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Apple has added Telemundo Now to the universal search function on the fourth-generation Apple TV, enabling U.S. users to search for TV shows on the world's second most popular Spanish-language channel. Telemundo, owned by NBCUniversal, is syndicated worldwide to more than 100 countries in over 35 languages.

telemundo_apple_tv_universal.jpg

For those unfamiliar with universal search, it's a feature that allows users to conduct Siri voice searches or text-based searches to find TV and movie content across a wide range of channels. At launch, universal search only supported a few channels, but Apple has been rapidly expanding the feature to encompass additional channels.

Apple TV universal search is now available for a wide number of apps in the U.S. and Australia, but the feature is limited to iTunes and Netflix in Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In some other countries and regions, only movies in iTunes are supported.

Article Link: Apple TV Universal Search Adds Popular Spanish Network Telemundo
 

tennisproha

macrumors 68000
Jun 24, 2011
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Universal Search is honestly one of the best things about Apple TV. It's by far the easiest way to check where a show is available. Whereas before you'd go to shady sites or have to check each site individually. Now you can just ask Siri and it displays all the services the show is available on along with what seasons are available on each. It's great.

One more cool thing about it is, if you search for say, "Find American Horror Story for free", it'll parse through all the services you're logged into, like Netflix, and show you where it's available to watch for free; along with all the other services it's available on. Pretty cool.

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Can you disable what apps use universal search? Does it search apps you don't have installed?
Nope. Yup.

It's searches all supported legal services available regardless of which apps you have, which is the best thing about it, and also sorta the point.

One more thing, the apps don't really 'use' it per se, it's just baked into tvOS.
 
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Sakurambo-kun

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Oct 30, 2015
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As with the previous models Apple seem completely disinterested in anywhere outside of America. Not that there are many Apple TV apps in the UK to search anyway, as the UK app store is a batten wasteland of shovelware and sewage. It's like the Roku store minus the small selection of good UK apps Roku have.
 
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HiVolt

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Sep 29, 2008
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I wonder if these content providers have to pay Apple anything to appear in universal search, beyond just their apps being capable of it...

Given how slowly these things are being added, I'm inclined to believe that's the case...
 

profets

macrumors 603
Mar 18, 2009
5,111
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Search Plex and you have a winner.

Yes!

When are other apps going to have access to universal search? But I have to say, I can't really see how the technicalities would work. Could an app like Plex keep Siri updated? I feel like the current universal search is done through databases that Apple has of these main content providers.
 

KazKam

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Oct 25, 2011
496
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Universal Search is honestly one of the best things about Apple TV. It's by far the easiest way to check where a show is available. Whereas before you'd go to shady sites or have to check each site individually. Now you can just ask Siri and it displays all the services the show is available on along with what seasons are available on each. It's great.

It'll check where a show is available... except on your Home Share where you've already purchased and downloaded it so you don't have to stream it.

One more cool thing about it is, if you search for say, "Find American Horror Story for free", it'll parse through all the services you're logged into, like Netflix, and show you where it's available to watch for free; along with all the other services it's available on. Pretty cool.

But you can't search for say, "Find American Horror Story locally" so you can return results from your Home Share where you've already purchased and downloaded it so you don't have to stream it.

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Nope. Yup.

It's searches all supported legal services available regardless of which apps you have, which is the best thing about it, and also sorta the point.

Legal? Also, it's the WORST thing about it IF you want to bypass Apple's kludgy navigation and only want to search the content you already purchased and/or downloaded, or just search the channels you've determined for yourself may have relevant content instead of returning results from services you'll never pay for which essentially equate to advertising in your results.

You and Apple have made a lot of assumptions about how users want to discover and access content... mostly skewed in favor of using up bandwidth and selling content.
 
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thisisnotmyname

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Oct 22, 2014
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Let's be fair buddy, not even Google Translate understood what you said. :D

Other than dropping articles and prepositions that's basically what he said though. And the conjugation of the verb. OK, that's a mighty simplistic translation, never mind :)

So, Siri is language specific though, would you have to put your Apple TV in Spanish language mode for her to "understand" that statement? Bilingual Siri isn't really a thing yet, I wonder if you need to anglicize pronunciations for Siri to find shows on Telemundo if your primary language is set to English. I'll have to try it out.

edit: so I just tried it out. I attempted to find Al Rojo Vivo both pronouncing it correctly and anglicized (al ro-joe vie-vo) and got about three of four interpretations back from Siri that were all wrong (El rodeo vevo for example). Maybe I'd have better luck if I switched over to Spanish as the primary language but I don't have time to do that right now.

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Search Plex and you have a winner.

