Posted Mon Jun 13, 2016 at 02:15 PM PDT by Steven Cohen
Several new features have been announced for Apple's set-top box.
Apple has revealed expanded capabilities for the Apple TV. New features include updated Siri functionality and a single sign-on option.
"The future of TV is apps, and Siri on Apple TV has changed the way we interact with our television and these expanded features will continue to deliver viewers what they want to watch even faster," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "There are over 6,000 apps to enjoy on your Apple TV including over 1,300 video channels, which are even more fun to watch with the new Siri features combined with single sign-on."
As part of the update, the Apple TV will receive several new Siri features, including the ability to search across more apps, YouTube search, topic search, and the option to tune into more live channels. Likewise, this fall users will also gain access to a single sign-on option, allowing customers to authenticate all the video channels from their pay-TV providers by signing in just once. In addition, updates for Apple Music, Photos, the Apple TV Remote App, and more are also part of the new upgrade.
Here's a full rundown of new Siri capabilities per Apple's press release:
- Topic search for movies: With the ability to ask Siri for a movie by topic or theme, you have even more ways to find the films you really feel like watching, such as "Show movies about baseball," "Find documentaries about cars," or "Find high school comedies from the '80s."
- YouTube search: Later this month, users can ask Siri to search YouTube, so you can say "Search YouTube for cute pug videos."
- Live tune-in: Ask Siri to go directly to a live channel inside a supported app, such as "Watch CBS News" or "Watch ESPN."
- Manage HomeKit™ accessories: Apple TV gives users control of HomeKit-enabled accessories so you can ask Siri to "Turn on the lights" or "Set the temperature to 70 degrees." Apple TV also allows users to control HomeKit accessories when they are away from home or use it for home automation with the Home app on their iOS device.
And here's a rundown of general new Apple TV features and updates per the press release:
- iOS users can download the new Apple TV Remote app with touch navigation, Siri and game play support.
- Apple Music® has an all-new design, bringing greater clarity and simplicity to every aspect of the experience. The Library, For You, Browse and Radio tabs have been completely redesigned to provide an even greater sense of place, and a Search tab has been added to make finding music even easier.
- Photos for Apple TV now supports the new Memories feature, making it easy to rediscover meaningful moments in a user’s photo library and share them on the big screen.
- While users love the bright and fresh Apple TV interface, some may prefer a darker background to fit a home theater environment or darker rooms, so now users can select a dark background for Apple TV.
- Universal apps will now automatically download on Apple TV and show up on the Home screen when an app has been added to a user’s iOS device.
When a keyboard appears on Apple TV, one will also appear on nearby iOS devices that are logged into the same iCloud account, making entering text even more convenient.
Source: Apple
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