Mounting System for New Apple TV and Remote Launching in Apple Stores

[rdlink]

Personally I think it sucks - and I own it.
The keyboard is hideous, the interface of the movie player is underwhelming.
Using USB-C and lighting on one and the same device.

Yes all of it can be improved. But currently I prefer the old aTV which I also own.

Personally I think it's great - and I own two. And BTW: I had two of the older ones, also. Gave them away within two days of getting the new ones.

The keyboard is fine considering the input method. It will be better when the remote app is updated. The interface of the movie player is quite fine, especially with Siri searches.

What in the frap are you talking about regarding the USB-C and Lightning? The USB C is specifically designed for developer access. If you're not a developer, running dev software there is no reason for you to ever even touch or use the USB-C port. And the Lightning cable is for charging the remote. It doesn't even ever come into contact with the Apple TV. The lightning cable gets connected every three months for an hour or two while you're not even using it. Personally, I find the fact that I got another cable to plug in and use for our numerous iPhones to be quite handy.

It boggles my mind that anyone would find the older generation ATV superior to this one, when it doesn't have third party apps, doesn't have Siri search, doesn't have universal search, and doesn't have voice commands for navigation while watching.

Unless, of course they're looking for a reason to complain...

 

[MH01]

I like this concept. Clean.

 

[lolkthxbai]

I like this quite a bit. My apple tv keeps sliding back and making it more difficult for the remote to work. I keep having to get up and push the darn thing forward (I know this is just me and my weird set up). But this is a great and inexpensive solution to my problem. Will stop by and pick this up this weekend.

If you mount it to the back of a tv with the front of ATV facing the ceiling, you can point the remote at the same part of the ceiling and the signal will bounce off down to the ATV.

 

[M2M]

Personally I think it's great - and I own two. And BTW: I had two of the older ones, also. Gave them away within two days of getting the new ones.

The keyboard is fine considering the input method. It will be better when the remote app is updated. The interface of the movie player is quite fine, especially with Siri searches.

What in the frap are you talking about regarding the USB-C and Lightning? The USB C is specifically designed for developer access. If you're not a developer, running dev software there is no reason for you to ever even touch or use the USB-C port. And the Lightning cable is for charging the remote. It doesn't even ever come into contact with the Apple TV. The lightning cable gets connected every three months for an hour or two while you're not even using it. Personally, I find the fact that I got another cable to plug in and use for our numerous iPhones to be quite handy.

It boggles my mind that anyone would find the older generation ATV superior to this one, when it doesn't have third party apps, doesn't have Siri search, doesn't have universal search, and doesn't have voice commands for navigation while watching.

Unless, of course they're looking for a reason to complain...

First of all I personally think the new aTV is (by Apple Standards - which are quite high) not a well-rounded product and I am disappointed with it. I will keep it because I hope it will improve - still currently I am not happy with it right from the beginning. And thats the first time for an Apple product with me.

Ok when it comes to the lightning cable, I also like the fact that I get an additional lighting cable for my other iOS devices (iPad Air, iPad mini, iPhones - you name it). But I find it annoying that I had to get an USB-C cable to look into developing for that device. It's not with the "it just works agenda" from my prespective, while it's also not a necessity for the development on the aTV itself to have an UBC-C port. From my perspective the device should have a lightning port as well, like all other iOS devices. Clearly most iOS developers have lightning cables already and they could (like me) just start developing on it. Now they must just get another cable. It's not too difficult or expensive, but annoying. So what would be the reason do have a USB-C port there ?

Concerning the on-screen keyboard. From usaility point of view it is a clear step backward compared to the generations before which had a 'matrix' style input. This loooong 1-dimensional string where you have to enter for ex. iTunes account information and passwords (in case you intend to buy something from the AppStore) sucks. It is totally user unfriendly. Of course you can safe the passwords for iTunes purchases, but then maybe as a parent you have to enable parental controls (with password protection) so this kind of neglects it. Defenitly with the new touch remote a matrix keyboard would also have worked better. And I am not going into the fact that currently (also in difference to the past) I can no longer pair bluetooth keyboards.