I'd accept this as a fallback but I'd still rather have Apple support their own home sharing functionality.
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Does Siri even understand Spanish?

Spanish is one of the Siri languages. It's supported in primarily Spanish speaking countries (e.g. Mexico) as well as the US.
 
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tennisproha

macrumors 68000
Jun 24, 2011
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Legal? Also, it's the WORST thing about it IF you want to bypass Apple's kludgy navigation and only want to search the content you already purchased and/or downloaded, or just search the channels you've determined for yourself may have relevant content instead of returning results from services you'll never pay for which essentially equate to advertising in your results.
lol. You quoted me 3 times and in 3 different ways, said you want Home Sharing. I got it.

Considering Universal Search is brand new and they are still adding services, like Telemundo, they might add Home Sharing since it's an Apple app. For Plex and others, don't hold your breath since we already know there's no way Apple will support illegal content.

You and Apple have made a lot of assumptions about how users want to discover and access content... mostly skewed in favor of using up bandwidth and selling content.
I have not made any assumptions. I've stated facts on how Universal Search works to educate others who might not know how it works yet. So I certainly don't appreciate your accusatory tone against me. If you have a beef with Apple, take it up with them.

Although since you've brought it up, I should note the new Apple TV is geared towards streaming, so that will obviously be the focus. If you want local playback, buy an old Apple TV with a hard-drive.
 

iDento

macrumors 6502a
Sep 8, 2011
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But still doesn't search home sharing... :(
It will never search Home Sharing content.

This universal search thing works online only, that's by searching the databases of these networks and come back with the results, if you want local library search then Apple needs to scan your library all the time, that's why I think it will never happen.

By the way, I'm not a developer or anything, I just read that on Plex forums.
 

orbital~debris

macrumors 68020
Mar 3, 2004
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UK, Europe
It will never search Home Sharing content.

This universal search thing works online only, that's by searching the databases of these networks and come back with the results, if you want local library search then Apple needs to scan your library all the time, that's why I think it will never happen.

But isn't that effectively how Apple Music works?
 

thisisnotmyname

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Oct 22, 2014
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It will never search Home Sharing content.

This universal search thing works online only, that's by searching the databases of these networks and come back with the results, if you want local library search then Apple needs to scan your library all the time, that's why I think it will never happen.

By the way, I'm not a developer or anything, I just read that on Plex forums.

It could, they choose not to. There's nothing preventing them from searching the same string against the local files and mashing up the results. I understand your point though that currently this is searching server side only; I'm just hoping they change.
 

KazKam

macrumors 6502
Oct 25, 2011
496
1,687
lol. You quoted me 3 times and in 3 different ways, said you want Home Sharing. I got it.

Exactly, because you stated the same thing 3 different ways... You <3 the new ATV and how it works is exactly like it should because that's the way that works for you. I got it.

Considering Universal Search is brand new and they are still adding services, like Telemundo, they might add Home Sharing since it's an Apple app. For Plex and others, don't hold your breath since we already know there's no way Apple will support illegal content.

Except I'm not talking about illegal content. I'm talking about media, music/movies/shows, purchased through the iTunes store, downloaded to our computers, served from Home Sharing in iTunes. For most (at least in the US, unless you live in Cupertino or two houses from a switch) quality/reliable/high-bandwidth/affordable internet service is a pipe dream. And I'm saying Apple is completely discounting most households because of that.

I have not made any assumptions. I've stated facts on how Universal Search works to educate others who might not know how it works yet. So I certainly don't appreciate your accusatory tone against me. If you have a beef with Apple, take it up with them.

And that you, yes, are assuming that because it works for you and is the new gospel from Apple it should work for everyone and they should just accept it. But yes, kudos to you for "Nope. Yup." That did answer his question.

Although since you've brought it up, I should note the new Apple TV is geared towards streaming, so that will obviously be the focus. If you want local playback, buy an old Apple TV with a hard-drive.

No need to go back that far. The ATV3 was perfectly capable of playing content from Home Shares... more so than the ATV4 (less janky navigation). And so yes, I did buy several more ATV3s, while they were still available.
 

iamgalt

macrumors 6502
Jul 25, 2012
443
1,617
how about adding home share files to the search. I'd rather watch movies that I already have downloaded and I can access over my local network, rather than stream it. There are other people in my house using the internet for their own purposes that would prefer I access already downloaded files too.
 
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tennisproha

macrumors 68000
Jun 24, 2011
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And so yes, I did buy several more ATV3s, while they were still available.
Alright kiddo. Good for you.

You're starting to ramble nonsense so I'm just gonna suggest you go re-read my previous posts more carefully.

If you need further help, contact AppleCare to troll further.
 
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