The TV app

[AZhappyjack]

Is it just me, or is the app a nightmare to use? Trying to watch a series (AT+, For All Mankind), and you have to go back to the series and then pick the next episode from the list...why not make it easier on us all - Netflix and Amazon Prime both have the feature that automatically queues up the next episode... why can't (won't) Apple just make it logical and easy to use?

 

[Lucifer666]

It's incompetence to have allowed this functionally reduced app to replace iTunes.

You could list allthe shortcomings, but there's not enough room on the Internet. Even search in the movie library doesn't work! Nothing works like it did, and lots of things are gone.

 

[Jim Lahey]

I may be misunderstanding, but this is what Up Next is for? That feature has had its own issues, admittedly, but now seems pretty solid.

 

[AZhappyjack]

I may be misunderstanding, but this is what Up Next is for? That feature has had its own issues, admittedly, but now seems pretty solid.

Where is this "Up Next"? I am using the TV app on my Mac (running Catalina)... I don't see "Up Next" anywhere. They finally split up the monolithic iTunes and left us with this mess.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Up Next is the main banner in the TV App on Mac and iOS.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Up Next is the main banner in the TV App on Mac and iOS.

Not seeing it...

 

[Rigby]

Not seeing it...

You need to switch to the "Watch Now" tab. Add the show to the watch list and it'll keep track of the last watched episode.

 

[PR1985]

Auto play works, for some series, since Friday. Apple tv 3

 

[topdrawer]

i just wish i could hide all the stuff that isn't free

 

[nutmac]

i just wish i could hide all the stuff that isn't free

All video streaming apps should move "contents you cannot watch without paying" to a separate page.

If I was in charge of redesigning the TV app, I would divide it up into 6 pages:

1. Movies
2. TV Shows
3. Sports
4. Kids
5. Store
6. Search

Gone are Watch Now and Library.

At the top first 4 pages should be Up Next, then shortcuts to Library (contents synced or streaming from Mac or PC, contents purchased from Store, and offline downloaded contents from streaming services), My Channels, and Connected Apps.

The rest are suggestions, starting with Watch to Watch then suggested categories and other recommendations.

Store should be suggestions for iTunes Store contents, list of Apple TV Channels, and other stuff I need to pay extra.

Search should show contents from subscribed services and purchased library first, with priority given for ad-free and higher quality (e.g., 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos).

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I have to say the app is pretty dreadful. Cluttered and shows content that is an additional cost and there doesn’t seem to be a way to create profiles for your children. Considering Apple is so good at designing interfaces, it feels like this one has been outsourced.

 

[Rigby]

You can give your children their own Apple IDs, and set up multiple users on the Apple TV. They can still share your purchased content if you set up family sharing.

Apple TV User Guide

This definitive guide helps you get started using Apple TV and discover all the amazing things it can do.

support.apple.com

You can also use restrictions to limit access to content e.g. based on the rating:

Set up parental controls on Apple TV

You can configure Apple TV to restrict certain content so that only authorized users can watch, play, or make purchases.

support.apple.com

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

You can give your children their own Apple IDs, and set up multiple users on the Apple TV. They can still share your purchased content if you set up family sharing.

Apple TV User Guide

This definitive guide helps you get started using Apple TV and discover all the amazing things it can do.

support.apple.com

You can also use restrictions to limit access to content e.g. based on the rating:

Set up parental controls on Apple TV

You can configure Apple TV to restrict certain content so that only authorized users can watch, play, or make purchases.

support.apple.com

Thanks for the links, just wish it was more intuitive and easier to navigate. Not massively impressed with the amount of free (included in the fee) content though. I'm seeing how it goes for a month and may consider cancelling it until it has matured to be honest.

 

[Ruggy]

All video streaming apps should move "contents you cannot watch without paying" to a separate page.

If I was in charge of redesigning the TV app, I would divide it up into 6 pages:

1. Movies
2. TV Shows
3. Sports
4. Kids
5. Store
6. Search

Gone are Watch Now and Library.

At the top first 4 pages should be Up Next, then shortcuts to Library (contents synced or streaming from Mac or PC, contents purchased from Store, and offline downloaded contents from streaming services), My Channels, and Connected Apps.

The rest are suggestions, starting with Watch to Watch then suggested categories and other recommendations.

Store should be suggestions for iTunes Store contents, list of Apple TV Channels, and other stuff I need to pay extra.

Search should show contents from subscribed services and purchased library first, with priority given for ad-free and higher quality (e.g., 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos).

Top
If you go into Settings>Apps>TV there's a setting: 'Top Shelf' and you can toggle it between 'What to Watch' and' Up Next'. I think 'Up Next' is what you are looking for.
The app is a complete dog's dinner.

 

[ipedro]

It felt confusing to me at first but once I started using “Add to up next”, everything has felt very intuitive. I rarely have to scroll below the top shelf. Everything I’ve been watching or have said I wanted to watch is there and goes to the next episode automatically.

The one thing that I’d change would be to add a Channels tab. It doesn’t make sense to be on the What To Watch page and you sometimes have to scroll far to find it. Since each channel tends to have its own “character”, sometimes I like to go into a channel and browse their stuff if I’m feeling like CBS stuff or want to watch cooking on Tastemade. I shouldn’t have to scroll around to find a way into the channels. It should be in a tab with all my subscribed channels listed there.

 

[iwan073]

This app is horrible. No idea where to look for stuff

 

[MacGizmo]

The shows on Apple TV+ are fantastic (IMO), but the service and the apps are dreadful. Absolutely shockingly horrible — the perfect complement to Apple's Podcasts app.

 

[Mercifull]

i just wish i could hide all the stuff that isn't free

Exactly this. I think this is perhaps the main criticism I have for AppleTV. I have access to Sky, Netflix, Disney+ and Prime and every time i think I've found something interesting to watch i find that it's a rental...

 

[MacGizmo]

i just wish i could hide all the stuff that isn't free

OMG Yes! This is primarily why I don't even use the app. I view most of my video services through an app called Friendly Streaming - which allows you to enter custom URLs for services as "channels" — along with the built-in standards like Netflix, Prime, etc.

So I can add ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX websites for their shows, and for Apple TV+ content, I enter https://tv.apple.com/ as the channel and it ONLY shows me the Apple TV+ content. It's difficult to explain, but once you use the free app, it's hard to go back. It's nice to have all my video services in one place.