The TV app will be available on the Apple TV 4th gen, as well as on the iPhone and the iPad. Rumors about Apple releasing such an app, or TV guide, have been around for a while now. And now it’s here.

Apple ‘TV App’

As mentioned above, the app is a central hub that houses all your favorite shows and movies from all the apps on your Apple TV. Similar to an iTunes music playlist. Unfortunately, this list of tv shows and movies will not include content from Netflix or Amazon Prime.

A Watch Now section will house all their shows and movies from iTunes and other apps. You can then jump to the Up Next section that displays your most recent shows or movies that you’ve been watching.

You can binge watch an entire show using this feature. Finished an episode? Don’t worry, the next one will automatically start playing. New episodes for the show will also be automatically added.

Explore a large collection of new shows and movies that include content picked by Apple curators. You can even browse through separate categories based on your interests. There’s a Library that shows all your video collection that you have purchased or rented on iTunes.

And, you can use the Store to look for new videos from services you haven’t subscribed to or downloaded yet.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, had this to say;

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Reuters has released a major update to its Reuters TV app for iOS and tvOS. Version 2.0 introduces new featured programs – thematic programs curated and hosted by Reuters journalists – alongside live feeds of global events and personalized video newscasts.

The update also includes a major redesign on both Apple TV and the Web versions.

Reuters TV 2.0 features three ways to watch for most users:

Reuters Now

An algorithmically assembled but editorially curated news program that is:

• On-demand
• Up-to-date
• Any duration (between 5 and 30 minutes)
• Customized to each viewer’s interests and location
• Downloadable for offline viewing

Featured Programs:

• Thematic, editorially-curated programs, on topics from Zika to Brexit to the battle to retake Mosul
• Offers a more in-depth understanding of a major issue in the news
• Hosted by a Reuters journalist to provide context around the topic
• Multiple new programs added each week

Live feeds:

• Real-time coverage of global events, from protests to Presidential speeches
• Unfiltered and uninterrupted
• Available live and on-demand
• Currently available on all platforms except Android, with support for that platform coming soon

Editorial content from Reuters TV is produced exclusively for the service and draws upon Reuters extraordinary reach from 2,500 journalists in over 160 countries. In order to deliver the service’s variable program lengths, all content is produced in multiple versions and organized by editorial teams in London, Hong Kong, New York and Washington DC, providing 24/7 coverage for viewers.

Search for “Reuters TV” on your Apple TV’s App Store to download the free app.

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Tablo has finally released a native Apple TV app that was unveiled and previewed at this year’s CES. The free app lets Tablo customers record and stream both live and recorded broadcast TV programs on their big screen TVs via the 4th gen. Apple TV.

The app works in conjunction with the networked Tablo DVR, a small $200 box that plugs into a digital TV antenna to capture free, local HDTV broadcast programs including news and sports within the US and Canada.

Unlike traditional DVRs that are connected to one TV, Tablo does not feature an HDMI connection – it connects to your home network using WiFi or Ethernet to stream content to any connected device inside your home or anywhere you have internet.

With version 1.0 of the Tablo App for Apple TV, customers can get access to their favorite network shows via both a Live TV guide and Recordings screens. One-time and series recordings can also be scheduled for programs airing within the next 24 hours.

Thanks to integration with Apple TV Siri Remote, Tablo users can easily skip commercials simply by asking Siri to jump ahead in the stream.

The app is said to provide “exceptionally fast performance during in-app navigation, as well as launching both live TV and recorded playback streams” thanks to the “superior processing power” of Apple TV 4.

Tablo also announced that the additional screens and features will be rolled out “over the coming months”.

Tablo app for Apple TV 4 is available for download now through the Apple TV App Store.

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In cooperation with The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), IBM has developed an Apple TV app for Wimbledon. Users will be able to browse real-time scores, watch the Live Wimbledon studio show, listen to three live radio channels, and delve through all of Wimbledon’s video and photo content.

The companies will also release a new Wimbledon app for iOS, responsive to all screen sizes, that will provide “multi-content personalized feeds for fans at home and on the move.”

