CBS tvOS app gets Apple TV universal search integration
CBS this week became the latest streaming provider to tap into Apple TV's universal search APIs, adding to a growing list of apps that let surface first-party content via text and Siri voice search.
With its content indexed on Apple's platform, CBS' official tvOS title will be presented as a viewing option when fourth-generation Apple TV owners search for popular shows like "NCIS" and "The Big Bang Theory," even if the app is not currently installed on a user's device. Previously, searches for the network's content would display results from iTunes, Netflix and Hulu.
Apple markets universal search as a tentpole feature tied to the set-top box's Siri feature. The tool lets users find shows and other media from anywhere in the tvOS interface through text, dictation or Siri voice request. For example, a search for "NCIS" returns a dedicated content page with viewing options from iTunes, Hulu and, as of the recent addition, CBS.
When the latest Apple TV hardware hit store shelves last November, universal search was initially limited to iTunes, Netflix, HBO, Hulu and Showtime. A month before launch, Apple promised to open the API up to third-party developers, though content owners have been slow to build in support. PBS was one of the first providers to take advantage of the APIs and integrated its library into universal search in January.
Most recently, ABC, Disney Channel, Disney Jr. and Disney XD integrated their respective video libraries with tvOS universal search in February, while Fox Now, FX Now and Nat Geo TV built in support earlier that month.
With its content indexed on Apple's platform, CBS' official tvOS title will be presented as a viewing option when fourth-generation Apple TV owners search for popular shows like "NCIS" and "The Big Bang Theory," even if the app is not currently installed on a user's device. Previously, searches for the network's content would display results from iTunes, Netflix and Hulu.
Apple markets universal search as a tentpole feature tied to the set-top box's Siri feature. The tool lets users find shows and other media from anywhere in the tvOS interface through text, dictation or Siri voice request. For example, a search for "NCIS" returns a dedicated content page with viewing options from iTunes, Hulu and, as of the recent addition, CBS.
When the latest Apple TV hardware hit store shelves last November, universal search was initially limited to iTunes, Netflix, HBO, Hulu and Showtime. A month before launch, Apple promised to open the API up to third-party developers, though content owners have been slow to build in support. PBS was one of the first providers to take advantage of the APIs and integrated its library into universal search in January.
Most recently, ABC, Disney Channel, Disney Jr. and Disney XD integrated their respective video libraries with tvOS universal search in February, while Fox Now, FX Now and Nat Geo TV built in support earlier that month.
Comments
It is no secret that Siri works far better on AppleTV than on iOS. And obviously because, integrating Siri into a native App for AppleTV requires more than just the developers...Apple needs to be directly involved, likely because there is some low level integration with the OS that is not exposed to developers via an API.
IIRC, there is a CBS Sports app that is separate, and does live stream CBS sporting events. But then, I get OTA CBS just fine, so I hardly need Siri for that. OK, maybe it has on screen stats and replay, but those aren't particularly interesting to me.
I find I hardly ever use the Siri search feature on Apple TV. I'm one of those people that knows what I now wish to watch.
That said, I'm hopeful the product will develop. Plenty of potential as a set top box, including OTA content. A feature I would really dig would be a image processing system that identifies a "fingerprint" of know commercials, then substitutes user-selected options: simply mute, blank screen, other content, or if a user opts in and sets up, other commercials of the users genre that the user then gets a fee to display (like $.005?) credited to some account for use for...something.