Amazon's Redesigned Prime Video App Now Available for Apple TV

[MacRumors]

Amazon today updated its Prime Video app for the Apple TV with a redesigned interface that looks similar to other streaming service apps.

Amazon's redesigned Prime Video app via The Verge​

Like the Netflix app, the redesigned Prime Video app has a new vertical navigation bar along the left side and a top 10 list of popular series and movies on the service. Prime Video Channels subscriptions like AMC+ and Paramount+, sports, and live TV content are all more prominently featured, and there are larger visuals across the app.

The long-awaited update to the Prime Video app is available through the tvOS App Store on all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models.

HBO Max also updated its Apple TV app with much-welcomed usability improvements in April.

Article Link: Amazon's Redesigned Prime Video App Now Available for Apple TV

 

[macsplusmacs]

Great news. I use that app a lot.

It felt like the latest 1password, bloated, slower than it had to be, not as responsive.

In otherwords, I wonder it it was an Electron app like 1password and Amazon said, we care enough about our TV watching customers to rebuild it in native.

 

[MallardDuck]

If it has a 'don't show me anything with ads' filter, it'd be a huge win.

 

[EdT]

Great news. I use that app a lot.

It felt like the latest 1password, bloated, slower than it had to be, not as responsive.

In otherwords, I wonder it it was an Electron app like 1password and Amazon said, we care enough about our TV watching customers to rebuild it in native.

I’m an Amazon Prime member but I bought that before their streaming service existed because I live in a rural area and ordering something online and having it delivered saves gas and miles on my vehicle if I don’t need the item that day. Been a while since I even opened the streaming app.

 

[Octavius8]

Only need Apple to update its prehistoric app on TVs.

 

[kerr]

Not seeing the update here in Australia. My version is 1.2.14 released 12 Jul 2022.

 

[johnyslats]

Rollout appears to be regional. Wasn’t showing for me in the UK app so reinstalled using my US Apple ID et voilà

 

[btrach144]

Is it native or is it some universal wrapper app that feels slow and bloated?

 

[johnyslats]

Is it native or is it some universal wrapper app that feels slow and bloated?

The latter. Clunky navigation and horrible playback controls

 

[JonahSachs]

Is it native or is it some universal wrapper app that feels slow and bloated?

It's not native. Still feels like the old, terrible version. The awful video player remains. Only difference is the app I no longer ugly.

 

[macsplusmacs]

I’m an Amazon Prime member but I bought that before their streaming service existed because I live in a rural area and ordering something online and having it delivered saves gas and miles on my vehicle if I don’t need the item that day. Been a while since I even opened the streaming app.

If you are into Crime Police type shows I would recommend Bosch. Five seasons. Great show IMO.

 

[pgiguere1]

In otherwords, I wonder it it was an Electron app like 1password and Amazon said, we care enough about our TV watching customers to rebuild it in native.

Kind of.

It wasn't using Electron specifically, since Electron can't run on iOS/iPadOS/tvOS. Electron is based on the V8 JavaScript engine (same as Chrome). And since Apple doesn't allow 3rd party JS engines, the only way to achieve an Electron-like app is by leveraging Apple's own JS engine, JavaScriptCore.

On tvOS specifically, these Electron-like "web apps" tend to use TVMLKit: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/tvmlkit

JavaScript-based apps will always be inherently slower than Swift-based ones, but I don't think the issue here was strictly the use of JavaScript or TVML. The previous Amazon Prime app was simply a bad web app.

 

[GeoStructural]

Been a while since I even opened the streaming app.

I recommend you give it a go, it is loaded with great content, both originals as well as older shows. I also purchased Prime being unaware of their Music and TV content being available to me, and what a surprise. Their original shows are Top quality, among the best in any platform.

 

[ss2cire]

Any improvements to the UX is welcomed. If it's slower then bleh.

 

[iRobz]

Anyone know how to quickly see if content is available in UHD?

They’ve gotten rid of the handy icons in the corner.

 

[EatinPonies]

Here's to hoping the search icon shows consistently now...

And isn't this one of the only streaming providers that didn't integrate with the Apple TV search function? That drove me crazy... if I'm on the home screen and do a voice search for a title *I know* exists on Amazon Prime Video, the search results don't link me straight into the app like it does for other providers.

 

[1557750]

Looks cleaner and more fluid. Will have to check it out. Good on them if it’s quicker.

 

[alexandr]

It's not native. Still feels like the old, terrible version. The awful video player remains. Only difference is the app I no longer ugly.

Well, it's a start

 

[RickDEGH]

Great! Will check when I get home today. The past few times have been impossible to use the app - just stops playing after a minute and throws up that dark spinning whatever.

 

[SpringKid]

I hope they've also upped the resolution and the compression quality of the graphics, the current/old version really looks horrible on a TV.

 

[a.phoenicis]

Here's to hoping the search icon shows consistently now...

And isn't this one of the only streaming providers that didn't integrate with the Apple TV search function? That drove me crazy... if I'm on the home screen and do a voice search for a title *I know* exists on Amazon Prime Video, the search results don't link me straight into the app like it does for other providers.

No, Prime Video integrated with the universal tv/search/queue. It’s Netflix that doesn’t.

Edit: it seems this is region-dependent, which is… 🤯

 

[The Cappy]

Good. The previous app has a tendency to lock up from time to time.

 

[julesme]

I can barely stand their video product. It's a bloated, confused mess of subscription, ad-supported, and purchase / rental. Don't get me started on the years and years of app crashes on iPad while scrubbing through movies. Also - the special features were never included with purchase, even though they are offered on other services. 4K? That's an additional fee and/or a separate purchase.

I finally gave up and went somewhere else with my rather extensive movie & TV library. I'll leave you all to guess where.

And the worst part of it all? No one at Amazon gives a s#?t if their interface doesn't work right. If you ordered a movie in HD and it plays in standard definition on the iPad, that's your problem. Amazon is great at delivering a wide variety of products at a cheap price, reliably. They should stick to that, or perhaps hire someone else to run their video platform.

 

[BMox81]

No update in the UK as of yet.

 

[johnyslats]

I hope they've also upped the resolution and the compression quality of the graphics, the current/old version really looks horrible on a TV.

Sadly not