AirPlay 2 Menu on Apple TV

AirPlay 2's main feature is the ability to control many different devices at once from one device. On iOS, it's in Control Center. However, there is a hidden AirPlay 2 menu on Apple TV. You can access it by holding the Play/Pause button on the Apple TV remote. You have to hold it for around five seconds, so just keep holding it. From here, you can view other AirPlay 2 devices and the content they're playing. I actually discovered this on accident, but it's a well-hidden feature. I hope this helps!

Podcast and TV App Icons for macOS Discovered

We have further evidence that Apple will be splitting up iTunes into individual Music, TV, and Podcasts apps. We know from Apple's service event that the TV app will be coming to macOS, which is heavy evidence by itself. However, thanks to 9to5Mac, we have a look at the icons of the TV and Podcasts apps. The icons are below and they look just about how you'd think they would look. I personally don't use Podcasts too much, so I'm more interested in the Music app for macOS.

Netflix No Longer Supports AirPlay

Netflix has stated in a support document that AirPlay is no longer supported due to a technical limitation. When speculation of Netflix doing this in retaliation of Apple TV+ arose, a Netflix spokesperson stated that it was due to AirPlay rolling out to third-party TVs. Because they couldn't tell the difference between being AirPlayed to an Apple TV versus a smart TV, they disabled it. This is likely to restrict unauthorized recording on a third-party device that does not protect content from being screen captured. Netflix won't even allow users to take screenshots during playback. That being said, it could be for both this and a slight jab at Apple TV+ as well.

Watch the Big Game on Apple TV

Today is the Super Bowl, and streaming it is easier than ever in 2019. If you go to the TV app on Apple TV, you may find small promotional icons for the game. However, the game is front and center in the Sports tab. Simply click on any icon relating to the Super Bowl and you should be given the appropriate redirection to the CBS app. Alternatively, you should be able to stream the game through PlayStation Vue if you have an active subscription. The CBS app does require an active subscription, but if you haven't used your free trial yet, this may be the time to use it. Enjoy the game!

TCL TVs Will Not Support AirPlay 2

Apple made the surprise announcement this week that AirPlay 2 would be built-in on leading smart TVs. However, it seems that TCL didn't get a memo from Apple as they had no announcement. Today, MacRumors asked a TCL spokesperson if there were any plans to add AirPlay 2 to TCL TVs. They responded by saying they're committed to Roku, which powers their TVs and rivals Apple TV. This isn't surprising. Walk into any Target or Walmart and go to the TV aisle and you will see 4K TVs with significant price drops compared to any other TV. I would not expect them to bundle AirPlay 2 in a TV that cheap. So far, Vizio, Samsung, LG, and Sony have announced support for AirPlay 2. I can imagine we may hear more at WWDC.

The Current State of Apple TV

I've been waiting for a good tvOS update for about two years now, but to no avail. With the news of AirPlay 2 and HomeKit coming built-in to Samsung, LG, and Vizio Smart TVs, the future of the Apple TV seems bleak. There can be a lot of reasons for this. The Apple TV only offered access to their media stores, which can be circumvented with Movies Anywhere. The tvOS App Store is very lacking, other than media apps. The only thing Apple TV has over Smart TVs is the promise of updates and continuity. My household has three Vizio TVs and each has a different OS, and each works very different. Apple TV brings consistency to its interface. It also has my Up Next from my iOS devices. If Apple went the way of CarPlay with tvOS and brought tvOS to TVs, it could work well. Apple gets publicity and consumers waste one less HDMI port. The Apple TV box seems more like a waste of space that could easily be built into the TV. 

iTunes and AirPlay 2 Coming to Samsung TVs

In a surprise announcement, Samsung and Apple have worked together to bring iTunes TV Shows and iTunes Movies to Samsung's lineup of Smart TVs. They also brought AirPlay 2 support. Combined with Samsung's other apps on their Smart TVs, this basically eliminates any need for an Apple TV. With CES around the corner, we can bet that Apple will give this treatment to other TV brands as well, as suggested by Apple's AirPlay site. 

Charter Spectrum on Apple TV Delayed

In June, Apple said that Charter Spectrum would have a tvOS app and Zero Sign-On by the end of 2018. However, it seems that plans have changed. Instead of saying that the feature will come "later this year," the page states that it is "coming soon." Zero Sign-On would allow Apple TV to sign you into your cable subscription using your broadband connection details alone, bypassing any credentials.

