Apple adds Spike & Nickelodeon to Apple TV's universal search, expands 'TV' app support

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
Apple has updated universal search on the fourth-generation Apple TV with support for Spike, Nickelodeon, and Nick. Jr., while separately expanding the number of services compatible with its "TV" app for both tvOS and iOS devices.




Though universal search results, an Apple TV can identify all of installed apps hosting a particular show or movie, making it easier to pick between them. The newly-added services are only supported in the United States.

The same goes for the latest "TV" additions, which include Sony's ad-supported Crackle, the classic and arthouse-focused FilmStruck, and finally Freeform, a Disney/ABC channel previously known as ABC Family.

When and where compatible, the TV app offers a centralized interface for movies and TV shows, linking together different services. It can also be used to find new material to watch, or new apps to try.

So far 51 different services are compatible, such as Apple Music, Hulu, HBO Now, and the Cartoon Network. Most are U.S.-only.

In the U.S. universal search results now include 56 services. Support in other countries is extremely low, the next biggest region being Australia, with just eight options -- among them Apple's iTunes.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    doozydozendoozydozen Posts: 539member
    "Wake me up when Netflix is added."
    -Humanity 
  • Reply 2 of 8
    thewbthewb Posts: 80member
    Having recently gone full Groundhog Day at the cable provider login portal 15 times to activate 15 apps, I'm angry that my cable provider still does not support single sign-on.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    thewb said:
    Having recently gone full Groundhog Day at the cable provider login portal 15 times to activate 15 apps, I'm angry that my cable provider still does not support single sign-on.
    My provider's web portal is the worst. Besides the interface being clunky, different channels (perhaps even ways of accessing the same channel since it's just a mess) require different plugins that all require my admin password to install. Screw that!
  • Reply 4 of 8
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Hate how the TV app searches for an Internet connection and tries to feed me garbage that isn’t on my device before it will even SHOW me things on my device. Never mind how Music and TV won’t let me just TURN OFF CLOUD PURCHASES ENTIRELY. I never want to see them.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,881member
    repressthis said:
    "Wake me up when Netflix is added."
    -Humanity 
    Netflix was part of universal search at launch. Netflix doesn't support TV app tho, which is different. 
    doozydozen
  • Reply 6 of 8
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,420member
    Any chance universal search will ever extend to DLNA client apps? I guess I don't understand how exactly it's implemented, and whether Apple has final say-so as to who can and can't use it. Not sure it'd work well unless you have a fairly robust media server or client app that correctly tags items and can look up meta data, etc. 

    Also, sure wish they'd figure a way to get Amazon Prime Video on there as well. 
    edited May 2017
  • Reply 7 of 8
    rezwitsrezwits Posts: 879member
    I'll tell you what, TV.app is going to replace canistream.it for me... that thing sucks, fails, and is not updated at all anymore as far as I know...
  • Reply 8 of 8
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    when/if this comes to the UK they'll have to up their game considerably to compete with Sky Q's voice search imho; instant results from on-demand, live tv, boxsets etc. search for a channel name, a category, a show, an episode, I even asked it for "Discovery HD shows" and it plucked a list from across several channels under the Discovery umbrella. Never been into voice-control as Siri never understands me first time and takes too long to respond but Sky Q "just works" for me personally. Dream scenario is Sky lets Netflix and Amazon put apps onto their Q boxes but it'll never happen.
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