Searching for purchased movies and tv shows

I've been using iTunes for movies and tv shows for years and now that I have a really big collection, it's getting harder and harder to look for film or tv show I want to watch due to Apple not supporting my purchases search function on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.


Some films and tv shows go off sale time to time, though you still have access to them, the search function or Siri no longer looks for them witch means if you have 1350 movies and you're looking for Kung Fu Panda, you have a long way down to look for it. You can't use Siri or the search function to search for it as it searches the store and not your purchases so you'll be prompted to buy it again. Virtually almost every Universal Studios and DreamWorks movies (which are owned by Universal Studios), are unsearchable because they take their movies down every few months and re-list them again for purchase.


So why when using Siri or the search function to search for movies and tv shows it also doesn't search in your purchases? If you forget that you already own that specific movie, you'll end up with two copies of the same movie if you accidentally purchase it again because it's been re-listed. It would just prompt you to buy it again instead of searching in your purchases.


Another example is the TV App and the "Up Next" section. When watching a TV show, it displays the next episode to watch when you finish watching the previous episode and at the end of the series it displays an episode from the next series to watch. Now let's say you're watching Red Dwarf Series 10, at the end of the series it brings up the next series. The problem is that series 11 that I have already purchased has been re-listed so instead of playing that one next, it prompts me to buy it again.


All these problems are not present on Mac, so why are they on other devices, especially on Apple TV. It almost feels like it's there to make you buy the same film or tv show over and over again by making it hard to find the ones you already own.


Posted on Aug 25, 2018 9:05 PM

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6 replies

Aug 26, 2018 10:30 AM in response to vazandrew

I can't comment on your behave, but between Universal Studios and DreamWorks there's been so many moves that have been taken of sale and I still age access to them via purchases. I've never had a move disappear on me due to it being taken off sale.


Can I ask if your in the US? Maybe it's something to do with that!? I'm based in UK and never had a problem on that side of things.

Aug 26, 2018 10:52 AM in response to geraldofromlondon

Again, movies that are re-listed on the store will usually retain access (it's just not always the case), but if a movie is removed from the store then it will no longer be accessible as it is accessing iTunes in order to stream that content from the cloud.


No, I am not in the US and it really isn't a location based issue. As it stands you have been lucky, but as you are solely relying on the cloud there will come a time when you lose content and because you refused to download it you would no longer have access nor be able to purchase again since it would no longer be available in the store.


This applies to other things too, it is always recommended to have a local copy, back that up, and then have a cloud version. Any time you are counting on one source it is not a good idea, but it is especially relevant here since providers can remove content without notice if they wish.

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Searching for purchased movies and tv shows

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