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Apple Shares New Apple TV Ad Focused on Apps

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Apple today shared a new Apple TV ad on its YouTube channel, highlighting the many apps and games that are available on the device through the dedicated tvOS App Store. Entitled "The Future of TV is Apps," the ad features an Apple TV set-top box that morphs to match the theme of each app that's shown off in the spot.

Netflix, Apple Music, WatchESPN, Asphalt 8: Airborne, Disney Infinity, Gilt, GrubHub, Showtime, Crossy Road, HBO Now, and Fox Now, are among the apps that are featured. The ad ends with the brightly colored television test bars that have been used in all fourth-generation Apple TV advertisements.


Since the Apple TV 4 launched in October, Apple has been promoting it through a series of television ads, colorful billboards displayed across a number of cities, web ads, and social media campaigns. Today's ad is the second in the company's app-focused series.

Article Link: Apple Shares New Apple TV Ad Focused on Apps
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/21/new-apple-tv-apps-ad/
This ad, more than any prior ad, really presents the AppleTV is an alternative to a cable box*.

* unfortunately not quite an alternative to cable yet, as at least two of the apps shown requires a cable provider authentication.
 
I think this was a great ad. Not much else to say. Good work guys!

As for the device itself, I've been really liking mine. It's interesting how addicting some of the simple games can be. And hard! I've spent much more time than I expected on games like Mr. Jump. For some reason that game really has my number, but I can't resist the challenge since it seems so simple and the levels aren't very long. But it takes me around 100 tries. Only thing I want now is a full streaming service from Apple—well that and maybe a first party game controller?
 
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Loved the ad, but I completely disagree with the title. IMO, the future of TV isn't apps. Apps on the big screen aren't new. Others have been doing this for years, and Apple isn't doing anything that reinvents this. Getting traditional cable online (anywhere) in a clever, easy-to-use and affordable way? That would be the future of television. And as long as the overpaid suits are in charge, this probably won't happen in our lifetime.
 
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A rich tvOS App Store is what's going to make the AppleTV a runaway success. However, developers aren't yet biting like they have on iOS. Most of the key apps are the same ones that were released with the AppleTV months ago. Hopefully WWDC will bring with it a flood of killer TV apps.
 
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I find the new remote too sensitive, even if you lower the tracking speed. I bought it for my older parents and they have troubles with it. It's definitely design over functionality.

I think a silicone cover would help. But 25 dollar sleeve seems like over kill.
 
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BeSweeet said:
Loved the ad, but I completely disagree with the title. IMO, the future of TV isn't apps. Apps on the big screen aren't new. Others have been doing this for years, and Apple isn't doing anything that reinvents this. Getting traditional cable online (anywhere) in a clever, easy-to-use and affordable way? That would be the future of television.
Click to expand...

"Traditional" is the antisisis of "future". Content creators who use Apps instead of traditional methods like cable are "the future of tv". Case in point: Netflix.

One example: a crowd sourced news app can demolish the existing cable news format and take on established juggernauts like CNN.

Apps on tv aren't new but neither were apps on phones. It was the App Store model that revolutionized so many industries. The same path is now open ahead to disrupt tv.

Traditional broadcasters are going to quickly becoming obsolete. New independent content creators who reach viewers through apps are the future of tv.
 
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ipedro said:
One example: a crowd sourced news app can demolish the existing cable news format and take on established juggernauts like CNN.

Traditional broadcasters are going to quickly becoming obsolete. New independent content creators who reach viewers through apps are the future of tv.
Click to expand...

Do you have any additional examples? I'm not following that one. As outdated as traditional cable seems, it still has a massive audience, and is a place that people don't have to manually hunt for, or put much effort into. Even with worldwide Internet exposure, it would take new, individual, independent content creators ages to get anywhere (if at all).

If each channel is kept within individual apps, maybe not. The last thing I'd want to do is exit an app, just to switch from another. At least Samsung is trying to make this quick by turning TV apps into channels, making things fast and easy to find, as if you're just channel surfing.

Obviously, I don't think that traditional broadcasters are going to quickly become obsolete anytime soon. As mentioned, their immediate audiences are massive, and take no effort for people to find. However, getting their content online, live (at proper quality0, and for anyone around the world to view, would be the future to me.
 
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BeSweeet said:
Apps on the big screen aren't new. Others have been doing this for years, and Apple isn't doing anything that reinvents this.
Click to expand...

Who did?

I recall a million products that put the web on your TV. Or Windows on your TV. Things that required keyboards. That needed mice. Or perhaps worked with generic remotes in such a clunky way that you actually longed for a mouse.

The new Apple TV is the closest thing I've used on a TV that makes me feel like I'm using iOS apps. The first thing that allows me to pick up a single control device and feel confidant that EVERY app I use was made specifically for it. The first one where I can hit a button and have it instantly respond without having to spin up some "media server" across the house and wait for it to respond.

