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For some it was a shock, for others it was a joy. Samsung announced a new cooperation with Apple at the CES technology trade fair in Las Vegas.
As a result, iTunes will be available on Samsung TVs. With Apple's AirPlay 2, direct streaming from Apple devices to Samsung TVs will be possible. Now other Smart TV manufacturers have followed the announcement. The release of AirPlay 2, Siri and Homekit will follow on other Smart TVs.
Samsung TVs
All 2018 and future Samsung TVs will be equipped with AirPlay 2 and iTunes. The availability of Homekit has not been commented on, but it should be integrated with AirPlay 2. Searching for content will be possible with the in-house voice assistant Bixby - according to Samsung.
LG TVs and Sony
The South Korean television manufacturer LG has also spoken out. According to the statement, LG TVs will also be equipped with AirPlay 2. For the time being, these will not have direct access to iTunes like Samsung TVs. Instead, Siri can call up the content on the respective TV device using voice commands - AirPlay 2 makes this possible. In addition to AirPlay 2 and Siri, LG TV devices will be equipped with HomeKit. Which model series will benefit from this remains partly unanswered.
LG has so far only announced the new features for 2019 models. It remains to be seen whether TV sets from 2018 can also look forward to a software update. There is also news from Japan. Sony has confirmed AirPlay 2 and HomeKit for all 4K models. These include the A9G Series OLED 4K TVs, 2019 Z9G Series 8K LCDs and X950G 4K LCD TVs. Access to iTunes is also not available here for the time being. The devices in question will initially be delivered without the functions - Sony will add them later via a software update.
Philips, Panasonic, Grundig and Co.
So far, only Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio have commented on this. Vizio is a relatively unknown manufacturer in this country - it is present in North America and has also confirmed its participation in AirPlay 2.
Other manufacturers are still waiting, but it is assumed that they will follow suit.
End of Apple TV?
In the past, this was only possible with the Apple TV. Market observers see this step as part of a change in strategy. The iGroup has already made Apple Music available on Android devices - Apple's music service has also recently been available on Amazon's Echo speakers - but initially only in the USA. Apple wants to generate more revenue with its own services. Previously, Apple devices were the prerequisite for this. Now Cupertino seems to want to relax this policy and make implementation less dependent on its own device sales. It remains to be seen what effect this will have on sales of the Apple TV.
