It is time for Apple so as to add this Fireplace Stick characteristic to the Apple TV 4K

The final time Apple launched a brand new Apple TV 4K was in 2022, and since then, the price of streaming has risen sharply. Main streaming companies like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and YouTube TV have all raised costs a number of occasions over the previous few years — together with Apple TV, which Apple elevated by $3 per thirty days final 12 months.

With all these worth hikes, it is no shock that free streaming companies like The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi, and Plex have surged in reputation. They provide tons of of FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels, together with loads of free on-demand motion pictures and reveals.

So, now you could be questioning, what does that must do with the Apple TV 4K? Properly, with Apple rumored to lastly launch a brand new Apple TV 4K this 12 months with promising hardware upgrades, it is bought me pondering loads about what’s nonetheless lacking from the Apple TV expertise in comparison with different platforms like Fireplace TV, Roku, and Google TV. And the very first thing that popped into my thoughts is free streaming.

Sure, Apple tends to deal with premium gadgets and companies. But when it embraced free streaming like Amazon, Google, and Roku, it might make the Apple TV 4K — which I already suppose is among the greatest streamers — much more compelling.

The Apple TV 4K wants a free reside TV hub

One place to browse all of the free content material accessible

As somebody who’s extensively used a Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max for streaming and examined a number of Roku gadgets and the Google TV Streamer, one factor I’ve persistently appreciated throughout all of them is their free content material hubs, usually constructed round reside TV guides. It is an extremely helpful characteristic for accessing free streaming, and sadly, one which the Apple TV 4K does not supply in any respect.

In case you’re not accustomed to them, Amazon, Roku, and Google every have their very own model of those free reside TV guides.

On Fireplace TV Sticks, Amazon provides a reside TV information that pulls collectively free reside TV channels from apps put in in your machine, resembling Prime Video and Tubi, making it simple to browse the whole lot in a single place.

Google TV takes an analogous method with Freeplay, its built-in reside TV information, which provides customers over 250 free channels from Google and over 1,000 free channels from FAST companies put in in your machine, resembling Plex and Pluto TV.

I feel the Apple TV 4K would profit tremendously from a free streaming hub like those these different gadgets supply, particularly for individuals who do not wish to preserve paying for a number of streaming companies…

Then there’s Roku, which arguably has essentially the most recognizable free streaming hub with The Roku Channel, providing greater than 500 reside TV channels, plus an enormous library of on-demand reveals and flicks, all fully at no cost.

Now, I am not saying Apple must all of a sudden begin signing offers and launch its personal lineup of free channels — although that will surely be fascinating and a welcome transfer — however it will be good if it took a web page from Amazon’s Fireplace TV playbook and launched a reside TV information that aggregates free channels from apps already put in in your machine.

Higher but, this would not even must be unique to a brand new Apple TV 4K, since it will be a tvOS characteristic that would additionally launch on older fashions.

Free reside TV is not inconceivable on the Apple TV 4K

You may watch free content material now, there’s simply no hub for it

Though the Apple TV 4K does not but supply a built-in free reside TV information, you possibly can nonetheless stream loads of free content material on it.

All you might want to do is obtain a free streaming app from the App Retailer, resembling Pluto TV, Plex, or Tubi. As soon as put in, simply open the app, and also you’ll have entry to free motion pictures, reveals, and reside TV channels very quickly. Plus, a few of them do not even require an account.

Prime Video now provides some free content material as effectively, even with out a Prime subscription.

The one main free streaming service notably lacking from Apple TV is The Roku Channel, since its app is at present restricted to Roku gadgets, Samsung good TVs, and Fireplace TV gadgets.

Finally, I might like to see Apple sooner or later launch a free streaming hub of its personal on its Apple TV gadgets, the place you possibly can simply see all of the free reside TV channels accessible in your machine in a single handy place. However till that day comes, if it ever does, you possibly can nonetheless stream free reside TV channels on an Apple TV 4K; you simply have to look throughout completely different apps to search out all of them.