Both apps will benefit from a new Cognitive Command Center, built using IBM’s Watson and hybrid cloud technologies. The solution will ingest feeds across multiple social media channels to automatically understand, reason and learn the most relevant and emerging topics of conversation as they relate to Wimbledon.

For example, the Cognitive Command Center could identify emerging conversations around a Swiss football game at the same time as a peak in interest around a moment in a Roger Federer match. Using these insights, Wimbledon will be able to make rapid content decisions to engage and inform sports fans during a summer filled with numerous major sporting events.

During The Championships, IBM typically captures 3.2 million data points from 19 courts across 13 days with an accuracy target of 100% and a sub-second response time. It does this using highly trained tennis analysts and transforms that data in near real time to provide insights to commentators and media helping to bring The Championships to life for TV fans globally.

In under four seconds, the match insights IBM captures are also used to update millions of digital devices around the world.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Apple today announced a major update to its tvOS operating system for Apple TV 4. New features include expanded Siri capabilities, single sign-on for Apple TV, dark mode, HomeKit suport, redesigned Apple Music, app badging and many more.

New Siri features and functionality

• Topic search for movies: the ability to ask Siri for a movie by topic or theme (e.g. “Show movies about baseball”)
• YouTube search: users can ask Siri to search YouTube (coming later this month)
• Live tune-in: ask Siri to go directly to a live channel inside a supported app, such as “Watch CBS News” or “Watch ESPN.”
• Manage HomeKit accessories: Apple TV gives users control of HomeKit-enabled accessories. It also allows users to control HomeKit accessories when they are away from home or use it for home automation with the Home app on their iOS device.

Single sign-on for pay-TV apps

Customers in the US will have a simplified way of enjoying pay-TV video channels by using single sign-on. Starting this fall, users only have to sign in once on Apple TV to get immediate access to their favorite video channels that are included as part of their pay-TV subscription.

Once a user is signed into one network app, any other app on Apple TV from participating pay-TV providers will automatically log the user into all other supported apps requiring authentication.

Single sign-on will be available on both Apple TV and iOS.

New tvOS APIs and tools available for developers include:

• ReplayKit to enable developers to record and live broadcast from their apps;
• PhotoKit to allow third-party app access to photos and videos in iCloud Photo Library and iCloud Shared Stream;
• HomeKit to create apps to control HomeKit devices from Apple TV;
• App badging on the Home screen, to make it easier for users to know something new for them is available inside an app; and,
• Game Center enhancements and support for up to four game controllers at a time.

Additional features and updates

• iOS users can download the new Apple TV Remote app with touch navigation, Siri and game play support.
• Apple Music has an all-new design. The Library, For You, Browse and Radio tabs have been completely redesigned, and a Search tab has been added “to make finding music even easier.”
• Photos for Apple TV now supports the new Memories feature.
• Users can now select a dark background for Apple TV.
• Universal apps will now automatically download on Apple TV and show up on the Home screen when an app has been added to a user’s iOS device.
• When a keyboard appears on Apple TV, one will also appear on nearby iOS devices that are logged into the same iCloud account, making entering text more convenient.

The new tvOS will be available this fall as a free software update for Apple TV.

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Apple has quietly implemented a change to the way Top Charts work on the Apple TV App Store. The charts are now hiding any apps a user has installed on their device, instead of simply showing a list of the Top Paid, Top Free and Top Grossing tvOS apps.

The change was initially noticed by German app developer @equinux:

In turns out, Apple now hides an app in the charts once you’ve installed it. Give it a try: Go install TV Pro Mediathek (VOD for German TV content) from the App Store (currently #3 Top Grossing in Germany) and then go back in to the App Store: boom — it’s gone from the charts and the next-placed app has moved up.

This tvOS top charts algorithm change even affects featured apps on the start page: TV Pro Mediathek no longer shows up in its featured slot on the start page of the German App Store once you’ve installed it.

Apple’s intention with the change is presumably to make the charts appear ‘fresher’ and users see more apps that they haven’t installed yet.

