Movies

Classic cartoon streaming service Boomerang hits Apple TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 29, 2017

The cartoon service Boomerang on Thursday announced the release of a streaming app for the fourth-generation Apple TV, bringing classic cartoons like Wacky Races, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo and many others to Apple's set-top box.

The service is also adding support for Google's Chromecast and Amazon's Fire TV HDMI dongles. Roku devices will be added in the coming weeks.

Boomerang originally launched its premium video subscription service in April.

You can subscribe to Boomerang for $5 per month, or $40 per year, to access exclusive shows and new episodes of cartoons, as well as enjoy Boomerang's on-demand archive of 5,000+ movies and TV shows from Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes and MGM animation catalogs.

A 7-day free trial of Boomerang is available.

Boomerang also launched the new original series “Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz from” Warner Bros. Animation, with the first thirteen episodes now available for streaming via their service.

The app's App Store description notes that Boomerang is only accessible in the United States “where a high-speed broadband connection is available” (well, I live in Croatia and we have a very high-speed broadband over here as well).

Download Boomerang for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV from App Store.

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Sean Combs’ documentary “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” debuts exclusively on Apple Music

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

As promised back in April, the hip-hop documentary “Can't Stop Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story” has made its exclusive debut on Apple's music-stremaing service.

Directed by Daniel Kaufman and available for streaming to all Apple Music members, the documentary chronicles the precipitous rise of Sean “Diddy” Combs aka Puff Daddy and his record label in the mid-90s to the top of the music business.

To watch the documentary, fire up the Music app on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV, then enter the Browse section and tap TV & Movies and find the movie listed there.

Jimmy Iovine, Apple Music chairman and CEO, said:

I went to the Bad Boy Reuion concert and thought it was incredible. I think Puff and Bad Boy’s story is incredible and one that a lot of people can relate to in any genre or in any business. His story is powerful. He really overcame a lot to get to where he’s at today and the documentary shows that.

Here's Apple Music's official blurb:

In 1993, Sean "Diddy Combs, a.k.a. Puff Daddy, founded Bad Boy Records and changed popular culture forever. In 2016, the Bad Boy Family reunited in Brooklyn, New York for the biggest homecoming in hip-hop history. Can't Stop Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story explores the passion and personalities behind the empire, and goes inside the making of a movement and the staging of an unprecedented musical event.

This is an intern-to-CEO story -- a raw behind-the-scenes look at the legacy of Bad Boy through a complex portrait of its mastermind as Combs reunites the Family over a frantic three-week rehearsal period. The film traces the label's emergence in Harlem and Brooklyn, follows its meteoric rise, reflects on the tragic killing of Biggie Smalls, and celebrates Bad Boy's influence -- all while reveling the love and commitment that binds every member of the Family together.

The film covers the trials and tribulations that Combs faced in putting together last year’s 20th anniversary Bad Boy reunion shows in two weeks time, with artists who hadn’t performed in years. Apple Music will have the exclusive rights to the documentary for at least the next year.

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Apple hires two longtime Sony Pictures Television executives to lead original video programming

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2017

Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg are joining Apple from Sony Pictures Television, the Cupertino giant announced Friday.

In their new Apple role, Erlicht and Van Amburg will be tasked with overseeing all aspects of Apple's video programming, including its video programming worldwide.

Variety says Sony hasn't named their replacement and it's unclear if the studio has an internal successor ready to take the helm of the production unit that is crucial to its bottom line.

Jamie Erlicht was quoted in Apple's press release as saying the following:

It will be an honor to be part of the Apple team. We want to bring to video what Apple has been so successful with in their other services and consumer products—unparalleled quality.

Zack Van Amburg added:

Apple has a relentless focus on delighting customers with their products. We will bring that same intention to Apple’s programming and we could not be more excited about what lies ahead.

Reporting to Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, the two executives have extensive expertise producing television for global audiences and creating programming for video services like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix.

Cue was quoted as saying:

Jamie and Zack are two of the most talented TV executives in the world and have been instrumental in making this the golden age of television. We have exciting plans in store for customers and can’t wait for them to bring their expertise to Apple—there is much more to come.

Both executives were longtime presidents of Sony Pictures Television since 2005, helping produce hit shows like “Breaking Bad”, “Better Call Saul”, “The Crown”, “Rescue Me” and more.

Their shows won 36 Emmys and dozens of Golden Globes, AFI and WGA awards.

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Apple is looking for a programming chief

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 16, 2017

Highlighting Apple's ongoing initiatives in terms of producing original shows, The Information reported yesterday that Apple has been looking for a programming chief to lead its video efforts across the company.

“HBO’s former programming head Michael Lombardo met with Apple executives earlier this year to discuss Apple’s video programming strategy,” a person familiar with the talks told author Tom Dotan.

While the iPhone maker has been looking to fill that particular role, it's unclear if Lombardo could be a candidate to run the company's video efforts. Lombardo left his role as HBO president and programming lead in early 2016 to become a producer.

He is currently producing a 10-episode scripted series for HBO, based on true events, because the executive now has a production deal with the network he departed just earlier this year.