Next is the unsatisfying (movie) player experience. Half of the time when I want to fast-forward the subtitle / dubbing menu from the top pops down and I can’t ‘swipe’ it away easily. I ‘swipe’ to fast-forward and it appears, I ‘swipe’ and ‘swipe’ and ‘swipe’ up and this menu just stays there. I think one of the number one usages of the Apple TV is to play media. But the media player experience is leaps behind the versions before. Why ? And Why ? And again why ?

Well on the good side I like that the device is fast and that I can control the sound now and surely the AppStore has potential, but overall I am dissappointed.

 

[2457282]

Umm, the remote for the ATV4 is bluetooth. Not sure why you think you need line of sight. If you're using an older ATV I would recommend a small bit of double sided tape on the bottom. And actually I have a friend who used velcro to mount his ATV3 to the back of his TV hanging on the wall. He uses the remote from all over his office with no issues.

The ATV3 that I have is an IR remote. The ATV4 that I just bought has both the IR transmitter and Bluetooth, so line of sight is still required for somethings.

 

[rdlink]

The ATV3 that I have is an IR remote. The ATV4 that I just bought has both the IR transmitter and Bluetooth, so line of sight is still required for somethings.

The only thing the IR is used for on the ATV4 is the TV you're controlling with it. I know, because I own two, and neither one of them has line of sight to the device.

 

[rdlink]

First of all I personally think the new aTV is (by Apple Standards - which are quite high) not a well-rounded product and I am disappointed with it. I will keep it because I hope it will improve - still currently I am not happy with it right from the beginning. And thats the first time for an Apple product with me.

Ok when it comes to the lightning cable, I also like the fact that I get an additional lighting cable for my other iOS devices (iPad Air, iPad mini, iPhones - you name it). But I find it annoying that I had to get an USB-C cable to look into developing for that device. It's not with the "it just works agenda" from my prespective, while it's also not a necessity for the development on the aTV itself to have an UBC-C port. From my perspective the device should have a lightning port as well, like all other iOS devices. Clearly most iOS developers have lightning cables already and they could (like me) just start developing on it. Now they must just get another cable. It's not too difficult or expensive, but annoying. So what would be the reason do have a USB-C port there ?

Concerning the on-screen keyboard. From usaility point of view it is a clear step backward compared to the generations before which had a 'matrix' style input. This loooong 1-dimensional string where you have to enter for ex. iTunes account information and passwords (in case you intend to buy something from the AppStore) sucks. It is totally user unfriendly. Of course you can safe the passwords for iTunes purchases, but then maybe as a parent you have to enable parental controls (with password protection) so this kind of neglects it. Defenitly with the new touch remote a matrix keyboard would also have worked better. And I am not going into the fact that currently (also in difference to the past) I can no longer pair bluetooth keyboards.

Next is the unsatisfying (movie) player experience. Half of the time when I want to fast-forward the subtitle / dubbing menu from the top pops down and I can’t ‘swipe’ it away easily. I ‘swipe’ to fast-forward and it appears, I ‘swipe’ and ‘swipe’ and ‘swipe’ up and this menu just stays there. I think one of the number one usages of the Apple TV is to play media. But the media player experience is leaps behind the versions before. Why ? And Why ? And again why ?

Well on the good side I like that the device is fast and that I can control the sound now and surely the AppStore has potential, but overall I am dissappointed.

You're making a tempest in a teapot argument regarding the USB-C cable. The old ATVs used a USB micro cable for developer hookup, and Apple didn't provide one. I don't understand why that wasn't a shortcoming worth complaining about, but the USB-C cable is. It was clearly stated when the device was released that developer access would require a USB-C cable, and every other developer in the world bought one to do their work. Sorry, but it seems to me that you're just looking for things to complain about.

