Apple to Announce Amazon Prime Video for Apple TV at WWDC

[lsutigerfan1976]

Just rewatched what TC said at announcement, said was coming to TV app later this year. That was pretty much it. We don't have TV app in U.K. so I presume there is also a separate prime app that is needed for content to show in TV app.
I think if Apple hadn't waited so long to give Apple TV an App Store things would have been very different, every network and streaming service would have had an app. The Apple TV would have been like the iPod, iPhone and iPad was, instead even now you get blank looks when you mention you have an Apple TV.

The blank looks part is funny. I tell ppl I have an Apple TV. They have no idea what I mean. Some even mistake that to mean I have an actual tv made by Apple. Then I have to say, it's like a fire stick. From there ppl are like, oh now I know what you mean lol.

 

[afd]

It's almost like someone at Apple hates the Apple TV and wants it to fail and disappear.

 

[noobinator]

What I say: "I have something similar to a Roku made by Apple, but it's bigger, lower quality (no 4k), less apps, and costs more"

 

[afd]

Couldn't care less about 4K it's just a way to get us to buy Star Wars again on another format. My 50 year old eyes would need a specific pair of prescription glasses for each seat in my living room for me to notice any benefit from 1080p. I do care about the lack of apps, specifically local U.K. ones and Prime. I should be able to watch local channels, streaming channels and stream from iOS or Android to Apple TV but can't do this. If Apple wanted this to happen it would. For some reason they don't.

 

[Feenician]

I do care about lack of apps, specifically local U.K. ones and Prime...If Apple wanted this to happen it would. For some reason they don't.

TvOS is an open platform. Anyone (who pays the princely sum of $99 annually) is free to create an app to distribute their content. This includes Amazon and you local channels. If they didn’t do it, it’s on them.

 

[DotCom2]

The blank looks part is funny. I tell ppl I have an Apple TV. They have no idea what I mean. Some even mistake that to mean I have an actual tv made by Apple. Then I have to say, it's like a fire stick. From there ppl are like, oh now I know what you mean lol.

That's kinda like when I ask a Cashier if they have Apple Pay and they give me the stare. I just say never mind.

 

[afd]

It might be on them but if Apple had released an App Store when 2nd Apple TV came out which it would have been the platform to develop for.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

It might be on them but if Apple had released an App Store when 2nd Apple TV came out which it would have been the platform to develop for.

To me the Apple TV is like the watch. It's out there in. In case someone wants to buy it. But no one is putting much effort into making either better.

 

[bluespark]

It's almost like someone at Apple hates the Apple TV and wants it to fail and disappear.

I've been an Apple purchaser for decades, but I really can't disagree with you on the Apple TV. It doesn't seem to offer many compelling benefits over any of its competition (AirPlay is an exception, but even that doesn't work as well as it used to and AirPlay music streaming is hobbled by the lack of an optical port), it lacks commonplace features, it is heavy and giant (which is an important consideration for those of us who want to mount the streaming device to the back of wall-mounted TVs), and certain things don't work right (example: audio, which for no good reason can't pass through on the ATV 4 without digital alteration). Does Apple understand the real-world issues Apple TV users struggle with?

 

[GreginNJ]

Well, we heard Amazon was going to release an app a year or two ago too? Turned out to be fake news (just like this time, apparently). I mean why would Amazon give Apple a bone here? It has literally NOTHING to gain and everything to lose. Right now FireTV is leaps and bounds ahead of Apple TV sales (and rightly so, IMO with Apple's bonehead move to not include 4K). You can get Amazon Prime on a Sony PS4 even, but you cannot get Apple TV movie rentals on anything but iTunes and Apple TV. In other words, why should Amazon give Apple access to Amazon Prime when Apple would never dream of giving FireTV access to Apple TV/iTunes material??? Amazon gets nothing and Apple gets increased sales. Quid-Pro-Quo. IMO, Apple needs to give Amazon something of value in return (i.e. maybe Airplay compatibility in return for a Prime App viewer?)

Of course, Amazon does similar when it comes to something like Vudu. Fortunately, unlike Apple TV, Amazon FireTV is a largely open system (i.e. you don't need paid developer status to side-load 3rd party software). So where I can only get MrMC on AppleTV at best, I can get full Kodi on FireTV with a free side-load. I just recently installed a 3rd party Vudu App for FireTV that now gives me access to my Ultraviolet HDX digital copies on my two FireTV 4K units and SDX on my FireTV stick (Amazon wouldn't approve an official one, but as long as the platform is open to side-loads, someone can always fill the gaps with modified Android Apps that support Amazon specs and remote control). There's a certain irony that my PS4 has a better selection of usable video streaming Apps than Apple TV or even FireTV without side-loading (Vudu video quality streaming blows away iTunes IMO; I had a hard time telling the stream from the BD where you can usually spot at least some dark lighting banding issues on iTunes encodes sooner or later). I can even remotely control and play games on my Mac from the PS4 with the Sony Playstation App and one of my dual shock controllers. It'd be nice if I could play Mac games on the PS4 as well in return, but Apple doesn't care about games while if I had Windows 10 and XBox, I think you can play both directions?)

They said it would be out later this year. No specific date was given.

 

[afd]

I was hoping for a release on Prime day, but no luck

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

I was hoping for a release on Prime day, but no luck

Football season is almost here. Once we get to opening week, we will all have the app.

 

[Beerstalker]

Football season is almost here. Once we get to opening week, we will all have the app.

I agree with this. I can't see the NFL signing that deal with Amazon without telling them they need to make the stream available to more hardware like the Apple TV.