smart TVs

How can you watch Apple’s iPhone event? You can stream the keynote on YouTube, on the apple.com website or on your smart TV. It starts at 10 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, September 9.

At the September event, Apple unveils new iPhones, Apple Watches and other accessories. The iPhone 17 series will be the highlight — with the iPhone 17 Air being a standout new model. Rumors point to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 getting a faster processor, satellite messaging and (possibly) blood pressure monitoring. Some of these features might make it to the Apple Watch Series 11. A couple of other new devices might put in an appearance at Apple’s September event, too. We’ve heard rumors of AirPods Pro 3, an updated Apple TV 4K and AirTag 2.

Here’s how you can watch it all live, whether you’re watching at home or secretly at work.

Everybody loves a big, beautiful external display in a computer setup — and this LG OLED TV monitor is a great way to go. Today’s setup is built around a 42-inch LG OLED TV plugged into a MacBook Pro.

Also: See if you can guess what the cool-looking desktop wallpaper showing on the display pictures. Answer below.

You’ve got to love a computer, gaming and TV setup with a big external display that’s so efficiently arranged it barely even takes up any desk space. Today’s featured MacBook Pro workstation manages the feat by mounting a big smart TV as a display on the wall, along with a pegboard for peripherals storage. But the MacBook setup with wall-mounted display took some pretty serious DIY skills, described below.

Instagram and TikTok are obsessed with the latest innovation in TVs — Samsung’s The Frame TV. If you’re wondering why, it’s because this smart TV does more than stream Netflix. This stealthy Samsung TV doubles as an art gallery, transforming from a blank black box into your home version of The Met or MoMA.

Rather than pay more than $1,000 to enjoy this experience at home, you can save 25% on the internet’s favorite TV. A 43-inch, open-box model of the Samsung Frame TV is now available for only $749.99 (regularly $999) while inventory lasts. It’s available in other sizes as well, and Cult of Mac readers can take an extra $100 off the 55-inch model with code THEFRAME.

Today’s Mac Pro and smart TV setup is a rare find for two reasons. First, Mac Pro costs so much that we rarely see it in the wild. Second, while big smart TVs used as computer displays continue to gain popularity, we don’t often hear users saying they’re one of the best they’ve ever had. But that’s the case with this LG C2 smart TV setup, used by a photographer and musician. 

In it, a powerful cheese-grater Mac Pro drives a gargantuan 42-inch smart TV as an external display.

It’s somewhat rare that we come across a Mac Pro setup on social media for the obvious reason that Apple’s top desktop computer costs a fortune. And the ones we see are often older than 2019’s cheese grater design. But today’s Mac Pro and smart TV setup is a welcome exception to that rule.

It sports a powerful cheese-grater Mac Pro driving a gargantuan smart TV as an external display.

And what’s more, a classic iMac G4 that still works and Wall-E and Eve toys from the Pixar movie look on from a shelf!

Comparing the Apple TV vs. Roku vs. other smart TV products, there are a lot of good reasons to stick with Apple’s offering — even though it’s more expensive.

Roku is the more popular product, selling plug-in devices for as little as $30. And if you buy a new TV today, it’s probably running Roku or Google TV software. Although the latest Apple TV 4K is a pricey $129, it offers better privacy protection, it’s easily controlled with your iPhone and Apple Watch, makes FaceTime calls, plays better games and runs faster.

Check out our latest video or keep reading.

Is bigger always better? Nope. And the debate rages on over how big an OLED smart TV display should be to best-suit a computer setup. Would you go large at over 50 inches, or stick to, say, 42 inches or smaller?

Today’s MacBook Pro setup raised the issue again, surfacing some sensible advice. And the smart TV in question is on sale!

The Magic Mirror Smart TV looks like a mirror but doubles as a fully functional TV. This mirror TV is slim and waterproof, so you can hang it in any room. And right now, you can save $850 on this eye-catching technology.

Increasingly, gamers and other users replace traditional computer monitors with large smart TVs or ultra-wide monitors that eclipse screens like Apple’s 27-inch Studio Display and 32-inch Pro Display XDR in size. Today’s featured M2 Max Studio Display setup sports a 55-inch Samsung 8K OLED smart TV, for example.

Everybody loves plenty of screen real estate, but ergonomically speaking, is it healthy? Today’s setup represents the debate, offering pros and cons.

