With lockdown restrictions in Ireland set to remain in place until at least the end of February, and the dull dreary weather making us all want to stay inside, many will turn to their trusty streaming sites for some Winter entertainment. But having spent so much time at home this year, you may be running out of things to watch, and might even be looking for a new streaming service to subscribe to for some fresh selections. With this in mind, I've examined Apple TV+and their offerings to let you know if it's worth your time and money.
Lauched by tech giant Apple in November 2019, Apple TV+ is designed as a streaming service add on to the already existing Apple TV. Apple TV, similar to Sky or Virgin Media On Demand services, allows you to buy or rent new films, and can be bought as an add on to your TV or comes readily available on Apple products like iPhones, iPads and MacBooks.
At a cost of only €3.99 per month Apple TV+ is one of the cheapest streaming sites available, however for this low price there isn't a huge amount of content available. Unlike Netflix or Disney+, which offer customers a variety of original programming and as well as a back catologue of popular films and series, all of the films and TV shows which you can watch on Apple TV+ are original productions. As a result of this, and because of their relative newness in the streaming wars, there are only a handful of shows and films available on the site, all only in their first or second seasons.
While there might not be an abundance of options available at the minute, many of the shows which are there are wonderful. Apple TV+'s original productions are headed by a slew of Hollywood A-listers including Chris Evans (Defending Jacob), Hailee Steinfield (Dickinson), Jason Mamoa (See) and Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show).
In particular The Morning Show, which centres on the fallout of a much beloved morning news anchor being accused on sexual harassment, and Defending Jacob, which sees the son of a District Attorney be accused of murdering his classmate, are some of the best television shows I've watched in the last year.
The site is also benefiting from the closure of cinemas during the pandemic, with the purchase of original films which will debut exclusively on Apple TV+ and could end up being awards season contenders. These include the Tom Hank's led Greyhound, The Banker, and Cherry, which sees Tom Holland play an Army medic suffering from PTSD who robs banks in order to fund his drug habit.
While there might not be a lot on offer at the minute, Apple TV+ does have some compelling and binge-worthy content and seeing that it is such a low price, I think it is a great solution for those suffering from a Netflix slump and who are looking for some fresh and exciting shows to binge and keep them entertained until restrictions have eased!
Also, if you happen to have bought any thing from Apple in the last year or so, like a MacBook, iPhone, or iPad, you get a year's free subscription to Apple TV+ with your purchase, even more of a reason to check it out!
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