MacVoices #25265: Live! - Apple TV+ Is Now Apple TV, Clips Is No More

The MacVoices Live! reacts to Apple’s decision to discontinue the Clips app and rename Apple TV+ simply to Apple TV. Chuck Joiner, Dave Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jim Rea, Marty Jencius, and Norbert Frassa debate why Clips failed to gain traction, Apple’s pattern of abandoning smaller software, and how confusing naming conventions blur the lines between Apple’s hardware, apps, and streaming service. They also explore the broader trends in streaming and brand identity among the various streaming services.

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Show Notes:

Chapters:

[0:00] Opening and introduction
[1:15] Apple discontinues the Clips app
[3:27] Short-form video trends and competition
[4:19] Why Clips never caught on
[6:36] Apple’s history of dropping smaller apps
[8:38] Software lifecycles and user frustration
[11:11] Longevity and sustainability in app design
[16:34] Surfshark sponsor message
[18:19] Apple TV Plus becomes Apple TV
[19:56] Confusion over Apple’s naming strategy
[22:08] How users refer to Apple’s streaming service
[23:17] Should Apple rename the hardware too?
[26:19] Broader streaming industry trends
[27:24] Brand identity and naming reflections
[29:31] Closing and credits

Links:

Apple's Clips App Discontinued
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/11/apples-clips-app-discontinued/

Apple TV+ Being Rebranded as Apple TV
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/13/apple-tv-plus-rebrand/

Guests:

Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @[e-mail].

Norbert Frassa is a technology “man about town”. Follow him on Twitter and see what he’s up to.

David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @[e-mail].

Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession ‘firsts,’ including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC).

Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He’s been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @[e-mail] on Mastodon.

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