Earlier this week references to Apple TV were found in code for Fortnite. Today it's been revealed by Epic Games that inclusion of Apple TV references in game code does not necessarily mean the game will ever be included amongst Apple TV's television-friendly games. Instead, they've suggested that the codes discovered are merely standard bits and pieces of the base on which the game is built: Unreal Engine.
It would seem that Verizon's preparing to partner up with one of two tech titans to deliver 5G television service to the masses later this year. Initial services could launch in approximately 4 large cities before the end of the year, but only if Verizon is able to partner with a big name in television programming. Apparently the ability to "provide television" is the forte of either Google or Apple - strange as that may seem.
Apple TV 4K is already a pretty capable streaming box, but later this year, it's going to get better. At WWDC 2018 today, Apple announced that Apple TV 4K will soon be getting some much-loved Dolby technology in the form of Dolby Atmos. When combined with Apple TV 4K's support for 4K HDR content, Dolby Atmos should turn this into one impressive streaming device.
In the year since Hulu Live TV launched, we've slowly been seeing Hulu expand the service to more devices and flesh it out with additional features. Though Hulu Live TV probably could have used a little more time in the oven before release, these days it's shaping up to be a fairly solid service. It's getting better today with the introduction of a new guide, which is going live on a number of device.
If you've been putting off upgrading your Apple TV first-generation, it might finally be time to relinquish the aging set-top box. Apple has warned owners holding out with the original media streamer that, as of May 25, security changes will cut the gadget off from the iTunes Store. That means no more new shows, and no ability to download shows you've already purchased.
DirecTV has quietly launched another of its must-see Apple TV deals, with new sign-ups to the DirecTV NOW on-demand service getting Apple's set-top box free. While it's not the first time we've seen the company run a promotion of this sort, this time around it's not forcing would-be shoppers to go in-store to take advantage of it. Instead, you can sign up online.
Back in September, Apple promised that it would add a News section to its TV app. In the months since, we've seen the company introduce a Sports section, but now News is finally getting its turn. The TV app has been updated with this News section, and in it users on both iOS and tvOS can easily browse and launch live news streams from many different providers.
Late last year, Google revealed that it was working on Roku and Apple TV apps for YouTube TV, and that we'd have them sometime in spring 2018. This was a long-awaited move for YouTube TV, as it meant that many people would be able to stream their service to their TV using hardware many of us already own. It seems that Google had both of these apps ready to go far earlier than anticipated, as yesterday it at last launched the Roku app many YouTube TV users have been waiting for.
If you haven’t yet had your fill of news about the first iOS 11.3 developer beta, don’t worry because there will be more to come as developers and users take it apart to discover unannounced features. Take, for example, these two new ones. It seems that Apple has finally gotten the ball rolling on pushing out AirPlay 2 after months of silence, though the question remains whether this multi-room feature will actually be included in the soon to launch HomePod.
Amazon has begun selling the Apple TV again, ending a two year standoff between the retailer and Apple, though supplies of the set-top box are already constrained. The two companies found themselves at loggerheads in late 2015, when Amazon announced it would be pulling the Apple TV from its virtual shelves. Ironically, the reason it gave to justify the decision was quickly thrown into disarray.
Amazon is now listing both Google's Chromecast and the Apple TV on its website, marking their first (official) return to the online store since being removed in late 2015. We saw signs of the Apple TV's return to Amazon earlier this year when the device briefly appeared on the company's website before disappearing. Sales of both devices will start soon, Amazon has confirmed, but it doesn't look like its squabble with Google is over yet.
The satellite audio service SiriusXM Radio is now available on the 4th-generation Apple TV and Apple TV 4K. Access is facilitated through the SiriusXM app, though you need to have a Sirius subscription, of course. The service offers more than 200 hours of audio channels, including news, talk, comedy, music, sports, and more. The service, as with other for-pay audio subscriptions, is commercial-free.