https://youtu.be/U0hpHfDve7Y
There are so many streaming services out there, from big name brands like Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon to the smaller streamers like BritBox, Paramount+, or Shutter. Ignoring the nauseating price of subscribing to all of these services, you also have to deal with flip-flopping through multiple apps trying to find something to watch. You may spend more time searching for a show than you actually do watching. However, some streaming services are taking part in an easier way to find and watch all the content you like. Here's everything you need to know about the "All-In-One" streaming service.
Today I'm referring to Apple's TV app found on all of your Apple devices, except the Apple Watch, and other streaming devices like Roku, GoogleTV, LG's webOS, or Samsung's TrizenOS.
First and foremost, the TV app is a gateway to Apple's own streaming service, Apple TV+, but it's also much more than that.
So, if you open the TV app on your AppleTV, Mac, iPhone, iPad, or any other device, and scroll down a bit you're going to stumble upon a section called Channels. Scrolling through that row, you will discover all sorts of smaller niche streaming services you can subscribe to directly through the TV app. By clicking on a circle, you can preview all of the content offered through that service. Then, once you find a service you like, you can subscribe to it using your Apple account and stream all the content offered by that channel through Apple's TV app.
Amazon's Prime Video and Hulu have the same feature. So, if you're a Prime Video subscriber or just an Amazon user, or you have Hulu, maybe you should look into using this feature through one of them.
Now, why would one want to subscribe to a streaming service this way? Let me ask, would you prefer to stream from one app or multiple? Ideally, you want to go to one place for everything, at least almost everything. But, there are other reasons. For one thing, I've found that these small streaming services tend to have really bad apps with super glitchy user experiences. I've seen it first hand with BritBox. It also simplifies the transaction process since it's all handled through your Apple account, and you can go to one place to see and cancel your subscriptions. Finally, you can share your subscriptions with up to six people through Apple's family sharing. Subscribing to channels through the TV app or Prime Video may be a great solution.
Also, in the TV app, you can use the search feature to find anything you want to watch. Then, after selecting it from the list of results, you will get all sorts of information about that TV show or movie, such as a synopsis, a list of episodes if it's a TV show, related content, cast, and more. It will also tell you all the places you can watch, either through a streaming service or by purchasing or renting it from the Apple iTunes store. Finally, clicking on a streaming service will prompt you to either download the app from the App Store or will open the respective app if it's already installed. In the case you have the respective app installed, you're a paying subscriber, and you've already signed in, it may immediately start playing the selected content without you having to find it again.
So, now let's say you're in the middle of watching multiple shows and movies across multiple platforms, say Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+. Well, the TV app may be keeping up with your history in the background. When you open the TV app, you're greeted with an Up Next section of all the shows and movies you're currently watching, along with their watch status. Clicking on a show or movie should link you to that streaming services' app so you can pick up right where you left off.