AirPlay 2 and iTunes Movies Coming to Smart TVs
At CES 2019, Samsung announced something that nobody quite expected, Apple's Siri, AirPlay 2, and iTunes movies will be available on Samsung's Smart TVs.
[Samsung] will offer iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support on 2019 Samsung Smart TV models beginning this spring. Support on 2018 Samsung Smart TVs will be made available via firmware update.
With Samsung Smart TVs getting support for AirPlay 2, users will be able to play their videos, movies, music, podcasts, and show photos on their Samsung Smart TVs without needing any additional hardware.
Also from the Samsung press release
iTunes Movies and TV Shows app will debut only on Samsung Smart TVs in more than 100 countries. AirPlay 2 support will be available on Samsung Smart TVs in 190 countries worldwide.
Apple has also updated their ≤a href="https://www.apple.com/airplay">AirPlay page with some additional information.
AirPlay 2–enabled TVs. Now that’s smart.
Leading TV manufacturers are integrating AirPlay 2 directly into their TVs, so now you can effortlessly share or mirror almost anything from your iOS device or Mac directly to your AirPlay 2–enabled smart TV. You can even play music on the TV and sync it with other AirPlay 2–compatible speakers anywhere in your home.
Control it all with a tap.
Use the remote that’s always with you — your iPhone. Convenient built-in controls appear in apps, on the Lock screen, and in Control Center. So you can easily play, pause, fast-forward, rewind, and adjust the volume on your TV.
Put Siri in charge of your TV.
With AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, you can use Siri on your iPhone to send a video to your TV.1 Better yet, ask Siri to play a specific show in a specific room.
It should be no surprise that Apple's Remote app will work with Smart TVs for controlling the software. It should be noted that the Samsung TVs will be apps on the TV. If users already have an existing iTunes library, they will be able to browse their collection, rent, and purchase iTunes movies right from the iTunes Movies and TV Shows app on their Samsung TV.
All of these features are coming soon. The fact that Apple is partnering with a television manufacturer does support that Apple is trying to become a services company. Along with this, it may also indicate that the video strategy for Apple will be shifting to offering video on more than just its own hardware. We do not know this for sure, but time will tell.
If you are in the market for a new television and you want to be able to integrate your existing AirPlay 2 items with your TV, the new Samsung TVs may be worth looking at.