New Apple TV ad touts apps as 'the future of television'
Just as its long-rumored Web-based TV streaming service has been reported to have been put “on hold,” Apple has debuted a new video ad for the Apple TV touting apps as “the future of television.”
Titled “The Future of Television,” the new ad is an extension of the previous video ads for Apple’s set-top box, which highlighted the device’s ability to run a variety of apps thanks to its new tvOS operating system and integrated App Store.
Apps on TV
Based around the variation of the SMPTE color bars TV test pattern (rendered in colors inspired by Apple’s original rainbow logo) that has recently adorned Apple’s billboards, the minute-long ad features TV shows, movies, games, and more available through apps including: Netflix, HBO Now, Watch ABC, CBS All Access, Fox Now, Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition: Star Wars, Asphalt 8: Airborne, Guitar Hero Live, Gilt, NBA, and Apple’s very own iTunes.
The ad also promotes the Apple TV’s integration with Apple’s intelligent personal assistant, Siri. For example, the command, “Siri show me the best sci-fi movies,” suggests “2001: A Space Odyssey” from 1968, and the follow-up command, “Only the new ones,” returns “The Martian” from this year.
The ad ends with the tagline, “The future of television.”
Check it out:
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Up in the air
Apple is said to be encouraging media companies and developers to build apps for the Apple TV — a strategy it’s reportedly pursuing as its plans for its TV streaming service, which has been rumored for nearly a year, are said to have been suspended.
Apple is said to be working on a service that would offer a package of around 14 TV channels for $30 to $40 a month, much less than the $85 usually charged for a conventional pay-TV bundle. But according to a new report by Bloomberg, it “has run into resistance from media companies that want more money for their programming.”
So Apple is instead putting its efforts toward boosting the Apple TV’s support for apps, the so-called “future of television” that’s already here.
