Apple plans to improve the Apple TV app, including rentals, shopping and more

Apple appears to be revamping its TV app, which the company hopes will make it a destination for users to watch all their shows, movies and more. A neu Bloomberg A report Apple plans to remove its content buying and renting apps and combine them with streaming content, channel subscription options and more. The new app may roll out as early as next December on Apple TV boxes, other Apple platforms, and other TV operating systems where the Apple TV app is available. (Apple TV is separate from the Apple TV app, which has nothing to do with Apple TV Plus, and the fact that “Apple TV is available on Roku” is technically correct never fails to blow me away. Those names! But I digress. .)

In some ways, this technique is actually nothing new. Apple has always wanted the TV app to be a place where users can not only find Apple’s own content, but also find, subscribe to, and manage everything else. Remember that famous quote where Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson that he had “finally figured out” what the future of television was? Jobs envisioned a television that had no complicated remote controls or lots of inputs and had “the simplest user interface imaginable”. Apple hasn’t made a TV yet, but the upcoming TV app update seems to carry that spirit. (Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

Some of this spirit is already present in the current TV app. You can open it to see recommendations from multiple streaming services, and you can subscribe to other streaming services directly using the app – Apple’s process involved, of course. By combining iTunes’ collection of shows and movies, Apple TV can make the app a place to watch more often.

One reason Apple is trying to make its streaming dreams come true is the upcoming launch of its Vision Pro headphones, which are many things but primarily a TV. As users learn the new interface and new behavior, the TV app will likely be placed prominently on their headphones; Not all third-party apps will be available immediately, and that could give Apple a chance to get used to seeing some other apps being developed.

The problem with this vision, of course, is that it is impossible to achieve. Content providers are reluctant to make their data and content available outside of their own applications, preferring to keep users in their own worlds. (Netflix loves finding new things The Great British Baking Show (You can start the season by opening Netflix instead of searching the TV app.) And as the number of ad-supported services increases, you’ll be more competitive for your TV time. Apple’s channel strategy also had its ups and downs; Many major services, including those previously available on platforms like Max, no longer exist Many have tried to activate the Global Broadcast Directory, but none of them succeeded. Not even an apple.

But Apple has some significant advantages here. The Apple TV Plus streaming service has become a surprisingly strong player, producing hit shows and critically acclaimed shows with titles such as… Moonflower Killer Coming soon to use. Obviously, the MLS streaming service has also been a huge success for the company. Therefore, many users are already used to opening TV apps to find content.

Despite all the complications and hurdles, the dream of a better streaming experience in the tech industry will never die. And perhaps most importantly, Apple—the company that redesigned music buying with iTunes, made a fortune through the App Store, and is generally better than anyone else at selling your content and collecting its commissions—don’t stop trying to make it work. .