Apple and Disney have both announced the release of streaming services, Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus, rumored to rival Netflix and add a new dimension to the world of online streaming. Here’s what you can expect from these big names this November.
Apple TV Plus
Launch date: Nov. 1
Price: $4.99 per month
What you can expect: Apple has created a lineup of nine original shows that will be released on Apple TV Plus. Working with big names like Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, Apple TV Plus will include a variety of drama, comedy and documentary content, said to resemble HBO in its smaller selection and clear style — with more to come each month after the initial launch.
- Most Apple TV Plus shows will be released weekly and, as of now, will be original content, which undermines claims of Apple TV Plus’ rival similarity to the bingeable Netflix.
- Up to six family members can use one account through the Apple TV app, available on all Apple devices, along with other smart devices and services from LG, Vizio, Samsung, Sony, Amazon and Roku.
- Aside from the seven-day free trial of Apple TV Plus, purchasing a new Apple device unlocks a free one-year subscription to the service, allowing instant access to shows like “The Morning Show” starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Aniston; “Dickinson,” a historical comedy about poet Emily Dickinson; “See,” a dystopian drama starring Jason Momoa, and even the “STEM friendly” “Sesame Street” spinoff “Helpsters.”
With unlimited downloads, 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision capabilities and award-winning actors and creators, Apple TV Plus has big plans for its future as a streaming service.
Disney Plus
Launch date: Nov. 12
Price: $6.99 per month, $69.99 a year
What you can expect: This all-inclusive vault of Disney content will include behind-the-scenes footage and full-length and short classics reaching as far back as the iconic “Steamboat Willie” through modern-day Disney Channel. It will also unveil new surprises for fans of Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel alike. Other titles will come from National Geographic and Fox.
- New releases will include the live-action “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian,” various Marvel universe spinoff shows, the Christmas comedy “Noelle” starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader and a live-action remake of “Lady and the Tramp.”
- Disney is known for its family-friendly reputation and won’t be changing that any time soon. Not only is there a child lock for parents who wish to monitor content, but there will be no R-rated content found among the 7,500 television episodes and 500 film titles on the streaming service in the first year.
- Disney hopes fans everywhere will flock to this new Disney resource now that most Disney and Disney-licensed titles have been removed from Netflix, or will be removed after their licenses have expired.
- Subscribers can stream on four devices at a time and can create seven viewer profiles on one account. Like Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus will be available in 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision and will release episodes weekly, unlike Netflix’s full-season drops.
- According to thenextweb.com, Disney Plus services can be streamed on iOS devices and Apple TV, Android devices, Google Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices, Roku sticks and TVs, PS4 and Sony TVs and Xbox One.
- In December, Disney will release the book “One Day at Disney,” which will give a look into the magic that happens behind the scenes and allow viewers to “meet the people who make the magic across the globe.” The book will be accompanied by a full-length documentary and 52 short-form episodes that expand on the stories from the book, available on Disney Plus.