Apple wants to overhaul consumers' TV experience with its latest revamped set-up box, as it hopes to bring more than movies and series into the living room.
The new Apple TV features a third-party App Store, a new remote, Siri voice-controls, and a completely new operating system - called tvOS.
"We believe the future of television is apps," said Apple CEO Tim Cook when the new Apple TV was unveiled in September. It is set to be released in South Africa this month.
"It is basically a large screen equivalent of the iPad, with an app approach to watching TV," says Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx.
"The TV experience is tailored to the user and what they want to watch. Their experience will be dictated by what apps they choose to download or subscribe to."
Previous versions of the Apple TV allowed users to stream content from the iTunes library, and with iCloud, consume video, music or photos from any Apple device.
The app approach
The new operating system is based on iOS and designed exclusively for the new Apple TV. It allows third-party developers to create apps using the same software frameworks used for iOS, OS X, and watchOS.
This means once the set-up box is purchased and connected to the Internet, users will be able to download apps (which will act as 'channels') onto the TV. There will also be apps for a variety of other things and past visual consumption, such as games, travel booking and shopping.
"The new gaming and app functionalities are a big winner," said tech blogger Liron Segev when the device was launched.
9to5Mac observed Apple TV (already available in other markets) has added a 'top charts' section to its App Store, where the top paid, free and grossing apps for tvOS are displayed.
In the top paid charts, four out of the five top apps are games: Galaxy On Fire, Does Not Commute, Lumino City, and Alto's Adventure. The top free apps are more media-focused, with Nat Geo TV, Fox Now, Showtime, History, and CBS.
Local video-on-demand service ShowMax has said it will soon launch its own Apple TV app.
Apple says users will be able to buy full-season subscriptions to sport such as the NBA, NHL, and MLB. There are only US sports at the moment and local deals will have to be made by Apple before the same service will be available in SA.
A full list of apps available now can be found here.
Users are also able to watch YouTube from the device, and stream photos, music and movies onto it from an iOS device.
DStv vs Apple TV
"The Apple TV cannot be compared to DStv. DStv is designed to broadcast content and Apple TV is designed to import and download," says Goldstuck.
"The new Apple TV will certainly not be a threat to players in this market. It will be successful with a very niche market of early adopters and techies, but it won't walk off the shelves."
Goldstuck says those who can afford and want it, will get both ? as they offer different experiences. However, it may change if a local deal is struck with sports broadcasters.
"An Apple TV is a small entertainment device that can receive digital data from a number of sources and stream it to a screen," says Tanya Kovarsky, spokesperson for the Core Group, the authorised South African Apple distributor.
"Apple TV is not a service like DStv, but rather a device, which allows your TV to get content over WiFi."
Too much?
Goldstuck says the device is expensive for what it does.
After the once-off purchase, costs will depend on Internet usage and the price of any shows or services the user subscribes to or buys.
Recommended retail pricing:
Apple TV (3rd generation): R1 189
New Apple TV 32GB: R2 499
New Apple TV 64GB: R3 499
Apple TV remote: R1 299
Remote Loop: R229
"However," says Goldstuck, "it does work out a lot cheaper than DStv to use the Apple TV device only - provided you have a fast enough, preferably uncapped, Internet connection already."
Listening in
The new device comes with a redesigned remote which supports voice-control.
The idea is that users can speak to the remote and ask it to skip to a certain part of a movie or go to a specific series where a celebrity made a guest appearance.
However, Segev warned the new Siri-run voice-activated remote could have security issues.
"Samsung Smart TVs have, although with limited functionalities, a voice-operated remote. The issue there a while ago was that if you can talk to the remote, then it can essentially listen in on everything you say ? which could and should be a concern with the Siri-operated remote."
Old Apple TV models cannot be updated to take advantage of the new features, as tvOS will not run on them.
The new Apple TV will be available from iStore, Digicape, Incredible Connection, DionWired, Makro and other select retailers.
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