Absolutely hate my New Apple TV

[S.B.G]

I've retired my Apple TV's in favor of the Roku 4 which I just bought today. I couldn't make myself get used to some of the UI quirks in the ATV 4 and I can't stand the Siri Remote.

I do like the UI usability and design of the ATV 2 and 3, especially in the Netflix app, but those two devices are never likely to be kept fresh going forward.

This Roku 4 is amazing with a beautiful and easy to use UI and it has certain other options I can't get on the Apple TV 4, like Amazon Prime, Spotify and Twitch. Plus the remote is so much nicer with all physical buttons and even builtin shortcut buttons to Netflix and Amazon Prime.

For now my Apple TV's (2, 3, & 4) are going on the shelf for extended retirement.

 

[nickditoro]

Now that I stream YouTube and Netflix through my new 4k SMART TV, where I can also get Amazon Video, I find that I use the Apple TV 4 for content available only through it, like iTunes Movies and Apple Music.

 

[rdlink]

Wondering if anyone else has serious buyers remorse about the 4th Generation AppleTV. I have had an AppleTV since the beginning (64GB Gen 1, followed by a Gen 3, now a Gen 4). The new one drops connection all the time, Siri NEVER understands what I am saying and even worse, half the time seems disconnected and doesn't process that I am even saying anything. The remote connection drops all the time and I have to restart it at least twice a week. That is on top of all the UI issues, like the white screen backgrounds (hideous) horrible remote interface and stupid app store implementation (why can I only see and get apps when on the AppleTV, not from my phone or desktop)

Have had the box since the 3rd week it came out and am constantly thinking about ripping it out by the wires and replacing it with a 3rd generation box, which worked beautifully for me for 3 years. I don't do that because I feel like I spent $200 on this stupid box and can't return it, so why waste another $70 on another older device to replace it. If Roku or Fire had a decent way to stream my own content via iTunes (I don't like Plex) I would gladly get one of their devices and walk away from this nightmare Apple convinced me to buy.

Anyone else feel similar?

Not at all. My experience has been pretty much the opposite of what you describe. I bought two. One for my house and one for my GF's house. We use both every day. I haven't watched my TIVO since November.

 

[Randomizer]

I've retired my Apple TV's in favor of the Roku 4 which I just bought today. I couldn't make myself get used to some of the UI quirks in the ATV 4 and I can't stand the Siri Remote.

I do like the UI usability and design of the ATV 2 and 3, especially in the Netflix app, but those two devices are never likely to be kept fresh going forward.

This Roku 4 is amazing with a beautiful and easy to use UI and it has certain other options I can't get on the Apple TV 4, like Amazon Prime, Spotify and Twitch. Plus the remote is so much nicer with all physical buttons and even builtin shortcut buttons to Netflix and Amazon Prime.

For now my Apple TV's (2, 3, & 4) are going on the shelf for extended retirement.

Don't forget 4K. Apple really missed the boat there and left 4K all to Roku. With all of the material Netflix and Amazon is putting out now in 4K, with much more to come, the Apple TV4 was out of date the day it was released IMO. I had two items on my wishlist that would have had me purchasing one: 4K and access to Amazon Prime and Apple missed them both.

 

[S.B.G]

Don't forget 4K. Apple really missed the boat there and left 4K all to Roku. With all of the material Netflix and Amazon is putting out now in 4K, with much more to come, the Apple TV4 was out of date the day it was released IMO. I had two items on my wishlist that would have had me purchasing one: 4K and access to Amazon Prime and Apple missed them both.

Yup, that was a reason why I switched too, just forgot to mention it. While I don't yet have a 4K TV, it is on my list of things to get this year.

 

[aced411]

I've retired my Apple TV's in favor of the Roku 4 which I just bought today. I couldn't make myself get used to some of the UI quirks in the ATV 4 and I can't stand the Siri Remote.

I do like the UI usability and design of the ATV 2 and 3, especially in the Netflix app, but those two devices are never likely to be kept fresh going forward.

This Roku 4 is amazing with a beautiful and easy to use UI and it has certain other options I can't get on the Apple TV 4, like Amazon Prime, Spotify and Twitch. Plus the remote is so much nicer with all physical buttons and even builtin shortcut buttons to Netflix and Amazon Prime.

