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Nicksd84

macrumors 6502a
Mar 4, 2010
583
756
Atlanta, GA
The issue is Apple, Google, Amazon, and Roku are not really competing in the same markets.

Amazon and Google sell loss-leaders because their actual customers are advertisers, and the product they are selling is user engagement. They have no need or intention of making a profit on the hardware.

Apple is selling the best possible hardware and software experience. They need to make a profit on each unit sold, and on any transactions that occur on the device. They're not making any money on the side elsewhere.

Roku a hybrid of both approaches. They are trying to make a profit on the hardware, but they also have an advertisement network.

I don't know how Apple or anyone else can overcome these desperate approaches. It sucks for the consumers.
Agree. Also not sure if Apple can make it perform well as a stick. Maybe they can, but having used a Roku and an Apple TV the UI and fluidity is not even close.
 
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Salty Pirate

macrumors 6502a
Oct 5, 2005
593
787
kansas city
If Apple TV+ would have a live TV feed with local channels, sports, etc, that was like youtubetv or hulu+ live TV, that would rule.

Apple excels at delivery beautiful 4K content, but also dolby atmos/5.1 sound.

No one service ties all this together.

I pay 70 ish bucks a month for YTTV. Great picture quality and ease of use, they cannot figure out how to deliver 5.1. its a running joke.

Interested in hulu+ live tv. Directv just rebranded. ATT live streaming I think.

I am actually surprised Apple has not done this. It would cement the need for an Apple TV device.
 

BC2009

macrumors 68020
Jul 1, 2009
2,203
1,206
A TV stick from Apple would have only been worthwhile if it was good. I use an Apple TV because it is the best experience for a smart TV. Everything else feels like clunky garbage (kinda like using an Android phone in 2011 after using an iPhone). Even using the Amazon Prime Video app on Apple TV app feels like garbage (like I am suddenly using my Vizio’s built-in interface) — I would never want a Fire stick for that reason.

Folks who said that Apple needed a low-cost Apple TV to remain relevant are the same folks calling for a cheap garbage iPhone to compete with mid-tier Android phones 10 years ago — it would have been a horrible strategy.

The only good argument for an Apple TV stick was if it performed fluidly — just like the set top box — It need not play games well, but just be a travel version of Apple TV that you can take with you to watch content without leaving the Apple TV experience behind.
 
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bluespark

macrumors 68040
Jul 11, 2009
3,028
3,891
Chicago
Overruled because they want to make $120 on a $150 device.... frickin executive fools like shooting themselves in the foot. Most people who even know about AppleTV+ assume you need AppleTV or an iPhone/iPad to even access it, its brain dead that they haven't found a way to clear that up, or capitalize on that by selling a cheaper dongle that can compete with the market that the AppleTV itself has trouble competing in.

Honestly, I don't think they need to create a cheaper version to begin with.
We've all seen the BOM on these devices are tiny, they always use previous generation iPhone chips and have none of the screen, cameras, and batteries. Just cut the dang price and get it into more peoples hands.

I wonder at what point all these stupid decisions will make them cut their losses with TV+.... I mean, sure they can subsidize these big budget productions for as long as they want....but they have shareholders, they won't.

They need more subscribers. They need better marketing. They need cheaper "gateway drugs" aka a dongle.
It is crazy that Apple created this much customer confusion and doesn't even seem to realize it. I've mentioned this before, but Apple made exactly the same naming mistake with AppleTV+ that Sony made with Playstation Vue. Playstation Vue was a streaming/cable-cutting service that was better in many ways than today's offerings (Hulu+, etc.), but the name made people incorrectly assume that you needed a Playstation device to use it, or at least that it somehow was gamer-focused. As a result, it never caught on the way it could have.

As to the dongle, I strongly suspect there is a market out there that actually wants dongles (for travel, for multiple-TV households, etc). It's not just a budget play; it's a play for a market Apple isn't reaching (the same reason I'm not buying a HomePod device -- I want my digital assistant of choice to be in every room in the house and Apple simply isn't competing for that use-case).
 
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Karma*Police

macrumors 68020
Jul 15, 2012
2,418
2,516
Sounds like a losing strategy. No hardware or content dominance. They're in limbo.

