Apple TV+ May Support Downloads for Offline Viewing, Limit Simultaneous Streams

Amid word that Apple TV+ could launch in November priced at $9.99/month, MacRumors has discovered additional tidbits within recent betas of macOS Catalina that offer further insight into how the service will work.

appletvplus
According to code strings found in macOS Catalina, Apple will apparently allow videos to be downloaded for offline viewing, but with limitations on the total number of downloads, downloads per show or movie, or the total number of times a show or movie can be downloaded. For example, if a user tries to download the same video on multiple devices, the Apple TV app will inform them that "To download this episode of 'The Morning Show', delete it from another device and try again," for example.

If the user reaches the total download limit they will see a message that says "You have reached your limit of [preset number of] downloads." If the user downloads the same video too many times they will see a message like "Download Limit reached for 'The Morning Show' Season 1 Episode 1."

It appears that simultaneous streams will also be limited on ‌Apple TV+‌ as with most streaming services, including Apple Music. If a user tries streaming on more than the allowed number of devices, they will be informed something along the lines of "To stream this movie, stop watching 'The Elephant Queen' on another device."

The different limits on downloading and streaming content could be based on the type of ‌Apple TV+‌ subscription, family sharing configuration, or registered devices.

Apple is reportedly spending up to $6 billion on original content for ‌Apple TV+‌, which will enter a crowded streaming video market apparently just as Disney launches its own service priced at $6.99 per month or $12.99 per month in a bundle with ESPN+ and ad-supported Hulu. Netflix and Amazon Prime are of course two of the other large players, and many other networks and media companies have already launched or will soon launch their own services.

Top Rated Comments

Baymowe335 Avatar
60 months ago
Netflix should start worrying.

Apple, Disney and others are coming.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MarkNY Avatar
60 months ago
Netflix should start worrying.

Apple, Disney and others are coming.
Not only are they coming, but a lot of these streaming competitors own content they will be pulling from Netflix -- that's the bigger problem.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stella Avatar
60 months ago
Soon it will cheaper to subscribe to cable again instead of subscribing to multiple streaming options.

Or, piracy will become more popular as subscribing to half a dozen streaming services to watch one or two shows on each becomes too expensive.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brenster Avatar
60 months ago
Just rewatched the trailer for The Morning Show with my wife & son on ATV, followed by the Snoopy, For All Mankind and the Storytellers trailers. Wife & I are in for TMS, all of us for Snoopy & For All Mankind (wife & I love Ron Moore's stuff going back to TNG & DS9). Son is already pinging me to ask when all this will be on and can we subscribe.

Looking forward on seeing what might be available re family sharing, and surely some limited downloading/offline viewing will be required for commuters, plane journeys and car trips etc.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bawstun Avatar
60 months ago
Netflix should start worrying.

Apple, Disney and others are coming.
You are an unabashed crazy Apple supporter at times. Netflix should start worrying? Their shows are some of the only ones nominated for Emmy’s and to win. Not even Amazon or Hulu have reached their heights and they’ve been to market for years. At times Netflix has traded higher than Disney itself and is worth over $140b.
[doublepost=1566337486][/doublepost]Apple should have purchased Netflix IMO.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
60 months ago
this all sounds like lots of fun and a stress free experience
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...