TV App Customization

The TV app is seriously lacking in the amount of customization. It has so much potential for a good “Today” page. I think Apple should make an effort to let users customize the Up Next page. Movies have no way of being sorted in tvOS. Movies on macOS can be sorted into playlists, but they don’t sync to Apple TV (they also appear in Apple Music which is annoying). With Marvel movies as popular as they are, wouldn’t it be Apple’s best interest to add a section for Marvel movies below the Up Next queue? If I buy one movie, then Apple could recommend other movies in the same cinematic universe and incentivize collecting them all, displaying them all on their own custom page. I rarely look below the Up Next section, but when I do, there’s never any content tailored to me. I would like to take control of it so the TV app becomes my own personal hub. 

My Experience with tvOS 12

I love my Apple TV 4K. It takes up so little of my TV's real estate, yet it's my TV's most used device. I think tvOS has so much potential but Apple neglects it in terms of big features. Notifications for new episodes, multiple user profiles, and better use of continuity are high on my tvOS wish list. But for now, this has been my tvOS 12 experience. Screensavers now have labels, which is awesome, but also long overdue. It's cool to try to figure out where a particular aerial may have been taken, and then tap the remote to discover it, but it gets old fast once you've seen them all. I haven't seen any aerials from space yet, so I look forward to seeing some fresh screensavers in the coming weeks. I haven't had the chance to use the new password system yet, since most of my apps were already signed in, but I hope it encourages developers to stray away from the "enter this code on this website" tactic. But most frustrating are these HDMI issues I've gotten since the update. I haven't seen many other reports of these issues, so this might be exclusive to me. One out of every five times my Apple TV wakes up, the screen is a garbled pink color, requiring me to unplug and replug my HDMI cable. In addition, I get a friendly reminder telling me that my HDMI cable is having trouble maintaining a stable connection, an error I never had on tvOS 11. Overall, a pretty lackluster update, but hopefully paves the way for a better update in tvOS 13.

Apple TV CEC Control

One of the biggest issues I have faced for years is using Apple TV with other remotes. Typically, I have to pick up the main remote and turn on the TV and pick up the Apple TV remote to turn on the Apple TV. Then, if I want to turn the input to my Nintendo Switch, I have to change the input on the main remote and turn on the Nintendo Switch with my controller. I know this sounds really lazy, but there is a clear issue of continuity. And yes, I realize remotes didn't exist at one point. Anyways, my whole life was changed today when I discovered HDMI CEC (Consumer Electronics Control). Configuring these settings on your compatible HDTV (and compatible devices) will allow you to simply pick up your Apple TV remote and press a button. Then the TV will turn on and switch to the Apple TV input, all with one button! When the Apple TV goes to sleep after a while, the TV will turn off. There are many different configuration methods based on your brand of TV, so check Apple's guide if you need help setting it up.

The State of tvOS

tvOS takes up a very small portion of WWDC each year. It makes some sense. tvOS isn't the most integral product in Apple's lineup. However, I think if Apple is going to put more focus in fixing bugs in iOS 12 and macOS 10.14, we should see more tvOS features to compensate. I always forget that tvOS exists until the update pops up on the device. Then, I see about three notable features that I'll never use. Amazon Prime TV is not a feature, it's an app developed by Amazon. That should not be one of the biggest "features" of tvOS 11. While I don't have any feature suggestions at the moment, I think it's time for Apple to finally wow us with what the Apple TV is capable of.

Amazon Prime Video Released for Apple TV

Six months after its first announcement, Amazon Prime Video is finally out for the Apple TV. Amazon has become a large competitor in the video streaming field due to the large adoption of Amazon Prime, so this is great to see on Apple TV. Apple TV 4K supports streaming from Amazon Prime Video in 4K HDR, which is a huge plus. It also integrates with the TV app. Amazon Prime Video is available for free from the tvOS App Store.

