With a new 4K Apple TV expected to be announced on September 12, Apple is reportedly scrambling to lock down deals on 4K content for the new device, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sources close to the matter say the hangup is on pricing because Apple wants to charge $19.99 for all major titles, which is around what they charge for 1080p movies, while Hollywood studios want to charge $5 to $10 more for higher resolution movies. Read more ›

It seems as though both Amazon and Apple are on the same update cycle for their streaming boxes. Both companies released their current flagship set-top boxes in October 2015 and both appear to be releasing new hardware in the next couple of months, if rumors are to believed. Bloomberg is reporting that a new Apple TV capable of 4K and HDR streaming will be announced in September at the event where Apple is expected to also announce their new iPhone models. Read more ›

Apple has begun listing select iTunes movies as 4K and HDR, according to a report by MacRumors. The actual movie files being served are still only in 1080p or 720p, but the 4K and HDR labels suggest Apple’s media library will finally make the jump to Ultra HD content. Rumors of a new Apple TV capable of 4K and HDR coming later this year have been making the rounds, so this premature listing of 4K and HDR content seems to suggest those rumors are true.

Today marks the start of WWDC, Apple’s big developer conference. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook just took the stage to kick off the conference and his first announcement was that an Amazon Video app will finally be coming to the Apple TV. Cook mentioned you’ll be able to watch Prime Video on the device, but it’s unclear if the app will also allow you to purchase and rent content. Apple is rumored to be working on a new Apple TV with 4K capabilities, but there was no mention of a new device. The Amazon video app for Apple TV will arrive “later this year.” Read more ›

An Amazon Video app may actually be released on the Apple TV later this year. Sources familiar with the matter tell Recode that the two companies “are close to an agreement” to bring the streaming service to Apple’s set-top box. They expect the app to be released in the third quarter of this year. That would align nicely with when we can probably expect to see a new 4K version of the Apple TV released. Read more ›

What probably comes as no surprise to anyone, Apple is reportedly testing a new Apple TV that is capable of 4K playback, according to a new report by Bloomberg. People familiar with the plans say the new device, internally codenamed “J105,” is also capable of displaying “more vivid colors,” which likely means support for HDR content. Bloomberg’s article points out that the current Apple TV, released in 2015, as well as the new unreleased model consist of numerous compromises that have resulted in a product that is evolutionary instead of revolutionary. Apple’s original vision for the product included connectors for a coaxial port to replace cable boxes, a game controller to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation, and microphones for hands free Siri communication. None of that panned out and Apple “essentially settled for turning the television set into a giant iPhone.” A 4K capable Apple TV, as well as HDR support, is inevitable from Apple, but it sounds like a disruption of how the average customer consumes streaming media is not coming with the next generation device.

It’s more evident than ever that Apple has given up on releasing their own streaming TV service. Yesterday they announced a new app, simply called TV, coming to Apple TVs and iOS devices that will list content from multiple streaming services you’re subscribed to in one place. This is identical to the strategy that Amazon has had with the Fire TV interface and Google has had with the Chromecast app. Instead of trying to pull content under Apple’s umbrella, the new app helps you discover content you already have access to from other streaming services. Read more ›

Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, has revealed changes coming to the Apple App Store that directly impact the likely reasons why Amazon Video is not available on the Apple TV. The specific change is a reduction in Apple’s cut of an app’s subscription revenue from 30% to 15%, after a customer has been subscribed to a service for over one year. Amazon hasn’t specifically said that the current 30% “Apple Tax” is the reason they haven’t released an Amazon Video app on the Apple TV, but it is widely speculated to be their main concern with the platform. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, did say last week that “we want it to be on the device with acceptable business terms,” when asked about Amazon Video on the Apple TV.

Under the new Apple App Store policy, Amazon would now keep 85% of most Prime membership fees from customers who signed up through an Amazon Video app on Apple devices. While Apple would still pocket 30% the first year and 15% each subsequent years, the new terms are a step in the right direction for Amazon, which might make them reconsider releasing an Amazon Video app for the Apple TV. Read more ›