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Apple TV 3 in 2017

akash.nu

akash.nu

macrumors G4
Original poster
May 26, 2016
10,886
17,075
So I'm getting a really good deal on a 3rd gen Apple TV. Literally for £40. I've never owned one before and I use my Xbox one as the main entertainment system at home.

My requirements from Apple TV is really more related to being able to airplay and mirroring. I know that shouldn't be a problem but is there any other significant improvement on the 4th gen for me to cough up another £100 to get the latest model?

Also, has anyone tried to play games on either iPhone and iPad while mirroring it to through the Apple TV? Is there any specific lag or anything else I should be aware of?
 
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I still have 5 ATV3s in various rooms all work fine.
Airplays a little sucky regardless of the version of ATV.
Playing games from an iPad to a TV will be lag hell and you only get a scaled screen!
 
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akash.nu said:
My requirements from Apple TV is really more related to being able to airplay and mirroring. I know that shouldn't be a problem but is there any other significant improvement on the 4th gen for me to cough up another £100 to get the latest model?
Click to expand...
If Airplay is your only interest, there is no significant difference.
Also, has anyone tried to play games on either iPhone and iPad while mirroring it to through the Apple TV? Is there any specific lag or anything else I should be aware of?
Click to expand...
I think the bigger problem is that iOS games are designed for touch controls. Many will be difficult to play without looking at the device and seeing where your fingers are in relation to the controls or other objects you need to touch.

If you are interested in games, I'd recommend to spend a bit more and get an ATV4. Some of the games are suprisingly good on a big screen (e.g. I love playing "AG Drive" on my large projection screen :D), and in many cases the ATV versions come free with the iOS version. But for best results you will also need a compatible gamepad such as the Nimbus which is another $50 or so.
 
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akash.nu said:
So I'm getting a really good deal on a 3rd gen Apple TV. Literally for £40. I've never owned one before and I use my Xbox one as the main entertainment system at home.

My requirements from Apple TV is really more related to being able to airplay and mirroring. I know that shouldn't be a problem but is there any other significant improvement on the 4th gen for me to cough up another £100 to get the latest model?

Also, has anyone tried to play games on either iPhone and iPad while mirroring it to through the Apple TV? Is there any specific lag or anything else I should be aware of?
Click to expand...


Not an newer games i don't think, but older ones no lag whatsoever...

Apple TV 4's only advantage is Siri (not for Home sharing), and downloadable apps/games from the app store, like like iOS is.. May be ok,, but half the stuff i don't even use..

I watch TV service from Huu, as the only other reason i got mine.....
 
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I found the lag with Airplay while using my ATV4 to be slightly better than my older ATV3. To be honest I would not invest in a ATV3 right now. The next Apple TV version is almost certainly right around the corner (all indications are it will be announced next month). This will likely see the ATV4 getting a price cut to become the entry level device. It also leaves the ATV3 one step closer to being abandoned.
 
I still use an Apple TV 2 & 3. I AirPlay music so it comes out of my home theater with no problems. They are great for Netflix and some of the built Apps for watching TV, like Showtime or HBO for example. I don't have to pay my TV provider for an extra receiver in another part of the house to watch something, instead I can use an Apple TV and login with my TV providers account and watch some channels. I suppose there are pros and cons to each, but the Apple TV 2 & 3 gets used a lot in my house, even renting movies in iTunes or viewing purchased movies. They suffice for my needs. Apple devices in my house get used until they die, still have a couple iPhone 4's in the house, they get used for music, even have a couple iPad 2's, they still work for web browsing and Netflix, email and text and work just fine.
 
Still using my ATV2. ATV3 was just a spec bump while ATV4 has a remote that is awkward and confusing to use (luckily the old remote does work with ATV4). The voice via SIRI feature on ATV4 is spotty, I mean we are talking Siri here... And basic commands like "Start the rental movie" fall on deaf ears. For us, buying the ATV4 was a mistake because of the poor voice integration.

As far as getting the ATV3, wait to see if ATV gets any love this fall.
 
What type of router are you using and how old is it? Might be a better investment to improve Airplay.
 
Tech198 said:
Apple TV 4's only advantage is Siri (not for Home sharing), and downloadable apps/games from the app store, like like iOS is.. May be ok,, but half the stuff i don't even use..
Click to expand...

That is so not true.....until the ATV4 there was no way (outside of jailbreaking an ATV2) to directly stream content stored on my local NAS.....and I mean without a Plex server running 24/7 on some other platform. The ATV4 with InFuse and/or MrMC are ideal for this.
 
ATV3 has been fantastic over the years. I do prefer the remote of the ATV4 and the app store is perfect for me - WSL World Surf League, M2M.
Don't forget the ATV4 works with 60FPS 1080p which for me is great as I shoot that with my iPhone. Buttery smooth! Also, ATV4 works great with iTunes Rentals in that you can watch the rental on your iPad, iPhone or MacBook (not at the same time).
If you go for the ATV3, download the remote app for it as it's a far nicer experience.
Never any problems with AirPlay from apple. My problems have always been faulty routers from my broadband supplier which seem to last 11 months only - on my third now. The Zyxel was the worst - 2.4ghz became intermittent six months in and then one day simply died on it!!!
Maybe go for the ATV3 as it's only £40 and then review it when the ATV5 4K HDR appears maybe next month etc. I'm sure that you'll love ATV!!!
For me, it's the only box that I use. Beautiful design too! (Got rid of satellite, DVD etc in 2012 and decided not to go with the BluRay route).
 
fhall1 said:
That is so not true.....until the ATV4 there was no way (outside of jailbreaking an ATV2) to directly stream content stored on my local NAS.....and I mean without a Plex server running 24/7 on some other platform. The ATV4 with InFuse and/or MrMC are ideal for this.
Click to expand...

You mean by adding the content onto iTunes... I have all my ripped BRs on a NAS drive too and don't use PLEX
 
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