Apple TV owners can now ask Siri to hop into live television coverage of some apps, as rumours persist the company is prepping its own pay TV service.
Owners of the fourth-gem set-top box can hold down the microphone button on the remote and say “Watch ESPN live” to be quickly transported to coverage.
The feature currently works with the CBS, ESPN and Disney XD apps among other supported applications that offer live feeds.
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Siri’s new functionality was discovered on a ‘What’s New’ splash screen, promoting other features that arrived in tvOS 9.2 (via AppleInsider).
They include Siri dictation, compatibility with wireless keyboards and the ability to organise apps into folders. Apps can also be found by asking Siri.
Apple is believed to be negotiating with content creators and rights holders over a pay TV service that would bring cord-cutters access to a host of live channels.
Hold ups are said to be due to rights holders’ unwillingness to unbundle their channels to fit Apple’s plans for skinny bundles. Perhaps we’ll hear more about the proposed service at June’s WWDC conference.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.