Watch Russian digital TV channels on Apple TV without jailbreak

Already 44 Russian and international TV channels. 12 of them are in HD quality, that is, with clear picture and good sound.

That is, for the first time, the set-top box can be turned on not only to watch a video on YouTube or a movie from iTunes.

Who should I thank?

Naturally, the channels did not appear there just like that. They are available with the app Beeline TV, which just came out in App Store.

A package of 44 channels costs only 379 rubles per month. There is everything here: from Discovery HD for boring evenings to sports channels in HD quality, cartoons for children and 24-hour news. In general, now there is always a reason to turn on Apple TV, and not like before.

We are pleased to offer Apple TV owners in Russia the opportunity to watch high-quality television content. The Beeline TV application offers the highest-rated Russian and foreign channels for the whole family: movies and TV series for mom, news and sports for dad, cartoons and educational programs for children. And their number will constantly increase.

Director for Media Business Development at VimpelCom PJSC Maria Reznik.

Users immediately receive free7 days test drive, that is, you have time to assess whether it is needed or not before paying.

There is a TV guide, a user-friendly interface and, of course, a high-quality, uninterrupted picture. In general, hurray, there is now a holiday on our street and we didn’t spend 15 thousand rubles in vain :)

Don't have an Apple TV yet? Correct yourself immediately.
- even Apple TV, even a gamepad for games.
1 year warranty, help in setting up any equipment – ​​free of charge!

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• Pros:Today, Apple TV 4 makes it possible to fully enjoy watching videos. There is an instant response and an interface that is not only familiar, but also pleasing to the eye. The choice of applications is very rich, and AirPlay technology allows you to use even unsupported applications. The best quality remote control available on the market. Virtual Siri assistant works just great and voice commands add their own touch of uniqueness.
• Cons: Apple TV costs more than similar set-top boxes like Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. Despite the fact that they have almost the same key functionality. There is no app for Amazon, there are no other video services other than iTunes.
• Verdict: Thanks to its smart remote control and voice control, Apple TV 4 is one of the best entertainment options, especially for those whose apartment is already littered with Apple products.

Apple TV 4 fall update

In October 2016, Apple stopped producing pilot versions of its Apple TV set-top boxes, reducing the product line to two updated models released in 2015. The 32GB model comes pre-installed for $149, while the 64GB model costs $199 (£129 and £169, or AU$269 and AU$349, respectively). The update includes Apple's built-in app store, support voice search, voice control of the device and new remote control Remote control with touch surface.

For those who have already spent money on purchasing TV series, movies, songs and games on iTunes, purchase home media player Apple TV will be good decision. Apple TV has the most TV-centric services, including Netflix and FXNow. And iTunes is still the only service on the console where you can buy TV shows and movies first-hand. Competitor apps such as Amazon Video, Vudu and Google Play Movies & TV are excluded from the list.

Voice search using smart remote

The most striking distinguishing feature of Apple TV compared to online markets for games and applications in the same Android-based consoles is support for voice commands via Siri Remote. The remote supports voice search by keywords and genres, which allows you to find exactly what the user wants. In addition, Apple plans to release its application soon. Through it, you can directly access specific TV shows without downloading applications from video services.

For those who enjoy 4K and HDR video, want a wider selection of TV shows, or want access to Amazon and Vudu, there are other set-top boxes to consider, such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Their prices start at $30. Despite the fact that Apple's set-top box remains one of our favorites, we still give greater preference to the media player Roku Streaming Stick. It costs less, it has more applications (including Amazon), and the basic functions are the same.

Please note that this article reviews the American version of the console. Some little things, namely the different services, will differ depending on the country.

What's new?

Anyone familiar with Apple TV might want to take a look at short list innovations and changes since launch. And here he is:

• More applications. According to Apple, more than 5,000 as of May 2016
• Voice search works on numerous television services, including PBS, Disney channels and Starz
• Siri virtual assistant works with Apple Music and App Store apps
• Direct connection. You can ask Siri to go straight to a live channel through supported IPTV apps such as Watch ESPN and CBS All Access
• Voice typing
• Connecting to a keyboard via Bluetooth
• Separate folders for applications
• Podcast recording app
• iCloud Photo Gallery and Live Photos support
• Create online conferences in Conference Room Display for business and educational purposes

One of the biggest disappointments when launching the console was the difficulty of entering text into the search field in the app store and in search service. But what darkened the picture most of all was dancing with a tambourine when entering the login and password for an account in applications from services, for example, Netflix, Hulu, Watch ESPN and others.

