Alongside today’s release of its flagship iPhone software, iOS 17, Apple has also rolled out an update to the operating system powering Apple TV with the launch of tvOS 17. The most notable feature of the update is that Apple will now allow users to FaceTime from their Apple TV for the first time. Later ..read more

If you were playing WWDC23 bingo, you’d be missing a key space — the one you could mark if Apple again ignored Apple TV in its keynote address. This year, as it turns out, the company did deliver a small set of improvements to tvOS and its Apple TV device, though nothing as big as new hardware. With tvOS 17, Apple is redesigning the control center, bringing the FaceTime app to Apple TV (sorta!), and even helping you find a lost TV remote, among other things. The new control center will help Apple TV owners do things like access their AirPods settings, home cameras, system controls, and us ..read more

The Apple Store could be expanding beyond tech products. As the company continues to invest in its original Apple TV+ content, a recent Bloomberg report indicates that Apple plans to introduce a new product category for its online store — merchandise tied to its popular TV shows. This includes “Ted Lasso” merch, which is rounding out its third — and possibly last — season. The potential addition of Apple TV+ merch on the Apple Store could mark the first time the company has sold these types of products directly to customers, reported Bloomberg. Apple will roll out the apparel early next month ..read more

The rumors going around about Apple TV developing a multiview feature (spotted by developer Steve Moser) are coming true. Tonight, Apple is launching a beta version of the feature on the Apple TV 4K during its MLB Friday Night Baseball livestream, TechCrunch has learned. Users participating in the Apple beta software program must have tvOS beta version 16.5, which can be downloaded by going to the Settings app and selecting “System,” “Software Updates” and then “Get Beta Updates.” Apple hasn’t officially announced when multiview will become widely available. There’s no exact timeline yet for w ..read more

Apple has signed a multiyear deal with Canal+, a leading French premium television channel and streaming service. Starting on April 20, all existing and future Canal+ subscribers in France and some other European countries will be able to stream Apple TV+ content for no additional cost. This is an odd deal as Canal+ isn’t just bundling Apple TV+ in its offerings. It doesn’t work like carrier deals — telecom companies often offer a few months of Apple TV+, Disney+ or Netflix with their most expensive subscription plans. Instead, Apple TV+ content will be available in the Canal+ app directly (my ..read more

Hulu is slowly rolling out a new interface on streaming devices like Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku, among other compatible devices. The new redesign moves the navigation to the left side with options for TV, Movies and My Stuff. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that the updated interface began rolling yesterday. It will be available across all supported connected TV devices in the coming months, including Android TV devices as well as Chromecast, LG smart TVs, Samsung smart TVs, Vizio SmartCast TVs and more. Cord Cutter News was the first to report the new interface. Users that have seen the u ..read more

Earlier this month, YouTube TV launched a new “multiview” feature that allows viewers to watch up to four streams of sports content at once. Now it looks like Apple TV is working on a similar option. Though Apple’s streaming device already supports a picture-in-picture mode, new code discovered in the latest iOS beta points to a possible four-up multiview feature in the works. The discovery was found in the iOS 16.5 beta 1 build by developer Steve Moser, which was first reported by the Apple news site 9to5Mac. Like the YouTube TV feature, the focus for Apple’s multiview experience now in devel ..read more

Apple released the tvOS 16.4 update to the public yesterday, bringing various improvements to the system, including a new “Dim Flashing Light” feature. The new accessibility option can detect flashes of light or strobe effects and then automatically dim the display of a video. The “Dim Flashing Light” feature is notable as it will likely benefit Apple TV users with light sensitivity or, possibly, users with epileptic seizures. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, 2.7 million Americans have epilepsy, and approximately 3-5% of them are photosensitive. Photosensitive epilepsy is when seizures ar ..read more

Apple TV+ is getting a new limited series, the company announced yesterday, that is about a deep-cover investigator who infiltrates online hate groups to prevent violent attacks and mass shootings. “The Savant” will have eight episodes and stars Jessica Chastain. The show is inspired by the true story published in 2019 by Cosmopolitan writer Andrea Stanley, who will consult on the Apple TV+ series. A release date has yet to be announced. Stanley’s article, “Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens?” is one that will send chills down your spine. But that’s probably a familiar fe ..read more

Apple may be partnering with studios to put more titles in theaters, a plan that could cost $1 billion a year. Typically, Apple’s original movies have either received small theatrical runs or been exclusive to Apple TV+. So, the potential investment would be a notable increase and signals a major shift in the streamer’s strategy. According to Bloomberg, which reported the news, anonymous sources say that the Apple plans aren’t finalized yet. However, the company wants to put films in thousands of theaters for at least one month. Apple declined to comment to TechCrunch. The company also decline ..read more