Apple Said to be Phasing Out Third-Generation Apple TV

[S.B.G]

Same here, the 4th gen doesn't seem to offer a great deal extra for UK customers and the £10 price hike makes it even less appealing.

I'm still using the 3rd gen as well and its more because I like the UI better for apps like Netflix and because I cannot stand using the Siri Remote either.

I have the 4th gen sitting next to the TV in the bedroom and the 3rd gen sitting directly on top of it hooked up. I'm using the Roku 4 in the front room and have been happy with that and like the remote far better too.

 

[tibas92013]

I have two Atv's(3rd Gen) and will not upgrade untll they "poop-out" as they meet all my present and near future needs.

 

[bladerunner2000]

They should phase out the entire AppleTV product line... that last update is ridiculous;

• No 4K Support
• No MKV Playback
• USB port is included but you can't connect an external drive?!?!?!?!?!

My god, what piece of crap...

 

[hipnetic]

Plex.

You may already know this, but whenever someone brings up Plex I feel compelled to point out that you could use Plex on the older hardware by using the Plex app on your iPad/iPhone and then using AirPlay. When you do that, the network stream gets picked up entirely by the Apple TV, and you get great PQ and no CPU usage or wasted network hops on your iPhone.

So the only extra thing you're really getting with Plex on a 4th gen is a UI to scroll around with using your remote. For some people that may still be a big deal.

 

[Bigsk8r]

Same. We've had ours since 2012 and it continues to provide everything we need. We're not heavy aTV users: so long as it does YouTube, Netflix, and AirPlay, we're good.

Exactly. We watch HBO Now, Netflix, Hulu, and use it for Airplay or to access an iTunes Library. If it does those few things, we will have it for a very long time.

 

[Return Zero]

I've got a 3rd gen in our bedroom for basic streaming, and a 4th gen in the den with the Steel Series game controller. Perfect setup for me, and I've been surprised how fun and capable it is for casual gaming.

IMO the Apple TV is something they should upgrade every year (or at minimum every other year) with the newest A-series processor. Seems like it would be really easy for them to do this, since they obviously don't care about keeping the device as thin as possible. With a full-blown App store on the device, having the most up-to-date hardware is something a lot of customers would enjoy, in the same way that they upgrade their phones every year or two.

 

[Boatboy24]

When they get 4k content and a 4k device I'll get rid of my third gen

Yep. Mine still does everything I need it to do.

 

[Gasu E.]

like what? the ATV 4 has always been $150. no hike there.

edit: oh wait, are you saying in the UK…

There needs to be a UK-only price thread so people can commiserate about Apple adjusting prices to match their weakening currency. It would be much less confusing to non-UK folk.

 

[OllyW]

There needs to be a UK-only price thread so people can commiserate about Apple adjusting prices to match their weakening currency. It would be much less confusing to non-UK folk.

The £ sign was a bit of a clue.

Same here, the 4th gen doesn't seem to offer a great deal extra for UK customers and the £10 price hike makes it even less appealing.

 

[TallManNY]

I am sure they will upgrade the chip to A10. If they are going for 4k they should go with A10.

I think this will happen in october.

Release of Sierra and macOS.

Event with:

Upgraded Macbook air, macmini, mac pro and apple tv. Then, ONE MORE THING

Macbook Pro with amd gpu, kaby lake processer, new displey. Release date start of desember or late November.

I doubt they will go to A10 this year. I don't know if they can get the yield rates on that chip up that quickly. Priority will be iPhones to get them, then the iPads, then Apple TV. So I think Apple TV is always going to get the shaft. Also the quad core min/max set up of the A10 is not necessary for an always plugged in device with no meaningful thermal constraints. But maybe they are going to work on a chip just for the Apple TV. And one has to wonder how this all fits in with Virtual Reality work that Apple must be doing.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Another Paperweight for my desk.

 

[mikecorp]

I would not mind to jump to new apple tv. I do have 2nd gen 720p and one 3d gen 1080p. My problem with the new devices. I need optical audio for my home cinema setup and I will not buy another device that doesn't support 60fps natively. 4k is old so there is no reason to continue with that crap.

