App of the Month: TV

By Matthew Traum, Staff Writer

Hulu, HBO GO, FOX NOW, iTunes. Since the rise of Netflix, many competitors have been eager to develop online streaming services. And now the market is flooded. The TV app brings them all together.

The TV app is included in iOS 10.1, so all Apple phones with this update have this app. As it is an iOS app, it is not available on Android or other platforms.

The TV app is the successor to Videos, in which you could purchase videos through iTunes. It does so much more than Videos did; TV brings together 46 different video streaming services and its Watch Now function and search catalogs adds even more ways to watch.

The list of compatible services include Hulu, HBO GO, HBO NOW, CBS, FOX NOW, ABC, CBS, Comedy Central and many more. Notably, Netflix is not compatible with the TV app Watch Now function; however, its search feature does include Netflix.

Unfortunately the TV app does not create original content, like other streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, but with 46 different streaming services, TV provides many different current TV shows, for users who have a cable subscription. For example, people whose cable subscription allows them to watch the History Channel, can watch programing on History Channel from the application.

Many TV shows can be streamed for free on the TV app. Most TV stations offer their shows to those who have cable subscriptions to their channel. And unlike Netflix where content might appear months later, content from smaller apps like CBS and CW can be accessed the next day, if not the same night as a show airs. Many blockbuster movies can also be found with the TV app such as Bridge of Spies, Batman vs Superman, Ant Man, Central Intelligence.

The TV app organizes all these streaming apps into one location. The Watch Now feature gives recommendations based off of shows previously enjoyed and others have watched. It allows users to continue where they left off, or go on to the next episode of previous shows. The search feature allows users to find where content is available to stream, as well as trending TV shows and movies. While the TV app combines  many different channels in one place, streaming the videos requires an outside source. The TV app brings opens the movie or episode selected on the compatible app, or opens the app’s page on the app store if it is not downloaded.