Mike Wuerthele
The new CBS News app has been redesigned specifically for the fourth generation Apple TV, and will show off its new features during the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
While watching live video in the new CBS News app, users can browse related content, subscribe to content, and bookmark on-demand video for future viewing. Content is drawn from the 24-hour CBSN service, rather than solely a feed of the broadcast network's national evening news.
The new version of the Apple TV CBS News app has fully implemented Siri search for the first time. Users can launch the app by voice from the Apple TV home screen, as well as search for specific content by keyword or subject using Apple's voice recognition technology.
Coverage of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions starts on July 18. Multiple exclusive video feeds, available only on the CBSN online service, will be streamed to the app from several locations inside and outside the convention halls, as well as reaction and analysis from Washington D.C. and New York CBS News offices.
CBSN is a stand-alone digital distribution service, executed and delivered by CBS News and CBS Interactive. It launched in November 2014 and combines pre-recorded content with live news streams.
"Our Apple TV app represents the future of how viewers will consume and interact with video," said Christy Tanner, senior vice president and general manager of CBS News Digital. "We are taking advantage of the platform's cutting-edge, interactive technology to offer a customizable experience."
The assortment of CBSN content is ad-supported, with ads inserted by the service in between news items on the live streaming feed. AppleInsider's initial testing of the app showed an advertisement from a sponsor is inserted every two viewed on-demand news items, and periodically displayed during the live video feed.
Anchored programming runs between 9 a.m. and 12 a.m. eastern time. Breaking news is initially reported by the service's anchor, with the live feed shifting shortly thereafter to the local affiliate covering the story.
While the service does stream the parent broadcast network's news shows live, it will later provide on-demand video on some of the stories presented during the newscast in greater detail.
The new version of the CBS News app requires a fourth generation Apple TV, must be downloaded through the Apple TV App Store, and occupies 14.1MB of storage space.
William Gallagher
Andrew Orr
Christine McKee
Sponsored Content
Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
2 Comments
Used it last night with new Apple TV to get coverage of the Nice attack after my France24 iPad app flacked out. It worked well and I would like to thank CBS for doing this...they have reasonably good journalism street cred with CNN's slide into nonsenseland.
The CBS News App is very nice.
I wish CBS would to allow watching live TV without charging a fortune for CBS AllAccess. At least allow authentication with a cable provider.
Why doesn't France24 have an AppleTV app?
iPad app alone is not gonna cut it in the long term.
They should have 1 app that streams either English or French.
Tell your cable provider that you don't want their SBT anymore. Death to the FAT bundles.