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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The free Tubi TV service now integrates with ChatGPT.
- You can ask the AI to find TV shows and movies on Tubi.
- This works with free and paid ChatGPT plans alike.
One of my favorite video streamers is Tubi TV. A free, ad-supported service, Tubi is home to a lot of classic films and TV series, which is right up my alley. Sometimes I’m in the mood to watch something I’ve never seen before. But browsing the site for the right entertainment is often time-consuming. Instead, I can now turn to ChatGPT to help me find just what I want.
This week, ChatGPT added Tubi TV to its growing repertoire of integrated apps. As the first streaming service to team up with ChatGPT, Tubi offers a lineup of more than 300,000 movies and TV episodes, many of which you won’t find elsewhere. I used to watch episodes of classic “Doctor Who” on Tubi, though the series is no longer available there. But Tubi offers a variety of other TV shows and movies I’d like to catch.
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Launched last October, ChatGPT’s app integration lets you request AI-powered assistance from a host of third-party services. Among the more than 200 apps now available are such standouts as Adobe Photoshop, Apple Music, Dropbox, Expedia, Spotify, StubHub, TurboTax, Uber, and Zillow.
You can call on any app, whether you have a free or paid ChatGPT account. Apps are accessible at the ChatGPT website, the Windows and Mac apps, and the iOS and Android apps.
To use an app, just add the one you want and submit your request. The service then works through ChatGPT to deliver the information you seek. In many cases, selecting a specific result takes you directly to the app’s website, where you can access it.
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With Tubi, you’re able to ask ChatGPT to track down films or shows you want to watch. You can always ask for a particular item by name. But the true benefit comes from describing what you want to watch based on your mood or interests. As Tubi suggests, you might ask the AI to find “a movie that feels like a fever dream but isn’t horror” or “a thriller for tonight.” You’ll then get curated, interactive results that you can then watch directly at the Tubi website.
To tap into Tubi at ChatGPT, select the entry for Apps on the left sidebar. At the Apps screen, type Tubi in the Search field. Select Tubi from the results and click or tap Connect. To kick off a request, start a new chat. Select the plus icon at the prompt, move to the Move option in the menu, and select Tubi. Then just compose and submit your request.
I’ve tried this skill a few times since it rolled out, and it’s a definite time-saver — much quicker and easier than searching for shows or movies directly on Tubi. Here are three recent searches I ran.
1. Find British sci-fi shows.
With classic “Doctor Who” no longer streaming on Tubi, I was looking for another series to watch. With my love for British sci-fi, I asked Tubi through ChatGPT to recommend some British science-fiction shows similar to “Doctor Who.” The recommendations included such series as “UFO,” “Space 1999,” “The Prisoner,” and “Primeval.” Tubi also pointed me to two non-canon “Doctor Who” movies from the ’60s, both starring Peter Cushing. I’d never heard of “Primeval,” so I decided to try that. Clicking the result took me to the series on Tubi where I could dive into the first episode.
2. Find classic noir films like ‘The Maltese Falcon’
One of my favorite films is the 1941 noir classic “The Maltese Falcon,” directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade. I wanted to see if Tubi could track down similar pictures, so I asked it to recommend noir films similar to 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon.” Here, Tubi suggested such films as “Dead Reckoning” (also starring Bogie), “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” “The Third Man,” and” The Killing.” Though I’ve seen “The Postman Always Rings Twice“ before, I was in the mood to catch it again, so I picked that one for my evening entertainment.
3. Find documentaries on US history
I’m a big history buff, so I like to watch documentaries. Here, I asked Tubi to recommend some documentaries about people or events in US history. The responses included a couple about the Civil War, one on the Vietnam War, another on Rosa Parks, and a few others on historical events.
Finally, you don’t need an account to watch shows and movies on Tubi. But if you do set up a free account, you’ll enjoy extra perks. You can create a watchlist of your favorites, resume watching a movie or TV episode on any device, and set up parental controls.
