The price tag for the redesigned Apple TV will start at $149, according to a new report that also outlines how Apple plans to set its new set-top box apart from Roku and Amazon’s offerings by making it ridiculously easy to use.
“Sources familiar with Apple’s plans say that a cornerstone of the company’s new set-top box is a universal search feature that will enable searches across multiple streaming video services as well as Apple’s iTunes Store,” writes BuzzFeed’s John Paczkowski.
Now instead of having to flip between Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, YouTube and myriad other apps, one search will bring up multiple video services at once for your movie request. Actors and directors can also be search queries, all made via Siri voice control.
The interface will provide a much-needed overhaul to Apple TV’s user experience, which has largely gone unchanged over the last five years. Siri will play a critical role on the new device, but BuzzFeed says Apple used Matcha – a video-discovery startup it acquired in 2013 – to build the engine driving the video search.
The new Apple TV will start at $149 and come with a new motion-sensitive remote, App Store and Siri voice controls. Apple will officially unveil the new device at a September 9 press event in San Francisco.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
10 responses to “Here’s how ridiculously easy to use new Apple TV will be”
Any word on Local Stations and how those talks are going? I would just LOVE, LOVE to fire my cable provider.
yes! I would love to have Chicago’s WGN on my new ATV
Yeah, well you’re still going to need internet to power it. Then you lose the benefit of a bundle. And you need a $150 ATV in every room. Not all that glitters is gold Mr. Doggle. PS- I love your bracelets and keychains.
You sir, are just not right in the head. How would you know if I needed/wanted an Apple TV in every room!? Besides, the upfront cost would be a bit but not as much the long term cost. And who bundles anymore? I thought that went the way of the beeper and FAX.
I’m inferring that you live in your mom’s basement and she pays the cable/internet bill that, yes everyone pays for in tandem to receive a better monthly rate. $40/month is not great when you have to also pay monthly for internet, which by itself, will be more expensive with Comcast, Verizon, TimeWarner when not paired with cable. I award you not upvotes, and may God have mercy on your soul. Ps- still love your keychains and bracelets!
Any idea about 4K? I know it may not be in “abundance” but hell, for purely selfish reasons I do hope it does have the ability to do 4K.
The A8 can do 4K, but the real problem is getting content. Most of it so far is only upscaled 4K and it’s not that great. 4K is so far away from being mainstream, I think right now it’s a lot of hype. The TV mfg have to flood the market first. Most of us are still watching mostly 720p, some with 1080p, and a small portion is actually viewing native 4K, most of the 4K stuff is upscaled and doesn’t look that much better than 1080p.
It’s going to be a while until they start transmitting 4K TV over cables, sat, soI think 4K is kind of a joke. If I was going to buy a TV today, I don’t think buying 4K is worth it. If you have plenty of money and feel the need to have something to brag about, go ahead, but you won’t be watching all that much in Native 4K.
Would be interesting if it was similar to Siri functionality with Apple Music. You could say “Siri, play the #1 sitcom show from 91” or “Siri, play a funny movie for the kids.”
Roku already searches across multiple providers.
So like AndroidTV. Though Apple will certainly get a faster takeup by App developers supporting the search (frustratingly for instance thevAndroidTV version of netflix does not integrate with voice search or the os level search.