As part of a firmware update, Sony has started rolling out the Apple TV app to its 2020 and 2019 TV line-ups. The highest-end models from 2018 are also getting the app.
Rasmus Larsen for flatpanelshd:
When Sony brought the Apple TV app to its XH90 (X900H) model in October 2020, it promised to also bring the app to its 2020, 2019 and select 2018 TVs in “over 100 countries and regions” before the end of the year.
Well, here it is. Firmware v6.4960, which is rolling out now in Europe and coming soon to North America, introduces the Apple TV app widely across Sony’s TVs from the last few years. As far as we can tell, this includes all 2020 Android TVs models, most 2019 models (but not AG8, XG83, XG81 and XG80 at this time), and two high-end 2018 Android TVs (AF9/A9F and ZF9/Z9F).
Sony has confirmed to FlatpanelsHD that the app supports streaming in 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos on compatible TVs.
MacDailyNews Note: The full changelog and a list of compatible Sony TV models can be found at the bottom of the article here.
Why is support so limited? It’s just a video streaming app? I don’t get all the delay and confusion on support? Just release the freaking app already for all TVs? I have a 900f, one of they high end mid tier TVs and it’s not that old, but it can’t stream Apple TV videos for some reason? So annoying.
I get the impression that Sony kind of doesn’t like Apple. They both tend to go after the same market of people who understand what details matter, and don’t just look at spec numbers. But this actually undermines Sony’s value to people who use Apple, as Sony’s Apple compatibility is often strangely bad, given their otherwise high-end aims.
One time I went into a Sony store. I asked the salesman about connecting my friends Sony laptop, (with an HDMI port) to a Sony TV (With S-Video). Does such an adaptor exist? Surely Sony would have it.
He sent me to Radio Shack.
The tv “app” experience on these smart TVs is probably similar to how the built-in tv software works now on my old A5 Apple TV box (2013 3rd gen A1469). This tiniest model came immediately before version with third-party apps and Siri remote. After updates, everything from my tv+ subscription is accessed from one “tile” on main screen, including buying/renting from iTunes Store. Other services not part of tv+ accessed as before, from their respective tiles on main screen (such as Netflix, Hulu, etc…). AirPlay works from other Apple devices.
I bring this up because some of you may have one collecting dust. It’ll give any HDTV, dumb or smart, old or new, the “Apple TV app.” This usefulness must be why it’s still priced at $40-60 on eBay (just checked). I bought it as a certified Apple refurb for $59 in 2015, and it’s more useful to me now than when it was brand new.
I don’t get it, it’s not like an actual Apple TV is expensive compared to these high-end TVs. I have a nice Sony from a few years ago that may or may not be compatible, and an Apple TV box on which I watch 90% of the content I ever watch on the TV (basically other than occasional live sports and cable news I watch via the Verizon box). The Sony TV is great at two things: amazing picture, and nice-looking hardware surrounding the picture. Like every other TV I’ve used in the last 20 years, the software/UI is abominable so I treat it like the dumb monitor it’s good at and love it for that. Are there people who seriously use the apps on their “smart” TVs???