TV App Ignoring Local Content

[rayward]

I have a large media library, ripped from BD and stored in iTunes. The TV App picks up only content purchased through the iTunes store - one movie and one TV show - and ignores the over 300 movie titles in my local iTunes folder. That's annoying.

I suspect it's because they want us all to buy through their store which, if true, is greedy and shortsighted. If they want users like me - who have TBs of content housed in an Apple ecosystem - then they should let us get at it through the TV App. That way, we'll be going to their app on a regular basis and will thus be exposed to all the other stuff they're providing/selling.

Plus, this would allow us to get rid of that stupid and confusing orange "Computers" app!

 

[bigpatky]

I have a large media library, ripped from BD and stored in iTunes. The TV App picks up only content purchased through the iTunes store - one movie and one TV show - and ignores the over 300 movie titles in my local iTunes folder. That's annoying.

I suspect it's because they want us all to buy through their store which, if true, is greedy and shortsighted. If they want users like me - who have TBs of content housed in an Apple ecosystem - then they should let us get at it through the TV App. That way, we'll be going to their app on a regular basis and will thus be exposed to all the other stuff they're providing/selling.

Plus, this would allow us to get rid of that stupid and confusing orange "Computers" app!

I don't know that it's so nefarious...probably that they already have an easy to access universal database of items available in the iTunes store and it would take a lot of time/money/effort to add in personal databases of content on accessible on each Apple TV. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I am saying it's probably a pretty big undertaking.

 

[rayward]

I don't know that it's so nefarious...probably that they already have an easy to access universal database of items available in the iTunes store and it would take a lot of time/money/effort to add in personal databases of content on accessible on each Apple TV. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I am saying it's probably a pretty big undertaking.

They already have the "Computers" app to draw in local iTunes content. Doesn't seem like much of a stretch to bake this in to the TV app...

 

[RadioGaGa1984]

They already have the "Computers" app to draw in local iTunes content. Doesn't seem like much of a stretch to bake this in to the TV app...

I think it will be eventually. It shows on the iPhone version of the TV app but not on the iPad I think its still a little glitchy.

 

[rayward]

I think it will be eventually. It shows on the iPhone version of the TV app but not on the iPad I think its still a little glitchy.

On my iPhone, it's replaced the old "Videos" app where synced media content was accessed. On the Apple TV, it's in addition to the equivalent "Computers" app.

I think this is on purpose.

 

[mallbritton]

I have a large media library, ripped from BD and stored in iTunes. The TV App picks up only content purchased through the iTunes store - one movie and one TV show - and ignores the over 300 movie titles in my local iTunes folder. That's annoying.

I suspect it's because they want us all to buy through their store which, if true, is greedy and shortsighted. If they want users like me - who have TBs of content housed in an Apple ecosystem - then they should let us get at it through the TV App. That way, we'll be going to their app on a regular basis and will thus be exposed to all the other stuff they're providing/selling.

Plus, this would allow us to get rid of that stupid and confusing orange "Computers" app!

I have my own ideas about why Apple does this, but it still annoys the [Redacted] out of me.

I would really like Apple to stop segregating our video content and also allow local playlists to be used in the TV app. Also, integrate live streams.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Same experience of not having my local videos show in the app on the TV.

But here's a little quirk. Today, I noticed the TV app on my iDevice and opened for the first time. Within "Library" the same (iTunes-only) video is listed just like my TV. However, mixed into "Purchased TV Shows" and "Purchased Movies" are (homemade stuff tagged) TV Shows & Movies synched to my iDevice. So at least the app on an iDevice can see locally synched, non-iTunes content.

I realize this is no help for the TV desire but I take this as the app can "see" non iTunes-purchased content.

Interesting difference #2: When I click "shared library" in the iDevice version, it does show my "home share" network name but doesn't load up all of the videos that are in the home share. So I see an option for the iDevice's name and the home share name but both seem to show only the same content: iTunes purchased & rented content and only non-iTunes purchased stuff synched to the iDevice.

 

[hagar]

I can't verify this as I'm not located in the US. But still interested to find out. So the TV app shows content that is synced to the iPhone/iPad. But doesn't show content available over Home Sharing? So how can you access that content without the old Video app?

 

[rayward]

(Sneaky bump) It seems that Siri, too, will ignore local content. I was in the videos, orange "Computers" app already and asked Siri to "Play Deadpool"; he (mine's a he) took me out of the app, into the TV app and asked if I wanted to buy/rent Ryan Reynolds' "Deadpool" or Clint Eastwood's "The Dead Pool".

Cudos for thoroughness in pulling up the Dirty Harry movie (although it should have also called up the X-Men Origins movie with Reynolds as Deadpool), but there was a "Deadpool" movie right there in the app we were in and which was available to be played instantly. That one, which generates zero revenue for Apple, was ignored.

