Apple is working on developing an enhanced digital TV guide service for its Apple TV, according to a new report from Re/code. According to industry sources cited by the report, Apple has been talking to TV programmers and other video companies about a solution that works not only on the Apple TV, but on other Apple devices like the iPhone and iPad.
The new service appears to be an expansion of its Universal Search debuted on the fourth-generation Apple TV, letting users see what kind of programming is available in video apps such as HBO, Netflix, and ESPN, and to access shows and movies with a single click.
While the Apple TV already provides this capability for searching for specific content — and Apple has been adding new U.S. content providers on an ongoing basis — it’s unclear as to what an expanded “digital guide” might offer, but presumably Apple might expand the basic search interface to provide a front-end catalog, allowing users to browse for shows and see featured content, similar to what many individual apps such as Netflix and Hulu presently offer for their own shows.
The report suggests that Apple’s new “single sign-on” feature coming in tvOS 10 would also likely form a foundation for this solution, allowing unified access to content across multiple providers’ apps without having to sign onto each one individually.
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