Apple Acquires Video Discovery and Recommendation Startup Matcha.tv

charlituna · Aug 13, 2013

Fresh Pie said:
Fantastic. I can't wait for NetFlix-esque "People who enjoyed (title name) also enjoyed (other title name)" prompts in iTunes.

They are already kind of there. But hopefully this will improve them. Apple's biggest failing to me, outside of the quality etc of offerings, is the metadata and their data set for recommendations. In all stores. If this helps to make those titles more useful I'm all for it

LethalWolfe · Aug 13, 2013

swingerofbirch said:
I think Google tried this with Google TV. They had what was basically a universal search across services. It seems like a good idea for the current, balkanized system. And I'm not sure if the long-term ideal of everything being under one umbrella is practical or good for creativity anyway.

Microsoft has it on the Xbox360 and it's handy. Sure beats searching each service (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.,) individually to see which one (if any) has what I'm looking for.

mozumder · Aug 13, 2013

This is great. I have Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, & HBO Go, and it is a pain-in-the-ass to find movies & shows across each service. There really needs to be a common standard for this.

Ryth · Aug 13, 2013

otisg said:
As soon as Apple TV has an A7 and an app store, the Roku 3 is dead to me.

Apple should just buy TIVO and Roku and integrate them into their new TV and Apple TV box.

----------

mozumder said:
This is great. I have Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, & HBO Go, and it is a pain-in-the-ass to find movies & shows across each service. There really needs to be a common standard for this.

You would think but engineers don't think like that. Nor have they ever. Look at TV standards, look at disc standards, look at everything else. So many formats and what a mess.

That's why Apple is king...Designers and Engineers working together.

LethalWolfe · Aug 13, 2013

Ryth said:
You would think but engineers don't think like that. Nor have they ever. Look at TV standards, look at disc standards, look at everything else. So many formats and what a mess.

That's why Apple is king...Designers and Engineers working together.

It has nothing to do with engineers and everything to do with some companies wanting to create little fiefdoms centered around proprietary formats and devices. Apple is most certainly in that camp as they've spearheaded an industry wide move towards walled garden ecosystems of devices, software and services.

RVijay007 · Aug 13, 2013

Plex on AppleTV 3 and 2

otisg said:
Looks like we're in the same boat. The Apple TV has a WAY better user interface and experience than the Roku 3, but currently with TWC TV, Amazon Instant Video, and Plex the Roku 3 is king, content-wise. I actually bought the Roku 3 just because of the TWC TV app - I have no cable boxes or cablecards, so it saves me some money cause I just pay for the Digital TV + HBO. Oh, yeah - I forgot DTS pass-thru and the power to play BluRay mkvs (h264) without breaking a sweat (even the high data rates)!

As soon as Apple TV has an A7 and an app store, the Roku 3 is dead to me.

Just for people's information, if you have a desktop, you can have Plex on your AppleTV. All you need to do is set up Plex Media Server on your desktop and point it to all your media content and let it auto catalogue it all. Then you download the additional component, PlexConnect, run it, make one setting change on your ATV3, and voila, it has transformed the Apple Trailers app on the ATV3 into your Plex Media Server.

This took me no more than 5 min to set up and made my ATV3 so much more useful - the perfect media center!

PVIllustration · Aug 14, 2013

Wonder why no one has mentioned the extremely low buyout price. That can't be right, can it? Maybe the low price comes with a handy amount of Apple Shares.

Komentra · Aug 14, 2013

Wow.. Matcha.tv was something I used A LOT and was really disappointed when they closed.

eddystrasser · Aug 14, 2013

Gasu E. said:
OK, fair enough, it's bloatware. But if you want it to "just die already", why not just stop using it?

duh it's 2013, spotify exists, and paying per song is laughable and passé. I have stopped using it. **** opens all the time without me clicking on it.

why don't I just uninstall it, you ask? because I need the **** in order to activate or update or manage all the mobile devices I own.

why don't I just go in and change all the defaults for audio files, you ask? because quick look exists and I never have to open a program to listen to an icon on the desktop anymore in the first place.

i want iTunes to just. die. already.

RobertMartens · Aug 14, 2013

donutbagel said:
Good. The iTunes movie browsing interface is really lame. You'd be better off bouncing around illegally posted movies on YouTube until you find one that looks interesting and buy it.

or just watch it there! Duh!

Oh wait, that would be morally reprehensible

my bad

----------

PVIllustration said:
Wonder why no one has mentioned the extremely low buyout price. That can't be right, can it? Maybe the low price comes with a handy amount of Apple Shares.

the buyout was somewhere between one dollar and one and a half million dollars. Not very precise is it.

Winni · Aug 14, 2013

MagnumOP said:
What this tells me is that Apple want to have a unified search feature across all media sources on the AppleTV.

What this tells me is that Apple really isn't a computer company anymore, heck, they are not even in the IT business anymore. They basically reduced themselves to being a competitor to Amazon's Kindle business.

When was the last time Apple did something interesting?

albusseverus · Aug 14, 2013

MagnumOP said:
What this tells me is that Apple want to have a unified search feature across all media sources on the AppleTV.

