is completely unaware of what format the videos are in...



    But to get to these devices the content provided have to use it. That's the key.
  • Reply 13 of 45
    haggarhaggar Posts: 1,568member
    It would be nice if the Apple TV provided a description of what's contained in the software updates.
  • Reply 14 of 45
    physguyphysguy Posts: 920member
    I posted this in another thread but.



    ust to let people know the Apple TV update disables as least some (or most) of the hacks that you may have installed. I had ssh enabled and several frappliances installed and now I don't have ssh access and all frappliances are gone from the menu.



    I'm not surprised by the ssh and the frappliance may be gone because they installed a whole new 'Finder' which is the main menu.



    Don't know that they could have done it any differently given the number of ways the hacks are installed.



    Just a warning.
  • Reply 15 of 45
    patsfan83patsfan83 Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Techboy View Post


    Is YouTube that important for Apple to help people access low resolution contents? Most Youtube videos are barely watchable on a monitor, what makes them think watching these things full screen on a HDTV will be more satisfying?



    It's about the content, not the quality. Instead of huddling around a computer monitor, groups of people can watch their favorite videos around a TV.
  • Reply 16 of 45
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by physguy View Post


    I posted this in another thread but.



    ust to let people know the Apple TV update disables as least some (or most) of the hacks that you may have installed. I had ssh enabled and several frappliances installed and now I don't have ssh access and all frappliances are gone from the menu.



    I'm not surprised by the ssh and the frappliance may be gone because they installed a whole new 'Finder' which is the main menu.



    Don't know that they could have done it any differently given the number of ways the hacks are installed.



    Just a warning.



    Does it affect StartUpItems? If not, you could create a simple app that could check for and reinstall any missing plug-ins during startup.



    Just a thought.
  • Reply 17 of 45
    spindriftspindrift Posts: 674member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Morbo View Post


    To those griping about the search - this looks to be EXACTLY the same way searching works on a TiVo. Because the search results update dynamically as you add letters, it's actually pretty quick and useable.



    Indeed. It's not a problem at all.
  • Reply 18 of 45
    morbomorbo Posts: 7member
    To those griping about the search - this looks to be EXACTLY the same way searching works on a TiVo. Because the search results update dynamically as you add letters, it's actually pretty quick and useable.
  • Reply 19 of 45
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macfly View Post


    can anyone comment on how searches for content are done? can you plug in a keyboard and type or is it some other mechanism?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macfly View Post


    thanks!

    yeesh. what a PITA. wouldnt it be simpler to allow you to plug in a keyboard?

    there is a usb port on the damn thing isnt there?!



    I agree, it reminds me of the days of entering my name into a game to save my high score. I too hope they introduce some means to use a keyboard. I don't recall aTV having Bluetooth, and I can't see a wired keyboard being useful, so the USB port is out unless you get a dongle.
  • Reply 20 of 45
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Morbo View Post


    To those griping about the search - this looks to be EXACTLY the same way searching works on a TiVo. Because the search results update dynamically as you add letters, it's actually pretty quick and useable.



    Like search with the iPod and every aspect of OS X.
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