4K HDR Movies On Sale

With the release of the iPhone X, which features an HDR screen, and the 4K Apple TV, Apple has some great 4K movies discounted to just $9.99 on iTunes. If you want to future-proof some great movies, I highly recommend checking out some of these films. Right now, you can see them by going to the iTunes Store, going to the Movies section, and you should see a banner in the carousel at the top.

iPhone 8 Pre-Orders Start Tonight

While the iPhone X won't be available for some time to pre-order, the iPhone 8 will start pre-orders tonight at midnight. In addition, Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple TV 4K pre-orders start tonight. All pre-orders will be available on Apple's website. It should be noted that the times listed are in Pacific Time, and that when I say midnight, it's actually 12:01 a.m.

iPhone Event 2017: Quick Thoughts

I just now finished watching Apple's iPhone 8/X event. Here are some quick thoughts.

Apple Watch Series 3

The general consensus is that cellular on an Apple Watch isn't very practical. I'm not going to call someone while I'm surfing. I'm not away from my phone long enough to justify an extra $10 per month on my phone bill. Series 3 without cellular looks nice. More speed is all I can ask for. Compatibility with the AirPower Mat is nice. I was hoping Series 2 would cost about $100 less and I could get that, but it looks like we're stuck with the same price.

Apple TV 4K

This was a product that was two years late. There were rumors two years ago about a 4K Apple TV. I think it's important to note that we have video games in 4K now. I understand it wasn't as mainstream two years ago, but if iPhone 6s could shoot 4K video at that time, it seems that would've been perfect timing. If not then, then last year, but now just feels late. The features for the TV app look nice, but that's for any Apple TV.

iPhone 8

This phone looks solid. Yeah, it was just performance upgrades and a glass back, but I really like this phone. Coming from an iPhone 6s owner, I like this phone for no other reason than there weren't a bunch of gimmicks Apple was trying to sell me on. Granted, they offered wireless charging, but I am excited for wireless charging. The idea of placing my phone in my car and having it charge and connect to CarPlay is awesome. AirPower Mat is still a cool idea. I believe that will revolutionize the way people travel with Apple products. No itinerary just for cables. Just bring your devices and the mat. No one likes the transition for things like AirPods and Apple Watch, but I get why we need the upgrade for wireless charging. I also feel this introduction to wireless charging could be a great transition for USB-C next year, so users can choose between USB-C and wireless, causing less controversy.

iPhone X

For me, this phone is very controversial. I love the design. An edge to edge display for iPhone looks beautiful. But paying over $400 extra for that display plus Animoji doesn't seem worth it to me. If they announce the iPhone 11 next year and lower the price point, I would be much more excited about that phone. I would like it if they made an "AnimojiKit." Developers could take 3D models of popular characters, like Mario, and have users send animated versions of them. I don't care for the emojis. I don't like Apple making these emojis a flagship feature of their $1,000 phone. To me, it's just an iPhone 8 + a great display + a replacement for Touch ID + Animoji. In short, it's just the display that appeals to me. 

4K Movies Coming to iTunes?

This is exciting. While many, including myself, do not own 4K TVs yet, the idea of iTunes adding 4K movies is a huge stepping stone for the adoption of 4K. It also gives us insight for upcoming products, like the Apple TV. From MacRumors, listings for some movies showed availability for "4K, HDR" resolution. While it was unable to download at this resolution, it basically confirms 4K is coming. Let's see if we get an updated Apple TV this fall.

The Transition to Internet TV

Internet-based TV is quickly becoming more popular. Platforms like Netflix and Hulu are becoming the forefront in what will be a highly competitive market. Companies like Apple and Google have begun making their own content. Think about it: tech companies making TV shows. Sounds very strange, right? In the coming months and years, keep track of how often you find yourself watching any video-based content on a tablet, phone, or video streaming device. 

New Apple TV for 2017?

According to Firi Games, developer logs have shown a new model identifier for a new Apple TV. Getting technical, the identifier is "AppleTV6,2." The current identifier is "AppleTV5,3." It also seems to appear to run tvOS 11, which is to be expected. The details on this are cloudy, but it will likely support 4K video if nothing else, based on previous rumors. We may see at WWDC, or more likely at Apple's September event.

tvOS Maximum App Sizes Increased to 4GB

There was a lot of controversy about how tvOS apps were limited to just 200MB upon launch. This would cause apps to resort to downloading data after install, which was inconvenient to the user. Apps like Infinity Blade would have no chance on the Apple TV without this loophole. But now, tvOS apps can now be a maximum of 4GB. It's clear that tvOS isn't the most popular platform in the Apple ecosystem, nor should it be, but I think it's important to make its app store as convenient as Apple's other app stores.