At first, the only solution to the problem was the on-screen keyboard. I even became one of the few who discovered it first. Most often, it was enough to enter a couple of letters before relevant search results immediately appeared. But it took time to get used to.

With the March 2016 update, Apple introduced several other options. I especially liked the application remote access RemoteApp, helps when you need to enter user data when logging into services. It allows you to use your Apple phone or tablet as a keyboard for your Apple TV.

You can also dictate letters, numbers and even symbols into the microphone. At first glance, this is a cool option, but it didn’t work for me. No matter how clearly I spoke, often several letters were missing during recognition or my speech was incorrectly recognized. I advise you to use the above-mentioned application so as not to suffer when entering text.

As the review progresses, I'm carefully reviewing and testing the many other improvements that have been implemented.

Same black TV box, but overall different feeling

Compared to previous version, Apple has not changed the shape of the console. Shiny edges rounded corners, the company logo on the matte top of the box - if you put two consoles new and old version next to each other, to the eye they will be approximately the same. However, the new device weighs 153 grams more. When I took the console out of the box, it felt like I was holding a decent brick in my hands.

But most importantly, the 2015 Apple TV feels better than the pilot's consoles. Let's start with the remote control. It has a touchpad, a few buttons and the familiar microphone icon for activating Siri, Apple's virtual assistant with a female, emotionless voice. Unlike its phone variant, Siri does not have a voice on Apple TV. Her answers are limited to text and images on the screen, but she usually answers accurately and can perform some useful actions.

The touch panel of the remote control is sensitive, has a quick response, and a well-chosen degree of surface sliding with an ideal suitable size for thumb manipulation. It took me a second to realize that I needed to press touchpad to select something. And immediately after I was already rushing through different menus, enlarged the sketches. I also noticed that navigation is much faster than any other button pad. In the settings you can change the response speed. Since I am one of those who loves adventures, I chose the fastest one.

Apple TV interface

The design of the menus is just right. You know, those still blank white canvases that migrated from phones, which over time are decorated with application icons. You can also customize your Apple TV home page. After I installed everything, I wanted to place the icons for the Netflix, Hulu, Disney Junior, HBO services in the top row. And iTunes is at the bottom, since I rarely buy TV shows and movies on Apple’s service. When you hover over a movie, TV series or game, a picture is shown at the top and brief description content.

In addition, you can organize applications into folders. The folder names can be changed to anything. All these actions are easy and simple, especially if you use voice commands. To do this, you just need to press the microphone button and start talking.

The old version of Apple TV included a bunch of screensavers that showed up in standby mode. On the new one, for now you can only select images from your photos and the Aerial album. And believe me, you should check out this album. Here you will find stunning pictures of city and natural landscapes, video of landmarks in slow motion. They can be so captivating that you may not even want to turn off the TV.

Browse the app store on a 65-inch screen

To fill the emptiness of the windows, let's go to the application store, which will be more reminiscent of the store on the iPhone or iPad, only with larger icons. One problem with Apple stores is the incompatibility of the huge number of applications that are also available on Apple TV.

Apple has worked to improve the store layout since launch, adding voice search capabilities. And considering the number of applications available, the store's organization is really good. At the top there are main tabs through which you can browse and search for new applications.

1. The “Main Tab” is mostly occupied by TV applications, but applications from other categories also constantly appear: games, applications for children, sports, news, and there are others that are still under consideration by Apple. For example, “new apps we like” and “games with intuitive controls.”
2. The next tab is “Top Applications”. Here are the most popular applications, which have three categories of applications: paid, free and the most profitable.
3. The Categories tab is similar to the Search tab in the mobile app store, with apps divided into three categories: Games, Education, and Entertainment.
4. The Purchased Content tab contains a list of all apps installed on other devices that are compatible with Apple TV. Applications are installed one at a time. To do this, you need to select and highlight it (But I can’t wait until they do big button"Install all") In most cases, if a user has already purchased an app or game on another device, they will be able to use it for free on Apple TV. Although the decision regarding the possibility of using previously purchased content remains with the application publisher.
5. Finally, the Search tab shows trending apps and allows the user to search using keywords that can be typed or dictated.

