Netflix

If you’re the type who loves streaming instead of downloading his favorite shows, then Netflix is a great choice. While many services keep trying to catch up to it, Netflix still is the most popular streaming service to date. No matter what shows or movies you want to see, chances are that you can find them here. Even more, it seems that Netflix is greatly investing in original shows such as Orange is the new black or House of cards. So far, these homegrown shows have had massive success. Because of that, it’s obvious that Netflix is here to stay and will continue to be the king of entertainment for years to come.

Hulu

For a very long time, many people avoided Hulu because of the pesky ads it kept showing. Luckily, you can now use an ad-free Hulu on your samsung smart tv. The ad free Hulu is very affordable and has some pretty great content you can watch. In fact, Hulu’s content library is seriously one of the largest in the industry. Just make sure though that you don’t set your expectations too high, since they don’t have many movies worth watching.

Spotify

Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services in the world and a must if you love music. It’s much like Napster, but the big difference is that Spotify has a much larger music library. As with YouTube, if you want to get rid of ads, then you need to opt for the paid version. If not, then you’ll have to get used to watching those pesky ads every time you use it.

Amazon Instant Video

In an attempt to challenge Netflix, Amazon has launched its own streaming service. They’ve also started to build a massive content library in order to compete with Netflix. What’s sets Amazon Instant Video apart is the fact you can actually download your favorite shows and watch them later. This is very rare among streaming services. Amazon Instant Video keeps striking deals with a lot of movie studios, broadcaster, and producers as well. Because of that, you can expect to see a lot more content available for streaming in the near future.

HBO GO and HBO Now

If you love shows such as The Wire, Last Week Tonight, and Game of Thrones, then you like HBO. Just keep in mind that the 2 apps, HBO Go and HBO Now are quite different. You can only access HBO Go if you have a cable subscription to it. On the other hand, HBO Now can be accessed by anybody as long as they sign up for it.

TED

You’ve probably heard of TED by now. If you didn’t, then let us tell you that this is an organization that hosts conferences worldwide where people discuss amazing ideas in their field.

The talks span from the greatest inventions to global politics. While the TED speakers usually speak for a few minutes, they do leave a lasting impact. If you want to learn new things, then you should certainly watch more TED on your samsung smart tv.

YouTube

In the past few years, YouTube has changed quite a lot. Sure, it’s still a great place you can visit if you want to watch cat videos on you samsung smart tv. However, there are now a lot of professional creators working in professional studios to produce top-notch content for their audience. If you want to use the free version, go ahead, no one will judge you for it. However, if you simply cannot stand the ads, then you can opt for the paid version to get rid of them.

Napster

Thought Napster was dead? Well, it’s not. One thing you need to know about it is that it was purchased by Best Buy. Eventually Napster merged with Rhapsody and it has a pretty great collection of music you can listen to. If you want, then you can also download content from it. If you love music and want to discover new artists, then Napster is definitely the way to go.

VUDU

Last but not least, VUDU is a great place where you can rent videos and watch them on your samsung smart tv. This service is offered by Wal-Mart. There are no monthly subscriptions available, so this means you need to pay on a per video basis. Overall, the fees are okay, but keep in mind that the rates may vary. What sets VUDU apart from other streaming services is its library. You can actually watch a lot of new movies in great quality. On top of that, it also has an amazing collection of classic and old movies, too!

All in all, these are the best samsung tv apps you should certainly have if you want to make the most of your Samsung smart TV. Download them today and start your amazing journey into the world of top quality digital content!

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HBO NOW standalone streaming service has gone live on the Apple TV earlier this week, just in time for the fifth season of Game of Thrones, which premieres today at 9:00 p.m. ET.

If you haven’t subscribed to HBO NOW yet, you can do it using your iTunes account directly on your Apple TV or on any other iOS device (via a free HBO NOW app).

HBO NOW doesn’t require a cable subscription and it costs $14.99 per month. If you sign up until the end of April (no long-term commitment required) you’ll get a 30 day free trial.

Upon registering and getting your login credentials, you will be able to also watch your favorite HBO programming on hbonow.com via Mac or PC.

HBO NOW is only accessible in the U.S. (check out our tutorial on how to access U.S.-only services on Apple TV outside the U.S.).

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Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

HBO NOW, the new standalone streaming service from HBO, has gone live on Apple TV and other iOS devices yesterday. Although you can’t sign up to HBO NOW on your desktop, you can access the new service on hbonow.com via Mac or PC after signing up on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Here’s what you need to do:

STEP 1: Subscribe to HBO NOW directly on Apple TV or on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch (via a free iOS app) using your iTunes account.

STEP 2: Purchase an HBO NOW subscription directly in-app for $14.99 per month (following the limited time, introductory 30 day free trial period).

STEP 3: Upon registering, you will set up HBO NOW login credentials, enabling you to watch your favorite HBO programming on hbonow.com via Mac or PC.

