The new tvOS API will highlight free content, when available

Oct 5, 2015 07:29 GMT  ·  By

As declared during a Buzzfeed interview with Apple's CEO Tim Cook, Apple will add support for universal content search from all providers through a new API sometime after the official launch of the new Apple TV.

According to Tim Cook, "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."

This would make it possible for any content provider that would want to enter the Apple TV ecosystem to have their content easily searchable and, more importantly, easily accessible by all users, by including support within their Apple TV apps for the new tvOS API to be launched.

As Cook also said, the new Apple TV will do something that no other device or platform currently does. It will allow its users to search for any content throughout the catalogs of all contents providers that publish on the Apple TV platform.

"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", Cook said. "You shouldn’t have to do that. It should be very simple.”

The new Apple TV universal search will provide results from all content providers

Moreover, as stated in the Buzzfeed interview, to make things even better for content providers that will include their apps in the Apple TV App Store, Tim Cook also said that content from all providers will be displayed in the search results if available, with content available for free being highlighted when possible.

The Apple TV 4th generation was unveiled by Apple during their September 9 keynote, and it will arrive with a whole new TV platform dubbed tvOS and meant to bring most of the apps available for iOS devices on the living room TV's screen.

The new Apple TV will be available for prices starting at $149, and it will feature support for the tvOS App Store, Bluetooth third-party controllers, Siri, and the new Siri Remote with touchscreen.