Apple TV App on Mac

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Level 4

1,321 points

Apple TV App on Mac

This is a puzzle to me. I siubscribed on Apple TV HD to CBS All Access using the CBS app. I have been watching some different Star Trek series on the Apple TV HD. I was at my Mac Mini last night, and out of curiosity clicked on the Apple TV app. It did not reflect the Up Next of the shows I had been watching. The shows appear in Up Next on my Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad; as well as showing the shows that I had watched.

Not on my Mac though.

Mac Mini 2012

16 GB RAM

1 TB SDD

Catalina, 10.15.3.

I did one trouble shooting step, I logged out of the Apple TV app on the Mac and signed back in. It still wanted me to subscribe to CBS All Access.

Color me confused as to why the iPhone and iPad pick up the correct information in the Apple TV app, but my Mac does not.

Have a nice day.

Boyd

Posted on Feb 15, 2020 10:09 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

vazandrew

Level 8

40,486 points

Feb 15, 2020 10:26 AM in response to Boyd Porter

The Mac app does not have access to 3rd party content, as those apps are not available on the MacOS platform. You would need to be subscribed to the Apple TV Channel version of CBS which would then have playback directly within the app, and then you would be able to access it on Mac along with the 'up next' integration as well as features like family sharing and offline viewing.

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Answer 2

vazandrew

Level 8

40,486 points

Feb 15, 2020 12:30 PM in response to Boyd Porter

No problem.

For clarity, the Apple TV HD does not run IOS apps, but it does run apps developed for its TVOS platform. When you select an episode from the “up next” queue on those devices it will switch to the CBS app for playback. It would be up to CBS and others to make their content available for the Mac App Store in order for them to do the same on that platform.

Currently only Apple TV channels can be viewed there because it is then provided by Apple and plays directly within their TV app. If you only view content using the TV app ypu can always consider switching to that subscription.

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