Apple’s new “TV” app that aims to be a central, unified hub for separate apps that offer an array of movies and TV shows for streaming has gone live on the Apple TV, Phone and iPad.
As an aggregated OTT guide of sorts, Apple introduced the TV app in October, hopeful that it will change how consumers watch TV across its devices because they won’t have to constantly toggle between individual apps while also tying in access to the iTunes store and a user’s iTunes library.
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The biggest criticism has been the app’s lack of support for popular streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. TechCrunch notes that apps from providers such as Hulu and HBO Now are supported at launch. The Verge said the app is being released with iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1.
Among early reviews, TechnoBuffalo isn’t impressed with the app because the linkages between the TV app and individual apps can be a confusing mess. But the reviewers it does point out that the new TV app from Apple lets users can integrate access to content from apps from programmers such as CBS, Starz, Showtime, The CW, Crunchyroll and CuriosityStream, and HBO Now, but not HBO Go, the premium service’s TV Everywhere offering.
The debut of the TV app from Apple follows the recent launch of a single sign-on feature for authenticated TVE services, though it initially supports a small smattering of apps from MVPDs and individual programmers.
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