The stacked rectangle keyboard layout on the old ATV made sense for it, because the method of navigation was the directional click wheel. Moving along a single line of letters would have been ridiculous using that method. The new navigation method of the track pad is much more conducive to the single line, and frankly it's much more efficient than the stacked rectangle. I can actually type much faster using it than I could with the old ATV. Of course the Remote app on the iPhone would be much better, but that was also true before on the old ATV. If there was a miss on Apple's part it was not releasing an updated remote app at the time the new ATV was released. I hope they do that soon, but in no way does the lack of that app detract from my experience with the ATV. To be honest I rarely used the remote app before, because it was more trouble to pull out my phone and use in in most instances than to just do a short search with the keyboard. The only time the remote app came in handy was when I was typing in user credentials during setup.

I have watched many movies with the new ATV, and I don't have any of the issues you describe. I find the combination of trackpad and voice control to be quite efficient, and much more pleasant than the old methods. On my old ATV I would rarely if ever back up in a movie to listen to a part I missed or fast forward through a program, because it was so difficult to get where you wanted to be in an efficient manner. The new ATV has eliminated that for me.

I have owned every Apple TV since generation 1. This Apple TV is by far the greatest single leap in progress since the introduction of the product line. To compare it to the ATV3 and say that it's not a massive and pleasant upgrade is ludicrous. No product is perfect the day it's released. But the new ATV on day one is leaps and bounds ahead of where the last generation was two years after its release.

 

[M2M]

You're making a tempest in a teapot argument regarding the USB-C cable. The old ATVs used a USB micro cable for developer hookup, and Apple didn't provide one. I don't understand why that wasn't a shortcoming worth complaining about, but the USB-C cable is. It was clearly stated when the device was released that developer access would require a USB-C cable, and every other developer in the world bought one to do their work. Sorry, but it seems to me that you're just looking for things to complain about.

The stacked rectangle keyboard layout on the old ATV made sense for it, because the method of navigation was the directional click wheel. Moving along a single line of letters would have been ridiculous using that method. The new navigation method of the track pad is much more conducive to the single line, and frankly it's much more efficient than the stacked rectangle. I can actually type much faster using it than I could with the old ATV. Of course the Remote app on the iPhone would be much better, but that was also true before on the old ATV. If there was a miss on Apple's part it was not releasing an updated remote app at the time the new ATV was released. I hope they do that soon, but in no way does the lack of that app detract from my experience with the ATV. To be honest I rarely used the remote app before, because it was more trouble to pull out my phone and use in in most instances than to just do a short search with the keyboard. The only time the remote app came in handy was when I was typing in user credentials during setup.

I have watched many movies with the new ATV, and I don't have any of the issues you describe. I find the combination of trackpad and voice control to be quite efficient, and much more pleasant than the old methods. On my old ATV I would rarely if ever back up in a movie to listen to a part I missed or fast forward through a program, because it was so difficult to get where you wanted to be in an efficient manner. The new ATV has eliminated that for me.

I have owned every Apple TV since generation 1. This Apple TV is by far the greatest single leap in progress since the introduction of the product line. To compare it to the ATV3 and say that it's not a massive and pleasant upgrade is ludicrous. No product is perfect the day it's released. But the new ATV on day one is leaps and bounds ahead of where the last generation was two years after its release.

The old Apple TV never had an AppStore and consequently the USB micro cable was less "necessary" as it was not needed for developers. In addition the remote had an exchangeable battery and no port for charging. I would have preferred however if the old aTV had a lightning port as well.

I think the stacked rectangle keyboard would make actually more sense with the new Siri remote as you could more easy scroll / swipe diagonal for faster typing, while the old one was limited to 4 directions.

Surely I agree regarding the missing remote app, and yes the remote app made also the old aTV better.

Anyway if you are happy with the current aTV, then Apple has a satisfied customer - which is great for me as a stock-holder, while with me (even if I am just looking for something to complain) Apple does not. I could no find much to complain in other Apple products I owned and still own.

 

[mekatzer]

New ATV runs on bluetooth, no LOS needed. Stick it in a shoe box or something.

 

[rdlink]

The old Apple TV never had an AppStore and consequently the USB micro cable was less "necessary" as it was not needed for developers. In addition the remote had an exchangeable battery and no port for charging. I would have preferred however if the old aTV had a lightning port as well.

I think the stacked rectangle keyboard would make actually more sense with the new Siri remote as you could more easy scroll / swipe diagonal for faster typing, while the old one was limited to 4 directions.