For now my Apple TV's (2, 3, & 4) are going on the shelf for extended retirement.

I'm a little confused. Netflix on Roku is basically identical to the Apple TV 4 version. There are some ghetto apps once you step outside of Netflix/Hulu/Crackle. For starters compare HBO Go. It is well polished on tvOS. On Roku it looks like it was designed over the weekend by a middle school student.

Anyway you're right about the app selection and superior remote.

 

[Randomizer]

I'm a little confused. Netflix on Roku is basically identical to the Apple TV 4 version. There are some ghetto apps once you step outside of Netflix/Hulu/Crackle. For starters compare HBO Go. It is well polished on tvOS. On Roku it looks like it was designed over the weekend by a middle school student.

Anyway you're right about the app selection and superior remote.

They really aren't the same. The newest Roku can output 4K from Netflix, the AppleTV 4 cannot. In addition, Roku provides access to virtually every streaming sources offered by AppleTV 4, the reverse is not the case. Apple may have Roku on UI ... but that's about it. Even the Amazon Fire, which is also missing 4K for now, has the app edge over Apple in that it offers Amazon Prime ... one of the big 3 that Apple continues to leave out.

 

[Rigby]

For starters compare HBO Go. It is well polished on tvOS. On Roku it looks like it was designed over the weekend by a middle school student.

The tvOS HBO Go app may look nice, but is terrible in terms of usability. I often find myself swiping through an endless row of episodes just to get to the current one (if you don't have carpal tunnel syndrome yet, you'll get it from using this app). The menu system lacks clues where the user currently is and how to get back to the main level. The HBO channel on the ATV3 wasn't as flashy, but much, much easier to navigate. The same is true of the Netflix app.

Overall, the ATV4 feels like "one step forward, two steps back" to me. On one hand some apps like e.g. Infuse are fantastic (I rarely need to fire up my HTPC now), on the other hand there are still lots of usability issues in other apps and Apple's GUI, and apparently no one is willing to work on them.

 

[S.B.G]

I'm a little confused. Netflix on Roku is basically identical to the Apple TV 4 version. There are some ghetto apps once you step outside of Netflix/Hulu/Crackle. For starters compare HBO Go. It is well polished on tvOS. On Roku it looks like it was designed over the weekend by a middle school student.

Anyway you're right about the app selection and superior remote.

Just as @Randomizer mentioned, the Roku 4 can deliver 4K content unlike the ATV4 and it has Amazon Prime too. Additionally I can get Spotify on the Roku 4 whereas on the ATV I have to use AirPlay to get music.

@Rigby shows how the HBO Go app on the ATV 4 can be bothersome. That's been a complaint of mine as well in that its more difficult than it needs to be in browsing for an episode or picking up where you left off. Its messed up enough that I created a file in Evernote listing a few shows and every episode of every season with check boxes next to them. When I watch something I check it off my list so I know where to pick up again the next time I come back to it. As a matter of disclosure, I haven't yet opened HBO Go on the Roku 4 yet because I've been binge watching Orphan Black on Amazon prime with it.

I still have my ATV 3 hooked up in the bedroom and I much prefer the UI on that over the UI for the ATV 4.

In the end, the Roku 4 does everything the ATV does and a few things more that I want. Its not without its flaws of course, but after several days of use, I'm liking it better than the ATV 4 in many respects.

 

[cynics]

I've learn to hate the remote. At first I really enjoyed it, once the honeymoon period wore off I find it pretty terrible.

It's overly sensitive, cat jumping up onto the couch often sends the ATV in a frenzy. Since its Bluetooth it doesn't matter if it can see the TV. This even can make it difficult to pick up without pressing on the touch pad portion. Due to its slim shape it often wants to slide between my leg and couch which causes me to start rewinding or fast forwarding shows.

Scrolling to the bottom of my iTunes movie list is impossible. Seriously it can't be done without the patience of a monk. It always goes to the left or right, I don't know why it's so sensitive like that. It would literally be easier for me to goto my Mac and rename a movie like Zoolanded to 1Zoolander or AZoolander then to scroll to the bottom of the list.

