Apple Working on Digital Television Guide for Apple TV

[MacRumors]

Apple is working with television content providers and video companies to create a universal digital TV guide for the Apple TV and iOS devices, reports Recode.

Apple's goal is to help users discover all of the different television channels that are available through dedicated apps from companies like HBO, Netflix, and ESPN without the need to open up each app. The digital TV guide would also include a feature allowing users to play TV shows and movies with one click.

Last year, after Apple shelved its plans for a streaming television service, it shifted its strategy to the tvOS App Store, positioning it as a way for content providers to share their own content on Apple's platform. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in the past that he believes the future of TV is apps.

Industry sources say Apple's plans are an outgrowth of the TV service it wanted to launch last year. The difference is that in 2015, Apple wanted to sell TV programming directly to consumers, and provide them with a new interface that would make it easy find the stuff they paid for.

Now Apple is just working on the interface. It is letting programmers, distributors and customers work out the money part among themselves.

According to Recode, the single sign-on feature that's bundled into tvOS 10 is the first part of Apple's TV guide plan. Single sign-on will allow customers with a cable subscription to sign into the Apple TV once and access all of the apps that are available through cable authentication.

Apple already has access to information about the television content within apps to power Siri's Apple TV search features, but the company is said to be speaking with content providers about additional metadata for its full guide.

It's not clear what an Apple TV guide might look like, but it could perhaps work similarly to the App Store, with editor-based show recommendations, custom "For You" recommendations based on watched shows, lists of popular television shows, and more, making it easier for customers to discover new television content.

There is no word on when an Apple-designed television guide could be added to the Apple TV and iOS devices, but TV execs that spoke to Recode expressed some hesitation about the idea because it would eliminate their ability to draw customers to their own guides and channel promotion efforts.

Article Link: Apple Working on Digital Television Guide for Apple TV

 

[garylapointe]

Definetly needed!

Going from app to app is a hassle.

Siri isn't so great for old fashioned browsing...

 

[countryside]

Wow, I have to hand it to Apple, creative. They didn't give up. They had the channels some to them. They then allow out to have a single sign in. Now Apple just makes a "guide" like service/app. My hope is that eventually Apple offers its own cable "provider" service that I can subscribe to. Then I can ditch cable networks and use my Apple TV only.

 

[DavidLeblond]

One issue I have with Siri, and that I think may also be an issue with a guide, is Netflix has a problem figuring out where I'm at in a series because of the whole multiple profiles thing.

 

[countryside]

Oh wait, forgot, I need Amazon Prime Video. Please, Apple, work something out for me!

 

[Carmenia83]

"Apple's goal is to help users discover all of the different television channels that are available through dedicated apps from companies like HBO, Netflix, and ESPN without the need to open up each app."

It's not opening each app that's the problem. It's paying for each app.

 

[countryside]

It's not opening each app that's the problem. It's paying for each app.

You do not have to pay individually. Just connect it to your cable (if you have cable). This is why I want Apple to offer their own "cable" service.

 

[pat500000]

Hey apple...you should own internet service.

 

[petsounds]

So they just want to make the Apple TV a set-top box. This does nothing to move the needle forward on getting rid of the cable company middlemen. I can't imagine this is what Steve had in mind with his big idea.

 

[justperry]

What's the use of this if it's only US centered, AppleTv could be so much more but until now it offers not a lot to users outside of USA except for a few games and some others Apps.
It's a shame really, I would love to see a local Cable TV App here but until now neither of the providers here is on AppleTv

 

[jumanji]

yes, it is creative. yes, it will be useful. groundbreaking? yea, no....

 

[cardfan]

All i have is hulu, netflix, and amazon (crappy amazon device on another input) because i have Prime for shipping. I don't want the other apps that need cable sign ins. I don't want cable.

Back to the drawing board Apple. Cable devices already have guides.

Hey, if you can do an itunes Go kind of app that offers everything in your itunes tv library along with a few movies, then you might have something. It'd have to replace hulu and netflix though. I have no desire to pay more..