Games for Apple TV - controlled with one finger

The first thing you need to know about playing on Apple TV is that you can play it using the remote control that comes with the console; you don’t need to buy a separate controller. Secondly, it’s still more convenient to play with a game controller.

Most of the games I tried worked fine using the touch surface on the remote. However, it should be noted that it is easy to play with just your thumb: I could easily hold my child with my other hand while playing, say, Crossy Road.

This is a fun game with simple controls and the same graphics in which you have to spank chickens. I loved the gameplay and the picture looked great on the big screen.

The same positive impressions were left from playing JetPack Joyride and Bandland, in which the main part of the gameplay comes down to pressing one button and jumping into right time. Games with more complex controls and gameplay were just as easy to play. For example, to drift in the Does Not Commute race, you need to quickly press the left or right side of the touch surface. To move in the game Beat Sports, you need to lightly drag your finger across the touch surface, and to hit the bat, you need to wave the remote control, like on the Nintendo Wii. The touch surface lets you down in games where you need to move quickly in certain directions. For example, when controlling a spaceship in Geometry Wars or when guiding and moving the main character around the map in Oceanhorn and Transistor.

The game with the most difficult controls was Galaxy on Fire: Manticore Rising, whose genre is an arcade space shooter. To play it, you need to move and wave the remote control, as well as press the touch surface. However, all this does not interfere with enjoying the game. And again, you can play with one hand.

In two arcade racing games, Asphalt 8 and Beach Buggy Racing, you had to hold the remote control horizontally, like a steering wheel. Both were straightforward and fun, but I definitely wish the remote was more accurate. I also tried playing on the Steel Series Stratus XL gamepad and overall I found it more accurate and responsive. For casual girls, one remote control, which comes in the kit, is enough.

By the way, the graphics were impressive. Even such simple toys as Crossy Road and more advanced ones like Galaxy on Fire and Transistor looked very cool on the big screen.

Choice of memory size: 32 GB or 64 GB

Two different versions Apple TV with 32 and 64 GB – in Apple style– Outwardly they are no different from each other. Unlike Amazon Fire TV, Nvidia Shield and Roku set-top boxes, which have SD card slots, the user is not given the opportunity to independently increase the amount of memory.

For those who like to game on Apple TV, there's an even more expensive version with twice the storage that gamers will likely enjoy. And people who are accustomed to filling the memory of their phone and tablet with photos, videos and games will probably be happy to learn that on Apple TV access to user files is carried out through cloud service. So there is no need to store files on the device itself.

The OS has an intrusive control system free space. It requires you to download several small boot files(total 200 MB per application), which are explained as “required resources”. These are small pieces of data that download quickly and can be deleted if you need to free up space on your device. Ultimately, only hardcore gamers may need the 64GB version.

What to watch on Apple TV – TV channels and films?

Everything is fine with games and other applications on Apple TV. But you will spend most of your time watching TV. And with the exception of the obvious exception of Amazon, Apple TV is in no way inferior to any Smart TV set-top box. AirPlay lets you browse Amazon or visit other unsupported services like Sling TV, Pandora, and Spotify, but I'd like to see official apps added for those services.

If you're used to the cookie-cutter appearance of apps on the old Apple TV, you'll immediately notice that some familiar apps like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO look different, rather more like their counterparts on other devices. Some apps, namely Watch Disney, on Apple TV have full unique look. But most, including YouTube, Showtime and Watch ESPN, are similar to each other and to their versions from the previous Apple TV. As Apple explained, developers can update the look and feel of their apps on Apple TV over time.

Every Apple TV app offers the same TV shows, movies, and videos as apps on any other set-top box. The video quality is also no different, but still the picture looks sharper on the Apple TV.