HBO NOW offers more than 2,000 titles online, including the series like Game of Thrones, True Detective, Silicon Valley, Girls, Veep, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Leftovers, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, True Blood, The Wire and Deadwood.

HBO NOW is only accessible in the U.S. (check out our tutorial on how to access U.S.-only services on Apple TV outside the U.S.).

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Announced at Apple’s Spring Forward event last month, HBO NOW standalone streaming service is now available exclusively on Apple TV. HBO NOW doesn’t require a cable subscription and costs $14.99 per month. If you sign up in April (no long-term commitment required) you’ll get a 30 day free trial.

HBO NOW is also available on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch via a free HBO NOW app.

You can subscribe using your iTunes account directly on your Apple TV or on any other iOS device.

Upon registering and getting your login credentials, you will be able to also watch your favorite HBO programming on hbonow.com via Mac or PC.

HBO NOW is only accessible in the U.S. (check out our tutorial on how to access U.S.-only services on Apple TV outside the U.S.).

Similar to HBO GO, HBO NOW will offer more than 2,000 titles online. This includes current critically acclaimed series like Game of Thrones , True Detective, Silicon Valley, Girls, Veep, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and The Leftovers, as well as classics like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, True Blood, The Wire and Deadwood.

In addition, HBO NOW subscribers will have instant access to more Hollywood hits like Divergent, X-MEN: Days of Future Past, Neighbors, Godzilla and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

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Finally, we have some reliable info on the next Apple TV. Reputed blogger John Paczkowski (formerly Re/code and AllThingsD) posted today on BuzzFeed some authoritative details on the specs, new features and release date of the much-awaited Apple TV 4.

According to “sources familiar with the company’s plans”,  Apple “intends to show the device off” at the World Wide Developer Conference, expected to be held in early June.

There is a reason Apple chose the developer’s arena. The new Apple TV will sport a redesigned operating system with support for third party apps and of course, have a separate App Store for them. So Apple wants its developer community to get to work as early as June and populate the App Store by the time Apple TV 4 reaches the hands of users.

Hardware wise, the refreshed Apple TV will reportedly pack an A8 chip or at least a variant of it, making it much more powerful and a huge improvement over the current single-core A5 ones.

New Apple TV will also harbor a better flash drive with much larger capacity than the present 8 GB ones. The set-top box is said to come with a redesigned, tactile remote too.

The Apple TV 4 will also bear an intuitive user-interface and voice navigation feature like the Amazon Fire TV, thanks to Siri integration.

And as we heard before, the new Apple TV will also be instrumental in remotely controlling your HomeKit smart devices via Siri.

Paczkowski reports:

Sources say Apple’s new Apple TV is a significant overhaul of the device, one intended to undergird Apple’s vision of what the TV viewing experience should be […]

If I’m understanding the company’s strategy correctly, the new Apple TV isn’t just a play for a stake of the streaming TV market, but for the mythical digital living room. Think TV, music, apps and a little bit of home automation as well.

Reading along the other recent rumors, the video content available on the Apple TV 4 will be more appreciable to cord cutters too, as it will come with Apple’s own streaming service and the HBO NOW service.

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The news of Apple’s standalone streaming service is getting hotter hour by hour. As The Wall Street Journal now reports, Discovery and Viacom are currently in talks with Apple to bring their channels to the service as well.

The Discovery group owns The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and TLC while Viacom rules over MTV, Comedy Central, TV Land, WH1, CMT and Nickelodeon. And if the reported talks turn around as we hope them to, these popular channels will become a part of the 25+ channels already lining up for the Apple Web TV.

As we reported earlier, Apple is developing a $30-$40 streaming package which lets you select a set of channels to view on the Apple TV. The service is expected to include a “skinny bundle” of channels with the likes of Fox, Disney, ESPN and more, and will launch in September this year.

According to WSJ:

Adding additional channels would also make Apple’s service more likely to succeed. Currently, Sling TV offers live streaming of 17 networks at $20 per month, while Apple is supposedly going to offer 25 networks at $30 to $40 each month. The math just doesn’t add up for the service to be double the cost of Sling TV but only offer eight additional channels.

It is worth noting that HBO NOW streaming service is coming to the Apple TV next month and that NBC is bringing a standalone channel later this year. And with the new pricing of just $69 (or just $67.87 on Amazon), there has never been a better time to cut the cord and get an Apple TV.

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According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning to launch its own online television service that would include about 25 channels from broadcasters such as ABC, CBS and Fox and would be available on Apple TV as well as on iPhone and iPad.

The idea is to offer consumers a “skinny” bundle with well-known channels like CBS, ESPN and FX, while leaving out the many smaller networks in the standard cable TV package.

Some media executives said they believed Apple was aiming to price the service at about $30 to $40 a month. The company is aiming to announce its new service in June and launch it in September, according to people familiar with the matter.

WSJ reports that Apple is in talks with Walt Disney Co., CBS Corp., and 21st Century Fox Inc., among other media companies.