It's unergonomic and takes effort to tell if you are holding it the right way. It's not natural at all.

And although I haven't broken yet it feels very fragile.

That is just the remote. The device itself has just as many problems. Most of which revolve around the shoddy job devs are doing making their apps. I can see why Apple held out so long making an App Store, some of these apps are just too buggy. I posted this in another thread but this is Hulu....not a one man dev team doing this for fun...

Overall....if someone asked I'd probably point them toward an ATV3 if they were in the Apple ecosystem. If not then another stream box...

 

[UKgaryb]

They really aren't the same. The newest Roku can output 4K from Netflix, the AppleTV 4 cannot. In addition, Roku provides access to virtually every streaming sources offered by AppleTV 4, the reverse is not the case. Apple may have Roku on UI ... but that's about it. Even the Amazon Fire, which is also missing 4K for now, has the app edge over Apple in that it offers Amazon Prime ... one of the big 3 that Apple continues to leave out.

You do know that it's down to Amazon to develop an app for Apple TV, right? How can you blame Apple, seems like you should be contacting Amazon asking for it.... Being a Prime subscriber I have to say, Amazon's streaming is absolutely rubbish compared to Netflix.

 

[S.B.G]

Being a Prime subscriber I have to say, Amazon's streaming is absolutely rubbish compared to Netflix.

What are the negative effects you're experiencing with Prime in relation to Netflix?

So far, my experience has been equally good between both of them and their ability to stream content to me.

 

[aced411]

Just as @Randomizer mentioned, the Roku 4 can deliver 4K content unlike the ATV4 and it has Amazon Prime too. Additionally I can get Spotify on the Roku 4 whereas on the ATV I have to use AirPlay to get music.

@Rigby shows how the HBO Go app on the ATV 4 can be bothersome. That's been a complaint of mine as well in that its more difficult than it needs to be in browsing for an episode or picking up where you left off. Its messed up enough that I created a file in Evernote listing a few shows and every episode of every season with check boxes next to them. When I watch something I check it off my list so I know where to pick up again the next time I come back to it. As a matter of disclosure, I haven't yet opened HBO Go on the Roku 4 yet because I've been binge watching Orphan Black on Amazon prime with it.

I still have my ATV 3 hooked up in the bedroom and I much prefer the UI on that over the UI for the ATV 4.

In the end, the Roku 4 does everything the ATV does and a few things more that I want. Its not without its flaws of course, but after several days of use, I'm liking it better than the ATV 4 in many respects.

So what you guys are saying is Netflix on Apple TV 4 is absolutely horrible but fantastic on Roku. They have the same UI and work the same, but Apple TV Netflix is garbage b/c it doesn't support 4K. I can see 4K is extremely important to you. You guys aren't revealing any surprise news to me, I've had various iterations of both devices for years. Roku is a neat device, but I don't think you have to consider Apple TV to be a worthless pile of crap to appreciate Roku.

 

[S.B.G]

So what you guys are saying is Netflix on Apple TV 4 is absolutely horrible but fantastic on Roku. They have the same UI and work the same, but Apple TV Netflix is garbage b/c it doesn't support 4K. I can see 4K is extremely important to you. You guys aren't revealing any surprise news to me, I've had various iterations of both devices for years. Roku is a neat device, but I don't think you have to consider Apple TV to be a worthless pile of crap to appreciate Roku.

I don't understand this aggressive tone of your post here. Where was it where I came out and said directly, or indirectly, that Netflix on the ATV 4 is "horrible" and on the Roku it is "fantastic"? All that I said was that one can receive 4K content on Netflix via the Roku and not the ATV. Also where did I say that the ATV Netflix app is "garbage" because it doesn't support 4k? In fact, above in post #87 I state that Netflix is equally good in streaming on both platforms, in my experience.

If you noticed what I mentioned above in post #80, I don't even have a 4K TV right now. Clearly its not that important to me but I have put myself in a position to be ready for 4K content sometime this year when I actually do buy a 4K TV.

Also, at no point in this thread, or elsewhere, did I say or allude that the ATV is "a worthless pile of crap to appreciate the Roku". I am struggling to understand how you perceived all of this from my posts here. I was merely stating my reasons for going to the Roku over the ATV 4. At no time was I making a declarative statement that everyone should get the Roku and that the ATV was a bad choice. To each their own for their own personal reasons.