With good internet speed, apps and TV shows will launch quickly, just like on any device, and images will load in no time. The touchpad on the remote control allows you to scroll through videos with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

Plex - the head of everything

Since the launch of its console, Apple has constantly expanded its range of entertainment services. Notable changes include the addition of services such as Starz, Pandora, Comedy Central and CNN Go, as well as access to the environment Plex. The latter will be a pleasant addition for a Russian user, as it allows you to configure viewing of Russian TV shows and films via a DLNA server.

The free version of the Plex app gives you access to TV shows, movies, videos, music and photos on your home computers or other remote devices connected to your network. Once you try Plex, you'll forget about the Computers icon on Apple TV forever.

During my short test, the app performed well, loading videos quickly and showing all the detailed information about home and remote devices that I'm used to seeing in other apps from Plex. The version of the application for Apple, in my opinion, is still better. I liked the response speed, which made me happy wherever I was. To use the app on Apple TV you will need latest version software server. Plex's blog has a lot detailed information on this topic with screenshots.

Siri to help you

If you yourself don’t know what you want, Siri is right there - a virtual assistant with the most the best system voice recognition available today. It does a pretty good job of recognizing your speech on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV, but you can get more specific search results by saying the name of the show, actor, or director. Siri understands these too search queries, I must say, understands perfectly. In general, such a search will help everyone who has not yet decided on the choice of TV show.

I asked Siri to show me some good movies, and immediately a list of several new films was displayed: “Spotlight”, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, “Room”, “Inside Out”, “Mad Max: Fury Road” "and others. “According to critics, these are some of the best films” was a comment on this list. The films suited me, although most of them had to be purchased through iTunes in order to watch.

Then I made another request: “Show me movies available for free viewing.” The response was: "Sorry, I can't search by price." You know, I once asked an Apple representative in October whether the price filter was already built into the search interface, and they told me no. And now there’s the May update, which also doesn’t have search. free movies and filter by price.

The query “Movies for children” also brought up suitable results, but, again, you had to pay to watch it. Then I said, "Children's movies on Netflix." And hit the nail on the head! A list of two dozen has surfaced good cartoons from this service, for example: “Home”, “Monster Family” and “Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle”. Since I have access to Netflix, I no longer had to pay to watch it. I tried the same queries for other genres on other video services I purchased access to and got what I was looking for. I have access to comedies on Hulu, sci-fi on HBO, and dramas on Showtime. Therefore, on these video services I could watch films, relatively speaking, for free. Why conditional? Because before that I purchased access to these services, which cost money.

"Siri, what else can you do?"

Launching apps via voice commands works as expected. While watching a video on most services, you can ask Siri to turn on the subtitles, and they will appear on the screen. If you don't feel like using the touchpad on the remote to scroll through the video, you can say, "Fast forward two minutes." Or give another command in this spirit.

If you don't hear something, you can ask, "What did he say?" and the video will rewind 15 seconds with subtitles turned on, which will turn off after 15 seconds. Subtitles work great on iTunes (unsurprisingly), and I was also pleased that since launch this option has been added to other services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO. And now on Showtime too.

You might also ask, “Who is in the movie?” and a list of actors will appear, but the video will not stop playing. If you click on the actor's name, the video will stop and the filmography, biography and other information will be displayed full screen. Press the button labeled “Menu” on the remote control and playback will continue. This option works in most cases and is supported by many applications, but in some you may receive the following response: “Sorry, the service did not provide me with results for this request” (Siri can be passive-aggressive at times).

But as always, there are a lot of restrictions. While watching Game of Thrones on HBO Now, I told Siri, “Show me similar shows.” The answer to me was “Unfortunately, I can’t find anything for the request...”. As Jessie's touching song from Toy Story 2 played, I asked, "Who sings that song?" and “What is the name of this song?” To which I was only given a link to the Pixar studio. I said, “Mute,” and Siri told me to use the remote to adjust the volume.

I also let my family try Siri, telling them they could ask for anything. My six-year-old daughter, who was very familiar with voice commands from the Roku console on which she watched her favorite cartoons, took the remote control and shouted “Odd Squad” (the name of the cartoon). The response was the text on the screen, “Sorry, I can’t recognize “Stallen Debugging”,” which I read to my child. A new attempt yielded nothing. But the third time, Siri correctly recognized the name of the cartoon, and pages with it on Netflix and iTunes opened.

