Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

'Game of Thrones' to 'Stranger Things': Apple reportedly crafting streaming TV guide

By

Apple original programming
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Last year, all hopes of a competitor to services like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue from Apple were dashed when the company reportedly put those plans on hold. But that doesn’t mean Apple is done with trying to improve users’ viewing experiences.

The company hasn’t returned to its plans for live streaming TV, and instead wants to create an experience that makes viewing streaming content closer to standard TV, according to a report from Recode. Essentially, the company is looking to create an improved take on content browsing that would allow users to easily surf content on multiple apps offered across the Apple TV and other devices like the iPhone, iPad, and possibly even Macs.

Recommended Videos

Currently, users generally need to pick an app first – think Netflix, HBO Now, ESPN, and similar services – and then browse through its content to decide what to watch. What Apple is reportedly working on would expand on the universal search Siri provides, showing all of the TV shows and movies a user can watch across different services. This is nothing new when it comes to search – Roku devices can do this as well, for example – but the ability to simply pull up a menu and scroll through available content in the style of traditional TV is something new.

We actually got an early glimpse of what could be a part of the groundwork for Apple’s new project at WWDC in June. Apple unveiled a number of new features for tvOS, but also introduced single sign-on, which would allow a user to sign into a service on their Apple TV and access it on their iPhone or iPad without signing in a second time. Apple’s plans for this new TV browsing guide reportedly go beyond the Apple TV, so single sign-on would be a major boon to the new service.

In order to move forward with the service, Apple is reportedly talking with those behind popular apps about providing the necessary metadata needed for these listings. Any app supported by Siri’s universal search likely already provides the data needed, but Apple could be talking to them to in order to gain their permission for the data to be used in its guide — and presumably using its considerable industry weight to do so.

Even for Apple, gaining approval for the new guide could be difficult, as many TV executives aren’t happy about having their apps’ interfaces bypassed. Companies often use their apps to advertise other content, something that couldn’t happen if viewers are using Apple’s browsing guide to jump directly to the movie or TV show of their choice. There are also worries that bigger companies like Comcast and Charter, which are used to controlling how viewers find and access content, may object to Apple attempting to move in on their domain.

As is usually the case with these types of reports, Apple isn’t commenting, but given the company’s move since it reportedly abandoned its own pay TV plans, this certainly seems like something the company could be working on.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
3 TV comedies on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in May
Bernie Mac smiling and holding up a cigar while talking to the camera on The Bernie Mac Show.

There’s nothing like a good belly ;augh to get you through a tough day, kick off the weekend, or entertain you during a commute or a flight. Whenever and wherever you want to watch, Amazon Prime Video has some great TV comedies (with the option to download content to watch offline, too!)

The great thing about TV comedies is that the episodes are typically, short so you can watch them during a 20 to 30-minute commute, while doing other tasks like making dinner, or when you only have limited time. There are three TV comedies on Prime Video you need to watch in May, two that will take you back to a simpler time with clever, biting, and even deadpan humor.
Newhart (1982-1990)

Read more
The 10 most popular streaming services, ranked by subscriber count
The Netflix home screen.

Let's start this with a caveat or two: If you're going to compare streaming services merely by the number of subscribers they have, it's not exactly a fair fight. Not all services are available in the same places. Nor does the number of subscribers really address the "worth" of a streaming service. Or whether it's easy to use, or if the apps are any good. Or, for that matter, if a given streaming service has what you want to watch, which really is the only measure necessary.

Still, it's interesting to keep up with how things are doing from a global perspective, especially when you have relatively young upstarts like Apple TV+ gaining so many accolades in an industry dominated by Netflix.

Read more
7 great free action movies you should stream right now
Guns are pointed at John Wick

There's nothing wrong with a gripping and compelling Oscar-winning drama that's full of complex characters ... but sometimes you just wanna watch stuff get blown up. You wanna see high-speed car chases. You wanna practically feel the shrapnel fly past your face. Artful films like Oppenheimer and The Iron Claw certainly have their place, but that place isn't here. Instead, we're diving into some of the best action movies you can stream right now for free.

Thanks to ad-supported streaming services like Amazon Freevee, Tubi, Pluto TV, and more, there's a huge selection of great free action movies streaming right now. Whether you want to watch a guns-blazing revenge movie, giant animals attacking unsuspecting victims, or even a kinetic video game adaptation, we've got you covered. So, what are the best action movies streaming right now completely for free? Read on to find out.

Read more