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Hopefully ABC is a non-activation one.

Unfortunately not. I have comcast and I don't even bother with it. I'm struggling to understand why ABC which I assume is a free to air channel needs authentication to watch.
 
Can anyone confirm if the Watch ABC app has a live stream? And is Time Warner listed as one of the cable providers that supports this with their login?
 
The trend is away from ever escalating cable bills. If they want to provide a reason to buy an Apple TV, they should buy Roku. That's the future. With a lot of luck, Comcast, DirecTV, Dish and Time-Warner will become the next Blockbuster. Remember them?

Had a Roku for a few days, while I liked it, it seemed like it didn't have modern versions of any of the apps that I use (like Netflix, Hulu, etc.) and for some weird reason Xfinity blocked HBO Go on Roku - even though HBO Go works on my Xbox and now Apple TV.
 
It's great that they keep adding channels/apps to the Apple TV .... but now they are a point where a major UI rewrite is required, it is getting to cluttered and the 'channels' are not integrated, but instead separate without e.g. common search interface for shows/movies/... etc

Integrating channels is well beyond the scope of a mere "major UI rewrite". It requires agreements to normalize descriptions of content across channel suppliers, as well as API support by these same channel suppliers. Apple might be able to so some of the former themselves, imperfectly, through a major investment in AI; but the latter is absolutely required.
 
Unfortunately not. I have comcast and I don't even bother with it. I'm struggling to understand why ABC which I assume is a free to air channel needs authentication to watch.

I was wondering the same. I pick up ABC in glorious HD easily at my house, with a $20 dollar antenna. So why would they force authentication makes my head hurt.
 
Until you can sign up explicitly within the 'apps' theres no point to adding these channels as you already need a cable subscription with your TV so you may as well watch them on that?!
 
It's great that they keep adding channels/apps to the Apple TV .... but now they are a point where a major UI rewrite is required, it is getting to cluttered and the 'channels' are not integrated, but instead separate without e.g. common search interface for shows/movies/... etc

Exactly. I can't believe this is what Steve Jobs had in mind when he said "I finally cracked it"...

This this UI not only do I have clutter but I still have to know which "provider" a particular show comes from. So if I want to watch "Modern Family" I have to know that is an ABC show. Not ideal.
 
Can anyone confirm if the Watch ABC app has a live stream? And is Time Warner listed as one of the cable providers that supports this with their login?

It says live, providers that I see listed in-app are: AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Google Fiber, Midcontinent Communications, Optimum, Verizon FioS.

Those with other providers are sent to www.getWATCHABC.com
 
I love my current gen ATV, but I still want two things: PLEX and Spotify.

The rumoured Chrome TV box most likely will have them, so I'll probably buy that instead of the next Apple TV box. Apple is always very restrictive and I'm getting tired of that.
 
What's the point?

What is the point of Apple adding all these channels?

Every time one tries to see any content, most of these companies want you to sign-up and provide all kinds of personal information to sign up to watch mostly mediocre offerings.

Take PBS, for instance. Not only they requested I sign with my Social Media account, such as Google +, but they wanted also to know your birthday, gender and so on!

Go figure!
 
Apple need to stop pissing around with this. Enforce all content to be globally accessible, even if it's ad supported. Then redesign the damn crummy UI.

A raspberry pi with OpenELEC still has way more features, and is significantly cheaper.
 
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I see lots of complaints about subscriptions and such, but I think this is all a progression.. it's a start that will someday lead to individual channel subscriptions.

We use HBO-Go all the time… it's great and love seeing more channels come on-board. I think within a couple years we'll be where this is intended to go… no cable account needed an access to what we want when we want.

The more the merrier.
 
This UI needs to be redesigned. It's horrible, especially now that more and more channels are being added.
 
Hey! New channels! I'll use...um...Netflix, still.

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Seriously though, I love that Apple is following up and adding new content, but it seems like the main purpose of these companies adding apps is less "hey look, a new way to deliver content to our customers!" and more "Hey look, a new place to advertise our logo!".

Then again, I'm probably not their target audience.
 
Any idea how soon new channels will make it to the European market? Still don't have most of them here.

Chances are, they never will.

Apple TV is majorly neglected in the UK. They need to work harder on getting at least the obvious stuff - BBC iPlayer/itv player/4OD.
 
I see lots of complaints about subscriptions and such, but I think this is all a progression.. it's a start that will someday lead to individual channel subscriptions.

We use HBO-Go all the time… it's great and love seeing more channels come on-board. I think within a couple years we'll be where this is intended to go… no cable account needed an access to what we want when we want.

The more the merrier.

Yes, HBO-Go (and Netflix) are my most used apps on the apple-TV

And I agree, I also see this as some build up for the 'next big thing' - something along the lines of the rumored Apple TV Set (which I still would like to see as an updated box to connect to an existing TV, but better channel line-up and UI). Maybe they add channels as they get some contracts in place and once they have all they want they surprise us with the new device (TV, set-top-box, ....)
 
Hey! New channels! I'll use...um...Netflix, still.

Image

Seriously though, I love that Apple is following up and adding new content, but it seems like the main purpose of these companies adding apps is less "hey look, a new way to deliver content to our customers!" and more "Hey look, a new place to advertise our logo!".

Then again, I'm probably not their target audience.

Yes, I also use Netflix, but ... um ... you know ... not everything is on Netflix
 
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