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MacBoobsPro

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jan 10, 2006
5,114
6
I'm sure many of you will agree, using the AppleTV is a freakin' pain in the ass. Well today I have had enough and decided to rant to Apple. I tried looking for Eddy Cue's email address but couldnt find it so just went through the usual iTunes feedback route, so as usual nothing will be done about it. Basically I don't know if you UK users of the AppleTV have noticed (I bet many of you have) that since the AppleTV software was updated to v3 we are no longer able to browse all the films that iTunes offers. We are limited to what Apple deems interesting; about 50 films per genre!

We can no longer casually browse and make impulse purchases all we get to choose from is 'What we are watching' and Top films etc. Who gives a **** what 'they' (whoever they are) are watching? I want to watch The Man with Two Brains, and Dirty Harry, Crazy People and Beverly Hills Cop. Not just New films or what other people deem a Top Film.

Below is my rant to Apple. The fourth rant about similar things on the AppleTV :eek: but at least when I emailed SJ a few years back I got a reply, they sorted the problem and I got iTunes vouchers :cool: Shame its the same reason I'm ranting this time though :rolleyes:

Rant /

Hello, I have been trying in vain for some time to get someone at Apple to acknowledge and 'fix' the UK iTunes Store on the AppleTV. Ever since Version 3 of the AppleTV software was launched many months ago, we UK users have been limited to only a few select movies from each genre.

Basically if you select a genre from the list, lets say Action & Adventure, we UK users are shown a selection of movies that fall into only four very specific categories. These are Top Films, New Releases, What We Are Watching and Best of Action and Adventure. If I want to browse the library for a film that does not fall into these categories (of which there are many) I have to do a search (which on the AppleTV is cumbersome, but thats a different story).

Searching is not browsing. Browsing is looking through the entire selection for something that might take your fancy and then possibly making a purchase on impulse. Running a search means you need to know what you are looking for whether its in the library or not. While my memory is good I am not able to memorise the entire iTunes Library!

Before the version 3 software update I could casually browse all the genres and see all the movies. I often browsed the library and made many impulse purchases based on things I thought I might like. I can't run a search for something I 'might' like because I don't know it exists. I believe this is a major flaw in the AppleTV (of which there are many). But please answer me this; why does the US iTunes Store on the AppleTV have a specific browse A-B, C-D etc section for each genre? Are we UK users not deemed 'worthy' enough to be allowed this fundamental feature? Maybe we are more than worthy so you don't like taking our money? Whatever the reason for this tiny feature to be removed and then requests for it to be reimplemented flatly ignored it shows that Customer Satisfaction at Apple isn't really that big of a deal. I'm not asking for a reply, just fix the thing!

From me alone you have lost a few hundred dollars worth of revenue. I don't care what 'You' are watching, or what other people think should be classed as a 'Top Film'. I have specific interests and preferences and lack of access to films that fall into MY choice parameters result in much less purchasing of content from myself. I'm sure this is true of many others.

I could go on about the many other shortfalls of the AppleTV, many of which I'm sure you are aware but don't wish to address. You have your reasons, which I respect and don't question. However I must tell you this, using the AppleTV is the most frustrating experience of ANY product I have ever owned... Ever!

Just so you know in version 2 of the AppleTV software the 'All Action & Adventure, All Drama, All SciFi' etc sections disappeared after an update (not a bug, they just hadn't been added) and I had to contact Apple with a similar email to this one. That time it was rectified and I received thanks for bringing up the issue. Now we are back to square one and no one seems to want to address it. Until its sorted I won't be making another iTunes purchase and that includes apps on my iPhone!

/ rant

Apple are really getting on my tits these days!
 
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