Showyou turns iPad app into an improved Apple TV remote
An update to the social video-viewing app enables multitasking, which allows the iPad to stream a movie to Apple TV in the background while its owner does something else.
Video app Showyou rolled out an update today aimed at turning iPads into better remote controls for Apple TV.
The social network dedicated to video watching now allows users to multitask on their iPads even when they're streaming a movie to Apple TV.
This means users can hit play on a movie using their iPad as a remote, then leave the app to check social media or email as the iPad streams the movie to Apple TV. Apple's devices already have this functionality -- the company incorporated multitasking into its streaming service last year with iOS 5 -- but this makes the iPad a more useful remote control.
Showyou CEO Mark Hall admits that this may seem like a tiny change. But he said the functionality makes a big difference for the viewing experience, and that's what Showyou is trying to improve.
The app can now support the iPad's "retina" display and has some new social media features -- "Send to Friend" and "Thanks" buttons to share videos or favor them (which adds to the Showyou data on what shows you would like to watch more of).
Showyou added these same features to its app for iPhone and iPod Touch last month.
Hall said more improvements are coming this fall, and it's a part of Showyou's commitment to Apple TV and expanding Showyou's content as a distribution platform.
"Thinking long term -- more programming that's longer format, more premium programming," Hall said.
Showyou currently boasts an inventory of over 60 million videos uploaded onto its network. Ten million videos are uploaded daily, which translates to 200,000 unique videos per day, Hall said.