Universal search for Apple TV is going to be awesome, and Apple CEO Tim Cook is promising it’ll only get better over time via an API the company is bringing to developers.
Speaking to Buzzfeed, Cook said the goal is to make things ‘simple’ for users:
At launch we’ll have iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, and HBO — so we’ll have five major inputs into universal search initially. But we’re also opening an API, so that others can join in.
And that’s great for users. Think about your experience today. Even if you’re fortunate enough to have the content you want to watch in an app, you sometimes don’t remember exactly where that show is, so you’re going to Netflix or Hulu or Showtime. You shouldn’t have to do that. It should be very simple.
Simple for users is a good thing, but it’ll be interesting to see how powerful this API really is. Between downloaded content, streaming subscriptions, disparate content (if seasons one and two of your favorite show were on Netflix, but three through five were on another service) and Apple’s own interest via iTunes, I’ll be interested to see how ‘simple’ is balanced.
Cook did note Apple TV will know which services are free, which hopefully means it’ll warn you of paywalls upfront.
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➤ Tim Cook Talks Apple TV [BuzzFeed]
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