This is where I want to remind dear readers that from children and unwanted people, and in order to save your money, you should set a password in the settings for all purchase-related transactions.

What doesn't Apple TV 4 have?

The one word answer is Amazon. Well, another word – many third-party Russian-language online cinemas, of which there are many for Android platforms. Although you can find official Ivi.ru, TNT, Amediateka on the console.

Almost all TV series and films that can be purchased on iTunes are available on iTunes. Amazon (you remember that the service recently appeared in Russia). But you can watch Amazon TV shows at much more devices. Therefore, I usually take what I need from this service. In addition, I use my Amazon premium account and watch a lot of different content for free. Those who prefer iTunes, or who don't have premium access, or who don't have money problems, won't even notice the absence of this service.

On Apple TV, movies and TV series by season or episode can only be purchased through iTunes. On the other hand, the Roku console has applications for, perhaps, every payment service except iTunes, including Amazon, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu and M-Go. In addition, Roku's search engine searches a total of 20 services, allowing you to compare prices. It also offers more TV and audio apps, including Sling TV, Spotify, Fox News, Twitch and more.

But we must pay tribute to the Apple TV search engine, it also combs many services, for example, iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Showtime, PBS, PBS Kids, FXNow, Disney Junior and so on. Since launch, Apple has added about a dozen, bringing the total to 18.

On the pages with TV series and films, a clear list of video services is shown where you can watch the material you are looking for. And if on some of installed applications there are options with free viewing content, they will appear above in search results than the option from iTunes. When searching for TV series, iTunes always comes first in search results. As Apple explains, this is due to the fact that their service is the first to provide access to new seasons of TV series.

Universal remote control from Apple

The Apple TV remote can be used on TVs and even some AV receivers. I tried to connect the remote control directly to several TVs, and I was able to change the volume and turn on/off (I held down the button with the TV icon) using it. Moreover, I even managed to switch the TV to required input. There will be no problems with the remote control if the TV supports the HDMI-CEC connector.

However, the results when connected to an AV receiver were mixed. In one case, the remote control turned it off, but could not turn it on; in another case, it turned off the TV, but could not turn off the receiver. To adjust the volume of the AV receiver, I had to manually program the remote. However, after that it worked as it should.

4K picture – do you need it?

And to sum it up, unlike the Roku 4, the 2015 Amazon Fire TV and the Nvidia Shield, the Apple TV does not support 4K resolution. Although even to me, a picky reviewer, it doesn’t seem like this is such a big drawback. Moreover, considering that there is little content in this resolution today. But more importantly, there is not much difference compared to regular video streaming. Streaming video in high, but not 4K quality looked great. And I had a hard time distinguishing non-4K streaming video from 4K resolution video.

I have no doubt that the next generation of Apple TVs will support 4K resolution. And perhaps the remote control will already have a fingerprint scanner.

Conclusion

Conclusion: an indescribable pleasure from watching videos, especially for fans of Apple products.

Among all the set-top boxes, Apple TV is by far the most expensive option for the buyer's wallet. Its arsenal includes such video services as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Showtime and others. Speed ​​and simplicity, a convenient remote control with an incomparable voice (Hello, Siri!), voice commands and well-established search will push many buyers to such an obvious and simple decision as purchasing an update from the good old Apple TV. This especially applies to those who have huge collections of TV series, movies and songs on iTunes, not to mention games.

For the rest, it’s probably not worth overpaying and going to the store to buy a console now. The same Roku is available today at a more modest price, but the quality of its “filling” is lower. But there is a video search by price and direct access to Amazon. On the Amazon Fire TV media console, the user has a fairly extensive list of games, and the Nvidia Shield is an even more powerful gaming console that appeals to all fans of this type of technology.

Perfect for watching movies, TV shows and viral videos, as well as playing video games in 1080p quality and 60fps, this device also has a full-fledged application market, of which there are more and more. Due to the specifics of the device, they are all somehow related to video and visual effects, but many of these programs are very original and non-standard.

We invite you to look at several very interesting, in our opinion, applications for the new set-top box from Apple. Since the device doesn't have a browser, we can't provide links to them in the App Store, but you can always find them by name.

