Oswaldo Royett

  Apple's new tvOS 17 has dropped — here are many of the new features contained within. It's a well-documented fact that tvOS doesn't get the same robust yearly updates as iOS or macOS — but this year has changed that. Apple has overhauled significant parts of the Apple TV's operating system with tvOS 17, adding a breadth of new features to the set-top box. FaceTime, Continuity Camera, Reactions With the advent of tvOS 17, those running a second-generation Apple TV 4K or newer updated to tvOS 17 will be able to use FaceTime. This is done via Continuity Camera, which allows users to use an iPhone or an iPad as a dedicated webcam for the Apple TV. With this update, Apple has brought full Continuity Camera API support to the Apple TV, enabling video integration into apps. Popular video conferencing platforms Cisco WebEx and Zoom have promised to hit the set-top box by year's end. Apple TV now includes a new feature called Reactions. These are video effects that can be ...

 Apple has launched an updated version of the Apple TV 4K media player. The new model features a faster processor, improved HDR support, and better connectivity. The new Apple TV 4K features the A15 Bionic SoC. Apple does not mention the core counts or clock speeds, which makes it difficult to ascertain if it is identical to the one on the iPhone 14 models or a cut down version. The company claims it has 50% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU performance compared to the A12 Bionic on the previous generation model. The new model adds support for the HDR10+ standard alongside the existing Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG formats. While HDR10+ is mostly similar to Dolby Vision in spec, it is vastly less popular, with the only major service offering HDR10+ content being Amazon Prime Video. It's possible, however, that Apple plans to start offering its own library of content in HDR10+ alongside other formats. This may be due to the fact that several TV manufacturers, most notably Samsung, do not...

  Apple may release a new Apple TV hardware model in the second half of 2022 with a potentially lower price tag, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo made the prediction in a tweet Friday, claiming that Apple will launch a new Apple TV model that "improves cost structure" in the second half of the year. That implies a lower price point. The analyst goes on to say that he believes Apple's "aggressive strategy" of integrating hardware, content, and services could help the iPhone maker close the gap with its TV hardware rivals. It's not clear what data points he bases the claim on, however. There is a pricing and marketshare gap. Market share reports indicate that the Apple TV trails behind other cheaper streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Google Chromecast. Smart TVs are also complicating matters and taking market share from all streaming device makers. This is not the first time that we've heard rumors of a cheaper or lower-cost Apple TV mo...

  Netflix posted a big earnings miss yesterday as it reported that it lost 200,000 subscribers in the January to March quarterly window, the opposite of the constant growth it wants to see. That was actually more pronounced in the US and Canada where it lost 640,000 subscribers in the quarter, offset by gains in the Asia Pacific market. Wall Street analysts can parse their own reasons for these losses, but if you’ve used the service and its competitors recently, you’ll know that the answer is pretty clear. Netflix is Too Expensive Like a frog boiling in water, Netflix has been constantly increasing its prices over the years to the point where its “premium” subscription, which offers four screens of play, a must for many families, and 4K content, is $20 a month. That’s higher than any of its rivals by a significant margin. Such as: Disney Plus - $8 a month Apple TV+ - $5 a month Hulu (No Ads) - $13 a month HBO Max (No Ads) - $15 a month Amazon Prime Video - $9 a month Paramount Plus...