Learn how to use the video scrubber on your Apple TV to see not only the time remaining until the show ends but also the time it will be when you finish watching.
Most media apps show a progress bar that displays the total time for that audio or video, and the elapsed time. TV and other apps on your Apple TV also have this.
In addition to this, the progress bar can also show you the current time, and by what time (ie. 12:30 AM) you will finish watching this video.
So, whether you want to binge-watch an episode or start playing a long movie like Avatar late at night, you can use this feature to know exactly by what time you will be done if you decide to watch it all the way through.
Know the time by when you will finish watching a video
1) Open the TV app on your Apple TV.
2) Find the movie or TV show you want to watch and play it (don’t pause it).
3) Make sure the progress bar is on the screen. If not, touch (not press) the Touch Surface on your Siri Remote. As usual, you will see how many seconds and minutes you have watched and what remains.
4) Now, touch the Touch Surface again. You’ll notice that the labels on the progress bar scrubber have changed to show the current time of day along with an estimated time of completion. This informs you of the time by which you will finish watching this video.
I love this tip!
Sometimes, knowing that the video will go up to 1:30 AM (instead of just knowing that it will end in 50 minutes) is psychologically helpful in deciding whether to continue watching or not.
Not all apps are supported
Keep in mind that this tip works on the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV in all video apps that display standard playback controls by taking advantage of Apple’s APIs built into the tvOS software. But, if an app uses a proprietary video delivery method and a custom video scrubber (i.e., YouTube), the tip won’t work.
Note: This does not work in Music and Podcasts apps.
Not available using phone remote
You can use your iPhone or iPad as a remote for your Apple TV. However, touching the virtual touch surface on the screen pauses or resumes the playback. It won’t show the time when the current video will end.
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