I outlined my reasons for switching as food for thought for others reading this thread. There are plenty of reasons and aspects as to why I think the ATV is a great choice. But it's not without its flaws, and neither is the Roku. In fact, for the time being, I'm still using my ATV 3 in the bedroom as it still serves a purpose and I do, in fact, like the UI on it - better than the UI of the ATV 4.

I hope my explanation is helpful in understanding that I'm not trying to force my views of the ATV or Roku on you or anyone else.

 

[Uofmtiger]

I have the Roku4 and the AppleTV4. The Apple Music integration in ATV is superior to any paid streaming music app I tried on Roku ( Spotify, SiriisXM, and Rdio when it was still around).

AirPlay opens the Appletv to more content. This means I can send any audio to it from a Mac or PC running Airfoil. I can also share the screen on Macs and iOS with ease. Airplay means I can be playing a podcast via the Overcast app and simply send it to the Appletv and listen to it on my speakers. The Photos app integration is awesome. The games are better. The fact that it can find apps I have on my phone and make supported apps available on the TV. iTunes integration for music is convenient.

I am not a fan of either remote, but I prefer the AppleTV remote. The Roku remote has a button for Rdio.. Last I heard, Rdio no longer existed. They also have a Sling button, but I have no interest in Sling, so it is just a waste of space. The Roku remote takes longer to connect to the Roku and it takes longer to wake up.

I like Roku's 4K and optical out, but I prefer using the Appletv most of the time. I am not a big fan of Amazon Prime movies, so that may have something to do with it.

 

[Rok73]

For all those that suffer under a Siri remote disappearing in the couch crack or which is too sensitive I can highly recommend to buy this (Griffin Survivor Play for Siri Remote):

https://griffintechnology.com/intl/device/apple-tv

It definitely disappears less and it is more accessible even in a half dark room with less button presses because of the cover.

 

[aced411]

I don't understand this aggressive tone of your post here. Where was it where I came out and said directly, or indirectly, that Netflix on the ATV 4 is "horrible" and on the Roku it is "fantastic"? All that I said was that one can receive 4K content on Netflix via the Roku and not the ATV. Also where did I say that the ATV Netflix app is "garbage" because it doesn't support 4k? In fact, above in post #87 I state that Netflix is equally good in streaming on both platforms, in my experience.

I didn't intend to sound aggressive. I suppose the title of this topic implied some assumptions on my part, so my bad. Glad you're digging the Roku 4. It's a great device.

 

[Uofmtiger]

I didn't intend to sound aggressive. I suppose the title of this topic implied some assumptions on my part, so my bad. Glad you're digging the Roku 4. It's a great device.

One thing that should be mentioned is that the 4k movies on Netflix are sparse right now and they make you pay more money to get them. I don't think it is worth it to pay more at this point.

 

[Tigger11]

Even after the updates, 1000s of us still have the video is not of a format for this device BUG running around. Its really silly, the videos play on the Apple TV 2, Apple TV 3, 3 different model ipods, 2 different model ipads and both my wife and my iphones and of course Itunes. But try to play it from my library on the Apple TV 4, and we get a warning message and no video. Its silly, its a trivial fix and it should happen with the next build. OR if you really dont want to support that format in the future, have Itunes tell us its not supported so at least I know which files have to be redone vs trying to figure it out one at a time with the poorly designed Apple TV 4 remote and then having to generate a list by hand of the movies in question. Then go to the other room to the computer and have it generate new files. Its silly Apple and it why I have 1 Apple TV 4 at the house and 3 older models vs having 4 new version, and I wont buy the new one they are talking about unless I am sure it will work with all the videos.

 

[Spankey]

Don't forget 4K. Apple really missed the boat there and left 4K all to Roku. With all of the material Netflix and Amazon is putting out now in 4K, with much more to come, the Apple TV4 was out of date the day it was released IMO. I had two items on my wishlist that would have had me purchasing one: 4K and access to Amazon Prime and Apple missed them both.

