I'm curious to know why would one pay a plex subscription vs using the Apple home share feature which is free?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple TV 4 Deliveries Begin as Apple Releases Final tvOS Build and App Store Goes Live
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm curious to know why would one pay a plex subscription vs using the Apple home share feature which is free?
you know Job would have made it happen, seems there are few business men like him left, with the guts to stand up and push like a mo-fo to get something done. #firstworldproblems #butseriouslyhewasabadass
No, you are thinking about the Siri remote connector for charging. The actual TV unit has a USB-C port for connecting to the Mac/Dev.
Finally 
Edit: Same build number as before, and I'm still not seeing the App Store.
Edit: Same build number as before, and I'm still not seeing the App Store.
Attachments
Last edited:
Xcode now allows you to build and install things on iOS devices via USB cable, no $99 fee required. I don't see anything that would indicate Apple TV 4 being excluded from that policy.
So those apps like Provenance (the NES/SNES/Genesis emulator) that are unlikely to ever be allowed on the app store, you can technically grab the source, build and install it on your Apple TV, if that's the sort of thing you're asking about.
It may be possible to install pre-compiled apps without having to build them, but I've never looked in to it.
That's cool. We'll be on the other side, and we'll see you when you "get it," and get it.
I really want to upgrade - sick of Airplaying Amazon Prime to my ATV3 - however until i see confirmation that Amazon will actually launch such an app - im leaning towards the Fire TV. God what did i just say?
Nope, don't feel embarrassed. The FireTV is a great product and is the number one used device by my family (I mean family oriented device. Number one on a personal basis is probably their macs/iphones).
Since purchasing the Fire TV we haven't used the Apple TV at all. I think the last time I used the ATV was to play back an old movie I purchased on there for my cousins. The main reasons why I love the Fire TV are below:
1. It's a Chromecast device. The Allcast app lets adds chromecast functionality to the Fire TV so it's very easy for anyone in my family to get on the YouTube app and cast a video straight to the FireTV. It's not a dodgy app either, it's extremely fast and never fails to work.
2. YouTube app. In case we don't have a phone handy we can stream videos straight from the app. Also useful for discovering YouTube 'front page' content.
3. HBO Go app. Rubbish interface but it streams fine and gets the jobs done.
4. Netflix app. No complaints here. Open the app, select the profile you want and start resuming content or explore new content just like on the Netflix website.
5. Amazon Prime and Amazon Instant Video content. This is a biggie obviously when you consider the size of Amazon's library (especially 'free' content under Prime video).
6. The insanely fast and accurate voice search.
So that's Youtube, HBO, Amazon, Netflix and Chromecast services combined into one package that just works. Yes, I know the Apple TV 3 has HBO and Netflix but there's no compelling reason to use ATV over the FireTV. I'd say the biggest reason we'd use the FireTV over the AppleTV is that 1) the remote is bluetooth and 2) voice search + Amazon's content. No need to point the remote to the ATV box and content discovery is so much quicker using voice. Also the ATV interface seems dated and it's difficult to discover new content based on what I've already watched. Amazon does this very well and will often promote content that is included in my Prime package.
The new Apple TV I just ordered can do all of the above better than the Fire TV can (as far as I can tell anyway, universal search or whatever it's called is enough to convince me the ATV4 is better) but there's one major catch: there's no Amazon Prime/Instant Video support. That's going to be a big problem for my family because of how much we use Amazon. I suspect we'll probably end up using the Fire TV more than the ATV4 because of how much content we can access on one device with relative ease.
Really hoping Amazon puts their app on the ATV along with support for universal search and Siri.
I feel like Apple is king at solving industry problems. This new model solves a few of the issues seen on other streaming boxes, but is still a long ways off with poor UI decisions and tiresome activation methods. Hopefully new software versions will correct these issues.
The Apple TV needs a feature like "My Feed", which is coming to Roku this month. Without this, the Apple TV is just a hub of apps and doesn't create a TV experience revolving around the user. The problem with the UI is its designed to sell iTunes movies and doesn't give you the ability to organize your content.
Siri is not a good primary UI. It's an assistant designed to enhance your experience. There needs to be a wall of content designed for you, similar to a DVR. It still amazes me this doesn't exist and the options we have are half-assed.
I'm not sure if Apple can get rid of the tiresome process of activating each app, but something needs to change. I can't tell you how many times my Roku forgets that I'm authorized to watch specific apps. I constantly need to go to some web address. It's a terrible experience.
Don't get me started on gaming.....obviously an afterthought.
The AppleTV could be great in a few years, but right now it's just "good". I thought this version would be "it", but it sadly sits alongside the Roku 4 as just "another box" that could have been so much more.
The Apple TV needs a feature like "My Feed", which is coming to Roku this month. Without this, the Apple TV is just a hub of apps and doesn't create a TV experience revolving around the user. The problem with the UI is its designed to sell iTunes movies and doesn't give you the ability to organize your content.
Siri is not a good primary UI. It's an assistant designed to enhance your experience. There needs to be a wall of content designed for you, similar to a DVR. It still amazes me this doesn't exist and the options we have are half-assed.
I'm not sure if Apple can get rid of the tiresome process of activating each app, but something needs to change. I can't tell you how many times my Roku forgets that I'm authorized to watch specific apps. I constantly need to go to some web address. It's a terrible experience.
Don't get me started on gaming.....obviously an afterthought.
The AppleTV could be great in a few years, but right now it's just "good". I thought this version would be "it", but it sadly sits alongside the Roku 4 as just "another box" that could have been so much more.
How terrific for you, but, I'm excited to be receiving this product. There will be some excellent enhancements that will make using atv easier and more enjoyable.
Well, that's not fair!
It could be Eddy for all we know.
Voting with your wallet for Apple to put in a little more effort? Sure, why not.I really want to upgrade - sick of Airplaying Amazon Prime to my ATV3 - however until i see confirmation that Amazon will actually launch such an app - im leaning towards the Fire TV. God what did i just say?
Glassed Silver:mac
Depends on the developer, Apple gives the developer the option to bundle the tvOS app with iOS app counterpart. I hope many take advantage of this.
Finally
Edit: Same build number as before, and I'm still not see the App Store.
Actually, while the build number is the same, the size isn't. Download it again, restore again, and voila - App Store!
I just read a review over at cnet. No Amazon.I really want to upgrade - sick of Airplaying Amazon Prime to my ATV3 - however until i see confirmation that Amazon will actually launch such an app - im leaning towards the Fire TV. God what did i just say?
"There's no dedicated app for Amazon or any other a la carte video service beyond iTunes."
I have the Fire stick (ATV3, Roku2,3), and if you like Amazon it is great. Works best for Amazon TV stuff. Roku is still the best all around, but Fire Stick is very good as well. Especially if you take into account the price. I might be an Apple guy, but I have no love for my ATV. It has been the worst by far. Even Roku miracast works better than ATV Airplay.
This is extremely accurate to the point where it upsets me.
Plex is compatible on many devices + has a web interface too. Plus it makes everything look beautiful because it will pull meta data/cover art/movie descriptions and so on from several databases to turn a simple movie file into something with high res cover art along with information about the movie such as synopsis and so on. It's pretty much a "Netflixify your content!" app.
Oh and Plex lets you stream from outside your home too so it really is Netflix for content you already own (or pirated).
Apps installed along with pre / post cached data. Up to 1 GB per app I believe.
Interestingly, I ordered within a couple of minutes of ATV going on sale here in the UK. I didn't choose Fast shipping, yet it's been shipped and will be delivered tomorrow. I'm not complaining however!
That's pure speculation. And it wouldn't have happened. It's not the time for it yet.