Confused about it all

[lkalliance]

Hey, all,

I wasn't a subscriber to Apple TV+, but I recently purchased a new iPhone SE, and with it I get a free year, so I took advantage of that and now I have access to it. But the mixture of terminology and product is making my head spin. Can someone help me understand how it all fits together? Here's how I understand things, and the questions I have about how it all fits together.

(1) Apple TV - the device I use to do many things: AirPlay, purchasing or renting video content from iTunes, viewing content through other providers via apps

(2) TV - the app that is on both the Apple TV and on my iPhone and iPad, which I use to see content inside the Apple sphere instead of outside it.

(3) TV+ - Apple's original content streaming service

(4) Apple TV apps - single-purpose apps, often from content providers, through which I can purchase (or subscribe to) content from specifically those providers.

(5) TV channels - Something similar to (4) but integrated directly into (2).

OK, so...originally, before there was an TV app (I think), content providers could link their apps to the tvOS ecosystem, enabling me to, say, use Siri to search for shows, and for content to appear there for "Up Next" or what have you. This I understood. I got an app to view content (let's just say HBO Now as an example), and if HBO has designed the app to be tightly coupled with tvOS then I get the benefits of things like single sign-in and quick access to the shows I'm watching at the top level. If they HAVEN'T designed the app that way then I would have to interact with their content just through their app, without some of the nice conveniences.

But as I understand it that's not the way now: to get all the conveniences HBO would have to create a CHANNEL within TV, while they could ALSO continue to provide the HBO app separately. I think. OK, so, questions (continuing to use HBO as an example, but it's representing lots of possible providers):

(a) Is there any difference between my signing up for HBO Now via its app and the HBO Channel in TV in terms of the content I can watch?
(b) If I currently get HBO Now through its app have I already paid for the HBO Channel? Or would I have to subscribe to BOTH to get all the content HBO provides?
(c) Does TV+ include content from other networks? I didn't think it did, but it appears that it is currently, am I right?

So when I claimed my free year of TV+, suddenly I have access to Epix content, and for some reason it appears that I have access to HBO content from within the app, EVEN THOUGH i AM NOT CURRENTLY SUBSCRIBED TO HBO NOW OR HBO THROUGH MY CABLE PROVIDER OR ANYTHING. This is confusing me no end. I don't know if there's another shoe that's going to drop. It doesn't seem very Apple-like that perhaps I'm getting a free week of Epix or HBO and I'm about to be charged a renewal without really expressly telling me so, so I don't think that's it. Is this an offering that has been made by HBO and Epix because of the current pandemic? It's not clear to me at all.

I'm finding this all very confusing. I'm enjoying that I am getting free content, but I do like to know what the terms are. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Rigby]

(a) Is there any difference between my signing up for HBO Now via its app and the HBO Channel in TV in terms of the content I can watch?

No, the content is the same. But there are a few other differences:

- If you have an HBO Now subscription, you can watch using the HBO Now app on some devices that don't have the Apple TV app (e.g. certain smart TVs).
- If you have an HBO channel subscription, you can download HBO shows on iOS/MacOS Catalina devices for offline viewing within the TV app (which is e.g. convenient to watch stuff on an iPad or Macbook during long flights).
- If you have an HBO Now subscription and select an HBO show (e.g. from the watch list), it'll switch to the HBO Now app. With the channel subscription, it will play directly within the TV app (and in many cases have better image quality than the HBO Now streams).

(c) Does TV+ include content from other networks? I didn't think it did, but it appears that it is currently, am I right?

No. Currently it's only original content.

So when I claimed my free year of TV+, suddenly I have access to Epix content, and for some reason it appears that I have access to HBO content from within the app, EVEN THOUGH i AM NOT CURRENTLY SUBSCRIBED TO HBO NOW OR HBO THROUGH MY CABLE PROVIDER OR ANYTHING.

That is unrelated. Epix, HBO and other networks currently offer some content for free. See:

A List of All Streaming Services Offering Free Content and Extended Trials

Multiple streaming services are offering free content options right now, providing a wealth of free-to-watch TV shows and movies on a temporary...

www.macrumors.com

 

[lkalliance]

No, the content is the same. But there are a few other differences:

- If you have an HBO Now subscription, you can watch using the HBO Now app on some devices that don't have the Apple TV app (e.g. certain smart TVs).
- If you have an HBO channel subscription, you can download HBO shows on iOS/MacOS Catalina devices for offline viewing within the TV app (which is e.g. convenient to watch stuff on an iPad or Macbook during long flights).
- If you have an HBO Now subscription and select an HBO show (e.g. from the watch list), it'll switch to the HBO Now app. With the channel subscription, it will play directly within the TV app (and in many cases have better image quality than the HBO Now streams).
No. Currently it's only original content.
That is unrelated. Epix, HBO and other networks currently offer some content for free. See:

A List of All Streaming Services Offering Free Content and Extended Trials

Multiple streaming services are offering free content options right now, providing a wealth of free-to-watch TV shows and movies on a temporary...

