TV

Apple: Don't get excited about that new Apple TV box

Less than a day after a schematic of what appeared to be the fourth-generation Apple TV set-top box appeared in a U.S. regulatory filing, the company says it's not a new version at all, but a minor behind-the-scenes hardware change.

In a statement today provided to The Verge, the company said it had to file new paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission following a change to one of the internal components.

"We sometimes make component changes which require an updated model number for regulatory approval," an Apple spokesperson said. "The component changes we made don't affect product features and Apple TV customers will continue to have the same great user experience." … Read more

How to pair, control your Apple TV with a Bluetooth keyboard

With the release of iOS 6.1 for iOS devices, the Apple TV line quietly received an update as well. The update adds iCloud support for purchased music, Up Next support (although this was already present on an Apple TV), and the ability to pair a Bluetooth keyboard to your Apple TV. By pairing a keyboard you can control playback, navigate, and enter search queries all from the comfort of a physical keyboard.

To pair a keyboard, make sure you've updated your Apple TV to the latest OS. You can update it by going into Settings > General > … Read more

Smaller Apple TV box hinted at in FCC filing

A new regulatory filing suggests Apple is readying a fourth-generation Apple TV set, one that looks a whole lot like the last two models, but with one minor difference.

That difference is size. The new version, which Engadget spotted in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission today, is 93.78mm around versus the current model's 98mm. It also carries the model number A1469, which differs from the current model's A1427 designation.

The filing comes on the heels of a reference to an unreleased Apple TV model inside of iOS 6.1, which Apple released to the public yesterday … Read more

Apple TV software update adds Bluetooth keyboard support

Along with iOS 6.1 this morning, Apple also put out a minor update to its Apple TV system software that lets users control the device with a Bluetooth keyboard.

That feature -- which requires a second- or third-generation Apple TV -- was outed inside a beta developer last year, and came as part of today's update. It joins Apple's existing remote-control options, from the pack-in remote to its standalone iOS software application.

Other additions in today's update include an "up next" feature that lets you see what song will follow when listening to music, … Read more

Apple's Tim Cook seeks the 'mother of all opportunities'

In a recent meeting with employees at Apple's headquarters, CEO Tim Cook reportedly addressed the steep drop in the company's stock price that came after Apple posted $54.5 billion in sales last quarter and $13.1 billion in profit -- both records. As reported by 9to5 Mac, Cook took a shot at the highly lucrative oil industry in his cheerleading efforts. "The only companies that report better quarters pump oil," Cook reportedly said. "I do not know about you all, but I do not want to work for those companies."

Predictably, creating and … Read more

AT&T's U-verse blacks out for days in several U.S. states

Some AT&T U-verse customers are still without TV, Internet, or phone service after a days-long outage that knocked out access for hundreds of users throughout several Southern states.

"The issue impacting some U-verse subscribers has been tracked back to a software upgrade," the company wrote on its Facebook page earlier this afternoon. "We continue to work to determine when service will be completely restored. Our continued apologies for the inconvenience."

The outage began on Monday and was confirmed by AT&T on Tuesday. Hundreds of users have complained of no service on the … Read more

CBS claims Dish concealed AutoHop ad-skipping technology

CBS amended its lawsuit against Dish Network today, claiming the satellite TV provider misled the network about planned ad-skipping technology during contract negotiations in 2011.

The lawsuit is part of a legal battle between Dish and the major television networks that erupted last year over "AutoHop," which allows customers to skip commercials at the touch of a button. The networks, including CBS, which is the parent company of CNET News, contend that the technology threatens to undermine an industry that depends on advertising revenue to help cover the cost of their shows.

In its amended lawsuit, CBS accused … Read more

Top 40 must-have Blu-ray discs

Apologies for being a little tardy on updating our long-running list of must-have Blu-ray movies, but here it is, refreshed for 2013. This month's updates entries include "Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection," "The Avengers," "Finding Nemo," "Jaws," "Lawrence of Arabia," and "Titanic."

Though my face is at the top of the column, the list was compiled with input from editors John Falcone, Matthew Moskovciak, and David Katzmaier, who look at a lot of video content in their day-to-day testing of products. We also keep an eye on AVS Forum's Blu-ray picture-quality and audio-quality threads, and have always appreciated the site's tiered rating system.

This list is not set in stone, and we'll be adding and removing discs as new ones come out. As always, feel free to make comments and suggest your own personal favorites. They may get added to the list in the future. … Read more

Tim Cook dances around the Apple TV question -- again

Apple CEO Tim Cook had a bit of deja vu today when an analyst asked him to expound on Apple's future contributions to the TV industry.

"There's a lot we can contribute in this space so we can continue to pull the string and see where it leads us," he said during Apple's first quarter earnings call today, after remarking on the growth of sales for the Apple TV device.

The company sold more than 2 million Apple TV devices last quarter, according to Cook. This is up from 1.4 million devices from the … Read more