Last week Apple announced that the new HBO NOW streaming service is coming exclusively to Apple TV in April. According to WSJ, “that deal was designed as a kind of appetizer for the main meal plans to be served later this year.”

Apple has also dropped the price of Apple TV to $69 (and it’s now just $67.87 on Amazon), which 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman thinks is a sign that the company is making room for “a groundbreaking new set-top box.”

9to5Mac reported that Apple is working on a new, slimmer Apple TV model with a more capable and tactile remote control and a redesigned OS bundled with an App Store.

We shouldn’t be surprised if the new Apple TV launches in September, along with Apple’s online TV service.

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9to5Mac’s Senior Editor, Mark Gurman is riding a high tide now, as most of his predictions regarding the Apple Watch and the new ultra-thin MacBook were proven right. In an interview given to CNBC, Gurman shares his views on where Apple TV is going and the possibility of an Apple television set.

Along with other Apple stuff, the CNBC reporter asked Gurman about his thoughts on the $30 price cut for Apple TV 3 and the 3 month exclusivity of HBO NOW for Apple TV. This is what he had to say:

I think this $69 price point ($30 price drop) is a big deal because it indicates that they try to make room for something. They are trying to sell a lot of these Apple TVs. They are trying to use it as a marketing tool to really allow for customer discovery of these living room solutions. So I think it is a big deal in getting the Apple TV out there.[..]

Even bigger is the HBO exclusivity deal because it represents that the Apple TV with the cable networks and show providers have the technology to do a subscription service without the cable box. And I think HBO is just the first of many.

And I think the overall solution Apple has in the works is just a bunch of different programs and apps, that are not on a pay-per-view subscription but like perhaps a weekly, monthly or yearly plans.

Gurman was also asked about the possibility of a standalone Apple TV set:

I don’t think [Apple TV set] is currently in the works or is currently the plan. I think the plan is to make a groundbreaking new set-top box that really changes the model path of how people get TV. I think more services-backed model is where they are headed instead of screen-based hardware.

I think the next version of Apple TV, in terms of appearance, will look really a lot like the current one. It probably will be thinner, have a larger more tactile remote control. But in terms of a screen-based set, I don’t think that is happening in the near future.

You can catch the whole 5 minute interview here.

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Tim Cook started today’s Apple Watch event by talking about the Apple TV. This had me at the edge of my seat, because despite these reports, I hoped for the Apple TV 4. Though that didn’t happen, the current generation of Apple TV did receive a huge price cut.

You can buy a new Apple TV 3 today for just $69. That is a 30% cut from its previous $99 pricing, and is a quite significant one. The refurbished Apple TV 3 is still cheaper at $59.

This isn’t the first time Apple has provided offers with the purchase of Apple TVs. Last year, Apple ran two different campaigns in March and August where they gave away $25 iTunes Gift Cards with every set top box.

Tim Cook mentioned Apple TV as the category leader in streaming devices with a total of 25 million boxes already sold. Apple justifies the price cut claiming that they want to make the device more accessible.

While this might be true at some level, we couldn’t help but wonder if this is Apple’s way of clearing the shelves for the next Apple TV. According to Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac, a slimmer Apple TV with a new UI and standalone App Store is in the works and will be available by the end of this year.

In case you missed other Apple TV stories from today’s event, HBO is bringing their standalone streaming service, HBO Now to Apple TV in April. You can read more here.

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Apple has just announced on its Spring Forward event that it became an exclusive launch partner for a standalone HBO NOW streaming service, which is set to debut on Apple TV in April.

We reported on this a few days back, but things became official today when Richard Plepler, CEO at Home Box Office, took the stage during the event and announced the long-awaited streaming service.

Along with the Apple TV, Mac, iPhone and iPad apps will also pick up HBO NOW channel.

You will be able to cut the cord completely, as there is no need of any cable subscriptions. All you need is a broadband connection and an Apple device, says Plepler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQEhY_MJk9M

The service will carry all HBO original programming, Hollywood movies, HBO films, short films and documentaries, sports and music, and more.

Similar to HBO GO, HBO NOW will offer more than 2,000 titles online. This includes current critically acclaimed series like Game of Thrones, True Detective, Silicon Valley, Girls, Veep and The Leftovers, as well as classics like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, True Blood, The Wire and Deadwood.

In addition, HBO NOW will showcase Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, named “best of 2014″ on many critics’ lists;VICE, the Emmy-winning, cutting-edge news magazine series hosted by Shane Smith; HBO Sports documentaries, series and World Championship Boxing events; and groundbreaking documentary programming like Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst and the Oscar-winning Citizenfour.”

Plepler took the best route to make sure he had everyone’s attention. They clubbed its demo with an exclusive trailer of the next Game of Thrones season, which premieres on April 12th.

The service will be available starting this April for $14.99 a month. And to give you the extra push, HBO NOW offers a free one month trial if you sign up with an Apple device this April.

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