A lot of people have been waiting for a new version of AppleTV. Let's see what happens when it's released.
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Apple Sold 2 Million Apple TVs Last Year in US, Trailing Behind Chromecast and Roku
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I've got a current model Apple TV. It sits in a drawer. Instead I use a 1st generation Roku. The Apple TV is only good if you are all into the Apple ecosystem. From my POV, I'm not at all surprised the Apple TV trails behind Chromecast and Roku.
Let's see a Chromecast is $35 and an Apple TV is $99 no surprise there. I own a Chromecast and it's not as good as the Apple TV. I've owned mine since Christmas time and now when we watch movies (google play) and netflix on it it constantly cuts out and flashes white.
Will definitely be picking up the refreshed Apple TV and chucking the Chromecast.
Will definitely be picking up the refreshed Apple TV and chucking the Chromecast.
I have 5 AppleTV's in my house and love them all. 2 AppleTV1's because I've upgraded them, one has a 1TB drive and another had Plex installed (more on this in a minute).
The 3 ATV3's that I have are in almost constant use. I have an old MBP running as a video server with about 800 movies, and 2000 episodes of TV (and even then there isn't anything on). I just love the ease of use, but sometimes finding what I want is a pain, scrolling takes too much time sometimes. I also have Netflix to stream things that aren't on the ATV server.
Other "apps" for the ATV I haven't used too much, but the ESPN app has been AWESOME for the world cup. More because ESPN gets it, that not everyone can see every game live, thus they are allowing streaming of the games. ESPN on a PC has also been great, but it is very nice to be integrated into the ATV.
The UI is starting to feel quite dated and really needs a good update. They also need to open up to 3rd Party, custom applications. Let the end user have more control over the UI and the apps on the device. Open up a section of the iTunes store just for ATV applets. Let the developers run wild. I'm hoping Cook will see the need for this more than Jobs; he was too tight with their technology. If HBO offered an HBO app on the ATV Store that had a re-occurring cost of $2 or $4 per month, I'd have that in a heart beat. If all the channels got on board with this, I'd pick up 6 to 12 channels and dump cable completely.
The 1TB ATV1 is used specifically for streaming movies we don't want the kids to see.
This is something that would be nice to be added to the ATVs is a locking password that completely hides contents from the ATV server or hides specific ATV servers all together. That way I could have my non-kid ATV server that is completely hidden from the living room ATV and only shows up when a specific password is entered. As it is, I'll stick with this old ATV1, it works great.
The Plex ATV1 is sitting in a box collecting dust. I don't see the use for Plex. I find the interface very clunky, very ugly and it does nothing more than what my current ATV does. Sure I can get plugins that will allow me to stream pirated stuff; but 90% of the time the quality sucks, the streams are gone, or it just doesn't work. It just feels like a major work in progress.... and has felt like that for years. Please, if I'm wrong, let me know, tell me what is so great about Plex and why I should use it. Maybe I just don't see the potential. I find that I spend so much time playing with it to get it to do things that I don't actually use it to watch anything.
The 3 ATV3's that I have are in almost constant use. I have an old MBP running as a video server with about 800 movies, and 2000 episodes of TV (and even then there isn't anything on). I just love the ease of use, but sometimes finding what I want is a pain, scrolling takes too much time sometimes. I also have Netflix to stream things that aren't on the ATV server.
Other "apps" for the ATV I haven't used too much, but the ESPN app has been AWESOME for the world cup. More because ESPN gets it, that not everyone can see every game live, thus they are allowing streaming of the games. ESPN on a PC has also been great, but it is very nice to be integrated into the ATV.
The UI is starting to feel quite dated and really needs a good update. They also need to open up to 3rd Party, custom applications. Let the end user have more control over the UI and the apps on the device. Open up a section of the iTunes store just for ATV applets. Let the developers run wild. I'm hoping Cook will see the need for this more than Jobs; he was too tight with their technology. If HBO offered an HBO app on the ATV Store that had a re-occurring cost of $2 or $4 per month, I'd have that in a heart beat. If all the channels got on board with this, I'd pick up 6 to 12 channels and dump cable completely.
