Apple TV is now available for Chromecast with Google TV. The streaming service, which was launched in late 2019, offers access to exclusive shows and films from Apple TV +, as well as all purchases on iTunes – with all the special functions intact, most of which are upgraded to 4K HD at no additional cost. Apple TV was one of the biggest gaps in the app library for the redesigned Chromecast hardware that was launched last October.
After a number of partnerships with Samsung Smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and others, Google is now offering access to Apple TV as well. Google has confirmed plans to launch an Apple TV app late last year, which only indicates that it will be released “early 2021”. And on a cue, the Apple TV app can now be downloaded to your Chromecast with Google TV using the Google Assistant remote to search for the app name in the Play Store.
This is especially useful for iPhone owners as Apple continues to offer free, unlimited streaming of its Apple TV + shows to anyone who has bought a new smartphone, tablet, or Mac from the company in the past few months. The contract, which was introduced together with the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro last year, has been extended several times and does not expire until July 2021. If you took advantage of the offer when it first became available, the Apple TV + free year that Apple originally promised is now 21 months.
Apple TV + features a range of exclusive shows and films, including the award-winning drama The Morning Show, award-winning comedy Ted Lasso, Defending Jacob, See and Servant, created by Sixth Sense writer and director M. Night Shyamalan. Apple has also acquired a number of high profile films including the Billie Eilish documentary The World’s A Little Blurry, Tom Holland thriller Cherry, the claustrophobic war epic Greyhound starring Tom Hanks, The Banker, and Boys State.
Like a number of streaming services already available in Chromecast with Google TV, Apple TV + series and movies are deeply integrated into Google TV’s aggregation system so they are recommended on the home screen based on your interests. You can also go back to a series by selecting the preview on the home screen. There’s no need to find the streaming app, open it, and navigate the menu to find the show you’re streaming.
If you have an impressive digital movie library on iTunes (these versions often have Behind The Scenes features and extras that you can’t find in other stores like Google Play or Amazon Prime Video), all of these titles can be accessed on Apple TV too -App too. All box sets are also now available in your Chromecast with Google TV.
Chromecast with Google TV was launched back in September and represents a dramatic change for the Chromecast brand.
Previously, these hugely popular devices were designed to be fully controlled from a smartphone or tablet. Streaming services like Netflix and All 4 have integrated the Cast button into their iOS and Android apps to broadcast the episode or movie on the big screen. The Chromecast itself had neither a menu system nor its own apps – it only relied on users to have access to other gadgets. Tabs from a Google Chrome web browser can also be viewed on TV – a nifty trick if you’re trying to be more productive while working from home.
With the introduction of Chromecast with Google TV, the HDMI dongle added a remote control and a rich menu of its own apps optimized for the big screen. Google TV is based on the existing Android TV software and brings a lot of personalization and recommendations to the table. Based on your viewing history, Google will recommend new shows and movies that it believes will appeal to your tastes. Rotten Tomatoes scores are also shown in the main menu. This allows you to quickly judge whether a new film is worth your time or whether you need to dodge it quickly.
Since Chromecast built on Android TV with Google TV, it launched with a pretty solid selection of streaming apps, including Disney +, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and ITV Hub, to name a few. However, there were a few notable issues including All 4 and Apple TV. The former includes a Cast button on the iOS and Android app so you can cast it to the Chromecast using Google TV as a workaround. Since Apple doesn’t support this feature in its TV app, viewers had to wait for the official Apple TV app to arrive on the platform.
All Apple TV channels like StarzPlay or Arrow that you have already subscribed to are also available in the Apple TV app on Chromecast with Google TV.