Consumer electronics maker LG added Apple TV, Apple Music, AirPlay and HomeKit to its webOS Hub Tuesday, making Apple’s core services available to smart TVs from 200 brands that use the custom software.

The update starts rolling out Friday in more than 100 countries and regions. It could provide quite a boost to Apple globally as new users try the features.

Bose just rolled out its new flagship soundbar for use with a TV in a home-theater environment — the Bose Smart Soundbar 900. And guess what? The product’s name pretty much matches its price tag — $899.99.

Sometimes a little goes a long way — and that goes for game-changing gadgets, too. One example? LED backlighting for your TV. It may look like something from a billionaire rapper’s episode of MTV Cribs, but you’d be surprised at how affordable the wow-factor effect actually is.

These days, lots of folks rock two or three or even four large monitors in their computer setups. But some people go for one huge, mesmerizing display, like kenneth_powers1, among other Redditors — and it’s a TV set, at that.

Powers credits fellow Redditor TerronG for the inspiration to use a Samsung 43-inch TU-8000 series 4K Smart TV with his aging computer. Powers uses it with a 2013 MacBook Pro and a PC he built himself. TerronG runs a similar TU7000 series TV with a 2012 Mac mini upgraded with a newer SSD and additional RAM.

Apple Music invites people to “Lose yourself in 60 million songs.” Today, you can on a new device – a Samsung smart TV.

Samsung announced Thursday an Apple Music app is now available for its most recent smart TVs. Until the Samsung, an Apple Music app was only available with an Apple TV set-top device.

Sony on Monday launched more than a half dozen smart TV models with 4K HDR LED displays in sizes from 43 inches to 85 inches. They include Airplay 2 and HomeKit, Apple’s wireless audio streaming and home automation technologies.

Sony plans to release more smart TVs throughout the year, including some 8K models. These will also have Apple’s tech.

Buried in a press release with nothing from the manufacturers themselves, Apple revealed Wednesday its Apple TV+ app is coming to Sony and Vizio smart televisions “later this year.”

The additions join Samsung, which added the app to some of its TVs in December 2019. LG also announced this week it would be adding the app to its units later this year.

You’ll need a subscription to enjoy to Apple TV+ when it lands later this year, but you may not need to purchase an Apple TV. The new video streaming service is also coming to Samsung Smart TVs.

LG will start bringing AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to its newest Smart TV sets this week.

2019 models will play nicely with iPhone, iPad, and Mac after the update. You will be able to stream content straight from your Apple devices, and control your set in the Home app on iOS.

Samsung has started rolling out the new Apple TV app on compatible Smart TVs.

The app gives users access to all their iTunes content as well as Apple’s upcoming TV+ subscription service. You’ll need to install a firmware update to get your hands on it.

Apple could be gearing up to bring Chromecast streaming to its Apple Music app. Several mentions of the platform have been spotted inside the latest Apple Music update for Android — but it’s not official yet.

Roku CEO Anthony Wood says Apple’s new Apple TV+ streaming platform is going to be great for his company despite some analysts claiming it could hurt Roku over the long term.

Wood made an appearance on CNBC today talking about the benefits of Apple finally embracing third-party streaming boxes like Roku and Amazon’s FireTV. Even though Apple has hundreds of millions of active iPhones and iPads to push its Apple TV+ service, the way Wood sees it, Apple TV+ needs Roku to be successful.

It would have sounded unthinkable just a couple years ago, but long-time Apple frenemy Samsung has announced that its Smart TVs will offer iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support.

Support will be baked into the new 2019 models, and made available to 2018 models via a firmware update.

By Allison Martin

You walk into the store expecting to choose a television in record time. But while that may sound appealing, the TV-buying process is often more complex. With so many sizes and features to choose from, finding the perfect set can be overwhelming — but don’t fret.

From resolutions to refresh rates, we tell you about the key factors to consider when buying a new TV.

The entire hacking arsenal of the CIA has been dumped online and the entire internet is freaking out.

WikiLeaks dropped a data bomb Tuesday with its massive document dump, which it claims is one of the biggest in history. Secrets on how the CIA hacked devices made by Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft are now available for all to see. But should you start freaking out just yet?

Cult of Mac talked to a number of iOS security experts to make sense of all the new info. While it’s tempting to panic, there’s a lot more you need to know first.