The 1TB ATV1 is used specifically for streaming movies we don't want the kids to see.
This is something that would be nice to be added to the ATVs is a locking password that completely hides contents from the ATV server or hides specific ATV servers all together. That way I could have my non-kid ATV server that is completely hidden from the living room ATV and only shows up when a specific password is entered. As it is, I'll stick with this old ATV1, it works great.The Plex ATV1 is sitting in a box collecting dust. I don't see the use for Plex. I find the interface very clunky, very ugly and it does nothing more than what my current ATV does. Sure I can get plugins that will allow me to stream pirated stuff; but 90% of the time the quality sucks, the streams are gone, or it just doesn't work. It just feels like a major work in progress.... and has felt like that for years. Please, if I'm wrong, let me know, tell me what is so great about Plex and why I should use it. Maybe I just don't see the potential. I find that I spend so much time playing with it to get it to do things that I don't actually use it to watch anything.
AirPlay is (for me) the AppleTVs "killer app". Microsoft still doesn't "get this" with the XBox 1. I cannot for instance, use my XBox One as another display for my Surface Pro 3, which I can do on a Mac/ATV. I have to look through a bewildering array of third party Miracast adapters that may or may not work (the reviews all scare me off). It doesn't "just work" like AppleTV/OS X.
But, the AppleTV is almost hopelessly being left in the dust. The pace of development at Apple seems to have slowed to a crawl. Specifically for ATV, but I have noted this as a trend overall.
Hopefully, it is because they are pulling everyone onto their "next big thing", whatever that is, and not just a sign of being unfocused and resting on their laurels.
But, the AppleTV is almost hopelessly being left in the dust. The pace of development at Apple seems to have slowed to a crawl. Specifically for ATV, but I have noted this as a trend overall.
Hopefully, it is because they are pulling everyone onto their "next big thing", whatever that is, and not just a sign of being unfocused and resting on their laurels.
Not surprised the roku and chromecast are doing so well, my mom just got a chromecast and totally loves it.
I like the roku but I'm really annoyed they STILL haven't delivered the promised support for Netflix profiles and youtube on models other than the newest ones. At this point I would never buy a roku again if they are going to have such shoddy support, for a video streaming box there's no excuse for not supporting basic features that don't require more powerful hardware.
appleTV doesn't appeal to me since it doesn't have decent Plex support, and I'll never buy iTunes video content since it doesn't play on any other devices. Too limiting.
I like the roku but I'm really annoyed they STILL haven't delivered the promised support for Netflix profiles and youtube on models other than the newest ones. At this point I would never buy a roku again if they are going to have such shoddy support, for a video streaming box there's no excuse for not supporting basic features that don't require more powerful hardware.
appleTV doesn't appeal to me since it doesn't have decent Plex support, and I'll never buy iTunes video content since it doesn't play on any other devices. Too limiting.
That's a loaded question because they don't really have US-style cable offerings in Europe, do they?
Dear Apple,
If you would like me to spend about $2000 between now an christmas at your store, I need you to do a couple things for me.
1) Release iPhone 6 with longer battery life (2 of these ~$600 on contract)
2) Release new Apple TV with 4K and an App Store ($99 x 4 rooms = $400)
3) Release iWatch with bluetooth and Spotify offline playlist support (~$200)
4) Release 12" MacBook Air with Retina display (~$1000)
-Long Time Customer
What does this have post have to do with the decline of the Apple TV? The fact that I have been holding off on purchasing new Apple TV's for each room in my house for two years. I strickly use mine to stream music around the house, but if there was an App Store I could definately see the Indie game developers and casual gamer (such as myself) flocking to it. How is no one hearing our cries...APPLE, YOU ARE MISSING A HUGE OPPORTUNITY HERE!
If you would like me to spend about $2000 between now an christmas at your store, I need you to do a couple things for me.
