Apple won’t announce a new piece of Apple TV hardware next week (as had been previously rumored), but AllThingsD says that Apple will debut some new software for the existing device. Of course, an Apple TV software update is already expected, but ATD says that there could be some neat new AirPlay-related functionality:
Sources say that one new feature in the works will let people who’ve bought content from Apple play that stuff on other users’ Apple TVs, via Apple’s Airplay system. So if you’ve bought a TV show or movie from Apple’s iTunes store, you could watch it at a friend’s house, by calling it up on your iPhone, and telling your friend’s Apple TV to start streaming it.
The new Apple TV software update will also unlock iTunes Radio, the ability to setup an Apple TV over Bluetooth 4.0, and OS X Mavericks multi-display support.
We’ve heard that Apple has some Apple TV related announcements up its sleeves for the coming months, but major hardware changes aren’t expected until at least next year. Sources say that Apple has been working on ways to control the Apple TV (whether that be a full on display – or just a box) via motion…
The Apple TV recently gained channels such as Vevo, Disney, and ESPN Deportes.
Also expected at next week’s event, of course, are the new iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, and additional iOS 7 talk. Besides Apple TV hardware, another thing not on the agenda: OS X Mavericks.
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“We’ve heard that Apple has some Apple TV related announcements up its sleeves for the coming months, but major hardware changes aren’t expected until at least next year. Sources say that Apple has been working on ways to control the Apple TV (whether that be a full on display – or just a box) via motion.”
Could you guys elaborate on this in another post?
“So if you’ve bought a TV show or movie from Apple’s iTunes store, you could watch it at a friend’s house, by calling it up on your iPhone, and telling your friend’s Apple TV to start streaming it.”
I’m pretty sure this feature already exists. I could be wrong but check the 2007 WWDC keynote where they show Phil holding a MacBook streaming a scene from 30 Rock to (supposedly) Steve’s Apple TV. Pretty sure it doesn’t matter what AirPlay device is being used or what it’s streaming.
I think what this means is that the video doesn’t have to be on your device to stream it. I could be wrong since I don’t own an Apple TV, but it seems to me that in the future you can purchase a movie from iTunes and then stream it on your friend’s Apple TV while now you can only stream it via AirPlay, which requires you to have the movie to be on your device.
Again, just maybe.
Not to be too redundant, but my response to another poster I think answers your question also:
IMHO what they are referring to would be the ability to do this without having to log in to the aTV owners Homesharing via the aTV owners iTunes login. When my friends come over they have to log out of their Homesharing in Remote and login with my creditials. Kind of a pain. Would be much easier if as long as they were logged into my wifi network they could AirPlay. It was like that with AirTunes on the OG aTV, Express, and Extreme base station.
I misspoke in my earlier comment. You can currently AirPlay on someone’s aTV without being logged into their Homesharing account. I confused that with needing to login to their Homesharing account for using the Remote App on their aTV. Sorry for the misinformation. I’m not 100% sure what this article is specifically referring to. Maybe the author was confused as well? Either way, my bad.
I don’t understand, when you AirPlay something it doesn’t check whether the owner of the Apple TV is the same as the owner of the movie. My brother and me have different Apple IDs, the Apple TV is set up under mine and my brother can AirPlay Movies he has bought from iTunes on it.
Perhaps the new feature is being able to AirPlay without connecting to a WiFi network (so adhoc)
But can you stream it directly from the cloud? I am actually asking because I don’t have an Apple TV.
I think what the article is saying is that I will be able to use my iDevice to tell others’ Apple TV that I want it to stream a film directly from my iCloud library even if my device doesn’t have the video.
IMHO what they are referring to would be the ability to do this without having to log in to the aTV owners homesharing via the aTV owners iTunes login. When my friends come over they have to log out of their Homesharing in Remote and login with my creditials. Kind of a pain. Would be much easier if as long as they were logged into my wifi network they could AirPlay. It was like that with AirTunes on the OG aTV, Express, and Extreme base station.
Eating Crow here: I misspoke in my earlier comment. You can currently AirPlay on someone’s aTV without being logged into their Homesharing account. I confused that with needing to login to their Homesharing account for using the Remote App on their aTV. Not really sure what the author of the article is referring to.
So lame I can’t believe we are gonna have another huge media event for some stupid iPhone. We get it… You changed the world… once… a long time ago.
And what have you done lucas instead of bitch on a internet blog from your moms house?
Apple could transform the ATV overnight by releasing an SDK and opening an app store. ATV is a joke outside of the US, with a content offering so feeble it renders the device utterly useless. In the UK for example, BBC iPlayer is the most common streaming service by far. It’s on *every* device… except the ATV.
In fact the ATV has no UK specific streaming services. It has Netflix UK, but only because the app was already written for Netflix US.
Get a job.
Here’s an idea for a “One More Thing” I’d like to see on Tuesday, because it would be totally unexpected:
Apple could announce a “My Games” channel for Apple TV that lists any iOS games you have in iCloud that are optimized for iPhone 5’s 16:9 display and use a wireless game controller. No need for an SDK or app store, just download a compatible game on an iPhone 5/5c/5S and it appears in the “My Games” channel. I’m not sure even the iPhone 5/16:9 limitation would be needed but the connection would be good marketing.
To play a game in My Games, you’d navigate to the game like it is an episode and select it. It downloads and is launched. Use the wireless game controller (pairing that would be similar to pairing a BT keyboard), and play the game normally on the TV screen.
When you’re finished playing, press the Apple TV’s Menu button to return to the My Games list.
BANG! Instant game console.