Apple Adds WatchESPN, HBO GO, Sky News, and More to Apple TV

[smithrh]

This is through Charter. ESPN works fine though.

Also, New Glarus!!! Love their stuff.

Mmmmm.... Spotted Cow... yum...

I'm not familiar with Charter - I've dealt with TW, Comcast and DirecTV.

For you DirecTV subs, here's the problem, at least for HBO GO:

http://www.directv.com/technology/on_demand?lpos=Header:3

 

[The Economist]

Only Qello and Crunchyroll appeared here in Mexico. Perhaps one day the NBA app/channel will be available without a jailbreak.

 

[UnknownX11]

The Sky News is cool I suppose, but the rest is worthless if you have DirecTV. Not sure if its DirecTV that is the problem, or Apple, or HBO, but they need to fix it.

 

[tdmac]

Actually, Sumner Redstone said CBS couldn't survive on advertising alone today. It is the reason they oppose OTA dvr services. In fact, he even said they might stop broadcasting OTA to ensure all the viewers are paying the fee. I think the last part is just hyperbole, but you never know.

Idle threat. FCC would't allow it.

 

[jklps]

I think I will stick with WatchESPN on my Xbox for now. The ATV version doesn't let you set your favorite teams. On the Xbox, I get a feed of just my teams with all the highlights and replays. And there's no ability to quickly switch between games and no split screen. All and all, it is a pretty basic feature set that doesn't even compare to the Xbox version.

The one thing for me is the AppleTV is 1000 times quieter than my white xbox360....

 

[RobNYC]

The Sky News is cool I suppose, but the rest is worthless if you have DirecTV. Not sure if its DirecTV that is the problem, or Apple, or HBO, but they need to fix it.

It's between the networks and your satellite provider.

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

Yay, more stuff to remove in settings!
(Sky news anyway)

I agree with that one!

 

[artpease]

Just frickin' awesome!

But no Amazon instant.

When do you expect hell to freeze over?

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

Still totally missing iPlayer though.

 

[NameUndecided]

It is strange to me that MaxGo didn't come with the update as well. The fact that they have more porny content seems like a flimsy reason, as HBOGo has "Late Night" content as well, and that menu category was totally blocked out until I signed in with my account information.

There is plenty other content (with some original series) available on Cinemax than just the softcore bits. So I don't know why it was held back in this way. They are owned by all the same entity that owns HBO, yeah?

And concerning people being doubtful about Amazon Prime coming anytime soon -- I'm not seeing what makes them less a possibility or more problematic than including Hulu Plus or Netflix. What? Just because they make "competing" tablets? Or am I missing something?

 

[carl0sian]

YES!! I have both Roku3 and Apple TV3 and use my ATV3 way more than the Roku3. Don't get me wrong, Roku3 is a great device but ATV3 in my opinion is the superior product.

 

[Komentra]

Awesome. It's about time. I was just last night using my iPhone to stream HBO GO content to my Apple TV now I don't need to go through that extra step.

I wonder why Roku nor Apple has MAX GO.

 

[Macist]

iPlayer? 4OD? Itv catchup?

Even junky players often have these in the UK

 

[scapegoat81]

I just updated and changed my DNS settings on the Apple TV and Plex works perfectly from the trailers app.

Beautiful. Thank you !

 

[JAT]

I don't know why HBO is being so thick-headed about this.

Contracts.

 

[kcmac]

Whatever. Still sucks that you have to be a cable subscriber to use it.

Are you kidding me? Check back in when you pass kindergarten

 

[wknapp0924]

I just called and cancelled my digital cable, down to basic 19 channels for me now since I have:

HBOGO
WatchESPN
HULU Plus
NETFLIX
AMAZON PRIME,

No need for cable anymore!

Now just the fact I have to unjailbreak one of my Apple TV 2's makes me sad.

 

[JAT]

I wish it allowed you to watch later, last time i looked the PS3 service was watch only as its live.

NFL Rewind is only $40/yr. Allows you to watch any game after it is finished, as long as no other games are currently broadcasting. Wait, that's not quite right. You can watch older games anytime, just not when the Monday Night games are broadcasting.

----------

Are you kidding me? Check back in when you pass kindergarten

Some adults don't like paying ridiculous sums of money for crap content that they don't even watch. It's only the kids that think they "have" to have everything.

 

[ZivaD]

Still totally missing iPlayer though.

The biggest loss to Apple TV, would make it more than just a novelty in the uk.

 

[iSheep]

I don't know why HBO is being so thick-headed about this.

Contracts.

This is exactly what it is!

I'm not entirely sure how it works in the United States, but in the Netherlands the majority (somewhat more than half) of the money you pay to the likes of HBO goes to the cable providers. It is those cable providers that block this sort of thing. They have no interest in you bypassing them to get the content you want, and of course the market doesn't currently exist where the likes of HBO can tell the cable providers where to poke their contracts.

For now the consumer loses. I'm pretty sure that HBO are as irritated by this as you are, they stand to make more money by having direct contact with their consumers over the internet cables.

 

[iamthedudeman]

YES!! I have both Roku3 and Apple TV3 and use my ATV3 way more than the Roku3. Don't get me wrong, Roku3 is a great device but ATV3 in my opinion is the superior product.

Why is that? What does Apple TV have that Roku doesn't. Roku's contest is 10X more than Apple TV, is faster and easier to use. I have both also but rarely touch my Apple TV because it's lack of content and weak controller. Yes I can use my iphone, but I can also use my iphone to control the Roku Box.

 

[steve119]

The problem with Apple TV is that the players are very u.s based.

Would be nice for more European options. Bbc iplayer would be one welcome player that would be well received.

 

[scwinsett]

Man.. I'm so p'd off that Direct TV is not supported on the ATV.

It's supported on the iPad/iPhone, but not the TV?? WTF! I can airplay the iPad signal (although at a sh***y resolution) but I can't watch it as it was meant to be watched?

That's just asking for unloyalty. I would think many media and communication companies would've learned from ATT's mistakes with their long time customers.

Yep. I called and unsubscribed today. I never watch live TV anyway, just been too lazy to make the call. This gave me the motivation I needed. My friend has Xfinity so im just gonna use his account i guess

 

[lunaoso]

Wow! Awesome! Trying out ESPN right now. So much better then the SD crap that I usually watch it on (old cable box)! Apple made me a happy guy today.

 

[macs4nw]

.....WatchESPN and HBO GO require that customers be subscribed to appropriate cable TV services, while Sky News offers free live streams and numerous video clips to users in the US, UK, and Ireland.....

Article Link: Apple Adds WatchESPN, HBO GO, Sky News, and More to Apple TV

And that is still the sticking point, that will remain for the foreseeable future.

They're moving in the right direction, just doing it very slowly.

All nice - still such a strange device for apple = kind of like "we care a bit about this, but not that much". They could make it SO SO good if they wanted to as well!

As long as these reportedly lengthy contracts between the cable cos and the content owners/creators remain in effect, APPLE's hands for now, are tied.