Surely I agree regarding the missing remote app, and yes the remote app made also the old aTV better.

Anyway if you are happy with the current aTV, then Apple has a satisfied customer - which is great for me as a stock-holder, while with me (even if I am just looking for something to complain) Apple does not. I could no find much to complain in other Apple products I owned and still own.

Not sure what you mean by the cable being "not needed for developers." Of course it was needed. That's how developers got the dev installs onto their Apple TVs, which is how you were able to test dev builds where the ATV and other iOS devices came together. I know, because I used it more than a few times over the years.

And I am happy with the ATV4 as both a customer and a stockholder. ;-)

 

[M2M]

Not sure what you mean by the cable being "not needed for developers." Of course it was needed. That's how developers got the dev installs onto their Apple TVs, which is how you were able to test dev builds where the ATV and other iOS devices came together. I know, because I used it more than a few times over the years.

And I am happy with the ATV4 as both a customer and a stockholder. ;-)

What I meant was that for former aTVs there was no official apps and consequently no official developers. So a usb cable was less required. ;-)

Anyway the usb-c / Lightning issue is not my top issue with the new aTV. It just adds to its annoyances

For me it's as following in a list sorted by level of annoyance:

Onscreen Keyboard and video player UI: high
Missing Remote app: medium - high
Lack of Bluetooth keyboard pairing: medium
Non Unified ports (usb-c or lightning): low

 

[laurim]

I still don't understand these mounts, unless it is for portability. I've been double-sided taping ATV's to the backs of my TV's since 2010. ATV4 is heavier but it's still up there in the living room. Just make sure you buy some good double sided tape (3M extreme hold or something like that), the cheap stuff won't work.

I double-sided foam taped it to the top of my center speaker since the hdmi output goes to my receiver in the credenza, not the tv above it. If I didn't tape it down, it wouldn't lie flat.

 

[rdlink]

What I meant was that for former aTVs there was no official apps and consequently no official developers. So a usb cable was less required. ;-)

Anyway the usb-c / Lightning issue is not my top issue with the new aTV. It just adds to its annoyances

For me it's as following in a list sorted by level of annoyance:

Onscreen Keyboard and video player UI: high
Missing Remote app: medium - high
Lack of Bluetooth keyboard pairing: medium
Non Unified ports (usb-c or lightning): low

I find all of those issues to be extremely minor compared to the benefits of the ATV4 over the previous models.

 

[rtdunham]

Slick, and not a bad price either!

I like this pic, but it'd be nice to have a black lightning cable...

I bought a couple dark (non-apple) lightning cables to use with it, for that very reason, but the ends were shaped a little differently than the official apple lightning cables, which tis device is apparently designed to work with. Consequence: the lightning jack wobbles and as often as not the remote doesn't slide neatly onto it. So I'm back to a white cable, but with it the remote slides right into place. BTW it's an exceptionally well thought out product, more than fairly priced imho.

 

[dotnet]

The only thing the IR is used for on the ATV4 is the TV you're controlling with it.

If the IR device to be controlled by the Siri Remote is not known or recognised you need to teach the ATV4 by sending it the IR commands for volume control, and the ATV4 will then program the Siri Remote accordingly. I know because that's what I had to do.

Also, the ATV4 can still be controlled using the old IR remote.

 

[rdlink]

If the IR device to be controlled by the Siri Remote is not known or recognised you need to teach the ATV4 by sending it the IR commands for volume control, and the ATV4 will then program the Siri Remote accordingly. I know because that's what I had to do.

Also, the ATV4 can still be controlled using the old IR remote.

First of all, we're talking about day to day use, not setup. There is no need to keep an ATV4 in line of sight once you have completed setup.

Second, I know you can use the old remote for the ATV4. I can also use my universal remote on IR to control it. But why would you? The Siri remote is one of the biggest draws for buying the ATV4.

 

[prime21]

I am looking for a mount for the apple tv 4 to mount on the side of the tv or bottom of the tv. I move the apple tv sometimes from the bedroom to the family room. The double sided tape doesn't work so well after some time.