Lovely as this sounds, just doesn't sound like the Apple/iTunes way, to me.

Now that you've written your Brand app for tv, let us put your content into our universal browser Doesn't sound like Apple to me.

ValSalva · Aug 14, 2013

I wish I'd heard of this app/service before. Hopefully Apple uses it as the founders intended. This would be an excellent addition to the Apple TV.

Terrin · Aug 14, 2013

Winni said:
What this tells me is that Apple really isn't a computer company anymore, heck, they are not even in the IT business anymore. They basically reduced themselves to being a competitor to Amazon's Kindle business.

When was the last time Apple did something interesting?

Mac Pro looks pretty interesting.

Mac21ND · Aug 14, 2013

Amazon Prime

I know this probably won't happen, but...

Just give me Amazon Prime for my :apple:

TV. Goodbye cable.

macnisse · Aug 14, 2013

Gotcha!

gnasher729 · Aug 14, 2013

hwrdrrk said:
Yes, please help me understand this. Unlike each release of hardware where everything is so much better and cooler (i.e. ipod touch 2 vs. 4 vs. 5) why does it seem like each revision of iTunes is worse and worse and worse.

Back in the day... iTunes was a breath of fresh air compared to windows-based mp3 software, now I feel like I'm using something clunky designed by Microsoft.

This is not intended as rant or complaining -- just curious to hear an educated explanation as to why iTunes has become so "bloated"

Don't fear. Scott Forstall is gone from Apple. Versions after 11.0.0 were all improvements.

FirstNTenderbit · Aug 14, 2013

LethalWolfe said:
Microsoft has it on the Xbox360 and it's handy. Sure beats searching each service (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.,) individually to see which one (if any) has what I'm looking for.

Yes it is. Even though 90% of my time on the 360 is game related, the universal search feature is a boon to the family. It's one of the best *quiet* gems on the 360.

I've never used Matcha.tv but if it works anything like the MS search feature on the 360 then it can only enhance what Apple already does.

iMerik · Aug 14, 2013

otisg said:
Looks like we're in the same boat. The Apple TV has a WAY better user interface and experience than the Roku 3, but currently with TWC TV, Amazon Instant Video, and Plex the Roku 3 is king, content-wise. I actually bought the Roku 3 just because of the TWC TV app - I have no cable boxes or cablecards, so it saves me some money cause I just pay for the Digital TV + HBO. Oh, yeah - I forgot DTS pass-thru and the power to play BluRay mkvs (h264) without breaking a sweat (even the high data rates)!

As soon as Apple TV has an A7 and an app store, the Roku 3 is dead to me.

Plex is easily the most important reason I still use a Roku and have yet to buy an AppleTV.

Mavelous · Aug 14, 2013

1 million?

How can Apple afford this?

otisg · Aug 14, 2013

captain kaos said:
I think what would make the Apple TV a total winner is if they've managed to get the rights for things like Hulu and Netflix in countries other than the US. I'd buy one just for that reason.

More compelling for non-US users? Definitely. A 'total winner' I think not.

In the US, it already has Hulu and Netflix and also HBO GO and WatchESPN - but it does not replace other ways of watching TV for non cord-cutters. To be a total winner I think it must have more live TV options and a great user experience.

a0me · Aug 14, 2013

Illusion986 said:
Apple has terrible search in pretty much everything, app store, mail, apple.com, spotlight, finder....for some reason they just cant get it right at all

I would explain my reasoning but i don't think anyone cares

The others I can understand, but Spotlight?

Iconoclysm · Aug 14, 2013

LethalWolfe said:
Microsoft has it on the Xbox360 and it's handy. Sure beats searching each service (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.,) individually to see which one (if any) has what I'm looking for.

The Wii U actually has an even better version made in conjunction with i.TV

donutbagel · Aug 14, 2013

RobertMartens said:
or just watch it there! Duh!

Oh wait, that would be morally reprehensible

my bad

Well, the quality also sucks, and you have to watch it on a computer screen unless you feel like setting it up with a big screen.

JAT · Aug 14, 2013

LethalWolfe said:
Microsoft has it on the Xbox360 and it's handy. Sure beats searching each service (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.,) individually to see which one (if any) has what I'm looking for.

So does Tivo, with suggestions.

LethalWolfe said:
It has nothing to do with engineers and everything to do with some companies wanting to create little fiefdoms centered around proprietary formats and devices.

Engineers....that work in companies.

PVIllustration said:
Wonder why no one has mentioned the extremely low buyout price. That can't be right, can it? Maybe the low price comes with a handy amount of Apple Shares.

They did mention that the company basically shut down in May. Probably means it doesn't have a high value.

Winni said:
When was the last time Apple did something interesting?

Nearly 5 years you've been here, and you have NEVER found anything from Apple interesting. Makes your comments like this meaningless.

Apple Acquires Video Discovery and Recommendation Startup Matcha.tv

macrumors G3

macrumors G3

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68000

macrumors G3

macrumors member

macrumors member

macrumors member

macrumors newbie

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68040

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 68040

macrumors 6502

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502

Suspended

macrumors 6502

macrumors 6502a

macrumors member

macrumors member

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68040

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 603

Our Staff