The Apple TV app for the Google TV and Android TV platforms recently stripped out the ability for users to purchase digital content from Apple.
According to FlatpanelsHD, the app has replaced the rent or buy button with a 'How to Watch' button that directs users to the Apple TV app for iOS and other streaming platforms. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the change.
As 9to5Google points out, the app maintains all other functionality aside from transactional video, a feature that Apple TV supports on all other platforms besides Amazon Fire TV. Despite the change, Apple TV users on Google TV and Android TV can still access their Apple content libraries. It’s unclear why Apple made the change to the app but 9to5Google speculated it has something to do with avoiding the 30% of revenue Google takes for routing purchases through the Google Play store.
The Apple TV app first launched on Chromecast with Google TV along with Google TVs from Sony and TCL in February 2021 before adding Android TV devices in June.
With Google TV in the U.S., users can browse Apple Originals in their personalized recommendations and search results. The device also offers Google Assistant voice support for opening the Apple TV app or playing an Apple Original title. Chromecast users are also able to add Apple Originals to their Watchlist for later.
The original Chromecast with Google TV, the first device to sport Google’s rebuilt Android TV platform, arrived in only late 2020 but a refreshed version may already be on the way.
According to 9to5Google, which dug into some Android application documentation, a new device codenamed “Boreal” is currently in development. Not much has been revealed yet in terms of specs and upgrades but the report suggests its likely a new Chromecast with Google TV will carry support for AV1, an open-source video codec from the Alliance for Open Media.