Foundation Finale Swagger Shrink Next Door: Wtf Actually Is Apple TV Plus
Apple TV Plus spends top dollar on A-list stars and big budgets, but it’s a little different than other streaming services. Here’s what to know.
Apple TV Plus launched in late 2019 with just nine titles to watch. It’s widened its catalog to more than five dozen.
Apple TV Plus, Apple’s subscription video service, spends a fortune on prestige, original TV shows and movies, including Ted Lasso, the comedy that won a stack of Emmys this year Foundation, the sci-fi show based on Isaac Asimov’s classic book series Swagger, a series about youth basketball based on NBA star Kevin Durant’s experiences and The Shrink Next Door, a comedy starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd.
But originals are pretty much all Apple TV Plus has.
Apple TV Plus lacks a deep library of licensed shows and movies to dive into. The service has original programming almost exclusively. Its lineup of high-end originals has grown to more than five dozen titles since it launched two years ago, including the ones listed above as well as See, a fantasy starring Jason Momoa Finch, a postapocalyptic Tom Hanks movie about a man, his dog and a robot and Invasion, a drama series about an alien… invasion The Problem With Jon Stewart, the comedy host’s return to current-affairs TV and The Morning Show, its drama series starring A-listers Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Apple TV Plus also doesn’t have its own dedicated app . Its shows are inside the Apple TV app.
How Does The Apple TV Plus Cost Compare To Amazon Prime Video
In terms of volume, dwarfs Apple TV Plus with close to 13,000 shows, films, and Amazon Originals like Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology and Tales From The Loop. And, if you only want on-demand streaming, its highly competitive at $8.99 a month.
However, if youre looking for an idiosyncratic mix of brand-new programming, like the acclaimed Ted Lasso, the video game comedy Mythic Quest: Ravens Banquet, M. Night Shyamalans thriller Servant, and the Golden Globe-nominated animation Wolfwalkers and for half the price then Apple TV Plus has plenty to keep you hooked.
In the battle of the bundles, Amazon and Apple are more equally weighted. Amazon Prime brings together free delivery, music streaming and much more under its $12.99 a month , in addition to its incredible streaming library. Meanwhile, for $14.95 Apple One lets you stream and download around 70 million songs, play over 100 games with Apple Arcade, and provides iCloud storage too, on top Apple TV Plus. Check out the Apple TV Plus deals section for more info.
Apple TV Plus Is Also Different From Apple TV Channels
Apple TV Channels is a feature of the Apple TV app that lets you subscribe to streaming services through the Apple TV app. Services available via Channels include things like HBO, Showtime, and Paramount+. You can subscribe to Channels through the Apple TV app using your Apple ID. You can use Channels without subscribing to Apple TV+, or in addition to it.
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What About Apple TV Channels
The Apple TV app also allows you to sign up for third-party services.
This is thanks to an Apple TV Channels feature that is separate from an Apple TV+ subscription. Apple partners with Showtime, HBO, CBS All Access, and others in the US, as well as BFI Player, Starzplay, Arrow TV, and several others in the UK. You can pay extra to access those add-on channels using your iTunes account for all payments and billing.
Are All Apple TV+ Shows Available In 4k
Yes. Early on, Apple announced that all shows would be available in 4K HDR/Dolby Vision and that most shows would have Dolby Atmos sound, but it didnt say just how good it would be. According to FlatplanelsHDs Rasmus Larsen, Apple TV+ offers the best 4K streaming quality of any service on the market. Its so good, in fact, that the 4K bitrates are better than what youll see in some iTunes movies.
When Larsen wrote his post in November of 2019, See had the highest bitrate of any Apple TV+ show, with an average bitrate of 29Mbps and a peak of 41Mbps. Snoopy in Space averaged 13Mbps, which is impressive for a cartoon. Netflixs 4K bitrates, by comparison, tend to peak at 16Mbps.
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Where Is Apple TV+ Available
Apple TV+ is available on the broader Apple TV app. The app is available across different Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. This includes the latest Apple TV 4K. It’s also accessible on supported Samsung, LG, VIZIO, and Sony smart TVs, Roku, FireTV, Google TV, PlayStation, and Xbox.
