6 months ago we started working on Channels. It started as a weekend project to see if we could use the Apple TV to play back a live TV stream. It worked.
It turned into an experiment to see if Channels could actually be our dedicated live TV experience. Could we replace our cable boxes with an Apple TV? Could we do our live TV watching on the same box that is home to all of our other streaming apps? Could we finally fulfill the dream of living on a single input?
The experiment was successful for us, and many of you. Channels has allowed us to simplify all of our TV watching to a single input and streaming box, the Apple TV.
But that’s not the end of the story. DVR is the next piece of the puzzle. So we’ve decided to build the DVR we’ve always wanted and Channels deserves.
Channels DVR
We don’t want to talk a lot about Channels DVR just yet, but there’s some things we want to assure you of.
- Channels DVR will be designed from the bottom up to be used with Channels on the Apple TV. If you’re a Channels DVR user, DVR capability will just show up in Channels. It will fit right in.
- Channels DVR is a whole home DVR. The means you can start watching in one room and finish watching in another.
- At initial launch, you should expect it to do everything a cable box DVR can do, but better. We’ve had millions of ideas over the last 15 years on what would make DVRs better and we plan to make that happen over time.
- Channels DVR will not be free. It takes a lot of work to do this and licensed guide data costs money. We want Channels DVR to be the best DVR you can have in your home.
- Channels DVR will be US only initially.
- Yes, there will be a beta.
Over time, we’ll make more announcements about the status of Channels DVR and what it will be able to do.
We’re super excited about Channels DVR and think you’re going to love it. Feel free too discuss more about the future of DVR in the Channels DVR category.