The Channels interface in AppleTV updated for me a few days ago.
I find that when I'm done with an episode and hit the Menu button, sometimes I end up in a menu with a delete button for that episode, and sometimes it seems to be more like a higher-level menu, where there is no delete button (the buttons are continue, shuffle, a plus sign, some other symbol and three dots).
How can I get directly from the episode to somewhere I can delete it?
Thanks!
The redesigned episode modal still has a delete button. So if you start playback from that, you’ll see it.
It sounds like sometimes you’re starting playback from the TV Show view’s next up highlight, where it shows you what is next to watch. Those buttons are contextual to the show, not for an episode, because you’re in the main show view. So there’s no delete button.
When you start from that it takes you right into the episode, so there’s no modal showing when you come back out of the player.
They are two distinct interfaces.
So how do I delete the ep that I just watched when I start it from a highlight?
You could set the Series Pass Options for that show to automatically delete watched episodes
No thanks, I prefer to keep some episodes, just delete most.
Playing around with it, I see when I navigate in to a show's icon, it gives me a display that's not the episode list, but names the earliest episode I have, and lets me start it. I'm guessing that "main show view" you were referring to.
When I'm done with the ep and exit out, I end up back in that same view. If I want to delete the ep, I can scroll down and click on it and then click delete.
As an alternative to being able to delete regardless of how I enter the ep, is there a way to just completely disable the "main show view"? I'm happy just starting the episode from the episode list, so would be cool if it took me right to the episode tiles without presenting the main show view.
Thanks!
Yes, and this lists all of the episodes, as well as cast, similar, shows, and more.
Yes, this is where you came from.
There's no disabling the main show view. This is the view that represents the entire TV show in Channels. You wouldn't have a view that lists its episodes.
It's the same view. Just scroll down to the list of episodes.
Sorry, not familiar with the lingo here. Is there a way to disable the section of the main show view that is currently the default entry point -- that is, the, section that lets me play an episode but doesn't let me delete that same episode? I'd be fine if the main show view only presented me with the episodes, and I could just start them from there.
Alternatively, is there a way to rearrange the sections of the main show view so I'm immediately presented with the episodes?
To be clear, I took your "main show view" phrasing to mean the section with the "next" button. If instead the phrase "main show view" refers to both that screen and everything available for scrolling, are there other views, like an alternative show view or secondary show view that have other behaviors I can try?
Thanks.
Hate to say, but i agree with the OP - deleting is clunky from some interfaces.
Here's a thought - have a "Delete this episode" button on the "up next" popup that defaults to "No"
Nothing has changed with deleting and modals for the episodes with the new designs. It works just as it did before the updates.
The only thing that is new is that when you play the next suggested episode from the Show view (which is new) it doesn’t open a modal, so it’s not there when you exit playback to have a delete button.
If you ignore this addition and pick your episode from the list, like it worked before, then the flow is exactly the same.
"when you play the next suggested episode from the Show view (which is new)"
Thanks, for clarifying the change -- I knew it's different but don't remember exactly what it was.
My ask above was whether there's an option to remove that new section, or move it below the list of episodes so that when I navigate in I'm immediately presented with the eps.
Thanks.
No there is not.
And even if there was, it would just be showing the TV Show’s general description. That’s what it does now if there’s no next episode, and essentially what it was before (but with a plainer design).
My suggestion is to just press down once, when you enter the show view, and you will be on the list of episodes.
Thanks.
I'm familiar with the workaround, but the click away from the obvious way to start the ep (and the confusion if you didn't employ it) is a source of annoyance for my wife and myself.
I'll put in a feature request.
I wouldn’t call this a workaround. This is just how you navigate to the episodes on the show view.
Previously, the default focus of this view was on the list of episodes, with the episodes more visible higher up the screen.
Now, the default focus is on the highlighted next episode. So you just need to scroll down to get to the same list of episodes that was there before the update.
We consider this a net positive improvement as previously you had to scroll through seasons of episodes to get to the next episode to watch. Not to mention having to remember which one is next.
Now the next one to watch is highlight right away.
There’s no need create a feature request to change this, as there’s no plans to change it.
It's a workaround for me. I used to hit the first available button and watch the ep, then delete it when I was done.
I can replicate that behavior now if I want, but will need to train my user on the different outcomes from the different ways of starting the ep.
Not sure what a feature request is if not a request to add a feature you guys aren't already planning to add.
If you’re always that up to date, you should consider using the Up Next section to play back your episodes as it suggests the next item you should watch based on your watch state and opens the modal which will be there when you stop watching, allowing you to instantly delete.