Amazon has rolled out an update for the Amazon Prime Video application on Apple TV devices, and it introduces a couple of interesting new features that should enable an “improved” TV streaming experience.
According to Amazon, the app has been updated with new touchpad gestures and faster scrolling capabilities, plus a more advanced search function that integrates predictive text capabilities, similar to what we already see on phones and web browsers. In addition, users will also be able to use the Siri remote to search the Amazon Prime Video app with their voice.
To benefit from faster scrolling, viewers can use the remote to browse through the available shows on a list with a single action.
Amazon says it will also be possible to swipe in any direction using the Apple TV remote to navigate through different screens. Meanwhile, swiping forward or backwards will allow users to fast-forward or rewind whatever show is being watched. The app also inherits the Apple TV’s accessibility features, including Bold Text, Hover Text and VoiceOver.
The company also mentioned that it has added “sound effects” to the app to provide an “even more cinematic experience”, but it didn’t specify exactly what those are or how they will actually enhance things for viewers.
According to Amazon, the updated Amazon Prime Video app is rolling out to all Apple TV devices globally, including the original Apple TV HD and the latest Apple TV 4K versions.
Amazon is keeping it simple too, so if you have an Apple TV device, all you have to do is open the app and make sure you have automatic updates switched on, and you’ll see the new features as soon as they’re available.
The good news is that unlike with some previous updates, Amazon insists that it hasn’t broken any of the special features of Apple’s video player, meaning that it continues to support dynamic range matching and higher frame rates, as well as playback at up to 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
It must be noted that the Amazon Prime Video app is still not a fully native tvOS application, so it won’t feel quite as buttery smooth as it does on some other devices. We’re hopeful that the next move will be to release a fully native tvOS application, which is necessary to utilise Apple TV features such as Enhance Dialogue and picture-in-picture mode.
