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Demystifying Apple‘s Video Services: What‘s the Difference Between Apple TV and Apple TV+?

Hey there! If you‘re feeling confused about the differences between the multiple video services Apple offers under the "Apple TV" branding, you‘re not alone. Between the Apple TV set-top box first released in 2007, the Apple TV app that arrived over a decade later, and the Apple TV+ streaming service that launched in 2019, it can get pretty messy trying to understand what each one actually offers.

But no worries – I‘m going to break down exactly how each Apple TV service is different so you can better decide what meets your needs. By the end, everything will be crystal clear!

A Brief History of Apple TV

To understand how we arrived at the current lineup of Apple video services, it helps to start at the beginning…

Let‘s go back to January 2007 when Apple founder Steve Jobs first unveiled the Apple TV device. This was a set-top box that plugged into your TV and let you stream content wirelessly from iTunes on a Mac or PC.

Jobs positioned this gadget as the "missing link" between all your digital content stored on Apple devices and getting it to your big screen TV for the whole family to enjoy.

While revolutionary for its time, the first-generation Apple TV was quite basic – it could only play content synced from iTunes, YouTube videos, and streams from a small selection of other services. Buying movies and shows directly on the device wasn‘t an option yet.

That capability arrived just a few months later in May 2007 when Apple added movie and TV show purchases and rentals to iTunes. This remains a key pillar of their video strategy to this day.

Over the years, Apple continued iterating on the Apple TV hardware and building out iTunes‘ catalog with content partners. But over a decade later, it was time for a change…

In 2018, Apple decided to divide iTunes into three separate apps: Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV. This replaced iTunes as the central hub for video content.

Then in late 2019, the Apple TV+ streaming service joined the mix offering original movies, shows, and documentaries for a monthly subscription fee just like Netflix.

So in just over a decade we went from a single Apple TV box to multiple Apple TV services spanning both rental/purchase and subscription models. Now let‘s explore what each one offers…

What Can I Access on the Apple TV App?

The Apple TV app first launched in 2018 as the new home for video content purchased or rented from the iTunes store. Instead of browsing for movies, TV shows, etc. within iTunes like in the past, everything was now accessed in this dedicated app.

Some key things you can do on the Apple TV app:

  • Rent or buy movies, TV shows, 4K HDR titles, and more
  • Access your entire existing iTunes video purchase library
  • Watch content you‘ve purchased or rented on demand
  • Subscribe to third-party services like HBO Max and watch in-app
  • Download titles to your device for offline viewing
  • Access on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV box, smart TVs, and other streaming devices

An important thing to highlight is that the Apple TV app provides permanent access to movies, shows, and other videos purchased or redeemed through iTunes. This includes your entire purchase history.

For example, let‘s say you bought seasons 1-7 of The Office back in 2018 on iTunes on your Mac. Even though iTunes is now replaced by Apple Music and Apple TV apps, you still have lifetime access to stream or download those purchases in the new Apple TV app.

This ensures a seamless viewing experience as Apple transitions its services over time. You get to keep your purchased libraries and move them forward into the Apple TV app age.

Now let‘s talk about the crucial content partnerships that make Apple TV an indispensable video destination…

Apple has agreements with nearly all major movie studios and TV networks to offer blockbuster films, popular shows, and exclusives shortly after they air. This includes partnerships with:

  • Walt Disney Studios
  • Warner Bros. Pictures
  • NBCUniversal
  • Paramount Pictures
  • FX Networks
  • AMC Networks
  • Showtime
  • And many others

In fact, Apple has thousands of direct partnerships with content creators and video distributors.

What does this mean for you, the viewer? It means you get access to an absolutely massive catalog spanning new releases, classics films, full TV series from nearly any network, kids content, documentaries, indie films, foreign cinema, and pretty much anything else you could ask for.

Per official stats, the Apple TV app provides access to:

  • Over 150,000 movies to buy or rent
  • More than 100,000 TV show episodes
  • Daily selections of free content like trailers and exclusive clips
  • Sports including MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, and more through tv.apple.com

No other platform can match the sheer breadth of quality content available, thanks to Apple‘s unmatched distribution network hammered out over decades.

So in summary – the Apple TV app brings together your owned library along with an extensive catalog to explore via rental or purchase. Think of it like the video store of the 21st century that‘s always available on-demand.

Now, let‘s move on to the newer kid on the block…

An Overview of Apple‘s Netflix Clone: Apple TV+

In late 2019, Apple launched their own subscription video service called Apple TV+ in an effort to compete with industry leader Netflix. However, Apple TV+ functions quite differently from the standard Apple TV app.

Whereas Apple TV offers video sales and rentals from a vast catalog, Apple TV+ provides exclusive access to original movies, shows, and documentaries streaming on-demand.

