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Apple TV 3
- Thread starter jwolf6589
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No. The only apps are the ones included with the device (varies by country.)
Only the aTV 4 has downloadable apps and the latest tvOS.
You should return it and buy the AppleTV 4 instead. Sounds like it was an impulse-buy -- it's always best to fully research a product prior to buying any tech purchase, streaming TV boxes are no exception
You should return it and buy the AppleTV 4 instead. Sounds like it was an impulse-buy -- it's always best to fully research a product prior to buying any tech purchase, streaming TV boxes are no exception
It was actually a cost buy as it was cheaper. What's so good about the appleTV 4? What does it do differently? I know it has memory so you can store movies instead of streaming but that's not a big deal for me as I have fast internet and if I want to play a movie on a airplane I will use my MacBook.
Apps would be nice but I do not play games and Apple TV 3 has all the apps I want.
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The 3rd gen. Apple TV has been EOL'd. It will receive no more tvOS updates, nor can you install any new apps on it. If you want to have the latest hardware, and the app store so you an install the TV apps you want you want the 4th gen. Apple TV. If you are happy with the 3rd gen. being no longer updated then keep it.
You have not stated how you intend to use the Apple TV, be it the 3 or the 4. Simply put, if you are going to use the ATV for streaming from iTunes, Netflix, and/or Hulu, the ATV3 will be fine. If you have intentions to do more, such as set up a Plex server or have access to new streaming apps such as "cable TV channels", I would upgrade tot he ATV4.
Also, to clear something up, the memory in the ATV4 is not to store movies. ATVs are streaming devices. The memory in the ATV4 is for additional apps (and the memory those apps use while running). In no way, shape, or form is an ATV something you can store video on and transport to a different location for playback. Nor can you hook a hard drive up to them. They are streaming boxes.
I have cable TV. I will keep my 3 as it does what I need which is to watch movies from iTunes, Netflix, and sometimes YouTube or one of the apps that have been included.
Say if my unit can't get updated why do I get new apps on my home page? I have noticed that new apps have appeared.
I am assuming that it was on an older version out of the box...and was updated to the ATV3s latest available version. I would not expect future updates though.
Probably right. But it was years between 3 and 4 so it's quite possible 5 is out pretty far.
Actually, I would disagree. I would anticipate that the ATV4 would be supported/updated until the ATV6. But that is a completely unsubstantiated guess as there is no way for us to know for certain.
Remember, there was a big departure in how the ATV3 and ATV4 handle apps, with the ATV4 now using the app store. Who knows what the ATV5 will bring, but more likely than not it will still leverage the app store and offer a spec bump, most notably to 4K support.
Anyhow, as you noted, the ATV3 is still quite functional if used within its limits.
It's been out for quite a while now, plenty of reviews and descriptions, as well as Apple's own product page, are just a quick Google search away for you.
Would've been better if it took him there instead: https://www.macrumors.com/2016/10/04/apple-discontinues-apple-tv-3/
You can still grab these from the Apple online refashioned store cheap. It may be EOL'd but updates are still being pushed.
The ATV 1-3 are all slight improvements from each other. The ATV4 might look similar and carry a similar name, but it is vastly different. I have two ATV3 and two ATV4, so I know.
Here is how the ATV4 is significantly better:
- Universal login (for supported apps)
- Saves previously entered email addresses so you can quickly use them again for apps that don't support Universal login
- Connect to bluetooth headphones or speakers
- Connect to Airplay speakers throughout the house
- Connect to game controllers for light-console-like gaming apps
- Better Wi-Fi (802.11ac)
- Siri - here are some of my favorite uses:
- Saying text instead of laboriously entering it one character at a time
- Universal search (search for a show/movie across all apps, and compare prices)
- Search content in apps like Netflix a lot better, including Netflix's own genres and filters that you cannot access through their app any other way, AND continuously nesting those searches, like so:
- Show me sci-fi (shows just sci-fi)
- Just the good ones (throws out all the 1-2 star crap, which is my biggest problem with results)
- Just from the 90's (throws out everything that isn't from the 90's)
- Just with Arnorld Schwarzenegger (etc etc)
- Turn on/off subtitles
- Who stars in this movie (shows a list of actors...then can pick one, and see other shows/movies with that actor)
- Skip forward 12 minutes, or 25 seconds, or any duration at all, or backward
- What did he say? (skips back a few lines, turns on subtitles, plays back to where you were, then turns off subtitles)
- Remote control with:
- Touchpad
- Volume buttons can be programmed to "learn" any two commands from other IR remotes
- Gyro sensors
- 10-second skip
- Home automation hub for Homekit
- Includes 32 or 64GB of storage
- Has access to the app store, which is a huge impact that's difficult to describe. It's sort of like trying to describe what you can do with Windows--the potential is unlimited. But to give one example, I can watch local channel live HDTV from my over-the-air antenna.
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