Apple TV+ vs. Disney+: What We Know So Far
Two major players are entering the video-streaming market this fall, but which one should you get? Read our guide on everything we know about Apple TV+ and Disney+.
By Ben Moore
Although it’s probably bad news for your monthly expenses, Disney and Apple will soon launch their own respective video-streaming services, Apple TV+ and Disney+.
Given the popularity and ubiquity of both brands, it’s a safe bet that each will attract wide audiences. Below is our complete guide to everything we know about these upcoming services. We’ll update as we learn more and publish full reviews of both services after they launch.
Pricing and Release Date
Disney+ will launch on Nov. 12, 2019, and will cost either $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. A bundle with Hulu’s ad-supported tier, ESPN+, and Disney+ will also be available for $12.99 per month.
In case you didn’t know, Disney effectively controls Hulu and outright owns ESPN, thus making this varied entertainment bundle possible. In a world where content owners are sequestering shows on separate platforms, it’s a good value proposition, even with ads on Hulu and the fact that ESPN+ is not our top pick for the best sports streaming service. By comparison, Netflix’s Basic plan costs $8.99 per month and its Standard plan, which unlocks HD streams and two simultaneous streams, costs $12.99 per month.
At its September event, Apple announced that the first Apple TV+ shows will be available on Nov. 1 in over 100 countries and that the service will only cost $4.99 per month for the whole family. This pricing makes it one of the cheapest video-streaming services, undercutting Disney+, CBS All Access ($5.99 per month), and Amazon Prime Video ($8.99 per month). You can even get a free year of service with the purchase of an iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV starting on Sept. 10.
Available Content
Disney is a content giant and, as such, Disney+ will bring the biggest names in entertainment onto one platform. Disney owns Pixar and National Geographic, as well as the Marvel and Star Wars franchises; altogether, it’s a formidable collection of content.
However, Disney has already announced a ton of upcoming original programming, too, including a High School Musical series, The Mandalorian, Monsters at Work, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. For more details on its content plans, check out everything you can watch on Disney+.
Thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, top shows from that network, such as The Simpsons, will also make an appearance. We don’t know how much of Fox’s catalog will make the move, but we doubt Disney would let any of Fox’s entertainment assets go to waste.
Apple TV+ will stake its claim on original content. During the initial announcement back in March, Apple announced several different shows and projects exclusive to its service, including The Morning Show (starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell), a science-fiction drama called See (with Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard), and several Oprah projects.
Apple plans to release new originals every month, but we still aren’t sure how many to expect. Apple notes that most of its originals will launch with three episodes to start, followed by new episodes every week (much like The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu). Other series may release entire seasons at once.
Platforms
Disney+ will be available on mobile platforms (iOS and Android), gaming consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One), and media-streaming platforms (Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku). According to reports, Amazon Fire TV devices will not be supported at launch.
Apple TV+ is a part of the Apple TV app, which is available on iOS and Apple TV. The revamped app experience will arrive on Macs in the fall. According to Apple, interested users can subscribe to and watch Apple TV+ from tv.apple.com on the Safari, Chrome, and Firefox browsers. Additionally, Apple TV+ will be available on select LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio platforms, as well as Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.
Extra Features
According to an early hands-on preview of Disney+, the service will support 4K and HDR streaming, up to four simultaneous streams, and seven user profiles for every subscription. Disney+’s website also confirms that it will support unlimited offline downloads of movies and TV shows. These are top-notch specs. We hope that given the profile options, Disney+ includes comprehensive parental control features and competent recommendations for each user.
We don’t know all of the special features Apple TV+ will offer, but we expect it to support 4K streams on some platforms, such as the Apple TV 4K. Family sharing has been confirmed. Apple TV+’s shows and movies will be available offline and ad-free, while accessibility features include closed captions and audio descriptions.
The Reality
We could probably debate the need for more video-streaming services forever, but the reality of the video-streaming industry is that consumers will need to pay for several services to get all the content they and their families want.
As much as some of our readers insist they aren’t interested in upcoming services, Disney+ is likely a must-have for any young families, die-hard Star Wars fans, and Marvel fanatics. CBS All Access managed to win over some viewers with a single franchise, Star Trek, so I see no reason why Disney can’t attract a far greater audience, given its dominance over the past several decades.
Apple users, for better or worse, tend to love Apple products. Will many iPhone and iPad owners simply subscribe because of the Apple name? Probably. That doesn’t account for the possibility that Apple has a few genuine hits on its platform either, which may attract even more people who are unwilling to miss out on the latest cultural phenomenon.
For more insight on the future of the video-streaming industry, read our analysis of all the new entertainment giants.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com on September 12, 2019.