As for unlikeable characters like Jo on MQ, everyone I know thinks she's hilarious. If anyone is unlikeable on that show, it's the two testers who seem to add little comedic or storyline value.
 
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Maconplasma

Cancelled
Sep 15, 2020
2,489
2,215
I'll say. You can't go five minutes through Ted Lasso without a very conspicuous shot of an iPhone or MacBook. I mean, fine, whatever -- but when Coach Steve said he was "sharing his iCloud" with his girlfriend, that just felt SO ham-fisted. (Also, Coach Steve seems like more an Android guy to me, tbh.)
Had this been a Micro$oft-produced show there would be Surface Pros shoved in viewers faces with the SURFACE name shamelessly pushed in the screen. It’s bad enough the SURFACE name is shoved in viewer’s faces during football games. Not sure why you wouldn’t expect Apple to promote their hardware in their own shows? I wouldn’t expect them not to.
 

FlyingTexan

macrumors 6502a
Jul 13, 2015
782
554
What a shame to hear that a dongle was abandoned. I would have bought several of those devices if AirPlay was a feature. The ability to turn any TV into a wireless display with a small unit would have been incredibly useful!!
You mean like the appletv4k? I have four of them and the new remote makes them awesome.
 
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macfacts

macrumors 601
Oct 7, 2012
4,544
5,315
Cybertron
Screenshot_20210910-093729_Google Play Store.jpg
 

KALLT

macrumors 603
Sep 23, 2008
5,342
3,366
If I hadn’t bought a new TV recently, I wouldn’t have watched any TV+ content, because the price of entry is just too high. Apple TV is way too expensive if you essentially just need the functionality of a ChromeCast.
 

Reason077

macrumors 68040
Aug 14, 2007
3,471
3,355
Bummer. Dongle-sized Apple TV would have been fantastic, even if it wasn't that cheap. Current Apple TV is a little too bulky compared to the competition, making it a pain for some setups.
 
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jamcgahey

macrumors regular
Sep 24, 2020
221
391
Maine
Okay, so I get the argument that apple wants to remain a premium brand. However, they do provide cheaper, less technically strong products, in other areas (i.e. iPod nano, iPhone SE/Xr, Apple Watch SE, etc) so why can't they have some sort of a middle ground?

My suggestion: provide the option for like a $50-70 streaming stick or box with 15gb max storage. Provide it with the old Apple remote.

By providing a cheapER product (ER does mean CHEAP) you are getting more customers that will say, "ah I mean $60 is a lot for a streaming device, but its only $20 more than the Amazon or Google one and it works super good with my iPhone"

This will pull in apple users that don't spend their work days refreshing macrumors for any ounce of new apple news ?
 

Zaft

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2009
4,545
4,012
Brooklyn, NY
Any proof of Roku selling your data? Never heard of that. For the past years I’ve used Roku the only advertising they do on screen is for movies and their own product. I have no problem with that.
This is why I like Roku UI. It’s very simple and to the point.

I tried a fire stick and it was terrible. So much advertising I could not focus.
 
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alexhardaker

macrumors 6502a
Sep 12, 2014
638
580
I would like to read the full article, but I don’t want to pay a ridiculous subscription fee just to read only that one…
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,495
11,153
is there a Apple TV app for android? If not, why don’t they develop it?

It is for media streamers like Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Chromecast with Google TV (currently has issue with app crashing) but doesn't appear to be available for download on Android phones and tablets even though it shows up in Google Play Store.
 

BlakeSchneider

Suspended
Aug 23, 2021
36
57
Charlotte, NC
Most people who even know about AppleTV+ assume you need AppleTV or an iPhone/iPad to even access it, its brain dead that they haven't found a way to clear that up, or capitalize on that by selling a cheaper dongle that can compete with the market that the AppleTV itself has trouble competing in.

They need more subscribers. They need better marketing. They need cheaper "gateway drugs" aka a dongle.

If they’re unwilling to create a cheaper dongle, the least they could do was to make an app for Android. There are so many people who want to watch their shows, but flat out refuse to watch them on a phone browser. And I don’t blame them. I don’t understand why they’re not entertaining this idea. They already have Apple Music on there, so what makes this any different?
 
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