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The big picture: Elon Musk previously unveiled plans to transform X into an "everything app," aiming to replace platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, and FaceTime. Musk also envisions X offering dating, messaging, and banking services, similar to China's WeChat. As a significant move towards this goal, the billionaire and X owner has announced the beta release of the X TV app.
The new app is available on various smart TV platforms and allows users to stream videos posted on X, including live events and news. The official X Engineering account described the release of the X TV app as a "massive leap forward in transforming X into a video-first platform" and claimed it will offer new opportunities for creators, advertisers, and other users.
X TV is currently available on Android TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV (Fire OS), and LG TV (webOS), but it is not yet supported on Samsung's Tizen OS or Apple's tvOS. However, Musk mentioned that the app will be rolled out to more devices in the near future, suggesting it could soon arrive on Samsung TVs and Apple TV.
Beta version of �*� TV is out https://t.co/taODqsMECS
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2024
X TV offers features like Replay TV and Startover TV, allowing users to watch content on their own schedule. Replay TV lets users revisit up to 72 hours of videos, while Startover TV enables viewers to catch live shows from the beginning if they miss the original broadcast. Another feature, Free Cloud DVR, allows users to store up to 100 hours of recorded content in the cloud at no extra cost.
The X TV app listing on the Play Store claims it can replace traditional set-top boxes by providing a diverse selection of live channels, including movies, music, news, sports, and weather. It also promises to be a "trusted global digital town square for everyone" and offers a new way to experience X by bringing "unique and engaging content right to your living room."
According to reports, the X TV app was already available on Amazon Fire TV back in July, while the webOS version for LG TVs was rolled out in late August. Screenshots posted by users suggest that the app may also offer exclusive content as part of Musk's plan to turn X into a video streaming platform to rival YouTube. However, whether that happens remains to be seen.