As noted by @equinux, “the downside is that the charts don’t really show an accurate picture of what the ‘Top’ apps are, instead they show ‘Top apps that you haven’t installed yet’.”

Earlier in the year, tvOS App Store also received a new ‘Not on This Apple TV’ section within the Purchased section.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Last year, Amazon appeared to have confirmed that they were developing a tvOS app for Prime Video, but the second-largest streaming service in the United States is still missing from the Apple TV. Speaking at Vox Media’s Code Conference yesterday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the company wants “acceptable business terms” before it can bring Prime Video to platforms like Apple TV.

We can always get the player on the device, the question is whether you can get it on with acceptable business terms.

When asked whether “acceptable business terms” meant paying Apple’s famous 30 percent cut on in-app purchases and subscriptions, Bezos declined to answer and said that “private business discussions should stay private.”

Last October Amazon pulled both Apple TV and Chromecast from its retail store citing potential customer confusion over which streaming devices support Amazon Prime Video.

It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion.

Now, it seems that Amazon can bring its video service to the Apple TV and return the set-top box to its store only after Apple offers “acceptable business terms”, which would probably mean agreeing to take less than 30% cut of anything sold within Amazon Prime Video app on Apple TV.

Also read: Starz subscription streaming app now available on Apple TV

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NBCUniversal announced that pay-TV customers can now watch shows from its Bravo, Syfy and E! on Apple TV 4 with the launch of three apps for tvOS: Bravo Now, E! Now and Syfy Now.

Apple TV users who authenticate via their cable, satellite or telco TV provider get access to full seasons, and current and past episodes of many of Bravo, E! and Syfy’s most popular programmes.

The Bravo Now app includes the latest episodes of “The Real Housewives of New York City” (pictured above), “Below Deck Mediterranean,” comedy “Odd Mom Out” and “Top Chef.” This fall, the lineup will include scripted series “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce” and season five of “Vanderpump Rules.”

Syfy Now’s lineup includes drama “The Magicians,” thriller “12 Monkeys” and the network’s long-running reality show “Face Off.”

The E! Now app features fan-favorite “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and other unscripted fare including “Botched,” “#RichKids of Beverly Hills,” Caitlyn Jenner’s “I Am Cait” with and “WAGS” (available May 27). Episodes of E!’s “The Royals” will be available later this year.

Other NBCUniversal networks on the Apple TV include NBC, USA, NBCSN, and CNBC.

Simply search for “Bravo Now”, “Syfy Now” or “E! Now” on the Apple TV App Store to download the app.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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BitTorrent has launched BitTorrent Live, a multichannel, live and linear video streaming platform spanning news, sports, music, tech, and youth culture. It is already available for Apple TV 4 and will soon come to iOS, OS X and Android.

BitTorret Live allows you to watch free streams from 13 content providers. Variety reports that the biggest focus will be on content that warrants live viewing, including news, sports and events.

Powered by the company’s proprietary peer-to-peer live streaming protocol, BitTorrent Live allows for large audiences to view live video with sub 10-second latency and without the need for CDN or pre-provisioning.

With BitTorrent Live, every viewer is also a broadcaster. According to the company, “this allows the video stream to remain strong and for the broadcast to be as scalable as traditional Over-the-Air TV.”

BitTorrent Live Programming

• AWE: Formerly known as WealthTV, AWE is a 24/7 network devoted to taking viewers on a journey of how wealth is achieved, used and enjoyed.

• Clubbing TV:  The official media partner of some of the planet’s biggest electro festivals, Clubbing TV offers exclusive, quality electronic music content from artists and labels all around the globe embracing the entire the Dance Music lifestyle.

• FAST&FUN is a new Television Channel offering an action-packed, adrenaline-including medley of extreme sports, from car racing and motocross to snowboarding and skateboarding; a large variety of disciplines, shows and competitions from all over the world.

• Fightbox: From MMA and boxing to arm wrestling and sumo, Fightbox is a compilation of the finest combat sports from around the globe all on one channel.

• Filmbox Arthouse: Every month FilmBox Arthouse also airs special presentations devoted to a particular creative movement (German Expressionism, New Romanian Cinema) or individual filmmakers (The Surreal Art of Salvador Dali, Rossellini’s War Trilogy, etc.)

