Third-generation Apple TV to lose CBS All Access support in March

AppleInsider · February 9, 2021 8:37PM

The third-generation Apple TV will lose support to the CBS All Access channel in early March, ViacomCBS is telling owners of the model.

Credit: AppleInsider

On March 4, 2021, the CBS All Access platform will be rebranded as Paramount+. Coinciding with that date, the CBS All Access channel will also stop being supported on third-generation Apple TV hardware, according to a popup spotted by MacRumors.

Although third-gen Apple TV owners won't be able to access Paramount+, they will be able to stream content from an iPhone to the older hardware via AirPlay.

The Paramount+ app will be available on Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, iPhone, and iPad.

ViacomCBS isn't the only streaming service phasing out support for the older Apple TV hardware. Earlier in February, YouTube began informing users that it would discontinue its dedicated Apple TV channel -- meaning users will no longer be able to access the service.

entropys · February 9, 2021 8:39PM

Thing is I don’t want to retire my ATV3 until a new model is available.

hexclock · February 9, 2021 9:00PM

Nothing on CBS is worth a damn anyway.

anome · February 9, 2021 9:20PM

I had to check which one I was currently using. My Gen 3 is currently in the bedroom on an old HP monitor, but I never actually use it, so don't really care.

Also, we don't get CBS All Access here, but it might have run on effects for their local subsidiary, Channel 10, or the replacement, Paramount Plus.

docbburk · February 9, 2021 9:20PM

I wanted to wait till a new model was introduced, but caved and bought a 4K around Black Friday. Apple is good at waiting just long enough for holdouts to buy a new model, before introducing their latest Apple TV. I wouldn’t be surprised if they introduce one in Sept that uses the processor from iPhone 12, and has some new awesome capability.

lkrupp · February 9, 2021 9:24PM

Planned Obsolescence! Planned obsolescence! The new mating call of the iFixit crowd.

jgreg728 · February 9, 2021 9:33PM

A more important question is if the Apple TV Channel will simply become Paramount+, or if they will pull an HBO (whose Apple TV Channel I still use) and exit the TV App service to focus on its own app. If it doesn’t stay, it’ll be another huge blow to Apple TV Channels as a service and in a way, Apple TV+ as well in regards to its answer to legacy content. Plus, not having that $10 bundle between Paramount+ and Showtime would suck.

davidmalcolm · February 9, 2021 9:52PM

I find this sort of thing frustrating as Apple was selling these up until fairly recently and people generally don’t cycle in new TV hardware that often. This this had an A5 processor in it, I don’t imagine that the A5 couldn’t handle the stream, I suspect it was more that CBS didn’t want to risk paying a cut to Apple on as many devices.

OutdoorAppDeveloper · February 9, 2021 10:33PM

No big deal. That thing is super out of date now and so few people use it that you just can't expect streaming app developers to keep supporting it. I am not even sure if the current Xcode can build apps for the 3rd gen Apple TV. I tested mine recently and found that very few streaming apps still functioned even if they were officially supported. Crunchyroll for example was totally non-functional. Apple should declare it to be "vintage".

22july2013 · February 9, 2021 11:16PM

I went through a list of all Paramount movies that **MIGHT** be put on this channel, and the ones that I recognized (mostly the big names) are as follows: (in mostly chronological order, where "++" means includes all the sequels)

Metropolis, Wings, A Farewell to Arms, Duck Soup [++Marx movies], Cleopatra, Hopalong Cassidy [++], Gulliver's Travels, The Road to Singapore [++], Holiday Inn, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, The Greatest Show on Earth, Roman Holiday, <some Hitchcock movies>, The Ten Commandments, Psycho, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Odd Couple, Rosemary's Baby, True Grit, Chinatown, Murder on the Orient Express, King Kong, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Meatballs, Airplane! [++ various Zucker sequels], Ordinary People, Raiders of the Lost Ark [++], Star Trek [++], 48 Hrs [+Eddie Murphy sequels], Staying Alive, Pretty in Pink, Top Gun, Ferris Beuller, Friday the 13th [++], Crocodile Dundee [++], Hunt for Red October, Addams Family [++], Wayne's World, [++], variety of Tom Cruise's movies, Titanic, Saving Private Ryan, variety of Paranormal Activity movies.

