One of the benefits of streaming with TelVue CloudCast 2.0 and above is the ability to manage an Apple TV channel from the same Connect-based user interface as all the other CloudCast assets.
TelVue will develop your Apple TV channel as an OTT upgrade option and submit it along with your branding graphics to the Apple store – but TelVue cannot guarantee final approval, which must be granted by Apple.
To create and manage an Apple TV channel from CloudCast, you will need:
- A TelVue Connect account with Apple TV OTT license, obtained through TelVue
- Branding graphics, which TelVue will submit as part of your application to Apple on your behalf
- Please read Getting Started with Apple TV.
To create a new Apple TV application:
Note that a new Apple TV application may already be pre-setup, in which case you can go right to the Edit step.
- Login to connect.telvue.com
- Navigate to Administration → Apple TV Apps → New Apple TV Application
- Name the channel
- Enter your Google Analytics tracking code. You can use the same code as for your other players and OTT apps.
- Click “Create Apple TV Application”
To Edit the Apple TV Application:
- Apple TV App: These fields match and may be pre-filled from the previous step, except for:
- Use VOD Player as Content Master? You have the option to make the Apple TV channel use the same content as a selected VOD player (if you have one), instead of configuring the Apple TV content separately.
- Use VOD Player as Content Master? You have the option to make the Apple TV channel use the same content as a selected VOD player (if you have one), instead of configuring the Apple TV content separately.
- Appearance:
- Include collection title within video details. This determines in what context, if any, the video collection name will be displayed along with the video in the Apple TV application.
- Show Video Short Summary. This determines whether the Short Summary metadata field will be displayed with videos in the Apple TV App.
- Show Video Descriptions. This determines whether the Description metadata field will be displayed with videos in the Apple TV App.
- Banner Ad: This feature is currently not supported.
- Playlists:
- Drag and Drop from Available Playlists to Published Playlist and click Save for the playlist to appear in your app. If you are using “Use Vod Player as Content/Appearance Master” to follow a VOD player, the playlists will be locked to match that VOD player. The Member Sort order drop down determines how the items in the Playlist are ordered within the App.
- Series:
- Drag and Drop from Available Series to Published Series and click Save for the series to appear in your app. If you are using “Use Vod Player as Content/Appearance Master” to follow a VOD player, the series will be locked to match that VOD player. The Member Sort order drop down determines how the episodes in the Series are ordered within the App.
- Categories:
- Check the Categories you want published in your app and click Save. If you are using “Use Vod Player as Content/Appearance Master” to follow a VOD player, the categories will be locked to match that VOD player. The Member Sort order drop down determines how the items in the Category are ordered within the App.
- Featured Collections:
- Collections are Playlists & Series. Drag and Drop from Available Collections to Published Collections and click Save for the collection to be pinned to the top of your app home screen displaying all of the collection items. This is useful for example to have a playlist of Live Channels, or some other featured content, displayed prominently at the top of your app home screen. If you are using “Use Vod Player as Content/Appearance Master” to follow a VOD player, the feature collections will be locked to match that VOD player.
- Adding content to the Apple TV channel is the same as managing content on your CloudCast VOD player, in that all content must first be added to either a Playlist, Series, or Category that is published to the Apple TV App, and the VOD transcoded asset must be ready.