The publication speculates that having a programming chief would signal to the entertainment community that Apple was serious about making its own shows and movies. The Cupertino company is working on several video projects for Apple Music members, including reality competition show “Planet of the Apps” and the “Carpool Karaoke” spinoff.

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Hulu’s $40 per month Live TV service launches, app hits App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Hulu's long-expected live TV service has gone official with today's launch of the Hulu Live TV app on App Store. Designed for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV, the software lets subscribers access the entire Hulu streaming library and more than 50 top live and on-demand channels, including FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, FX, NBCSN, FS1, History Channel and TNT.

In addition, live sports from top pro and college leagues, as well as regional sports networks, are available in certain areas. As a bonus, you'll get to stream national news with local feeds in select cities, popular kids shows, can’t-miss events and thousands of popular on-demand shows and movies from many of these channels.

You can choose to subscribe to Hulu with ad-supported Live TV for $40, or an additional $4 per month to get rid of advertising. Advanced features are available for extra money, such as Cloud DVR which lets you record live TV to watch your favorites on your own time, the ability to watch concurrent streams on multiple devices, as well as track and record games from your favorite teams with a My Teams feature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT-7kxJDX-o

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For an additional $15 per month, you can upgrade Cloud DVR functionality with up to 200 hours of cloud storage and the ability to fast-forward through commercials. Unlimited simultaneous viewing on as many screens as you want is an additional $15 per month. And if you purchase both add-ons, you'll save a cool $10.

As soon as you launch the app, you're greeted with all-new onboarding experience.

Firstly, you're asked to log in with your Hulu subscription credentials. The app cannot be used unless you're a subscriber. The setup procedure then takes you on a quick tour of the app's main features such as your personal live TV lineup, a My Stuff section and more.

Next, you can optionally tell the app about the kinds of shows you prefer to watch, helping it recommend content that's tailored to your needs. Finally, you can add your favorite shows and movies to the My Stuff section, or skip this step and set up these items at a later stage.

The app lets you create up to six personalized profiles so everyone in your household gets to enjoy their own personalized Hulu experience with their own collection of shows, movies, networks and more. Like with other services, the more you watch, the smarter the system gets.

You can browse Hulu's library while you watch with a Fliptray feature that lets you quickly find what else is on, change the channel, or get recommendations of what to watch next. Just tap the Fliptray button during playback to get started with this multitasking capability.

The app supports iPhone and iPad with iOS 10+ and the fourth-generation Apple TV.

A free seven-day trial of Hulu Live TV is available to new and eligible subscribers. As a cool bonus, Hulu will let you try out each of the add-ons for one month without being charged.

Download Hulu Live TV from App Store.

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Hulu teases upcoming live TV service: cloud DVR, multi-device streaming & more confirmed

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 16, 2017

Hulu recently updated its experiencehulu.com mini-site, which highlights the company's existing video on demand service and a forthcoming live television offering. The website refresh has revealed previously unconfirmed features such as cloud DVR, multi-device streaming, user profiles, support for guest accounts, real-time notifications for live events and other perks. The sub-$40 service is expected to launch across iOS, tvOS and other platforms in the coming months.

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Apple Music gaining new TV & Movies section

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 14, 2017

Apple Music appears to be at the heart of the Cupertino company’s strategy for original television shows, with a new section headlined “TV & Movies” being added to desktop iTunes and the Music app on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, as revealed in the promotional trailer for ”Planet of the Apps”.

As you know, Apple is making a deeper push into producing its own stable of original TV shows, with an unscripted reality TV show called “Planet of the Apps” and a spinoff series based on James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” scheduled to air this spring on Apple Music, the company's subscription music service.

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Apple has finished filming Planet of the Apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2017

Apple has reportedly finished filming Planet of the Apps, an unscripted television show about apps and their talented creators, MacRumors has learned from a person familiar with the project. The Cupertino company reportedly built a real set near Hollywood in order to record the show and tore it down at the conclusion of filming.

The whole filming process was apparently “very stressful,” but “exhilarating”. It's unclear when the reality series will air, but it's believed that Apple plans on making it available to Apple Music subscribers at no charge.

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HBO GO picks up support for Single sign-on and Apple’s new TV app

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 26, 2017

Apple today put HBO GO on the list of video apps supported in its new TV app via the Single-sign on feature that recently launched in iOS 10 and tvOS 10.

This lets HBO GO users sign in with their cable or satellite credentials on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Apple TV to enjoy instant access to HBO shows, not only in Apple's own TV app but in other supported video apps that their pay TV subscription includes.

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Hulu for iOS gains user profiles for multiple-user accounts, offline viewing in the works

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 21, 2017

Hulu for iOS was updated on App Store with personalized profiles for multiple-user accounts following the introduction of single-user profiles in December 2016.

Personalized profiles for multiple users who share a single Hulu account are now available on the web at Hulu.com and in the mobile Hulu app for iOS and other platforms, TechCrunch reported yesterday.

The oft-requested offline viewing feature will arrive “in a few months” as the company is working hard on the technology as well as on securing content rights, Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins told Adweek.

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