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Chapel app comes to Apple TV

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For the Gazette

CEDARVILLE – When users of the updated Apple TV unpack their new gadget and connect it to their TV they’ll be impressed by the many new features available, including a brand-new App Store like the one iPhone users have been going to for years.

One of the new apps is the Cedarville Chapel app, which gives more people access to Cedarville University’s daily chapel services. The app is free and available now at the App Store.

The Cedarville Chapel app lets users watch chapel in real time through live streaming as well as watch archived chapel broadcasts.

The new app is just one of many ways that Cedarville’s web team has been expanding access to chapel for those outside of the University.

Earlier this year Cedarville began live streaming both video and audio for chapel, and previously made significant upgrades to the archives to make the database more user-friendly and easily searchable.

“We’ve put a really big emphasis on getting chapel messages out to people who aren’t on campus,” said Mark Mazelin, director of web development services. “The release of the new Apple TV and our ability to create an app for it will really help, especially since our chapel app is being released so close to the launch date of the Apple TV.”

Cedarville’s web development team was able to get its hands on the new product before the launch date, thanks to a selection process that allowed developers to obtain the upgraded Apple TV a month early.

“Getting the Apple TV a month ahead of time was huge,” said Josh Erlandson, web designer/developer. “It allowed us to work on the app ahead of time so that we could work out any bugs and have it ready to go soon after the new product was launched.”

Plans are also underway to add a search feature to the app, which will allow users to search for chapel broadcasts by topic, speaker or passage of the Bible.

Prior to releasing a new app, developers must submit it to the App Store for approval, which can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

It’s estimated that Apple will sell 24 million units next year alone and the computer giant owns an incredible 40.6 percent of the market share of streaming devices.

The new Apple TV App Store will only be available to users of the new, fourth-generation Apple TV, which was released last month.

Once the app has been approved by Apple, users can begin downloading Cedarville Chapel in the App Store by searching “Cedarville.”

Content provided by Cedarville University.