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While inconvenient, not surprising. I do this with VUDU now. I just go to the website on my phone to purchase the content.
 
Its funny the ATV+ app for the FireTV never had the ability to rent/purchase iTunes movies from the outset but Roku did, with the AndroidTV versions later arrival didn't realise it also allowed purchase/rentals. Ironic because Apple allows Amazon to provide purchase/rentals in the Prime App on the AppleTV.

In the US its not much of an issue with various digital rental/purchase platforms and the unifying Movies Anywhere so it doesn't really matter where you buy, but in some countries, like here in Canada iTunes has by far the largest catalog, especially if you like older movies. Vudu isn't available, Google Play/Youtube is OK for new releases but has a pretty anemic selection, and Amazon only just started digital purchases here. And no Movies Anywhere to make digital purchases platform agnostic.
 
Can you imagine how much Apple is going to charge the consumers? Starting price could be a whopping $4,999.99. Just for a base model.
Then don’t buy one… there are plenty of high end TVs already above that price point. You think Apple is going to make a cheap TV??? You want them to? That market is flooded already.

If you don’t want a $5000 TV (if it comes to be) buy one of the many, many other options on the market and plug in your ATV box. That’s Apple’s budget TV.
 
Isn't this really about getting people to buy an AppleTV box?

I suspect many are instead buying a cheap Android TV based 'stick' for 1/3 the price.
 
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Isn't this really about getting people to buy an AppleTV box?

I suspect many are instead buying a cheap Android TV based 'stick' for 1/3 the price.
But the iTunes Store doesn’t really have a differentiating factor, and if that’s the case why wouldn’t people just go to another store?
 
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I thought a 30% commission was essential to preserving the security and integrity of the blah blah blah. Is that only Apple's position when they're receiving the commission?
 
Isn't this really about getting people to buy an AppleTV box?

I suspect many are instead buying a cheap Android TV based 'stick' for 1/3 the price.
Roku is not effected as well as Samsung/LG tvs. So I doubt its to push people, it's just a pettiness with google like usual. You can get a Roku for $20.
 
I thought a 30% commission was essential to preserving the security and integrity of the blah blah blah. Is that only Apple's position when they're receiving the commission?

How is what they did inconsistent with that? They didn’t sue Google and demand an end to the commission. They didn’t try and sneak an alternate purchasing mechanism through the Play Store. They did exactly what you are allowed to do on Apple’s own store, which is to remove the purchasing mechanism.
 
Another cluster thanks to Eddy Cue and Tim Cook’s lack of vision and aggressiveness.
I don't know if I'd fully go with that sentiment... Lack vision? Sure. Aggressive? More along the lines of stubborn insisting on protection of their margins. Ultimately they're holding the purses though, and from that perspective, prior strategy has worked. Their revenue generation outside of hardware sales has done quite well, to the chagrin of reading many developer's legit complaints about store policies.
 
lol - you've got something on your nose.
Thanks. I know I am spot on. Cracks me up that people think Apple doesn't want to drive traffic to their store where they can demonstrate a better experience. And others have said, this is the very solution Apple has told other developers to use, including Microsoft. Given that these tv os's only get updated with new hardware, why should Apple continue to provide revenue for a platform that isn't seeing regular software updates?
 
If it's really about the 30% cut, then what was Apple's point about Epic Games' wish to skirt the 30% fee ....?

Epic put an in-app option to pay against the rules of the store, which got their app rejected by the Google Play store. It seems like by comparison, this is Apple respecting the Google Play store rules.
 
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