Apple TV App Debuts on Roku

3.5 Stars Mostly Ready for Prime Time

In anticipation of the launch of the Apple TV+ streaming service on November 1, Apple launched their Apple TV app on Roku in the last 24 hours. This marks the first time users have been able to access their iTunes movie and TV library on their TV without having to use an Apple TV device or connect a PC to their television.

At first glance, the app looks pretty much the same as it does on an Apple TV, with the same user interface layout. You can browse, purchase, or rent movies and TV shows, and subscribe to Apple TV Channels like HBO, Shudder, CBS All Access, Showtime, etc. While it is pretty awesome that Roku users like myself can now access movies and TV shows they collected on iTunes that were never able to migrate to other services like Vudu through Movies Anywhere, the app on Roku currently has a few hiccups.

First off, the app is a bit more sluggish on the Roku than it does on an Apple TV device, very likely due to the lower processing power and storage limitations of most Roku devices. It does appear that 4K video with HDR10 is supported. However, at launch, only Dolby Digital audio is supported – currently, there is no Dolby Atmos support. Also, currently there is no way to access a movie’s special features on the Roku version of the Apple TV app. Hopefully those issues will get rectified in future updates.

The Apple TV app is currently available on Apple TV devices, most 2019 and select 2018 model Samsung Smart TVs, Roku devices, and Roku TVs, and coming soon to LG smart TVs, smart TVs running Amazon’s Fire OS (aka Fire TVs), and Amazon Fire TV devices.

**UPDATE (10/16/2019 12:05PM Pacific)** Per Apple Support agent Bryce, Dolby Atmos and access to Special Features are coming in a future, unspecified update to the app.

Todd Erwin has been a reviewer at Home Theater Forum since 2008. His love of movies began as a young child, first showing Super 8 movies in his backyard during the summer to friends and neighbors at age 10. He also received his first movie camera that year, a hand-crank Wollensak 8mm with three fixed lenses. In 1980, he graduated to "talkies" with his award-winning short The Ape-Man, followed by the cult favorite The Adventures of Terrific Man two years later. Other films include Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror and Warren's Revenge (which is currently being restored). In addition to movie reviews, Todd has written many articles for Home Theater Forum centering mostly on streaming as well as an occasional hardware review, is the host of his own video podcast Streaming News & Views on YouTube and is a frequent guest on the Home Theater United podcast.

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TonyD

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Yeah still a few bugs to get worked out.

Takes a bit long to load and I noticed there were no extras too.

I have a Roku tv so apparently the issues are the same as on A Roku device.
 

Scott Merryfield

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As I mentioned in the other thread, right now I am not seeing all of my purchased content when I look at my library through the app. I own 7 or 8 TV series, for example, but only two of them show up under the TV Shows section of the library. The missing shows do show up under "Watch Next", but when selecting that I do not get the next episode, but instead something I watched quite awhile ago.

I have not checked the movie section of my library yet to see what's missing.

This will be great once they get the bugs worked out, as we only own a single Apple TV 4K, but have Roku devices attached to all five of the displays in our home.
 

Todd Erwin

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As I mentioned in the other thread, right now I am not seeing all of my purchased content when I look at my library through the app. I own 7 or 8 TV series, for example, but only two of them show up under the TV Shows section of the library. The missing shows do show up under "Watch Next", but when selecting that I do not get the next episode, but instead something I watched quite awhile ago.

I have not checked the movie section of my library yet to see what's missing.

This will be great once they get the bugs worked out, as we only own a single Apple TV 4K, but have Roku devices attached to all five of the displays in our home.
Hmm, all of my content is there (close to 500 titles). Have you tried logging out and logging back in?
 

Robert Crawford

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As I mentioned in the other thread, right now I am not seeing all of my purchased content when I look at my library through the app. I own 7 or 8 TV series, for example, but only two of them show up under the TV Shows section of the library. The missing shows do show up under "Watch Next", but when selecting that I do not get the next episode, but instead something I watched quite awhile ago.

I have not checked the movie section of my library yet to see what's missing.

This will be great once they get the bugs worked out, as we only own a single Apple TV 4K, but have Roku devices attached to all five of the displays in our home.
Yeah, only a couple of my TV shows has showed up. As to my movies, I suspect some of those are missing too.

Another thing I noticed is my 4K/HDR movies don't have a separate category in which I can view all of my 4K/HDR movies like it is on my AppleTV unit.
 

