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Apple TV adds revamped YouTube app (with ads), new channels from DailyMotion, UFC and more

Apple TV is receiving a flurry of new channels today. Most prominently is a brand new YouTube app, to bring the client up-to-date with some of the other platforms. The new app reflects the design of other set-top box clients, with easier access to subscriptions and search functions. For the security conscious, the YouTube app now uses OAuth to login rather than naive password entry (by visiting youtube.com/activate)

Unfortunately, this YouTube update also means that Apple TV users will start seeing ads for the first time on the platform. Naturally, some users will be disappointed by this addition — it is not possible to opt out of the update.

Aside from YouTube, Apple TV is also getting four entirely new channels from various providers. Rolling out today are channels for Conde Nast’s ‘The Scene’, ‘Fusion’, Dailymotion (a video upload site from France) and UFC for premium subscription fighting and martial arts content.

The Scene (from TheScene.com) collects video content from Conde’s magazines as well as third-party sites like The Verge whereas Dailymotion is much more of a free-for-all video upload site a la YouTube. However, neither of these channels require a subscription to view on Apple TV. UFC has pay-per-view or annual ‘Fight Pass’ for $99 a year, for mixed martial arts fans.Fusion provides video programming for a ‘young and diverse audience’, with a ‘unique mix of news, pop culture and satire’. The network is a joint venture between and Univision ABC.

The four channels, plus the YouTube update, are rolling out now and will appear automatically on your Apple TV. For the first time, Apple is highlighting the changes with a cute ‘New’ banner in the interface. Apple TV last added new channels in October, with the addition of FYI and Feeln. A Beats Music app was added in September.

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Comments

  1. mlanders1433 - 9 years ago

    Is it going to fix the remote app connection issue? That would be nice.

    • Steve Lawrence - 9 years ago

      I hear you, I’m having those issues too. Strangely there has been hardly any coverage about these issues. Alas, though, this isn’t a software update – just new channels being pushed out that don’t need a software update, so no chance of that being fixed today.

      • mlanders1433 - 9 years ago

        Very weird, I couldn’t even stream from iTunes for awhile. I ended up resetting all my home share.

    • Morac - 9 years ago

      There isn’t a “remote app connection issue”. It’s just using it requires a slight change in the way you access Apple TV. Apple TV shuts down the network connection (Ethernet or WiFi) when in standby mode. It enables the connection when a nearby iOS (iPhone 5 and up and iPad 3 and up) device opens the control panel. This requires BlueTooth to be on. If you open the control center and then open the remote app, it works fine.

      • mlanders1433 - 9 years ago

        I appreciate your reply and I’ve seen it in other places, but that isn’t solving the issue that others and I unfortunately have.

    • Jaden E Michiko - 9 years ago

      Jaden E Michiko-Sewell1 second ago

      No way to thumbs up a video on new youtube App For Apple TV 2014, any one knows how? this is a call out to the developer Team, or Apple experts; Exactly how do I watch a video, then give it a 👍, Add it to my favorites, and subscribe to the channel?🙏

  2. Ads. Ads everywhere.

  3. robertsm76 - 9 years ago

    Wish apple would let me sign in authorize my cable provider once and not have to do it separately with every channel.

  4. Avenged110 - 9 years ago

    Boo. Guess it’s AirPlay from Jasmine or the iOS 5/6 b3 YouTube app for me.

  5. proudappleuser - 9 years ago

    I’m pretty happy about the UFC app.

  6. torimelching - 9 years ago

    I have 2 Apple Tv’s both 2nd generation. I really hope they do new model in the new year.

    • Zac Hall - 9 years ago

      2nd gen not getting new channels?

      • torimelching - 9 years ago

        They did. But I just feel like it’s time for a new UI. And from what I can tell the only thing different between 2nd and 3rd generation is one does 720p and the other is 1080p.

    • philboogie - 9 years ago

      Supposedly the 2nd gen is jailbreakable, while the 3rd gen isn’t. And for that reason the 2nd gen is worth more than what Apple charges for a 3rd gen….should that info be of any uwe to you. And yes, no other changes as 720 vs 1080

      • torimelching - 9 years ago

        I used to have them jailbroken. But honestly I can’t really seem to find a reason to do it anymore. I have home sharing with all my mac so everything I have is on the Apple TV.

  7. pelirodri - 9 years ago

    Where do I find my videos now??

  8. Morac - 9 years ago

    There isn’t a “remote app connection issue”. It’s just using it requires a slight change in the way you access Apple TV. Apple TV shuts down the network connection (Ethernet or WiFi) when in standby mode. It enables the connection when a nearby iOS (iPhone 5 and up and iPad 3 and up) device opens the control panel. This requires BlueTooth to be on. If you open the control center and then open the remote app, it works fine.

  9. funny to have a NEW banner rather than a “new” DOT

  10. Hi Guys do you suffer with sound problems when connecting directly to Apple TV (Peer to peer without WIFI connection)?

    Since iOS 8.1.1 for the iPhone i have this very annoying problem when mirroring videos, where i have to reconnect my iPhone every 5 minutes to have the sound back.

  11. Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

    Too late. I bought a FireTV Stick from Amazon for $19. I can airplay, mirror, access Plex, Hulu, Netflix, prime video, all for 80% cheaper than the latest AppleTV. I’m all-apple-everything but they lost me here.

  12. nickjeremiah - 9 years ago

    Australia still has stuff-all content! >:( We have all the basic standard channels and that’s pretty much it! I want more!!!

  13. Christian Higman - 9 years ago

    I turned on my Apple TV and saw the new Youtube icon, I knew I’d hate it from the moment I saw it was updated. I loved the old app, it was nice with no ads and pretty straightforward. I’m not interested nor will I ever be interested in finding new subscriptions to the likes of the youtube famous. And the pirate bay got shut down today, it’s been a sad day for technology.

  14. How do I like a YouTube video that I’ve just watched on my appletv because this function appears to be missing mmm #nothappy

  15. Zahid Rasheed (@iXahid) - 9 years ago

    Is apple TV (2nd Gen) getting this update? I still have the older version.

  16. Ken Jopp - 9 years ago

    The loss of the history feature is a real loss. And the categories on the main menu buttons make for meager selecting. Where are top level categories like Science, Finance, How-To ?? And the recommendation function also has been overly simplified. Overall, the new version is just a dumbed-down version of what was a perfectly good service.

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.