 

[Florpy]

My only beef with my 3rd gen is lack of universal search. Other than that, it suits my needs. My Roku has universal search (and Plex, oh, and Amazon) so I bounce back and forth between them quite a bit.

 

[lederermc]

I hope Apple would replace the 3rd gen ATV with an Airplay Only version (with video mirroring) for about $35.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

Still using Second Generation Apple TV. I am able to rent the movies that I want. I am able to view Netflix without difficulties. However, when watching network apps and Hulu the apps have problems with shows after commercials have played. Don't know if its an issue of the apps, or with the Apple TV. Its also not a consistent reproducible issue.

 

[jonnysods]

4k support wont happen until iTunes has 4k content.

That's why I'm not sweating ditching my 3rd gen.

 

[ftaok]

Same. We've had ours since 2012 and it continues to provide everything we need. We're not heavy aTV users: so long as it does YouTube, Netflix, and AirPlay, we're good.

I thought YouTube was removed from aTV. At least it is on my 2nd Gen.

 

[Avenged110]

I still use two 2nd gen (in addition to a 3rd). As long as they do local Home Sharing, Netflix, and AirPlay, I'm completely satisfied. I wish they'd either continue fixing bugs on the 3rd gen, or release a new "low end" model that just does those basic things with software support for cheap.

 

[Mac 128]

TV 5 on the way, and will remove the HDMI port, relying on a USB-C to HDMI cable instead. THat's why Apple went USB-C on the TV and not Lightning. Are there any native USB-C TVs on the market yet?

 

[Regbial]

if only 4th gen had some actual, decent games. like say Final Fantasy ports, etc...

Such a missed opportunity.

but this makes sense, since 3rd gen has some nasty glitches with inputing text in search (in Youtube and Netflix) where what you typed gets repeated 1000 times without letting you actually finish. Hasn't been fixed in many software updates. Apple just doesn't seem to care.

 

[bladerunner2000]

if only 4th gen had some actual, decent games. like say Final Fantasy ports, etc...

Such a missed opportunity.

but this makes sense, since 3rd gen has some nasty glitches with inputing text in search (in Youtube and Netflix) where what you typed gets repeated 1000 times without letting you actually finish. Hasn't been fixed in many software updates. Apple just doesn't seem to care.

No, the real missed opportunity was not allowing you to connect an external drive to the AppleTV when they ship it with a USB port.

Everything Apple's been doing lately is just garbage.

 

[samcraig]

So they would be pricing themselves out of competing against Roku/etc? Seems like an odd move.

 

[vlad_djkax]

I'm still using a 3rd gen. It does everything I need it to do.

I can see myself keeping it for a long time too.

Same situation here. Main (and only) reasons to use: Netflix and AirPlay. Besides, ATV content offer for Brazil is awful.

 

[CarlJ]

I still don't even know what the 4th gen does that my 3rd gen can't. Games? Ha.

As far as apps are concerned, I don't think that there is anything the 4th gen does that an iPhone w/AirPlay + a 3rd gen can't do.

Not an argument, just a data point: beyond the standard Netflix/Hulu/YouTube, I commonly use Reuters TV, The Bat Player, TWiT.tv, WWDC, and Infuse. Plenty of other apps are there, of course, but those get the most use. And having things like the NASA app there is cool (hmm, just turned it on, they've got a countdown going for the launch of a space probe headed to an asteroid).

I upgraded from a 2nd gen and YouTube (or maybe it was Netflix?) on that had given out and wasn't slated to be fixed. Yes, I could AirPlay much of that from my iPhone, but having it all on-screen is simpler and more convenient. And since I "cut the cord", in favor of Netflix and Hulu (saving a ton of money), the AppleTV is the only interface I use on my TV (which could just as well be a monitor now).

I'm also looking forward to next week's release of the new version of tvOS with HomeKit support - I've got some Hue lights in my living room, and being able to tell Siri on the TV to adjust the lights, with the remote that's already in my hand, will be nice.

 

[baxyp]

ATV3 is better than ATV4 right now. Dark UI, better built in apps, Dolby Digital passthrough, smoother cover art scrolling, etc. My 4 has been sitting in the closet since I bought it, waiting for the new tvOS.