• Heroes TV: Delivers what action, adventure fanatics want.  Heroes TV targets audiences with Multiple programming categories to offer the most comprehensive action, adventure line up on TV.

• Newsmax: Newsmax TV provides the latest news, expert views and live programming from your favorite TV hosts and A-list guests. (conservative programming)

• NUsicTV:  Delivers the finest new independent artists at the forefront of music in a linear broadcast, allowing viewers to discover the vanguard in music without having to search the internet.

• OANN: Features political analysis programming and political talk shows, along with network special documentary-style reports; its news coverage attempts to maintain objectivity while its political shows illustrate a stronger conservative lean.

• One World Sports: It features exclusive, live, world-class sporting events and premier matchups from around the world, with over 3,000 hours of unduplicated sports programming annually. Content focus is on live and same-day action of league, championship and qualification competitions in soccer, basketball, baseball, golf, table tennis, badminton, darts, and more.

• OpenNews TV: OpenNews TV brings you live video talk shows from the best progressive talk radio personalities.

• Pursuit Channel: Pursuit Channel is a television network that airs programming geared to hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation.

• TWiT: The TWiT.tv Netcast Network with Leo Laporte features the #1 ranked technology podcast This Week in Tech, along with over 20 other top-ranked online shows.

BitTorrent says that additional channels will follow, including subscription based, ad supported, and Pay Per View premium tiers.

Search for “BitTorrent Live” on the Apple TV App Store to download the free app.

[App Store Link]

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FireCore is today rolling out a big 4.2 update for Infuse, its powerful media player for iOS and tvOS. This is one of the major updates, and adds in some interesting new features including Library View on tvOS, trakt ratings sync, Spotlight search on iOS, improved Dolby audio, and a number of others.

Library View

Infuse will search deep within your folders to catalog every movie, TV show, and cat video it can find and group them all together in a slick new menu.

With a set of all-new Smart Filters, you can browse by genre, rating, release date, age rating, and even get an overview of all unwatched or recently added items.

Trakt ratings sync

In addition to playback progress and watched history, trakt ratings now also stay in sync between all your devices. Rated items are now designated with a set of distinctive orange stars that get updated from trakt automatically.

Ratings can be easily posted to trakt from Infuse on iOS/tvOS or through trakt.tv.

Favorites

The new Smart Filters can also be used to create Favorites that appear right on the Infuse home screen. It lets you customize Infuse to ensure your favorite content is front and center for whenever you’re ready.

Adding custom artwork for your Favorites can now be done right from the Apple TV menus.

Spotlight search (iOS)

Videos selected from within Spotlight will instantly start playing, and Infuse will pick up right where you left off if you happened to already start that video on another device.

Here is what’s new in Infuse 4.2 for tvOS:

• All-new Library View with Smart Filters
• New artwork picker for folder and library favorites
• Personalized trakt ratings
• Auto-select first unwatched TV episode
• Episodes now grouped by season in Recently Watched
• Streamlined sign in process for trakt
• Recently used subtitle languages are now grouped together
• Mark folders to use embedded metadata only
• Resume prompt now displays resume time
• Additional Continuous Playback options
• Better support for 60+ fps videos
• Apple TV ‘Dolby Digital’ option now works with 7.1 content
• Improved universal remote scrolling
• Improved indexing behavior
• Improved lower shelf navigation
• Improved double-tap browsing controls
• Improved display of DTS-HD MA track names
• Improved trakt rating prompt
• Many, many other minor improvements and fixes

Learn more about Infuse 4 for Apple TV and check out the video showing the setup process and explaining how Infuse actually works on Apple TV 4.

There are 2 ways to download Infuse.

1. Search for Infuse in the App Store app on Apple TV.
2. Download Infuse or Infuse Pro on a computer or iOS device, then locate Infuse under the Purchased tab in the App Store app on Apple TV.

Note: The same features are available whether you upgrade to Pro via In-App Purchase, or purchase the standalone Infuse Pro app.

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