But, does it generate zero revenue for Apple? One of the big reasons why I buy products inside the Apple ecosystem is so that my media syncs across platforms seamlessly. I take time to add Apple-friendly metadata to my media and I transcode media in Apple-friendly formats to support this process. It's the supposedly seamless experience is what keeps me buying Apple products instead of increasingly competitive / superior alternatives.

Ignore us at your peril, Apple!

 

[cynics]

Want to see something weird?

Goto the Computer app, scrolls to the movie next to the movie you want to watch, then tell siri to play the movie you want to watch....

For me it plays it from my computer. Odd because no matter what I tell siri anywhere else "Play movie from my computer app" etc etc it won't do it. But when I do the trick above it seems to work.

So it ALMOST works the way I would expect. I don't know if this is activated from tags in metadata or not. Maybe someone smarter then I could figure this out.

 

[AL2TEACH]

I have a large media library, ripped from BD and stored in iTunes. The TV App picks up only content purchased through the iTunes store - one movie and one TV show - and ignores the over 300 movie titles in my local iTunes folder. That's annoying.

I suspect it's because they want us all to buy through their store which, if true, is greedy and shortsighted. If they want users like me - who have TBs of content housed in an Apple ecosystem - then they should let us get at it through the TV App. That way, we'll be going to their app on a regular basis and will thus be exposed to all the other stuff they're providing/selling.

Plus, this would allow us to get rid of that stupid and confusing orange "Computers" app!

I read this about three times and I'm still confused. I have over 300 movies also and iTunes>Computer>sees all the movies. Maybe, I'm missing something. Curious to know the folder you have the movies located in iTunes.

 

[seanrt]

I hate all the horizontal scrolling through short columns for episodes. It's hard to tell there's more to the right. I prefer the episodes listed in one vertical column like Videos app, plus you used to get a nice large graphic from the series artwork.

 

[rayward]

I read this about three times and I'm still confused. I have over 300 movies also and iTunes>Computer>sees all the movies. Maybe, I'm missing something. Curious to know the folder you have the movies located in iTunes.

The Computers app sees my whole library, but that's not the point. Apple is making the TV app the be-all, end-all of media yet, on the Apple TV, it fails to pick up any locally stored content. So, as described in my later post, when I ask to play a movie I already have, Siri takes me to the iTunes store instead of finding and playing the locally stored movie. This is a different action to what happens on a phone or pad, where the TV app embraces media content synced to the device.

This seems to be on purpose. Which is why it's annoying.

 

[MikeatOSX]

Apple doesn't earn money when showing your local movies.
So that's the answer.

 

[iSRS]

I know it's easy to say "they aren't making money..." or "Videos aren't like music, anything you have DRM free in iTunes technically shouldn't be there..." but I think it's more an issue of what @bigpatky is saying.

 

[AL2TEACH]

The Computers app sees my whole library, but that's not the point. Apple is making the TV app the be-all, end-all of media yet, on the Apple TV, it fails to pick up any locally stored content. So, as described in my later post, when I ask to play a movie I already have, Siri takes me to the iTunes store instead of finding and playing the locally stored movie. This is a different action to what happens on a phone or pad, where the TV app embraces media content synced to the device.

This seems to be on purpose. Which is why it's annoying.

I agree. I also agree with MikeatOSX's reply.
I have not used Siri with Apple TV because of this eh problem.
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I know it's easy to say "they aren't making money..." or "Videos aren't like music, anything you have DRM free in iTunes technically shouldn't be there..." but I think it's more an issue of what @bigpatky is saying.

and that also, lol.

 

[rayward]

Apple doesn't earn money when showing your local movies.
So that's the answer.

Which means that Apple TV isn't the hub of my media which, ironically, makes me more likely to replace it with a non-Apple product.

 

[Wakey87433]

They already have the "Computers" app to draw in local iTunes content. Doesn't seem like much of a stretch to bake this in to the TV app...

Its not as simple as that though. The reason it can't include your own media is they can't identify it. Its the same reason none of the voice searches on any box can access your plea libraries. All of this be it the TV app or Siri is done remotely as the boxes don't really have the power to be able to be bogged down with such things running in the background so it uses a file signature to identify what the file actually is and this changes on almost every single file created because every single option you set when ripping the content changes the files characteristics. Its impossible for Apple or any of the box makers to have a database of every single users files.

 

[cynics]

Apple doesn't earn money when showing your local movies.
So that's the answer.

Like most people you are missing the point of what the TV app is. Its much more devious (used for effect).

On the surface it looks like Apple is actually losing money with the TV app. For example I was in the mood to watch the movie Swingers last night and was just going to rent it however the TV app told me it was on Netflix (didnt even think to look because they never have anything I want to watch). Even had a convenient Play from Netflix button.

However the point of the app isn't to bring all your apps into it. Its to bring YOU into it i.e. the iTunes store.

By putting your local data in the TV app it puts you in the iTunes store more often and enviably make Apple money.