Apple TV is getting more and more unnecessary. They totally missed the boat on 4k. Right now VUDU is still not available..they are offering 4k movies but we all knew that. Right now my Apple TV gets used for inFuse and Plex along with Apple Music and occasional Airplay streaming from Slacker.

Apple really is not on the cutting edge these days.

 

[jdillings]

Apple TV is getting more and more unnecessary. They totally missed the boat on 4k. Right now VUDU is still not available..they are offering 4k movies but we all knew that. Right now my Apple TV gets used for inFuse and Plex along with Apple Music and occasional Airplay streaming from Slacker.

Apple really is not on the cutting edge these days.

The lack of VUDU app is due to VUDU. Three of the four best-selling set top boxes (Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Nvidia Shield) don't currently have a VUDU app and they've all been out almost a year.

If any company isn't cutting edge its VUDU, who still do not allow its customers to watch the HD versions of their movies on their IOS devices even though other UV providers do. Their customers are still stuck in 2016 watching SD versions of their movies on IOS devices even though they paid for HDX versions.

And as a former customer, I can say unequivocally VUDU is garbage. Movies are frequently in the wrong aspect ratio, audio is out of sync, or subtitles are out of sync and they are almost never fixed. For example, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom are still in the wrong aspect ratio even though customers told them FOUR YEARS AGO they were in wrong aspect ratio. Every other provider has these movies in the right aspect ratio except for VUDU. And it's not just old movies. The Lego Movie wasn't even in the correct aspect ratio. There is zero quality control over at VUDU. If Walmart hadn't bought them, they would have gone out of business due to their poor quality control and not making apps for the best-selling set top boxes.

 

[Rigby]

The lack of VUDU app is due to VUDU. Three of the four best-selling set top boxes (Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Nvidia Shield) don't currently have a VUDU app and they've all been out almost a year.

Nvidia announced on Google I/O that the Shield will get Vudu support with the 3.2 software update. That leaves - suprise! - the boxes from the two vendors for whom Vudu is direct competition ...

 

[2010mini]

Yup, that was a reason why I switched too, just forgot to mention it. While I don't yet have a 4K TV, it is on my list of things to get this year.

Where are you getting the content? Do you have plans on repurchasing all your current content in 4K? Are you ok with re-watching movies you've already seen that have been "remastered" to 4K?

I'm just honestly curious at all the 4K lust........ There is almost zero live broadcasts in 4K.

 

[S.B.G]

Where are you getting the content? Do you have plans on repurchasing all your current content in 4K? Are you ok with re-watching movies you've already seen that have been "remastered" to 4K?

I'm just honestly curious at all the 4K lust........ There is almost zero live broadcasts in 4K.

As I mentioned in the post you quoted, I don't have a 4K TV yet so I'm not getting any 4K content right now and I don't have a "lust" for it at all.

Whenever I do get a 4K TV the content I'll get will likely be new-to-me content, meaning I'm not going to re-purchase anything I already have for the higher quality. Just new purchases or subscription services is where I'll probably go with the higher quality where available.

 

[Uofmtiger]

Nvidia announced on Google I/O that the Shield will get Vudu support with the 3.2 software update. That leaves - suprise! - the boxes from the two vendors for whom Vudu is direct competition ...

In fairness, the Shield has been out a lot longer than the Appletv 4 and they announced almost a year ago that the Vudu was coming. It doesn't seem like Vudu has the ability to add new box support very quickly.

I have several DVDs ripped to Vudu and while convenient on the iPad, it was a major disappointment on my main system. I haven't looked at it in a while, but the last time I checked my HDX versions of LOTR and Matrix had stereo soundtracks. Not cool.

The other issue is that a 1080p movie costs around $4 to rent. That same movie is typically $10 in 4K ( if you can rent it...purchasing it is often the only option and movies are often priced in the $30 range). The problem right now is lack of content and what is out there is overpriced.

Personally, I wanted the AppleTV to have 4k, but it isn't close to being the most important feature at this point. One article I read said that only 5 percent of Americans have 4k TVs. I suspect that there will be a new AppleTV when their movie store has 4k content. I also think that they could have had a 4k box now, but decided against it until they could get more movies in their store at that bitrate. Not everyone wants to watch Daredevil on a loop.