John Siracusa, in his roughly-annual blog post, lays out a list of table-stakes featuers for modern streaming apps:
Most streaming apps aim for mass-market appeal, so they can’t get too complex. But today, they’re at the far opposite end of the spectrum, missing basic functionality rather than being bogged down with fancy features and customization. These apps need to walk before they can run. I hope, someday, at least one or two of them can fly.
Siracusa's streaming spec is spot-on. The 2015 promise that "the future of TV is apps" was apparently a monkey's paw, ushering in nearly a decade of mediocre TV apps designed more to promote shows than to watch them. This post should be required reading for every streaming app's UI team — because, let's be honest: they can do better.