1. Zova

Zova says the app's mission is to “guide and help people consistently lead an active and healthy lifestyle.” They recently launched a version of their fitness app on Apple TV. If in applications for iPhone and iPad you still had to manage to position the screen so that you could see something on it during a workout, then big screen TV will clearly benefit the popularity of the program. All instructors are women, although the training programs are quite varied.

In addition to the Siri Remote, the app works with the optional MFi game controller, and if worn on your wrist Apple Watch, your heart rate will be displayed on the TV screen. The solution is excellent, we hope to see this kind of integration in more applications in the future.

You can download Zova from the App Store, additional content can be purchased within the application.

2.Madefire

Madefire's goal is to “revolutionize the way comics are read and distributed.” This app turns plain text and pictures into something dynamic, interactive, and perfect for your TV screen.

We've seen all sorts of motion comics and books many times before, but Madefire does its job simply... the highest level. The application contains comics from the DC universe (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman), as well as from a bunch of other manufacturers: DW, Dark Horse, Valiant, Titan, Boom, Oni Press, Top Cow, the list goes on for a long time. There are Transformers and even My Little Pony. And more original titles.

Madefire is distributed free of charge, as is some of its content. The rest of the content can be purchased in the application and you can easily read comics on your TV with a full panorama, music, sound effects and all sorts of other things.

3. Artsy Shows

Previously, to see the world, you had to board a ship or plane and go somewhere. Now is the 21st century, and we can finally see the world of nature and man in all its diversity on the wall of our living room or on our phone screen. In almost everything. The impressions of a walk through a museum or gallery are still quite difficult to accurately convey.

With Artsy Shows, you can capture that feeling of moving through space, time, culture and art without leaving your living room. More than 1000 exhibits are available in the application, the list is updated every day. And no ships.

4. Kitchen Stories

The Kitchen Stories app was designed to give you a “unique cooking experience in your home kitchen.” These impressions are created through colorful video recipes with step by step instructions. Anyone who thinks this cookbook format is perfect for the Apple TV is absolutely right, and that's why Kitchen Stores is finally coming to the big screen. The benefits of the app are doubled if you can watch TV from the kitchen.

The app publishes special tricks to improve your cooking skills and, of course, recipes: from classic to original, vegetarian and quick-cooking. And finally, the application is completely free.

5.Mixcloud

Mixcloud intends to win over its listeners with mixes from the hottest DJs and collaborations with cool radio hosts. But why do developers think you will like their product? Perhaps it's aimed at those who don't like it Apple Music, or for those who want something fresh, not constant mixes or radio programs, but somewhere in the middle. Or, perhaps, for those who just need good radio on Apple TV (and this niche is now almost completely unoccupied).

The obvious advantage of Apple TV is that it connects to the TV's audio system and, due to this, can create the ideal sound background for an evening with friends, or cooking, or working, when the music does not sound from somewhere, but is everywhere.

6. Star Walk Kids

The award-winning app for iOS and iPad comes to Apple TV. Here, however, you cannot raise the device to the sky and get all the information about the stars you are looking at in an augmented reality manner.

The app knows and can tell you about the Moon and planets of the solar system (Pluto, of course, counts), constellations, 700 brightest stars, the International Space Station and the Hubble Telescope. In a very bright and accessible form for children of all ages.

7.Touchpress

Touchpress offers “an unusual way to listen to classical music at home” with sheet music visualization technologies such as BeatMap and NoteFall.

Stylistically, the application is reminiscent of indie games in which you need to rhythmically press the keys when notes appear, but in essence it is more of an educational application in game form, quite original and smart. The video above shows the app in all its glory.

8. Sing!

Smule has been “connecting the world through music” since the launch of the App Store for iPhone back in 2008. Since then, whenever Apple expanded the range of devices and platforms on which this store is available, Smule immediately came there. Now, with Apple launch TV, Smule releases a version of its karaoke app Sing for the new set-top box. Oh yes, HDTV karaoke is either very cool or extremely disgusting, for some reason there is no third!

