When iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 launched earlier this week with the updated TV app that Apple first teased at its March event, Samsung also rolled out support for both AirPlay 2 and the new TV app, making it the first third-party company to launch these features. We have a Samsung TV set (the 2018 Q6F) that's compatible with the new Apple offerings, so we thought we'd check them out to give MacRumors readers a look at how Apple features work on third-party television sets. play After installing a firmware update, Apple-compatible Samsung TV sets will have an Apple TV app, which is going to be unique to Samsung TVs for the foreseeable future. Other TV sets are gaining Apple features like ‌AirPlay‌ 2, but it's only Samsung that has a TV app option for now. The TV app on a Samsung TV looks almost identical to the TV app on the ‌Apple TV‌, offering up a "Watch Now" feature that keeps track of the movies and the TV shows you're watching, plus content recommendations ranging from suggestions based on what you've watched to new content to trending content. The "Channels" feature that's new to the TV app is available on Samsung TVs, allowing users to subscribe to services like HBO, Starz, Showtime, and more right within the TV app. Channels content can be watched right within the TV app without the need to open up another app. There are dedicated sections for "Watch Now," Movies, TV Shows, Kids, Library, Search, and Settings, and the app offers up access to all of the iTunes content that you've previously purchased. You can also purchase or rent new movies within the app. Apple content on the Samsung TV works with other Samsung Smart TV services, including the Universal Guide, Bixby, and Search. Compatible Samsung TVs also now work with ‌AirPlay‌ 2, which means you can ‌AirPlay‌ content to them much like you would to a TV connected to an ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box. You can ‌AirPlay‌ music to the TV, ‌AirPlay‌ content from apps like YouTube, or ‌AirPlay‌ TV shows and movies. ‌AirPlay‌ functionality works from within apps or through the Control Center where ‌AirPlay‌ options are located. In our testing, the ‌Apple TV‌ and ‌AirPlay‌ 2 features on the Samsung TV set worked flawlessly, and were much like using an ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box. The experience was similar enough that it's easy to forget you're interacting with a Samsung Smart TV rather than an ‌Apple TV‌ box. There are quite a few Samsung TVs from 2018 and 2019 that are compatible with ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and the TV app, with a list available below: Samsung FHD/HD 4, 5 Series (2018) Samsung QLED 4K Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9 Series (2018 & 2019) Samsung QLED 8K Q9 Series (2019) Samsung The Frame Series (2018 & 2019) Samsung The Serif Series (2019) Samsung UHD 6, 7, 8 Series (2018 & 2019) These TV sets can access ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and the TV app right now, with a firmware update required on 2018 TV models. Other TV manufacturers like Vizio, Sony, and LG are also implementing similar features and will begin supporting ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and HomeKit later this year. Vizio is already beta testing ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌ features, as demonstrated in the video below. play While Vizio, Sony, and LG all plan to support ‌HomeKit‌, which will let you use Siri voice commands and the Home app to control your TV, Samsung is not implementing this feature and Samsung TVs won't be an available option in the Home app. Samsung has instead added the TV app, which Vizio, Sony, and LG have not announced support for.<doc-sep>Samsung Electronics announced that beginning on Monday, all 2019 Samsung Smart TVs and select 2018 TV models will recieve a firmware update will feature the all-new Apple TV app, and add AirPlay 2. The Apple TV app works the same way that it does on an Apple TV. Users select the Apple TV app icon to access all of their iTunes movies and TV show purchases and browse more than 100,000 iTunes movies and TV shows to buy or rent. The Apple TV app works with Samsung's Smart TV Services, such as Universal Guide, Bixby and Search "For the last decade, Samsung has been at the forefront of offering the broadest selection of content available to consumers on our Smart TV platform." said Won-Jin Lee, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "As the first TV manufacturer to integrate the Apple TV app on a Smart TV platform, Samsung continues to offer our customers incredible value and access to the Apple TV app experience on the largest screens available today." The select compatible Samsung televisions will also be compatible with AirPlay 2. Unlike other models from Vizio and others, HomeKit support is not included.