AppleTV on Firestick

[ncted]

Apple TV app launches on Amazon Fire TV devices - 9to5Mac

I can finally watch TV shows I purchased on iTunes a decade ago...which amounts to about three things. Still, nice to see folks getting along.

 

[harshness]

I ran the Roku beta a while back but there doesn't seem to be any free content on Apple TV. The UI seemed to be a lot like a mobile-friendly website and I really, really hate those.

I have to wonder if access without the $150-200 dance card (an Apple TV streamer) is going to pencil out.

 

[ncted]

I try it out this weekend to see whether it is decent. It probably won't get used much TBH.

 

[lparsons21]

I ran the Roku beta a while back but there doesn't seem to be any free content on Apple TV. The UI seemed to be a lot like a mobile-friendly website and I really, really hate those.

I have to wonder if access without the $150-200 dance card (an Apple TV streamer) is going to pencil out.

There is some free content on the AppleTV app, mostly 1st episodes of shows on pay content. The AppleTV app could pencil out well for those with content from Apple. For instance maybe you have an AppleTV at your main viewing spot, but a Roku or Firestick in another room. You could then view Apple stuff as well as what the Roku/FireStick provides.

Of course, Apple is wanting to bring Apple’s subscription content to others and the app makes that very doable.


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[harshness]

Of course, Apple is wanting to bring Apple’s subscription content to others and the app makes that very doable.

Apps don't represent a long-term commitment to the ecosystem.

If these apps substantially gut the Apple TV hardware marketplace, that's a big hit.

 

[lparsons21]

Apps don't represent a long-term commitment to the ecosystem.

If these apps substantially gut the Apple TV hardware marketplace, that's a big hit.

Which is more profitable, selling you an AppleTV once every 3-5 years or getting you to sub to their services forever? And of course there is that follow through that happens. You put the app on your Roku, you use it and like it, sub to Apple+, then Apple Music, then... and the list goes on. And just maybe you’ll like it all so much you jump the rest of the way into the Apple ecosystem.


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[Bobby]

It's all about Apple+....

 

[harshness]

Which is more profitable, selling you an AppleTV once every 3-5 years or getting you to sub to their services forever?

Having both is the best possible scenario.

I suppose that if Hulu becomes less attractive (as seems rather likely) there will be an opening but is Apple TV+ posed to step in or will Amazon or Google come along and sweep everyone up?

 

[harshness]

It's all about Apple+....

Sounds vaguely like the attitude over at AT&T.

Yeah, that was pretty mean on my part.

 

[lparsons21]

Having both is the best possible scenario.

I suppose that if Hulu becomes less attractive (as seems rather likely) there will be an opening but is Apple TV+ posed to step in or will Amazon or Google come along and sweep everyone up?

Sure, Apple would love to sell you an AppleTV with all the subscriptions, but this is designed to get people that don’t have one to get those same subscriptons. lnterestingly today I looked at some sales stats. Found some for BestBuy that indicated the ATV4K was #1 for them, #2 was the Firestick and #3 was the Roku Premier. Given the huge price difference I was a little surprised.

I don’t think Hulu is going to get less attractive. It appears that after Disney+ starts there will be a package of it + Hulu + ESPN at an attractive price.


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[harshness]

Found some for BestBuy that indicated the ATV4K was #1 for them, #2 was the Firestick and #3 was the Roku Premier. Given the huge price difference I was a little surprised.

Best Buy pushes Apple pretty hard around here and the rest of the store is pretty deserted. The three Oregon Apple Stores are 50+ miles away (all within an 11 mile diameter circle). There's lots of places that you can get Rokus and quite a few of them sell them for less that list and you don't have to endure a trip to the Smurf Palace to pick one up.

I don’t think Hulu is going to get less attractive. It appears that after Disney+ starts there will be a package of it + Hulu + ESPN at an attractive price.

Part of my point is that some of the content will shift away from Hulu to Disney+ making it less attractive to the Disney set. I don't see that being reciprocated by the Disney side of the business.

Another part is that Hulu is raising prices and that makes people think about how important something is to them.

As some of their network contracts slip away to the networks going direct-to-customer, this will likely have a negative impact. This is big as a lot of their success last year was based on adding episodes to their library. A substantial part of the draw for Hulu is their broadcast network shows. If that starts to slip or the networks start asking ridiculous prices, that's going to sting.

Bundling is typically how customers save money, not how sellers increase profits.

 

[ncted]

I installed it last night on one of my Firesticks, and it seemed fine. I could actually watch things I had previously bought on iTunes. Other than that, it was nothing special.

 

[lparsons21]

I installed it last night on one of my Firesticks, and it seemed fine. I could actually watch things I had previously bought on iTunes. Other than that, it was nothing special.

Assuming it works similarly to the Roku version, yeah I can understand why you would say that. It is tied pretty tightly to what it does on the AppleTV except that the search doesn’t see outside of Apple’s library of shows. IOW, on the ATV if I use the app and do a search it searches quite a few places and shows which ones have the show and the cost if any. On the Roku, it only finds shows in Apple’s library. Not quite as handy.


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[lparsons21]

Another part is that Hulu is raising prices and that makes people think about how important something is to them.

As some of their network contracts slip away to the networks going direct-to-customer, this will likely have a negative impact. This is big as a lot of their success last year was based on adding episodes to their library. A substantial part of the draw for Hulu is their broadcast network shows. If that starts to slip or the networks start asking ridiculous prices, that's going to sting.

Bundling is typically how customers save money, not how sellers increase profits.

Hulu raised some prices and lowered others and I can’t find an articles stating new increases are coming though, like all of the streamers, I expect them to.

Hulu is a good source now of channel specific shows from lots of networks, notably missing CBS and somewhat paltry selections on the NBC Universal front. The upcoming bundling should help them keep subscribers though. The people most wanting Disney+ probably have kids which is a big pull for it, but they also want more than what Disney+ will bring to the table.

One thing I noticed when I was doing my streaming experiment is that I didn’t really need a cable/sat replacement service to actually watch, but I did need the subscription so I could get access to the shows I wanted via streaming. IOW, to get to the library of NBC/Universal channels I needed a cable/sat replacement to get the authorization to that source. Similarly for some other shows.



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[harshness]

One thing I noticed when I was doing my streaming experiment is that I didn’t really need a cable/sat replacement service to actually watch, but I did need the subscription so I could get access to the shows I wanted via streaming.

This is where I see a flaw in the OTT theory. If you don't subscribe to a broad coverage service that provides authentication, you're going to have to subscribe to multiple services to get access to the broadcast stuff (unless you have an OTA solution).

 

[lparsons21]

This is where I see a flaw in the OTT theory. If you don't subscribe to a broad coverage service that provides authentication, you're going to have to subscribe to multiple services to get access to the broadcast stuff (unless you have an OTA solution).

Yep, it is an issue. But OTA isn’t the solution as the channels that are hardest to get without a broad coverage service are the cable channels. OTA only covers 4 channels everywhere with a few sub channels. I can get Fox & ABC with a cheap indoor antenna, CW has a free ad-supported app, NBC is on Hulu and CBS has a paid app. NBC is bringing out the Peacock app at some future date and Comcast has said it will have ads, even on the paid version.


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