Apple's over-the-top box adds Yahoo's Screen app with short videos from programs like "The Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live" plus snippets by Yahoo itself, while the the public broadcaster joins up too. November 19, 2013 8:05 AM PST (Credit: Apple) Apple widened the net of its streaming video box, Apple TV, to include Yahoo and PBS Tuesday. The Yahoo Screen video app rolled it out last month on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The app has videos, mostly short, from the likes of "Saturday Night Live," "The Colbert Report," and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," plus live news and events and music. Many of those are items you can watch through Apple TV's Hulu Plus app in full, but the Yahoo channel also has original programs from the company, like an interview program in which John Stamos talks to actors and comedians about losing their virginity or a parody of ESPN's "30 for 30" docu-drama film series based on the premise that the plot of "Space Jam" actually happened, which made the rounds on social networks last week. Hulu Plus also requires a paid subscription, while Yahoo Screen does not. PBS, which also has an iOS for its video, said its Apple TV offering has full-length episodes and clips from shows it currently airs and those dug up from its library, current and library shows, including "Frontline," "Masterpiece," and "NOVA." Users can personalize their PBS channel by creating a profile and identifying their local PBS station, with many programs will be available for viewing within 24 hours of their broadcast. Yahoo said Yahoo screen would be moving to more devices soon in a post on the company's Tumblr page. For Yahoo, it's an additional indication of Chief Executive Marissa Mayer's renewed attention to video as part of the Yahoo package. Under Mayer's leadership, the company's most headline-grabbing moves have been in other segments than video, such as the $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr and relaunching of flagship products like Flickr. Yahoo has been putting more emphasis on mail, search, and other tech-focused areas, as well as making a bigger push in mobile, rather than media. Lately, however, video has been getting more of the spotlight, striking deals with top content providers like NBC Sports and Viacom and poaching former New York Times tech columnist David Pogue to make clips for the site as he spearheads more technology-news coverage. Apple TV, for its part, has been bulking up with additional channels this year, adding features like Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Watch ESPN, and Major League Soccer. Apple has also been said to be working on a deal for Time Warner Cable channels, and CW President Mark Pedowitz earlier this year said the network would be on Apple TV imminently -- but an app for the channel had yet to materialize. However, the biggest omission from Apple on the TV front has been a long-rumored flat-panel television from the computer maker. Hype about an Apple television stretches as far back as 2009, but hopes for such a product were pushed out until late next year most recently -- or even further. UPDATE at 8:36 a.m. PT: with PBS joining Apple TV lineup.
Apple's over-the-top box adds Yahoo's Screen app with short videos from programs like "The Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live" plus snippets by Yahoo itself, while the the public broadcaster joins up too.
Apple widened the net of its streaming video box, Apple TV, to include Yahoo and PBS Tuesday.
The Yahoo Screen video app rolled it out last month on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The app has videos, mostly short, from the likes of "Saturday Night Live," "The Colbert Report," and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," plus live news and events and music. Many of those are items you can watch through Apple TV's Hulu Plus app in full, but the Yahoo channel also has original programs from the company, like an interview program in which John Stamos talks to actors and comedians about losing their virginity or a parody of ESPN's "30 for 30" docu-drama film series based on the premise that the plot of "Space Jam" actually happened, which made the rounds on social networks last week.
Hulu Plus also requires a paid subscription, while Yahoo Screen does not.
PBS, which also has an iOS for its video, said its Apple TV offering has full-length episodes and clips from shows it currently airs and those dug up from its library, current and library shows, including "Frontline," "Masterpiece," and "NOVA." Users can personalize their PBS channel by creating a profile and identifying their local PBS station, with many programs will be available for viewing within 24 hours of their broadcast.
Yahoo said Yahoo screen would be moving to more devices soon in a post on the company's Tumblr page.
For Yahoo, it's an additional indication of Chief Executive Marissa Mayer's renewed attention to video as part of the Yahoo package. Under Mayer's leadership, the company's most headline-grabbing moves have been in other segments than video, such as the $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr and relaunching of flagship products like Flickr. Yahoo has been putting more emphasis on mail, search, and other tech-focused areas, as well as making a bigger push in mobile, rather than media.
Lately, however, video has been getting more of the spotlight, striking deals with top content providers like NBC Sports and Viacom and poaching former New York Times tech columnist David Pogue to make clips for the site as he spearheads more technology-news coverage.
Apple TV, for its part, has been bulking up with additional channels this year, adding features like Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Watch ESPN, and Major League Soccer. Apple has also been said to be working on a deal for Time Warner Cable channels, and CW President Mark Pedowitz earlier this year said the network would be on Apple TV imminently -- but an app for the channel had yet to materialize.
However, the biggest omission from Apple on the TV front has been a long-rumored flat-panel television from the computer maker. Hype about an Apple television stretches as far back as 2009, but hopes for such a product were pushed out until late next year most recently -- or even further.
UPDATE at 8:36 a.m. PT: with PBS joining Apple TV lineup.