Todd Erwin

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And even more frustrating, I cannot find anyway to contact anyone at Apple regarding many of these issues. The Communities forum section is a joke, and eventually removed my post asking about these bugs.
 
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Scott Merryfield

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Hmm, all of my content is there (close to 500 titles). Have you tried logging out and logging back in?
Just tried that -- didn't change anything. I also found another bug -- the Roku remote app keyboard on my Android smartphone doesn't work within the Apple TV app. All the other buttons work, but I couldn't use the keyboard to log back in. Had to select all the letters / numbers for my userid and password on screen, which is slow and a pain in the butt. The keyboard works within other apps, though.
 

Todd Erwin

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I'm thinking this is a "live beta" and we just have not been told that officially.......
 

TonyD

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My app keyboard worked in my iPhone.
When I get home later I’ll have to see if all the movies are there.
 

Todd Erwin

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After 30 minutes of waiting on hold, being transferred to the wrong department (iPad Support?), then having the agent not knowing where to transfer me to, and another 20 minutes until I got to the correct department, apparently Dolby Atmos and access to Special Features are something that will be coming "down the road" in a later update. I've updated the article.
 

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I subscribed to HBO, Showtime & CBS All Access through the Apple TV app on my Roku. Whenever I try to watch a show on one those three services the Apple TV wants to charge me $2.99 per episode. I won't describe my level of anger over this.
 

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I subscribed to HBO, Showtime & CBS All Access through the Apple TV app on my Roku. Whenever I try to watch a show on one those three services the Apple TV wants to charge me $2.99 per episode. I won't describe my level of anger over this.

Those 3 services don't even offer purchases - are you sure you're trying to access content within the services and not something else like the iTunes store?
 
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Scott Merryfield

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I subscribed to HBO, Showtime & CBS All Access through the Apple TV app on my Roku. Whenever I try to watch a show on one those three services the Apple TV wants to charge me $2.99 per episode. I won't describe my level of anger over this.
I get weird behavior like this with Game of Thrones on my actual Apple TV 4K - - I have not tried it on the Roku. I own Seasons 1 - 7 via a "complete series" digital code before the final season was out. When I try to watch via the "Watch Next" screen, Apple wants to charge me for each episode. When I access via the menu option "library" it works fine. Due to a current bug with the Apple app on Roku, GoT doesn't show up in my library on Roku.
 

Panavision70

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Those 3 services don't even offer purchases - are you sure you're trying to access content within the services and not something else like the iTunes store?
I tried every place there was to click. I assume they haven't worked out the bugs. Since subscribing to the three services through Apple TV begins with 7 days free to try it out, I will cancel on the 5th day.
 

Scott Merryfield

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I tried every place there was to click. I assume they haven't worked out the bugs. Since subscribing to the three services through Apple TV begins with 7 days free to try it out, I will cancel on the 5th day.
You can cancel now, and the subscription will continue until your 7 day trial period ends. No need to wait if you intend to cancel.
 

Sam Posten

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I bought my parents a Roku today. It’s nice but not nearly as bug free as the Apple TV

there was no way we could get it to log in to Apple services. Had to log in on the iPhone and transfer login that way.

I “bought” the fandango now app via web. so we could watch Knives out on that channel. It won’t install. Searching for Fandango goes nowhere on the device.
 

Neil Middlemiss

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I bought my parents a Roku today. It’s nice but not nearly as bug free as the Apple TV

there was no way we could get it to log in to Apple services. Had to log in on the iPhone and transfer login that way.

I “bought” the fandango now app via web. so we could watch Knives out on that channel. It won’t install. Searching for Fandango goes nowhere on the device.
Fandango is native. It’s the movies section on the side menu (the native movie store). Hopefully I explained that I right :)
 

Todd Erwin

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I bought my parents a Roku today. It’s nice but not nearly as bug free as the Apple TV

there was no way we could get it to log in to Apple services. Had to log in on the iPhone and transfer login that way.

I “bought” the fandango now app via web. so we could watch Knives out on that channel. It won’t install. Searching for Fandango goes nowhere on the device.

Fandango is native. It’s the movies section on the side menu (the native movie store). Hopefully I explained that I right :)
FandangoNow is the native movie and TV store on most Roku devices.

@Sam Posten Which Roku device did you get?
 

Sam Posten

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64BA502B-65A4-4EB8-822E-B3B24E8A0314.jpeg
plus. So if I have already purchased Fandango Now movies they show up in the Roku app?
 
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