I just don't get it; pay to subscribe, then pay again per show?

[The-Real-Deal82]

It’s far from being as good as Netflix and I find I rarely open the app. It reminds a bit of Amazon Prime video where you pay a basic subscription but a lot of the content costs extra. That just puts me off so I just watch Netflix instead. Once our one year free subscription comes to an end, I doubt i’ll bother paying the monthly sub beyond that. A lot of my friends and family have made the same comments.

 

[MisterSavage]

It’s far from being as good as Netflix and I find I rarely open the app. It reminds a bit of Amazon Prime video where you pay a basic subscription but a lot of the content costs extra. That just puts me off so I just watch Netflix instead. Once our one year free subscription comes to an end, I doubt i’ll bother paying the monthly sub beyond that. A lot of my friends and family have made the same comments.

I feel the opposite. They have lots of quality, original content that's free (The Expanse, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Upload, etc). If I want to watch other content that they don't own it's available in the same app for me to rent. I see that as a huge benefit. I do agree they don't have as much good original content as Netflix but they have improved so much.

 

[Eric Idle]

It’s far from being as good as Netflix and I find I rarely open the app. It reminds a bit of Amazon Prime video where you pay a basic subscription but a lot of the content costs extra. That just puts me off so I just watch Netflix instead. Once our one year free subscription comes to an end, I doubt i’ll bother paying the monthly sub beyond that. A lot of my friends and family have made the same comments.

Your loss, but clearly you have not even tried to give AT+ a chance.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I feel the opposite. They have lots of quality, original content that's free (The Expanse, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Upload, etc). If I want to watch other content that they don't own it's available in the same app for me to rent. I see that as a huge benefit. I do agree they don't have as much good original content as Netflix but they have improved so much.

I think it’s a case of it’s a bit too young of a service to warrant my money yet. When it’s more mature like Netflix then I may come back to it, as long as it remains at a competitive subscription cost. Netflix have managed to establish themselves well over the past 5 or so years and have a decent strategy in terms of keeping the cost down. I hope Apple follow that model otherwise they won’t get the business.

The content is only quality I suppose if it appeals to the viewer. There is always something to watch on tv and the pressure is in these companies to maintain appeal.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Your loss, but clearly you have not even tried to give AT+ a chance.

With all due respect it’s not my loss is it? I’m currently watching ‘Long Way Up’ as the previous two series were in British TV years ago and I enjoyed them. Browsing the other titles though I haven’t really found anything that exciting to watch. We watched Oliver Jeffers children film which was excellent and that’s the 2 things AT+ has offered so far. It’s free at the moment but I wouldn’t pay £4.99 as it currently stands. Once it’s matured things will be very different.

Again, it’s not my loss mate as there is always something to watch over a range of channels and services. I’ve got Netflix and Amazon along with hundreds of other channels on my television.

 

[mallbritton]

It’s far from being as good as Netflix and I find I rarely open the app. It reminds a bit of Amazon Prime video where you pay a basic subscription but a lot of the content costs extra. That just puts me off so I just watch Netflix instead. Once our one year free subscription comes to an end, I doubt i’ll bother paying the monthly sub beyond that. A lot of my friends and family have made the same comments.

There is no subscription fee to use the TV app. There is a fee to watch the content in the TV+ Channel. The two things are not the same thing.

Apple really dropped the ball when naming these things and it causes a lot of confusion in people. The Apple TV device is the physical box you buy that you connect to your TV via an HDMI cable. You install apps on it and watch content. The Apple TV app is an aggregator that pulls in content from various OTHER streaming apps like Disney+, CBS All Access, HBO Max, Hulu, etc. It also shows you content that is available from the iTunes Store, and you can access your library of video content purchased from the iTunes Store directly in the TV app. There is no fee to use it. But the app does offer Channels such as Apple TV+, CBS All Access, Showtime, etc. which you do need to pay to subscribe to.

 

[MisterSavage]

I think it’s a case of it’s a bit too young of a service to warrant my money yet. When it’s more mature like Netflix then I may come back to it, as long as it remains at a competitive subscription cost. Netflix have managed to establish themselves well over the past 5 or so years and have a decent strategy in terms of keeping the cost down. I hope Apple follow that model otherwise they won’t get the business.

I completely misunderstood you and thought you were talking about Amazon Prime Video! I agree AT+ isn't compelling enough yet for me to subscribe. I really enjoyed Ted Lasso but I'm not planning on paying when my subscription is up in Feb. I have too much too watch already on too many services.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

There is no subscription fee to use the TV app. There is a fee to watch the content in the TV+ Channel. The two things are not the same thing.

I was talking about the app on my TV that I had to redeem a code for in order to get access. I’ve got a years free as we bought an iPad a few months back and now this can be extended as we’ve bought iPhones. According to Apple it’s £4.99 thereafter. I don’t have an Apple TV box, I bought an Amazon Fire Cube instead which has been awesome and was a steal at £62. We subscribe to Amazon prime anyway for fast deliveries so the tv and music part are a bonus. Netflix is a subscription we opted for whereas Apple TV is just something we’ve acquired. At this point it’s the weakest of the three in my opinion for what it offers.