How Much Does Apple TV + Cost In Canada
The basic monthly package is $5.99 after a seven-day free trial unless you purchase a new APPLE Device, which is included Free for one year.
Apple TV is also probably following HBOs Free TV Streaming on selected shows and movies ( But to get HBO you will need an American IP address or you need a VPN which requires you to be logged into your VPN then Click on this link.
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What Apple TV Plus Shows And Movies Are There
Apple TV Plus is heavily reliant on Apple Originals, which is a mixed bag of comedy and drama series, feature films, documentaries, and kids’ fare. The size of Apple TV Plus’s library may pale in comparison to Netflix’s or Hulu’s but some Apple Originals have already been met with acclaim from viewers and critics.
Perhaps the most well-known Apple Original outside of the aforementioned Ted Lasso, is its flagship drama, The Morning Show, which boasts a star-studded cast of Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell. It’s garnered a number of awards and nominations, including a Primetime Emmy win for Billy Crudup .
Other standout shows on Apple TV Plus include the animated musical series Central Park from Loren Bouchard , Peabody Award-winning comedy Dickinson starring Hailee Steinfield, and the Ronald D. Moore science-fiction drama For All Mankind.
Apple Original films have been capturing attention lately with the release of Palmer starring Justin Timberlake, The Banker featuring Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson, and the Beastie Boys Story directed by Spike Jonze.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Martin Scorsese Apple Original movie Killers of the Flower Moon has added Robert De Niro, Leonardo di Caprio, and Lily Gladstone to its cast.
Does Apple TV Plus Offer A Free Trial
Apple TV Plus offers a seven-day free trial standard for any new subscriber.
As of July 1, Apple TV Plus offers an extended, three-month free trial to people who buy an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod Touch or Mac. This extended free trial applies to both new and refurbished models, including devices from the iPhone Upgrade Program, and it’s not restricted to any specific sales channel, so it applies to both Apple Store purchases and those at resellers. It’s available in all countries where Apple TV Plus is operating.
Back when Apple TV Plus launched in November 2019, the company offered an extended, one-year free trial for anyone who bought a qualifying Apple gadget. Even though Apple TV Plus is among the cheapest subscription streaming services of its kind, the generous promotion compensated for its lightweight library, which had only nine total titles to watch at the beginning.
Then as Apple TV Plus slowly worked to widen its catalog of original programming, Apple kept extending those yearlong free trials past their expirations multiple times. Many subscribers had never paid for the service as long as it existed up through July 1. One analyst estimated that 62% of Apple TV Plus accounts were freeloading with some sort of promotion.
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Is Apple TV+ Worth It
Apple TV Plus costs $4.99 per month for no commercials, access to original 4K and HDR content, and up to six simultaneous streams. Relative to pricier platforms that are laden with ads or lacking in 4K streaming, Apple TV Plus is a stellar deal.
Apple TV Plus’s small library and lack of third-party content may be potential drawbacks but Apple is steadily building its original content with highly-acclaimed, star-studded productions and much more is expected to come soon.
Right now, there are several Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Apple Originals available to stream: the Jason Sudeikis-helmed comedy series Ted Lasso, the Irish-produced animated movie Wolfwalkers, and On The Rocks, a film for which Bill Murray earned a Best Supporting Actor nod.
You can augment your Apple TV Plus experience with Apple TV Channels and expand your viewing options beyond Apple Originals, but a lack of bundle deals could make it expensive. If you want more variety and don’t mind a few commercials, head over to Peacock TV and check out its 24/7 virtual channels for free. Take a look at our Peacock TV costs guide to see what else NBC’s streaming platform has to offer, including live sports.
For just under $5 a month, Apple TV Plus is a worthwhile investment for quality content you can’t find anywhere else. It remains to be seen when Apple will follow through on building a back catalog of third-party content…and how that could affect the pricing scheme when that time comes.
What Devices Can Stream Apple TV Plus
Apple’s programming is available on all its devices with the Apple TV app.
Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston revealed the name of their Apple TV Plus series, The Morning Show, at an Apple’s event.
In addition, Apple TV Plus is available on some competitors’ devices. Apple’s TV app is available on Roku and Fire TV, two of the most widely used streaming devices in the US, and for smart TVs from Samsung and LG. You can watch it on Sony and Vizio smart TVs via AirPlay, and the TV app should be available for those smart TVs now.
