“The future of TV is apps,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said. Apple seems to be plunging headfirst back into the media box market with that sentiment, after years of not giving the Apple TV a major update. While the iPhone got the App Store, Apple TV was lucky to get Hulu, but at long last, with tvOS, all that is set to change.
In what turned out to be a big day for the Apple TV, Apple announced a completely revamped version of the device. The Apple TV will now act as a living room set box, combining aspects of an iPhone style App Store, one that allows developers free reign to use their imaginations, with the versatility of Wii-like controls and the cross device platform ability of the PS4 with the PlayStation Vita.
Siri is now an integral part of the Apple TV, one that Apple hopes to act as the cornerstone of how users interact with it. For example, should a user ask Siri what a character had just said during a TV show, Siri will now automatically skip back 15-seconds in the program and temporarily turn on the subtitles. If a user wants to pull up only James Bond movies with Sean Connery in them, Siri can find a list of action movies, before being asked to narrow them to James Bond movies, and then lastly only to classic James Bond films.
Powered by a 64-bit A8 hardware chip and now boasting a storage capacity ranging from 32GB to 64GB, the Apple TV is planning to fill a casual gaming niche sorely missed in the living room. Grandmothers will be able to play Crossy Road via their iPads with their Apple TV remote wielding grandchildren, all of it on playing out on the TV during Christmas.
Sports scores, weather reports and even a shortened version of IMDB will be now available live while watching a movie or a TV show on the Apple TV, the information sliding down effortlessly with a swipe on the new remote control.
The new remote control now has a track pad on it that will be replacing the directional control arrows that appeared on previous models. The new remote, which works off Bluetooth 4.0, will be able to transmit IR signals, allowing users to manipulate volume control on a TV and will have a dedicated button for Siri on the front of it. The mechanics will included an accelerometer and a gyroscope, as well as a lightning port accessed battery that will only need to be charged roughly once every three months or so.
One of the coolest new features will be the ability to see what service has a particular show or movie that you’re searching for, all of it coming natively via the redesigned Apple TV interface. Search for Modern Family, and you’ll be able to see if Season 1-4 are on Netflix, 5-8 are on Hulu and if Season 9 is available only iTunes. HBO and Showtime are also supported.
The Apple TV won’t be available to order until late October, but pre-orders should be starting soon.
