Throw in a few more channels and a program guide, and you might not be returning to that old cable box anytime soon.
#What is the most recent apple update tv#
In addition to its huge on-demand slate, the current Apple TV already delivers US users live TV streams from Showtime, ESPN, ABC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Sky News, and most of the major US sports leagues. It points to more of an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach from Apple.īut that precludes the possibility of the next Apple TV replacing your cable box. Already, many of the most desirable apps on the current Apple TV for US users - HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ABC, Fox Now, and so on - require those users to "authenticate" with their existing cable or satellite account. Indeed, the sort of bold, cord-cutting visions of a la carte channel subscriptions that once dominated Apple's plans for the TV space appear to have been scaled back. (It's worth noting here that CNET is owned by CBS, one of the biggest content providers in question.) And it doesn't hurt that US cable companies also happen to double as the country's biggest Internet service providers, giving them enormous leverage over the bandwidth-heavy video content that streams over their pipes - one of the issues at the core of the network neutrality debate. (I should note for UK and Australian readers that much of the following section is US-focused as it's Apple's biggest market, it necessarily shapes its strategy.)įor starters, their business partners - the programmers and TV networks that provide all the content - have no desire to rock the boat on what continues to be an incredibly profitable enterprise. But those same cable companies have been more adept at defending their turf. Will it replace your cable box?Īt one point, it looked like Apple might be trying to do the same sort of end-run on cable and satellite companies that it did with the music business, creating an "over-the-top" solution to subscription TV. And the new Apple TV will supposedly incorporate plenty of new features (see below), making the more capacious "box" form factor - possibly even something larger than the current version - more likely. You can't include Ethernet or optical digital audio for example, two valuable extras found on the current Apple TV.
On the other hand, the tiny size of the stick limits its hardware capabilities. On one hand you could argue that such miniaturization and simplicity - HDMI built-in, power supplied via USB or MHL but otherwise totally wireless - seems right up Apple's alley. Though rumors of Apple producing an actual big-screen TV have been generating clicks for years, the current wisdom says Apple will first release another add-on device of some sort, not a full-fledged TV.īut does it need to be a box? Devices like the Roku Streaming Stick and Chromecast reduce the streaming device to its bare essentials: something the size of a USB thumb drive, but with an HDMI plug. Sticking with the boxįirst off, what will the next Apple TV look like?
How will a new one be different? When will it come out? What features will Apple need to add, which ones will it skip and how badly will you want to buy one? Here are some educated guesses. The public's appetite for streaming video is only growing, the choice in streamers is wider than ever, and without a hardware update, Apple's durable little puck is in danger of getting slapped out of the rink. Its main competitor, Roku, is said to beat Apple in usage and (recently) sales.