Page 25 - iPhone Life Magazine - Spring 2020

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CONTENT, PRICING &
DELIVERY OF APPLE’S NEW STREAMING SERVICE
BY TODD BERNHARD
USER EXPERIENCE
Steve Jobs dreamed of unifying dis-
parate content providers into a single
interface. And while the Apple TV app
can integrate many subscriptions into
one interface, it’s not perfect. Apple
lets you link your diverse streaming
accounts with your Apple ID. This works
as a single sign-on solution, making it
easier to add new content and Apple
equipment. But in reality, you’re still
just launching the associated app,
which has its own interface. When you
return to the Apple TV app to access
content from a different streaming ser-
vice, you will be placed into yet another
interface. Netfl ix and Disney Plus allow
for distinct user profi les, so the apps
remember what each user is watching
and where they are in the show. Those
services offer settings to keep kids
from watching inappropriate content.
The Apple TV Plus service currently
doesn’t allow for multiple user profi les
and doesn’t reliably remember where
you left off, especially when you switch
to a different device.
LIMITATIONS
It’s an open secret that many sub-
scribers to HBO, Netfl ix, and Amazon
Prime share their accounts with friends
and family. Netfl ix recognizes this and
limits the number of simultaneous
viewers and downloads depending on
the price plan. Apple TV Plus goes in
the other direction, with a very gener-
ous allowance for up to six simultane-
ous viewers with unlimited downloads,
with some restrictions. This is great
for binge-watching shows on long
plane rides, as long as you remember
to download in advance. Speaking of
binge watching, while Netfl ix is known
to release an entire season at once,
Apple TV Plus follows in the footsteps
of HBO and CBS All Access, doling
out episodes weekly. This approach is
meant to encourage discussions at the
water-cooler and social media buzz as
new episodes hit the internet. But it
won’t make binge-watchers happy.
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