For a full list of potential properties go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_Paramount_Pictures_films

anantksundaram · February 9, 2021 11:49PM

Oh gee, too bad.

What is “CBS all access”?

Xed · February 9, 2021 11:52PM

I can't believe that one is 9 years old already.

entropys said:

Thing is I don’t want to retire my ATV3 until a new model is available.

You're in luck. We're on get 5 right now.

maltz · February 10, 2021 12:18AM

Dogperson · February 10, 2021 2:02PM

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

No big deal. That thing is super out of date now and so few people use it ......

B.S.
And you know this how?????

So Not Helpful BS

cypresstree · February 10, 2021 2:13PM

docbburk said:

I wanted to wait till a new model was introduced, but caved and bought a 4K around Black Friday. Apple is good at waiting just long enough for holdouts to buy a new model, before introducing their latest Apple TV. I wouldn’t be surprised if they introduce one in Sept that uses the processor from iPhone 12, and has some new awesome capability.

I did the exact same...

Still hoping for a new model though...

jcs2305 · February 10, 2021 4:24PM

davidmalcolm said:

I find this sort of thing frustrating as Apple was selling these up until fairly recently and people generally don’t cycle in new TV hardware that often. This this had an A5 processor in it, I don’t imagine that the A5 couldn’t handle the stream, I suspect it was more that CBS didn’t want to risk paying a cut to Apple on as many devices.

Fairly recently? ATV 3rd gen and was phased out by Apple in 2016. It's initial release was 2012? If you bought any after that it was simply clearing inventory. I grabbed a couple refurbished from Apple for $59.00 back then. How long is long enough to support a nearly 9 year old device?

Do you really believe that there are that many CBS All Access/Paramount+ subscribers using a 3rd gen ATV that CBS was actually worried about paying apple a cut? I sure don't..

I am not even sure what that cut is considering it's a rebranded service that already exists on the ATV? Maybe it costs more to have apple push the app to the device rather than downloading it from the app store? I think CBS may be looking for a consistent experience across all devices and the old IOS on the ATV3 cannot deliver that.

jcs2305 · February 10, 2021 4:33PM

Dogperson said:

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

No big deal. That thing is super out of date now and so few people use it ......

B.S.
And you know this how?????

So Not Helpful BS

I think CBS knows it and that is why the see no need to support it. What exactly would CBS gain by pushing people to newer Apple devices? If they could make it work and that many folks were on older devices why wouldn't they?

https://help.cbs.com/s/article/Supported-Devices

Take a look at this list.. there are no older fire devices listed as well.

As I stated in another post besides 4k content CBS may want a more consistent experience across devices and these older devices just can't deliver that.

nicholfd · February 10, 2021 6:04PM

davidmalcolm said:

I find this sort of thing frustrating as Apple was selling these up until fairly recently and people generally don’t cycle in new TV hardware that often. This this had an A5 processor in it, I don’t imagine that the A5 couldn’t handle the stream, I suspect it was more that CBS didn’t want to risk paying a cut to Apple on as many devices.

Apple TV Gen 3 was released March, 2012. Apple TV Gen 3 was pulled from shelves October, 2016 - almost 5 years ago. It is a nine (9) year old model.

I bet it's CBS, and not Apple that is removing support for the Gen 3...

linkman · February 10, 2021 7:07PM

anantksundaram said:

Oh gee, too bad.

What is “CBS all access”?

Something where you can pay to get a bunch of advertising, a bunch of old shows, plus a few new shows that are exclusive to their network.

dysamoria · February 10, 2021 7:26PM

lkrupp said:

Planned Obsolescence! Planned obsolescence! The new mating call of the iFixit crowd.

*You* are the only one talking about iFixIt on this page...

Why are you so anti-customer and anti-environmental? Anti-everything-that’s-not-Apple...

dysamoria · February 10, 2021 7:28PM

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

No big deal. That thing is super out of date now and so few people use it that you just can't expect streaming app developers to keep supporting it. I am not even sure if the current Xcode can build apps for the 3rd gen Apple TV. I tested mine recently and found that very few streaming apps still functioned even if they were officially supported. Crunchyroll for example was totally non-functional. Apple should declare it to be "vintage".

This all is a perfect demonstration of why adding computer industry crap into an appliance is a frelling mistake and anti-customer/anti-environment.

i hate this industry.

Third-generation Apple TV to lose CBS All Access support in March

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