AppleTV 4K and Apple Video Services.

With the latest tvOS release there seems to be on some content a frame identifier, which could lead to micro control in due course. Invoking it is touch and go and is linked to scrubbing content. When I’ve sussed it I’ll report back.

Apple have done a deal with Roku. The Apple TV App and Apple TV+ will launch (at least in the US) on Roku devices from November 2019.

I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to say? By frame identifier - do you mean a timecode type stream?

Given how much cheaper Roku’s devices are than Apple TV, are they effectively making their own box obsolete by doing this? I know there’ll always be people who buy Apple - and I prefer iOS to Android in most respects myself, but always was annoyed how Android users could mirror their phone to just about any decent smart TV or a €40 Chromecast while iOS users were expected to shell out €160 for the Apple TV box just to do the same thing.

I think the ATV 4 and ATV 4K still haev the edge in gaming and Apple Arcade (as they have probably the most powerful ARM SoCs of any TV box - ahead of the Tegra X1 in the nVidia Shield TV I believe...) For basic video and audio streaming - then a Roku makes a lot of sense, though Apple do nice things on Apple TV like aggregation and search across multiple providers.

Eir in Ireland are offering an Apple TV 4K box with 50+ live TV channels, free Eir Sports pack & Eir broadband in a new subscription.

The pricing is as follows

€49.98 with 100Mb Eir fibre for 6 months
€55.98 with 150Mb Eir fibre for 6 months
€75.98 with 1Gb Eir fibre for 6 months

It includes Apple TV+ original shows & movies for 1 year, Virgin Media Sports Channels, multi-room & NowTV in the bundle.

The EirTV app is available on Apple TV to allow customers to watch the Live TV channels available on their EirTV Subscription.

https://www.eir.ie/tv/about/

So are all the channels distributed via IPTV or are they assuming that the base channels will be being picked up by the users receiver via Saorview? Sounds great if the whole service is being delivered via the internet. The website infers that but isn't precise.

I could assume here that all of the channels, including Irish channels, are being delivered over the internet.

It is no major difference to their old box as that was an IPTV receiver as well. It didn't need Saorview to receive the Irish channels.

There is a detailed video from Eir about the new Apple TV 4K Subscription here. It lasts for nearly 49 minutes.

This has arrived on the Roku Streaming Stick+ in the UK, I'm watching iTunes purchased video via the SS+ now. Need to check settings out I think, tomorrow.

It's here though.

I guess they could be IPTV but not internet delivered (in the same way BT Vision works in the UK, and a lot of Nordic IPTV systems operate).

They use a multicast IPTV system (where the video is multicast from the broadband supplier's nodes, rather than over the internet in the way OTT services like iPlayer and Netflix operate). It's not easy to tell without looking at Wireshark I guess. (BT Vision use a specific VLAN for their IPTV system I think)

Eir's new subscription of the EirTV app with the Apple TV 4K box has hit some problems with it's launch. It relates to their recordings that is provided on the box. The good news is that Eir does provide cloud recordings on this box but it has restrictions in how it can be used. I heard from someone online last night that you cannot record programmes via it's cloud service for programmes from RTÉ, Virgin Media & BBC along with some other unspecified channels. The reasons why this could be happening is probably a rights issue with the broadcasters. There is also a restriction of 500 just recordings with this new Apple TV box which is quite poor really.

Few people will hit that 500 recordings though, I wouldn’t have considered that a massive issue. The restriction on recording certain channels is a massive one though. In the background it appears certain providers (particular VM who have actually issued legal proceedings it seems) are taking the view that this new service is an OTT streaming service akin to Now TV, whereas the old eVision (and Vodafone TV) are regarded as cable TV services for the purposes of the must offer/must carry rules.