Charter launches its zero sign-on Spectrum app for Apple TV
You can also pay for an Apple TV 4K through your cable bill.
Charter just completed the other half of its zero sign-on puzzle. The cable giant has launched its delayed Spectrum app for Apple TV, giving you access to both live programming and on-demand shows without having to enter your credentials. If you set up the app while you're connected to Spectrum broadband service, it'll use tvOS 12's smarter authentication to sign in you in automatically -- you can focus on watching instead of remembering your password. There's Siri support, too, so you just have to speak to tune into a given channel.
The app requires either the fourth-gen Apple TV or the Apple TV 4K, and Charter is encouraging subscribers to buy one by softening the initial hit to your wallet. You can buy an Apple TV 4K outright from Charter's Spectrum stores for the usual $179, but you can alternately tack on $7.50 per month to you cable bill for two years if you intend to maintain service for that long.
This is the first American cable provider to use the Apple TV's zero sign-on feature, but Apple is no doubt hoping it isn't the last. Zero sign-in potentially gives the media hub an advantage over rivals that have to 'settle' for single sign-on. The Spectrum TV app is a marketing tool that way. If it works well and leads to more people sticking with cable, you might see other cable (and satellite) giants following suit.