The focus is 100% on Apple-produced content across genres like drama, comedy, documentary, kids, sci-fi, horror, and more. Some major hits have already emerged like the comedy Ted Lasso.

For $6.99 per month, you get unlimited access to the full and growing Apple TV+ content library. New Apple Originals are added every month spanning films, series, specials, and shorts.

Apple TV+ can be accessed across all of Apple‘s platforms including their set-top box Apple TV, iPhones, iPads, Macs and on the web at tv.apple.com.

It‘s also available on other platforms like Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and various smart TVs with the Apple TV app installed.

Now you may be wondering – how much content is actually available on Apple TV+, especially compared to the Apple TV rental/purchase library?

It‘s true that Apple TV+ has a much smaller catalog since everything is exclusive original programming. While Apple doesn‘t disclose specifics, analysts estimate the service launched with only nine original titles in late 2019.

However, Apple has invested billions into Apple TV+ originals over the past three years. They now premiere over 40 new Apple Originals per year, with a growing library of over 100 film and series titles as of 2022.

Spending over $6 billion annually, Apple is projected to cultivate a library of over 500 original titles by mid-2025 according to report estimates. That‘s huge growth in only a few years!

So while Apple TV+ remains dwarfed by the extensive collections on Netflix or Hulu, the gap is rapidly narrowing as Apple pours more investment into prestigious, star-studded projects.

Now that we‘ve explored the Apple TV services separately, how exactly do they compare to each other? Let‘s break it down…

Apple TV vs. Apple TV+ – A Side-by-Side Comparison

While it‘s easy to conflate Apple‘s similarly-named video services, they actually don‘t have much overlap. Apple TV and Apple TV+ solve different needs.

Here‘s an at-a-glance look at the key differences:

Category Apple TV Apple TV+
Pricing A la carte movie/show pricing $6.99/month subscription
Content Type Huge catalog to buy/rent Netflix-like library of Apple Originals
Ownership Can purchase titles indefinitely Only accessible during subscription
Library Size Massive catalog of 150k+ movies & shows Much smaller but fast-growing catalog of 100+ Apple Originals
Offline Viewing Purchase downloads for offline No offline viewing
Platform Availability Apple devices + Roku, Fire TV, smart TVs, consoles Apple devices + limited selection of smart TVs, consoles
Sports MLS, MLB, NBA streaming options No sports streaming – focus is on film/series of original programming

To summarize:

  • Apple TV is the ultimate video store allowing rental, purchase and access to a vast back catalog
  • Apple TV+ is a premium streaming service focused exclusively on brand new originals

So which is better? Well, it depends on what you‘re looking to stream:

  • If you want the latest Apple Original series and films, get Apple TV+.
  • If you want the new Doctor Strange movie, classic films like Goodfellas, full series catalogues, or just like renting titles – Apple TV is your solution.
  • Many subscribers opt to have both services – Apple TV for a la carte and back catalog access combined with Apple TV+ for flagship originals.

Personally, I subscribe to both because I enjoy binging Apple Originals like Mythic Quest and Slow Horses, but also renting the occasional new theatrical film release via Apple TV. The two services nicely complement each other!

Wait, What About the Apple TV 4K Box?

Good catch! We can‘t forget about the physical Apple TV box – an actual piece of hardware created by Apple.

This small set-top device plugs into your TV, connects wirelessly via WiFi, and streams video to your big screen. It‘s powered by tvOS – Apple‘s smart TV platform.

So where does it fit in?

Well, the Apple TV box does multiple things:

  • Streams video and music from the Apple TV and Apple Music apps
  • Can access and stream Apple TV+ video content
  • Lets you download and play games from Apple‘s Arcade gaming service
  • Provides access to other streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+, and hundreds more
  • Displays photos, videos and other media from your Apple iCloud account and devices
  • Includes Siri voice assistant functionality with the Siri remote
  • Allows screen mirroring from iPhone/iPad to TV

It essentially turns your regular television into a makeshift smart TV packed with streaming capabilities thanks to tvOS and the ability to install popular apps from the App Store.

The Apple TV box ties together all of Apple‘s services like Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness, and Apple Photos into one central living room hub accessed through your TV.

Currently on its 4th generation model called Apple TV 4K, it starts at $129 USD for the WiFi-only version. So it‘s certainly not cheap! But it offers deep integration with the Apple ecosystem.

Final Takeaways: Apple TV vs. Apple TV+

Let‘s recap the key things to remember when comparing these services:

  • Apple TV = The app + video store where you access purchased video libraries and rent/buy titles a la carte
  • Apple TV+ = Netflix-like subscription service with original video content
  • Apple TV Box = Hardware streaming box for accessing the above services on your TV

Hope this guide has helped explain the core differences between Apple‘s sometimes confusing mix of video offerings! Let me know if any other questions come up.