1) Release iPhone 6 with longer battery life (2 of these ~$600 on contract)
2) Release new Apple TV with 4K and an App Store ($99 x 4 rooms = $400)
3) Release iWatch with bluetooth and Spotify offline playlist support (~$200)
4) Release 12" MacBook Air with Retina display (~$1000)
-Long Time Customer
What does this have post have to do with the decline of the Apple TV? The fact that I have been holding off on purchasing new Apple TV's for each room in my house for two years. I strickly use mine to stream music around the house, but if there was an App Store I could definately see the Indie game developers and casual gamer (such as myself) flocking to it. How is no one hearing our cries...APPLE, YOU ARE MISSING A HUGE OPPORTUNITY HERE!
Each (from the linked article).
I don't see the advantage of using a PC, it seems big and expensive and noisy compared to a dedicated device. Local content can be served up from any PC in the house, either wired or wireless. What does a PC do that one of these boxes doesn't?
You can rip your own content and serve it up from a computer. You get the control, the convenience, no DRM, and can rip in whatever quality you choose. I still have a bunch of stuff on disc but as time goes on I'm putting more and more of that on hard drive and retiring the discs. Plex is great for that. It's super annoying when I pop a disc in and have to sit through the stupid warnings and other things that can't be skipped through, not to mention long BD load times.
Those things are the ones unique to Apple but it also does other things like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc, just like the other boxes do. These boxes are getting way more mainstream, not just a toy for geeks. I'm sure plenty of people get something like this just for Netflix or one of the other streaming options, it's simple enough to set up and no harder to use than most TVs.
Way to turn one comment about one feature into a platform war and sweeping generalizations about users.
That is a cool feature and will help their sales, but all the other features are platform neutral and even without that it's a great device. Even the screen casting isn't just android, they're working on support for computers as well. They probably could even have it work with iOS devices but that would probably require Apple to get involved and I doubt they would allow the feature.
I hate them all because of HDMI and HDCP. But the Apple TV is still my favorite of them all, mostly because it has AirPlay and a good remote control app. I was going to say that it needs Amazon Instant Video, but after my experience with it, I'm never using that PoS again. Never have a service where you need to tell your users how to start the movie!
[rant on] Don't put a TV in a kid's bedroom!!!! [/rant off]
I use my ATV3 quite a while. I don't have cable/satellite, I mostly use Netflix and Hulu. Airplay is another feature I use a lot, although is still laggy. My kids love ATV's simplicity.
MLB.tv is another thing I use a lot, although it's way inferior to the PC/Mac version of the software.
MLS Live is quite cool, and cheap.
I also have a Roku (old) which I used a lot in its times, but now it's gathering dust in my bedroom, togheter with the TV its connected with.
I think that ATV is slightly overpriced right now, after all it's an old product. Should cost 20%-25% less, and I am eagerly awaiting for the next real update.
Nobody know for sure, but based on Apple's moves with iOS 8 and enhancements to the current AppleTV functionality, plus the possibility of games for it, I would say it may be ready for this year's holiday season.
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Do you have enough internet bandwidth for 4K streaming?
Reads a US based website/article about US companies, expects different information than what was received.
Wow you have four 4K televisions??
Agree on the missed opportunity, so far, of not having an App Store for it. I have an aTV2 and rarely ever use it. Apple TV has so much potential, but I've grown weary of having much hope for its future.
Apple can be so slow and frustrating. Sigh.
I have 2 ATV3's. Started with TV1 before selling it. ATV works pretty good for what I want, stream and netflix. But its getting long in tooth and the menu system just plain sucks. I'll give apple until september to come out with an updated ATV. If not, will move on to something more up to date and sell my ATV's. Apple had everyone by the nuts with this but instead of upgrading in a timely manner, they let others come in and take over. Guess they shouldn't of treated it as a hobby.
Technically, I'm an Apple fanboy since I've been buying their products since 1983. However, this particular product hasn't been updated in quite some time so I'm not surprised they lag behind the competition. Yes, I realize Apple prefers to wait until they get it right, but on certain products they've just become flat-out lazy.