 

[pmiles]

I think people are overlooking the fact that Apple expected to have an entire year to continue on production so that they could continue to roll out new content on a consistent schedule. They only just hit the one year mark of being in service and so far, 8 of those months have been under COVID, where all production has basically come to a halt.

No streaming service is rolling out a plethora of new content like they have been. Not even network TV. This has totally messed up all services and will continue to mess them up for at least a year to come.

You really can't compare the offerings of services that have been in force for several years against the new guy. Change the scenario and then really take a look at them. What if they all debuted on the same day under the same circumstances (COVID lockdowns)... do you really think ANY of them would have have faired any better?

Apple will grow it's library over time, just like the other services have. Should you pay a monthly sub to a service with limited offerings on a continual basis? No. You subscribe when the content has an opportunity to catch up, then subscribe for a month so that you can watch it at the pace that you like, which for most people, is binge style.

Apple has some hits and misses... but then so do a all the other services. The price is pretty damn cheap compared to most of the other services... the cheapest if you consider the 1 year free.

It's only year one and it really isn't a true 1st year because of the COVID crap. It has a lot of promise and I will be keeping an eye on it for new gems.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think people are overlooking the fact that Apple expected to have an entire year to continue on production so that they could continue to roll out new content on a consistent schedule. They only just hit the one year mark of being in service and so far, 8 of those months have been under COVID, where all production has basically come to a halt.

No streaming service is rolling out a plethora of new content like they have been. Not even network TV. This has totally messed up all services and will continue to mess them up for at least a year to come.

You really can't compare the offerings of services that have been in force for several years against the new guy. Change the scenario and then really take a look at them. What if they all debuted on the same day under the same circumstances (COVID lockdowns)... do you really think ANY of them would have have faired any better?

Apple will grow it's library over time, just like the other services have. Should you pay a monthly sub to a service with limited offerings on a continual basis? No. You subscribe when the content has an opportunity to catch up, then subscribe for a month so that you can watch it at the pace that you like, which for most people, is binge style.

Apple has some hits and misses... but then so do a all the other services. The price is pretty damn cheap compared to most of the other services... the cheapest if you consider the 1 year free.

It's only year one and it really isn't a true 1st year because of the COVID crap. It has a lot of promise and I will be keeping an eye on it for new gems.

All streaming providers have been hit by the same issues this year and yet the likes of Amazon and Netflix have released some better content than Apple. They’ve joined the party late and personally unless you got a years free I doubt a lot of people would even have it based on that they offer now.

 

[mallbritton]

I was talking about the app on my TV that I had to redeem a code for in order to get access.

That code was not to access the TV app. It was to have access to the content in the TV+ Channel. Again, there is no subscription fee to use the TV app on any device the app is available one. I promise you when you cancel the sub to the TV+ Channel you will still be able to use the TV app as an aggregator. But you will no longer have access to the content in the TV+ Channel.

 

[pmiles]

All streaming providers have been hit by the same issues this year and yet the likes of Amazon and Netflix have released some better content than Apple. They’ve joined the party late and personally unless you got a years free I doubt a lot of people would even have it based on that they offer now.

That all depends on the viewer. I don't watch Amazon or Netflix because anything that they have that I want to watch, I've already watched. The services are too expensive for what the have to offer (for me). Apple's service has had about as many shows that I wanted to watch as the big boys this year. Will I have continuous subscription with them? No. I only subscribe to services as the shows I want to watch have completed their season... because, I binge watch shows.

Too early to tell what Apple's service will bring us. I know what the other services have and quite frankly they don't have any more immediate 'need to watch' draw than Apple's does. Which is why I subscribe to services when the content I want to watch is there in full seasons.

To be frank, I wouldn't have tried ANY service if they didn't offer some sort of free trial. To date the only service that I have actually paid a sub fee for is Hulu. All the other services were fronted by the free trials they offered. Hulu offers me enough continuous content plus is inexpensive enough to warrant a rolling subscription. The others will see a month sub here and there as I wait out the seasons to fully air. Apple's service will be on that same rotation and will likely be in it more do to their low price point as well. Expensive services will have the longer wait for my money.

 

[martint235]

I've found some stuff on ATV I quite like and will probably take up Apple One at the start of Dec (prefer bills on 1st of month). However is there a way to limit what I see in the app to just what is free to me to watch?

 

[Christopher Kim]

I've found some stuff on ATV I quite like and will probably take up Apple One at the start of Dec (prefer bills on 1st of month). However is there a way to limit what I see in the app to just what is free to me to watch?

Unfortunately not - Apple is trying to make the Apple TV app an "aggregator" app. But all you have to do is click into Apple TV app, and then scroll down to the Apple TV+ channel. Then it will only show what is free for you to watch as part of your Apple TV+ subscription.