<doc-sep>The all-new Apple TV app is now available for Samsung Smart TVs, marking the first time the video player has been available beyond Apple’s own platforms. Samsung Smart TVs are also gaining support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 feature for wirelessly sending audio and video to the TV screen without a set-top box attached. Both new features are available through a firmware update on newer Samsung Smart TVs. The company says all 2019 smart TVs and select 2018 models will receive the firmware update. Apple’s HomeKit accessories guide points to these models for AirPlay 2 support: Samsung FHD/HD 4, 5 Series (2018) Samsung QLED 4K Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9 Series (2018 & 2019) Samsung QLED 8K Q9 Series (2019) Samsung The Frame Series (2018 & 2019) Samsung The Serif Series (2019) Samsung UHD 6, 7, 8 Series (2018 & 2019) Samsung says the new Apple TV app will be available in over 100 countries while AirPlay 2 support is offered in 176 countries. The new Apple TV app includes support for viewing, renting, and buying movies and viewing and buying TV shows purchased through the iTunes Store. The Apple TV app on Samsung Smart TVs also supports buying subscriptions to services through the new Apple TV Channels feature, including access to Showtime, HBO, and other streaming services. Later this fall, the new Apple TV app will provide access to Apple TV+, the new streaming entertainment service previewed at Apple’s March 25th event. Samsung also says the new Apple TV app works “seamlessly with Samsung’s Smart TV Services, such as Universal Guide, Bixby and Search, to create a consistent experience across Samsung’s platform.” Apple’s redesigned and enhanced TV app also launches today on iPhone and iPad with iOS 12.3. Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K hardware gains the new TV app with the tvOS 12.3 software update, and the third-gen Apple TV gains the new TV app with Apple TV Software Update 7.3, a rare update to the set-top box no longer sold by Apple. Later this fall, Apple will release the new TV app for the Mac as well. The new #AppleTV app is out! With iOS 12.3 and a compatible 2018/2019 Samsung TV.. Airplay 2 works WITHOUT the Apple TV box 🙏🏻👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/jcqvHunXHZ — Sara 🍑y (@saradietschy) May 13, 2019 Samsung first announced pending support for AirPlay 2 and the iTunes Movies and TV Shows app (now rebranded and updated as the Apple TV app) back in January as part of CES 2019. Other Smart TV makers are gaining AirPlay 2 support including Sony, LG, and Vizio, but Samsung is the first partner to support the Apple TV app (although other brands include special Home app features not supported by Samsung). Note: The firmware update may not be available just yet following Samsung’s announcement. We’ll update when we see the firmware update. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:<doc-sep>
With the launch of iOS 12.3, both AirPlay 2 and the new Apple TV app are available on compatible Smart TVs, Samsung announced today. All 2019 Samsung Smart TVs and select 2018 TV models with a firmware update will be able to access ‌Apple TV‌ channels and iTunes movies and TV shows through the TV app and will support ‌AirPlay‌ 2. Samsung says that the TV app offers content in more than 100 countries, while ‌AirPlay‌ 2 is available in 176 countries. On compatible Samsung TVs with the Smart TV platform, users are able to select the ‌Apple TV‌ app icon to access their Apple content. With the Channels feature in the ‌Apple TV‌ app, Samsung users can subscribe to services like HBO, Showtime, Starz, and more, and watch content from those services directly in the ‌Apple TV‌ app. Samsung users will also have access to more than 100,000 TV shows and movies to buy or rent from iTunes, including content that's available in 4K HDR. "For the last decade, Samsung has been at the forefront of offering the broadest selection of content available to consumers on our Smart TV platform," said Won-Jin Lee, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "As the first TV manufacturer to integrate the ‌Apple TV‌ app on a Smart TV platform, Samsung continues to offer our customers incredible value and access to the ‌Apple TV‌ app experience on the largest screens available today." The TV app available on Samsung Smart TVs will allow Apple customers who are already in the Apple ecosystem to access their previously purchased content without needing to have an ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box, which is a first. All iTunes content and other content from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac can also be AirPlayed right to a Samsung TV for the first time, making it easier to get content from Apple devices to the TV. Samsung TVs compatible with ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and the TV app are listed below: - Samsung FHD/HD 4, 5 Series (2018) - Samsung QLED 4K Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9 Series (2018 & 2019) - Samsung QLED 8K Q9 Series (2019) - Samsung The Frame Series (2018 & 2019) - Samsung The Serif Series (2019) - Samsung UHD 6, 7, 8 Series (2018 & 2019) Samsung says that the ‌Apple TV‌ app will "work seamlessly" with other Smart TV services, including Universal Guide, Bixby, and Search for a consistent experience across Samsung's platform. Samsung is the only TV manufacturer that's getting the TV app at the current time, but other smart TVs are gaining ‌AirPlay‌ 2 support. It's likely we'll be hearing about ‌AirPlay‌ 2 compatibility from Vizio, LG, and Sony now that iOS 12.3 with ‌AirPlay‌ 2 support and the new ‌Apple TV‌ app has officially launched. Other TV sets are also expected to integrate with HomeKit, allowing users to control them via Siri commands and through the Home app, but this is not a feature that is coming to Samsung TVs.