 

[BornAgainMac]

What was that secret that Steve Jobs said when he cracked the TV? Was this having Apps on Apple TV, Siri, or this digital TV guide?

 

[BMcCoy]

Yup, a universal EPG is essemtial if Apple TV is to evolve and become a proper tv hub.

Oh, and the integration of a freeview digital tuner.

Oh, and record storage.

And only then will it match my existing PVR.

 

[rp2011]

Nice! About time.

 

[Vermifuge]

The addition of some from of notification system would be a great addition. I don't necessarily need it to be shared with my other mobile devices But I would love it if an app like Sling reminded me my favorite show was about to start or if Netflix poked me that a new season of Dare Devil was available.

 

[CarlJ]

Hey apple...you should own internet service.

Hmm, they own a lot of internet services (iCloud, iMessage, Apple Music, iTunes, etc.). Do you mean like an ISP?
[doublepost=1470342676][/doublepost]

Yup, a universal EPG is essemtial if Apple TV is to evolve and become a proper tv hub.

Oh, and the integration of a freeview digital tuner.

Oh, and record storage.

And only then will it match my existing PVR.

If it gets to where they can stream most anything, from most any service, on demand, are the tuner and the local storage really necessary?

 

[v0lume4]

You know the feeling when you're browsing the TV guide (on DirecTV, Charter, Time Warner, whoever) and you see a movie that you really want to watch, and when you select the channel and you're presented with a "You aren't subscribed to this channel. Please call xxx-xxx-xxxx to change your subscription" message?

I image that's how this will be. Many of the apps on Apple TV require separate subscriptions.

 

[Rogifan]

What was that secret that Steve Jobs said when he cracked the TV? Was this having Apps on Apple TV, Siri, or this digital TV guide?

He's gone. Who cares at this point?

So they just want to make the Apple TV a set-top box. This does nothing to move the needle forward on getting rid of the cable company middlemen. I can't imagine this is what Steve had in mind with his big idea.

Except Apple offering a package of their own would just make them the middleman. But then you'd still have to deal with a cable or telephone company for your internet access. The TV industry isn't anything like music in the early 2000s. They don't need Apple to come in and "save" them.

 

[Alumeenium]

let me delete genres and apps I'm not interested in

why are we force fed different channel silos in 2016?!

get rid of the horrible UI/Remote

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

What was that secret that Steve Jobs said when he cracked the TV?

I'm starting to think that he was referring to a time when he threw the remote at it.

 

[CarlJ]

So they just want to make the Apple TV a set-top box. This does nothing to move the needle forward on getting rid of the cable company middlemen. I can't imagine this is what Steve had in mind with his big idea.

The reports suggest Apple has tried pretty hard, a number of times, to negotiate various forms of ala carte or "skinny bundle" channel deals with the various networks/content providers, but the networks seem to want to keep things the way they are. There's an awful lot of interconnected contracts and sacred cows in the cable TV / network / studio area.

On the other hand, making a plug-in system, where content providers can provide program-guide-style metadata to a central app on the Apple TV in some standardized format, might kinda sorta get us what we wanted. Pay for the services you care about, have all the content available through one interface.

In the meantime, Hulu Plus is getting me most of what I want for a fraction of what I was paying for cable.

 

[hockeyamd]

I love that tivo has all my prime and netflix listed with my other recordings. Looking forward to Apple version of this!

 

[BornAgainMac]

I'm starting to think that he was referring to a time when he threw the remote at it.

Yeah, it sounds more like that and the quote implied he had this wonderful new idea about TV. But he probably did crack the TV by throwing the remote at the screen from being frustrated with Cook not getting it, or not being with Apple, or perhaps just fixing his health naturally.

If he did have an idea, this idea would be one of his last ideas before Apple employees would have come up with their own ideas or just purchase ideas from companies they acquire.

 

[BMcCoy]

If it gets to where they can stream most anything, from most any service, on demand, are the tuner and the local storage really necessary?

Yes, until universal high-speed internet access arrives.

My internet is 1.5 meg. Even YouTube buffers...