Apple widened support for Apple TV Plus to game consoles in the fall. In October, Sony said its Playstation 5 would support Apple TV Plus at launch. A couple of weeks later, Microsoft said Apple TV Plus would be supported on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
Subscribers will also be able to watch Apple TV Plus on the web at tv.apple.com.
But the Apple TV app isn’t available on any mobile devices except iPhones or iPads. That means Apple TV Plus subscribers with non-Apple phones — meaning, the huge population of people with Android phones — need to stream to their mobiles via the web, rather than in an app.
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Is Apple TV Worth The Price
Apple TV is one of the most expensive mainstream streaming media boxes available. With Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices starting at less than $30, Apple TVs starting price tag of $149 can seem like a huge investment.
If your goal is to merely watch movies and TV from your favorite app platforms, such as: Netflix, Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max, youll likely get a better value out of a Roku Premiere for $39.00 or an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K for $49.99.
On the other hand, if you are deep within the Apple ecosystem and want to use services such as: Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, and AirPlay, Apple TV might be worth the higher asking price.
For more details on the value of Apple TV, we suggest taking a look at our head-to-head battle, where you can see exactly how a less expensive alternative compares.
What Apple TV Channels Are Available Right Now
Premium networks like Showtime and Starz are available as Apple TV channels, as well as popular streaming services like Paramount Plus.
Below, we broke down the pricing and free trial lengths for many popular Apple TV channel add-ons:
Apple TV Plus: $5/month after one-week trial, three-month trial with select Apple purchases
Paramount Plus: $10/month after one-week trial
Showtime: $11/month after one-month trial
Starz: $9/month after one-week trial
AMC Plus: $9/month after one-week trial
Epix: $6/month after one-week trial
Acorn TV: $6/month after one-week trial
ALLBLK: $5/month after one-week trial
BBC Select: $5/month after one-week trial
BET Plus: $10/month after one-week trial
BritBox: $7/month after one-week trial
Cinemax: $10/month after one-week trial
Lifetime Movie Club: $4/month after one-week trial
Mubi: $11/month after one-week trial
Noggin: $8/month after one-month trial
OUTtv: $3/month after one-week trial
Pantaya: $6/month after one-week trial
Shudder: $6/month after one-week trial
Sundance Now: $7/month after one-week trial
Tastemade: $3/month after one-week trial
UP Faith & Family: $5/month after one-week trial
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How To Set Parental Controls For Apple TV+
You can set parental controls for Apple TV+ content just as you would for other content. The directions differ by device: iPhone/iPad, Apple TV, and Mac.
Through the web, you can adjust parental controls for Apple TV+ as follows:
Log into your account with your Apple ID and password.
Scroll down, make changes under Parental Controls.
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How To Set Up Apple TV
Like everything Apple does, Apple TV is a breeze to use and is full of the latest tech. Setting up your app is the same as any other app on your Smart TV. If youre setting up one of the boxes, its just as easy. If youve got an iPhone, just put it near it and it will do it all automatically. Otherwise, theres a pretty simple manual process that will take less than 5 minutes. Youll need a separate HDMI cable to connect to your TV and an ethernet cable only if you want one. The Wi-Fi should be enough.
One of the options you can choose is whether you want Siri or not. Using Siri is always great value, and its the same here with Apple TV. Ask Siri for a movie, show, actor or genre, and you can even ask Siri questions if youre not too sure what the name of the movie, song or TV show is.
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What Services Are Supported On The Apple TV App Beyond Channels
In the UK the service is supported by BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Channel 4, My5, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hopster, MUBI, Curiositystream, Classix, Shudder, Sundance. However, Sky’s Now TV and Netflix aren’t currently part of the offering.
In the US the service works with Hulu, CBS All Access, Showtime, HBO NOW, plus some smaller services. Netflix isn’t offered on the app.
Where Can I Watch The Apple TV App
At present, the Apple TV app is available on Apple TV set-top boxes and iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. But at todays event, Apple said the TV app will make its way to the Mac this fall. Additionally, the company confirmed it will bring the TV app to Samsung smart TVs this spring and TVs from Vizio, Sony, LG, and others in the future. Roku and Amazons Fire TV devices will also be getting the app sometime in the future.
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