Was there some other device that did all this before? I've tried many and, if there was, I must have missed it.
 
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ipedro said:
A rich tvOS App Store is what's going to make the AppleTV a runaway success. However, developers aren't yet biting like they have on iOS. Most of the key apps are the same ones that were released with the AppleTV months ago. Hopefully WWDC will bring with it a flood of killer TV apps.
Click to expand...

In the case of Apple TV, many developers were reporting ~$100/day on a good day there just isn't as much revenue to gobble up compared to other platforms. The games are also doomed to simplicity since the apps are required to work with that remote. I have a controller and the Apple TV, and while I like the combination, I don't think it's going to be as much of a gaming platform as I would like it to be until Apple removes the remote requirement.

EDIT: In all honesty though, I'm hoping that the next generation of MFi controllers end up being a bit better. Every year there seems to be a release, and every year they get a bit better. The current crop isn't quite there with the triggers, but overall they are getting close to console-quality.
 
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Shaun said:
Now that's what I call a great Apple ad. Fast animation & music without any voiceover. Classic Apple cool. I also like the other AppleTV ad with the strange music. So much better than the boring iPhone 6 celebrity ads.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure those iPhone ads are really selling though.
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BeSweeet said:
Loved the ad, but I completely disagree with the title. IMO, the future of TV isn't apps. Apps on the big screen aren't new. Others have been doing this for years, and Apple isn't doing anything that reinvents this. Getting traditional cable online (anywhere) in a clever, easy-to-use and affordable way? That would be the future of television. And as long as the overpaid suits are in charge, this probably won't happen in our lifetime.
Click to expand...
Just because others did it first doesn't mean its not the future. Personally I do think it is whether its extremely impressive or not. At least for me cable is pointless because I'm Australian and all TV is free.
 
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ipedro said:
"Traditional" is the antisisis of "future". Content creators who use Apps instead of traditional methods like cable are "the future of tv". Case in point: Netflix.

One example: a crowd sourced news app can demolish the existing cable news format and take on established juggernauts like CNN.

Apps on tv aren't new but neither were apps on phones. It was the App Store model that revolutionized so many industries. The same path is now open ahead to disrupt tv.

Traditional broadcasters are going to quickly becoming obsolete. New independent content creators who reach viewers through apps are the future of tv.
Click to expand...
I hope the App Store on the tv explodes as well. However, traditional broadcasters are NOT going to quickly become obsolete. They are going to hang on to their old ways of distributing their content for as long as they can. They LOVE the way things have been, and, do not want them to change.
 
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Small White Car said:
Who did?

I recall a million products that put the web on your TV. Or Windows on your TV. Things that required keyboards. That needed mice. Or perhaps worked with generic remotes in such a clunky way that you actually longed for a mouse.

The new Apple TV is the closest thing I've used on a TV that makes me feel like I'm using iOS apps. The first thing that allows me to pick up a single control device and feel confidant that EVERY app I use was made specifically for it. The first one where I can hit a button and have it instantly respond without having to spin up some "media server" across the house and wait for it to respond.

Was there some other device that did all this before? I've tried many and, if there was, I must have missed it.
Click to expand...

TV's with integrated apps (among others) are constantly getting better, faster and more useful. Apple was fortunate enough to have iOS on their side, so making things happen on the TV was easy for them.

But a keyboard is to the Apple TV remote, as a mouse is to the Apple TV remote's touch surface, no? What you do on it still requires occasional manual input. If anything, those types of inputs are better suited for mice and keyboards. In general, I wonder how many people would prefer a combination keyboard/trackpad unit to a small, inefficient remote control. I know that I sure would.

I guess we just use things differently, because I would never consider any dedicated app-enabled, Internet media player for myself. My Windows PC is always connected to my TV as a second display, handling all media and entertainment-related tasks with ease, with no limits to what else I might want to have displayed. But that's mostly besides the point.
 
Small White Car said:
Who did?

I recall a million products that put the web on your TV. Or Windows on your TV. Things that required keyboards. That needed mice. Or perhaps worked with generic remotes in such a clunky way that you actually longed for a mouse.

The new Apple TV is the closest thing I've used on a TV that makes me feel like I'm using iOS apps. The first thing that allows me to pick up a single control device and feel confidant that EVERY app I use was made specifically for it. The first one where I can hit a button and have it instantly respond without having to spin up some "media server" across the house and wait for it to respond.

Was there some other device that did all this before? I've tried many and, if there was, I must have missed it.
Click to expand...
Of course nothing else felt like iOS. They were simply stating the fact that apps on tv aren't new. Don't get your bowels in an uproar. It's ok.
 
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