www.macrumors.com

Thanks so much for the info! It would appear that HBO is, like Epix is noted in the linked post, offering their free content within the Apple TV app without signing up. You don't have to sign up to get free content: it appears that anyone can just use the app or channel without logging in at all.
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No, the content is the same. But there are a few other differences:

- If you have an HBO Now subscription, you can watch using the HBO Now app on some devices that don't have the Apple TV app (e.g. certain smart TVs).
- If you have an HBO channel subscription, you can download HBO shows on iOS/MacOS Catalina devices for offline viewing within the TV app (which is e.g. convenient to watch stuff on an iPad or Macbook during long flights).
- If you have an HBO Now subscription and select an HBO show (e.g. from the watch list), it'll switch to the HBO Now app. With the channel subscription, it will play directly within the TV app (and in many cases have better image quality than the HBO Now streams).
No. Currently it's only original content.
That is unrelated. Epix, HBO and other networks currently offer some content for free. See:

A List of All Streaming Services Offering Free Content and Extended Trials

Multiple streaming services are offering free content options right now, providing a wealth of free-to-watch TV shows and movies on a temporary...

www.macrumors.com

Based on this info, I see another difference: if you are at a different location, watching on someone else's Apple TV, then if you have an HBO Now account you can log into that directly through the app on that Apple TV. If you have an HBO channel subscription, you'd have to log into the other Apple TV with your own iCloud account.

 

[Rigby]

Thanks so much for the info! It would appear that HBO is, like Epix is noted in the linked post, offering their free content within the Apple TV app without signing up. You don't have to sign up to get free content: it appears that anyone can just use the app or channel without logging in at all.

Yep.

Based on this info, I see another difference: if you are at a different location, watching on someone else's Apple TV, then if you have an HBO Now account you can log into that directly through the app on that Apple TV. If you have an HBO channel subscription, you'd have to log into the other Apple TV with your own iCloud account.

If you have an iOS device it's much easier with the TV app channel: you can simply use Airplay to cast a video from your channel subscription to someone else's Apple TV without logging in. This works the same as if it was iTunes content (i.e. the Apple TV streams directly from Apple's servers). You can even set up the Apple TV such that the guest doesn't have to be on the host's Wifi network.

 

[ipedro]

The confusion you’re noting is expected. It appears to me that Apple has been transitioning the “Apple TV” brand to software that is available widely on any device, including on competitors’ devices and on TVs directly. That strategy makes more sense if Apple wants to be a serious content producer with a wide reach on par with other streaming services.

That leaves the Apple TV box the odd man out. I’ve been suspecting that Apple will start to clean that up and whatever update to the Apple TV box that shows up will have a new name and probably a new simplified purpose. I can imagine an AirPlay stick that enables older TVs that don't yet have AirPlay. AppleTV interactions would happen directly on an iPhone, iPad or Mac and displayed on your TV via that AirPlay stick or directly on TVs that already have native AirPlay. I could also see a Siri remote sold separately for those who'd like to control the AirPlay stick directly without an iPhone.

tvOS apps have not been successful. Instead of more adoption, developers have in fact been pulling their Apple TV apps in recent years. Apple TV Channels seems to be refocusing the TV strategy on video content. Instead of their own apps, content producers sell their subscriptions within the TV app as Channels, maintaining a consistent UI for viewers and a central place where all TV content is located, rather than scattered across apps with different UIs.

So in summary, there’d just be Apple TV (the app) and a plus version which is the subscription that makes perfect sense. Channels would replace apps for third party content. Rather than tvOS apps, iOS apps, including Apple Arcade games, could just be Airplayed to a big screen. AirPlay 2 enables this with its very low latency.

 

[Phil77354]

I share the confusion, but with some additional questions that I don't think were covered here earlier.

I can use my Apple TV (hardware) to view content provided by my local 'cable' company (Spectrum, in my case) including local channels, etc. That is not possible using TV on my computer or iPad, which is frustrating since it sure seems to me that they should give me the same stuff.

 

[ipedro]

I share the confusion, but with some additional questions that I don't think were covered here earlier.

I can use my Apple TV (hardware) to view content provided by my local 'cable' company (Spectrum, in my case) including local channels, etc. That is not possible using TV on my computer or iPad, which is frustrating since it sure seems to me that they should give me the same stuff.

I can’t speak to your specific case given I’m in a different country but apps for local channels do support handover on iPad. Here in Canada for example, I have the Global TV app on my iPad whose content appears inside of the AppleTV app. When in the Apple TV app, if I tap a show available on Global, it hands over to the Globel TV app and opens the show on that particular episode.

But really, this requires local channels to make apps for tvOS, iOS, and macOS. I think this is the problem Apple is trying to solve with Channels. Local channels simply make their content available in a Channel within the AppleTV app and that makes them available across all platforms.

We‘ve been seeing an increase in the use of Channels vs apps, the most profile of which is NBC’s upcoming Peacock.