Netflix drops support for older Apple TVs

Might be time to upgrade your set-top box.

Author

Leander Kahney
June 04, 2024

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, it could be time to upgrade your old Apple TV.

Netflix is about to stop streaming to second- and third-generation Apple TV models. The company didn’t explain why, but it’s easy to understand when you realize the second-generation Apple TV came out 14 years ago.

The question isn’t why is Netflix dropping such an old device — but why it supported it for so long!

Of course, a lot of modern TVs come with built-in support for apps like Netflix. But if you watch the streamer on an older Apple TV, it might be time to break out your Apple Card.

The good news is that the new Apple TV is better in all ways: It has higher resolution, a way better Siri Remote, and is currently on sale for just $89.99, as coincidence would have it.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • We hands-on review the new Apple Pencil Pro and find it has a bunch of very cool features — which, ironically, might be too much for most iPad users.

  • In the Kahney household, our home stereo has been replaced with a pair of HomePods. I wish we could put more around the house, especially as they’re on sale for an unbelievable $175 (almost half off).

  • xMEMS Labs developed solid-state micro-speakers for earbuds. They reportedly sound amazing, and could replace the analog speaker tech used in most current headphones and earbuds, if the company can drive adoption.

  • Get a great magnetic silicone Apple Watch band for just $18. But hurry: It’s your last chance to save a whopping 40%.

  • AirDrop is one of those great Apple technologies that can be a real lifesaver, and is dead easy to use. But do you know how it works exactly?

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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Netflix ends support for older Apple TV models in July

The streaming service will soon stop working on second- and third-generation Apple TV models.

xMEMS Labs drives faster adoption of solid-state micro speakers for earbuds

Wider adoption of the new tech could bring an "ultrasonic revolution.”

Though cool, Apple Pencil Pro could be overkill for many iPad users [Review] ★★★★★

Get the lowdown on the Apple Pencil Pro in our review. Do cool new features, like the squeeze gesture, make it a must-have for iPad users?

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

Seriously, you can nab a new HomePod 2 for $175

Don't dally, get right on this great deal on HomePod 2 at Verizon -- $175 for one (normally $300), or $350 for two (normally $600).

Carpenter uses AirTag to locate huge trove of stolen tools

A Virginia carpenter recovered stolen construction tools with the help of an Apple tracking tag. He apparently found tools belonging to thousands of others, too.

Apple TV+ and Netflix are neck-and-neck for viewer satisfaction

Subscribers are just as satisfied with Apple TV+ as they are with Netflix … and they’re all more satisfied than Disney+ subscribers.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

iPhone and Apple Watch refurbs sale brings great bargains

Who needs new when refurbished will do? Check out Woot's hot iPhones and Apple Watches sale for great deals while they last.

Last chance: Save a whopping 40% on this sweet silicone Apple Watch band

This magnetic Apple Watch band looks great and is easy to use: SwitchEasy's Skin Silicone Magnetic Apple Watch Band is a jack of all trades.

Trailer shows ‘Land of Women’ not safe from gun-toting killers

Even the bucolic old country isn't beyond the reach of bloodthirsty New York City loan sharks.

Instantly share photos, videos, links and more with AirDrop

If you want to know the fastest and easiest way to send someone photos, videos, files and much more, you should know how to AirDrop.

Today in Apple history: Mac clone-maker peaks before a dizzying decline

On June 4, 1997, Mac clone-maker Power Computing hit its high point and began a rapid decline. By early 1998, it was out of business.

How to create a great iPhone contact poster

Contact posters in iOS 17 let you customize how your contact card looks to other people when you call them from your iPhone.

Tweetz o’ the day

One more thing ...

❝

Think of your life as a rainbow arcing across the horizon of this world. You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear. The two endpoints of everyone's rainbow are birth and death. We all experience both completely alone. And yet, most people of your age have not thought about these events very much, much less even seen them in others. For me it's the opposite: to know my arc will fall makes me want to blaze while I am in the sky. Not for others, but for myself, for the trail I know I am leaving.

— Steve Jobs, 1996.

Today’s poll

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