I can see the problem with using local content though and thats searches involving the meta data. The search functions need to get really advanced and will likely make a lot of errors anyway. Wrong or lacking meta data will always hinder search performance. For example if I searched for Robert De Niro movies but I forgot to add that to the meta data when I ripped a certain movie it would need to search for his movies then cross reference titles. Made even more difficult if your Movies are literally yours and/or included Home Videos (the other video section in iTunes).

I guess a solution could just be a section at the bottom "Suggestions from your library".

Then they would need to find a way to elegantly organize your cover art which will be in various resolutions, aspect ratios, etc. The computer app is pretty bad, especially if you have a huge movie collection. Sharing that with another app would only exasperate the problem.

That said I wouldnt mind if my movies were able to accessed through the TV app but I don't have a problem with a separate app. The apple tv itself is my all in one entertainment solution, I don't need it to be further compressed into a single app especially one that puts me in the itunes store.

 

[rayward]

Its not as simple as that though. The reason it can't include your own media is they can't identify it. Its the same reason none of the voice searches on any box can access your plea libraries. All of this be it the TV app or Siri is done remotely as the boxes don't really have the power to be able to be bogged down with such things running in the background so it uses a file signature to identify what the file actually is and this changes on almost every single file created because every single option you set when ripping the content changes the files characteristics. Its impossible for Apple or any of the box makers to have a database of every single users files.

My Apple TV already has a list of all my media...in the Computers app. If the TV App can search Netflix et al, why can't it search the Computers app too? The speech recognition for Siri is performed remotely, but the results it generates are handled locally by the app; there's no reason that Apple doesn't have the TV App search the Computers app except for it being a choice.
[doublepost=1485449619][/doublepost]

Like most people you are missing the point of what the TV app is. Its much more devious (used for effect).

On the surface it looks like Apple is actually losing money with the TV app. For example I was in the mood to watch the movie Swingers last night and was just going to rent it however the TV app told me it was on Netflix (didnt even think to look because they never have anything I want to watch). Even had a convenient Play from Netflix button.

However the point of the app isn't to bring all your apps into it. Its to bring YOU into it i.e. the iTunes store.

By putting your local data in the TV app it puts you in the iTunes store more often and enviably make Apple money.

I can see the problem with using local content though and thats searches involving the meta data. The search functions need to get really advanced and will likely make a lot of errors anyway. Wrong or lacking meta data will always hinder search performance. For example if I searched for Robert De Niro movies but I forgot to add that to the meta data when I ripped a certain movie it would need to search for his movies then cross reference titles. Made even more difficult if your Movies are literally yours and/or included Home Videos (the other video section in iTunes).

I guess a solution could just be a section at the bottom "Suggestions from your library".

Then they would need to find a way to elegantly organize your cover art which will be in various resolutions, aspect ratios, etc. The computer app is pretty bad, especially if you have a huge movie collection. Sharing that with another app would only exasperate the problem.

That said I wouldnt mind if my movies were able to accessed through the TV app but I don't have a problem with a separate app. The apple tv itself is my all in one entertainment solution, I don't need it to be further compressed into a single app especially one that puts me in the itunes store.

Apple has already figured out how to display cover art etc. associated with my local media...in the Computers app. The TV App simply needs to incorporate this functionality. If the metadata isn't sophisticated enough to be hit by the search, then that's on me, but that shouldn't stop the TV App from trying.

The comparable apps on the iDevices were absorbed by the TV App, so it's not as if Apple missed this wrinkle with Apple TV.

 

[xpected_one]

My Apple TV already has a list of all my media...in the Computers app. If the TV App can search Netflix et al, why can't it search the Computers app too? The speech recognition for Siri is performed remotely, but the results it generates are handled locally by the app; there's no reason that Apple doesn't have the TV App search the Computers app except for it being a choice.
[doublepost=1485449619][/doublepost]


Apple has already figured out how to display cover art etc. associated with my local media...in the Computers app. The TV App simply needs to incorporate this functionality. If the metadata isn't sophisticated enough to be hit by the search, then that's on me, but that shouldn't stop the TV App from trying.

The comparable apps on the iDevices were absorbed by the TV App, so it's not as if Apple missed this wrinkle with Apple TV.

Not only this but how annoying is it to start a movie from "computers" not finish it and it shows where you left off in the TV app. But if you try to click on the started movie to resume playing from where you left off.. it still takes you to the iTunes store to buy it. Unreal!

 

[Billit]

The TV app on my iPhone 6+ has no problem seeing and displaying my media library of movies and tv shows from my Mac mini. The issue that I have with this app is for the tv shows, it only displays the first six episodes of any series/year. I can tap on the link to purchase more episodes but I already have them in the library. How am I supposed to be able to watch episode 14 of Battlestar Galactica season 2? Or any episode past 6?

In my opinion, Apple has gimped this tv app to benefit them and the iTunes store. I would like the old video app back, it worked perfectly. For my needs at least.