Netflix Testing Major Apple TV App Redesign

[MacRumors]

Netflix is testing a redesigned version of its TV app, reports The Verge, marking the first major overhaul to the app in the last decade. The new design is a notable departure from the current look, but it is more modern and puts more information about content front and center.

Customers were reportedly performing "eye gymnastics" looking around to different parts of the home screen in an attempt to find a show or movie to watch, so Netflix wanted to simplify the navigation experience. "We really wanted members to have an easier time figuring out if a title is right for them," Netflix senior director of product Pat Flemming told The Verge.

The static tiles for TV shows and movies are being replaced with tiles that extend when the remote lands on them, making information like the trailer and description more centralized. Right now, when scrolling through content, show or movie information is displayed at the top of the screen. With the updated interface, that information is shown in the middle of the display, and tiles for other shows are pushed to the side.

Hovering over a TV show or movie for an extended period of time will cause a short preview to automatically start playing.

Netflix plans to replace the left side navigation menu with a top bar menu that features search, home, shows, movies, and My Netflix, with the menu accessible by pressing the back button on the remote. The current Categories and New and Popular tabs will be removed, but New and Popular will be replaced with the My Netflix recommendations, and Categories will be available from the search tab.

The new design is being tested with a small group of subscribers to begin with, but it will be expanded to additional Netflix users in the coming months if it proves to be a popular change.

Article Link: Netflix Testing Major Apple TV App Redesign

 

[RiskyScapegoat]

I can’t wait to see all the new ways that they make it hard to use for an Apple household! Bet with the new design there will still be zero integration with the TV app and all that jazz.

 

[Sarcastro]

This is objectively worse - there are very few UI paradigms that are more frustrating and annoying than the "square thumbnail that expands after stopping on it for more than a second" design.

 

[Porco]

Sounds even worse, which is quite the achievement.

 

[nfl46]

Official Netflix app is coming to AVP.

 

[redbeard331]

Amazon prime already has the expanding tiles.

 

[antiprotest]

In a browser, whenever I hover over anything, the place blows up into a bigger thing, so that whatever I was trying to click, now switched to somewhere else, and I ended up clicking on the wrong thing. Then, on a show's page, when I scroll down to related shows, I cannot see any descriptions, and I cannot go to the pages for those shows, but I can only start playing them. WTF

 

[randian]

Meanwhile, they still refuse to use Apple's native player or integrate with Apple's ecosystem. All to "control the user experience", you understand, as if an Apple user expects and wants the same experience as they'd get on a Roku. Plus their player isn't as nice to use or as reliable.

While they're at it, how about ordering watch lists and search results? As it is now your watch list and search results appear to get a random order rather than something useful like alphabetical order.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Up next fans assemble

 

[DrKarl]

And, yet, they still won't provide Apple TV integration ... notably the 'up next' list? Only streamer that I use that doesn't show up there... beyond irritating.

 

[jcaron]

Amazon prime already has the expanding tiles.

And it’s just awful, at least in their implementation. Please please please don’t do that.

 

[Realityck]

And it’s just awful, at least in their implementation. Please please please don’t do that.

Wait and see before pronouncing judgement. If its not usable I doubt Netflix would go that route.

 

[hoodlum90]

I wonder if this new APP will only be available on the newer gen 4K boxes. Then eventually they will stop supporting the APP on the older 4K boxes.

 

[fatTribble]

I was encouraged by the headline and discouraged by the article.

 

[Takeo]

One of the nicest things about cancelling my Netflix subscription two years ago was that I no longer had to use multiple apps to find things to watch. All the other subscriptions I kept integrate with the TV app and Up Next list.

 

[iksretep]

New app, new design, aaaaaand new price? ... in all seriousness this "front and center" screams to me nothing less than -let us suggest what you watch-

 

[brammp]

Amazon prime already has the expanding tiles.

Which is an infuriating experience. This doesn’t help find things, only makes it worse. The main screen with tiles is what needs to improve.

 

[Stiksi]

Apple ditches the top bar navigation and moves to the netflix style side menu. Netflix sidesteps this clear attempt at creating a somewhat standard UI logic in streaming apps and adopts the exact thing Apple just abandoned.

Clever move, Apple is not going to walk back a UI they just released so there will be no standard UI. Netflix clearly wins this round… not sure it makes any sense, but well played!

 

[bozzykid]

Meanwhile, they still refuse to use Apple's native player or integrate with Apple's ecosystem.

Netflix does use the native tvOS player.

 

[fatTribble]

New app, new design, aaaaaand new price? ... in all seriousness this "front and center" screams to me nothing less than -let us suggest what you watch-

Exactly. Just like the Apple TV app where the vast majority of the screen is to get you to watch something other than what you’ve been watching.

 

[CrysisDeu]

Amazon prime already has the expanding tiles.

Lol someone is copying Amazon’s UI??

 

[Chaos215bar2]

Huh. I came here expecting some dystopian, engagement-optimized mess that hides the shows you’re looking for in favor of whatever Netflix’s algorithm thinks you want to watch. And while that may well still be the reality, this actually looks like it could be an improvement. Separating shows, movies, and My Netflix is at least a decent idea.

 

[Avenged110]

Netflix's astounding ability to find new ways of showing even less information on giant TV screens is only ever overshadowed by its steadfast refusal to give into the reasonable requests of its customers to provide a UX that isn't terrible.

 

[eightdotthree]

Oh no…. I absolutely hate the expanding tile trend. I find myself quickly navigating through these tiles so they don’t expand. It’s so jarring to have your eyes focused on something and then it quickly changes and pushes the other tiles out of the way.

 

[AlexJaye]

Expanding tiles are a horrible UI experience in any app.

Thankfully, we cancelled Netflix years ago.