Happy Sing! you don't just sing along to the lines on the screen, you perform, says the developer. You can record yourself on camera and apply effects, sing along with popular artists, find and follow friends, and even become a real star thanks to the opportunity to “be discovered.” There are already more than 100 thousand tracks, and there will be even more.

9. Carrot Weather

Carrot is rude. Brian Mueller, the app's creator, is likely a rather caustic person himself, but his creation is much worse.

Carrot for Apple TV brings you Dark Sky-based weather forecasts just like the iOS, watchOS, and Mac apps, with the same funny, cynical commentary. And just like other apps for other platforms, Carrot has an eye-catching design that turns trivial and boring things into unusual and exciting ones.

Applications for new platform are appearing very quickly and we will try to keep you updated. Feel free to share your finds in the comments!

It has radically changed the attitude of domestic users towards this kind of devices. Thanks to not the most advanced, but eye-catching features, Apple managed to prove that the set-top box is not just a content repeater, but a real one. multimedia combine with a lot of possibilities.

Why do you need Apple TV 4G?

From the point of view of the average person, an Apple set-top box is an analogue of a regular “cable” channel package with the possibility of purchasing additional content in iTunes and some other functions. In fact, this is not entirely true.

Firstly, even television itself with Apple TV moves to another level - instead of hundreds of useless channels, the user receives truly high-quality content in a completely different format. Many large companies, such as HBO or Netflix, are already switching to stand-alone broadcasting, targeting owners of set-top boxes and smart TVs. Many aggregators, channels and online cinemas (even domestic ones) produce plug-ins and applications for Apple TV, and the capabilities of such programs far exceed the functionality of regular digital TV.

Secondly, Apple TV can turn even a fairly old TV (that does not have an Internet connection) into a device with a lot of useful functions. Access to the Internet, its own App Store, integration with mobile devices, computers and smart home devices, games, music and much more are available to the owner of the set-top box in a few clicks.

At the same time, the capabilities of Apple TV are constantly expanding due to both the Apple company’s own developments and third-party developers and content providers who are aware of the promise of this area.

What's included with Apple TV

How to connect Apple TV to your TV

In order to connect the set-top box to your TV, you just need to connect the device to the mains using the included cable, and then connect it to the TV using an HDMI cable, which you will have to purchase separately (of course, before purchasing an Apple TV, you need to make sure that you have the appropriate connector on your TV ).

In order to provide the set-top box with the Internet, you can use either a wired connection using an Ethernet cable or via Wi-Fi.

After you connect the set-top box to the 220 V network and to the TV, select on the TV the corresponding (if there are several) HDMI channel to which the set-top box is connected. The process of connecting the set-top box to the TV is demonstrated in the video below (from 9 minutes)

If everything is connected correctly, the pairing screen will appear on the TV display, after which you should press (or swipe) the touchpad of the remote control that comes with the set-top box.

In rare cases, the Bluetooth or IR connection may not work (the remote control does not respond), to correct the problem you must press and hold the buttons for two seconds Menu and increasing the volume.

If for some reason the remote control is missing, you can replace it with an iPhone by first installing a proprietary one from the App Store Apple app TV Remote().

The system will then prompt you to select your language and country.

Then you need to choose a setup method - using an iOS device or manually.

Device setup

For of this type settings you must have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch With installed iOS 9.1 or higher (you can check along the path Settings -> Basic -> About this device), as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled.

You should bring the device to the Apple TV, unlock it, wait for the connection and follow the instructions on the screen (press the button Tune and enter account information).

If the connection has not been established, you should re-lock and unlock the iDevice.

Manual setup

1 . You must specify an active Wi-Fi network and enter the password to connect to it;
2 . After waiting for connection to Wi-Fi, enter your login and password;

3 . Send a confirmation code to any available device and enter this code into Apple TV;
4 . Finish setting up additional options (location services, screensavers, Siri, etc.).

P.S. If there is no Wi-Fi connection, you can use wired internet by connecting the appropriate cable to the Ethernet connector of the set-top box.

Bottom line

Despite such a voluminous description, connection and Apple setup TVs are produced in a matter of minutes and will probably not pose any problems even inexperienced user. The software and hardware of Apple TV 4G are made in the best Apple traditions - minimum complexity, maximum convenience.