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phillydev716

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 29, 2016
8
3
Philly
Hey Guys,

I haven't heard much about Apple TV these past few months, but I have been so hesitant about buying the 4th Gen TV after hearing about the lack of apps, games dont run that well etc..

Is a new Apple TV expected to drop this year with better specs or will this 4th Gen be it for a while like the last generation Apple TV that essentially fall wayside?
 

benjitek

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2012
863
453
Hey Guys,

I haven't heard much about Apple TV these past few months...
Really...? I haven't heard anything, past few months or before. The only rumor I've heard at all is that Apple would incorporate Amazon Echo type functionality into the next AppleTV, but that rumor didn't last very long. Apple hasn't announced anything.

Haven't really read about a "lack of apps", there seem to be plenty. Games play just fine, it's just that some really need a controller instead of the remote.
 
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phillydev716

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 29, 2016
8
3
Philly
Can you name any of the killer apple tv apps? Or are they mostly ported? Most games play at 25FPS I have been reading, which is not good at all.

I want to cut the cord and some of the apple tv functionality fits the bill but am hesitant. Can anyone chime in?
 

lvavila

macrumors member
Jun 9, 2013
56
36
Can you name any of the killer apple tv apps? Or are they mostly ported? Most games play at 25FPS I have been reading, which is not good at all.

I want to cut the cord and some of the apple tv functionality fits the bill but am hesitant. Can anyone chime in?

I have a four tuner Tablo for local stations but we made a list of shows we watch and compared that list to what AppleTV exposes. So for local stations, news (Fox ABC, CBS), football and 4-6 shows we watch, AppleTV works. Unified directory is getting better but usability satisfaction which includes Siri (which still needs work) keeps us entertained. So unified directory (available shows with filtering for shows I want to follow) is my version of a killer app.

WE feel Netflix betters Amazon Video so not having that is ok.

For all you young gamers, I'm a working professional (developer) so I don't mind paying for content.
 

JeffPerrin

macrumors 6502a
Jul 21, 2014
671
696
I want to cut the cord and some of the apple tv functionality fits the bill but am hesitant. Can anyone chime in?

I wouldn't expect a new Apple TV (5 gen) for a long while. It's just not a product line that gets updated very often. Maybe when you start hearing rumors on 4K iTunes or something... But the latest ATV has plenty of room to grow via software upgrades (i.e.. the recent release of tvOS 10)

Anyway, we "cut the cord" here some 4-5 years ago (on an Apple TV 3) and don't miss cable at all. (Especially the commercials!) We get the majority of our content from Netflix, iTunes, the Podcast and YouTube apps, and OTA antennae for local broadcast and a (very) few network shows.
 
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kiranmk2

macrumors 68000
Oct 4, 2008
1,662
2,306
I don't think we're too far away from a new ATV - VUDU, Netflix and the like are streaming 4K with HDR (and VUDU even has Dolby Atmos sound!), broadband speeds are increasing all the time, HEVC has become more common and the new A10fusion chip (or even A9X chip) would leave the A8 in the ATV 4 in its dust. The final piece seems to be the iPad as the iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4 and 12.9" iPad Pro can't haven't yet got the ability to shoot 4K. At the next iPad update (early 2017 as far as the rumors go) I would imagine that every Apple mobile device (apart from iPod Touch) will be able to shoot in 4K.
 

Tommynz1975

macrumors newbie
Oct 4, 2016
2
0
It may have been a blog here? On the Mac mini. Speculating the merge of Mac mini and Apple TV.

Can I swear twice, if one has a ps4 and only needs Apple TV to shoot desktop and any other content to their TVs from iPad Lappy can they get away with a chrome cast.

Yes I said I'd swear.
 

jdag

macrumors 6502a
Jun 15, 2012
837
213
I didn't want to hijack the AppleTV thread but saw 2 questions about Tablo so I thought I would chime in. Also, since Tablo has an ATV4 app and the OP talked about lack of apps, I guess it is fitting.

I owned a Tablo 4-tuner for about 18 months, and generally speaking it worked pretty well. Honestly, I don't watch whole lot of OTA TV and rarely record. But when I did, the Tablo did its job. I don't recall ever having a missed program.

They released the ATV4 app a couple of months ago, and while a pretty basic app lacking full functionality of other Tablo apps, it was up to the task for a 1st version. Prior to the ATV4 app I would use my iPhone to start programs, then Airplay to get them to the TV.

In terms of complaints about Tablo, the biggest is that is is very very sluggish. There is about a 10 second buffering every time you change channels because of the methodology that Tablo uses to record. But even beyond that, the UI was generally sluggish overall. It is not for people that like to channel surf.

The ATV4 app was by far the best Tablo app that I used, as on the FireTV Stick and Roku Stick it was painful. Granted, they were both underpowered stick devices, not the more powerful boxes. The best experience is using Tablo via web browser where it is by far the most fluid.

When I did record, assuming a full program, playback was quick, way faster to load than live TV. However, trying to watch programs that were in process, before recording finished, was often troublesome. I eventually just gave up trying and wanted for things to completely finish recording before trying to playback.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate the Tablo about a 6. Conceptually it is fantastic, but there's a long way to go before it is a great experience.

Now, contrast that with another similar option, the HDHomeRun. I sold my Tablo and bought an HDHR about 3 weeks ago and to be honest much prefer it. Again, remember that I don't record much at all.

Tablo and HDHR have similarities, but also many differences. Most notably, the HDHR is a tuner only, whereas the Tablo is both a tuner and DVR device. Further, HDHR is available in multiple models that can be used for OTA/antenna or via cable TV. Tablo is strictly OTA. Finally, to record using HDHR you have to have separate hardware and software.

There is an excellent ATV4 app for HDHR devices called Channels that is for live TV only. It is super-fast and fluid and makes for channel surfing a breeze. Channels is working on a DVR solution that they expect to roll out in early 2017. It will require a running device (computer or NAS) to save recordings.

Plex will also allow for recording from the HDHR, but you need to upgrade to a PlexPass subscription. And again, you need a running device (computer or NAS) to save recordings.

SiliconDust, the maker of HDHRs, is also coming out with a DVR, but it is literally about a year late, so who knows if it will ever see the light of day (beyond its current pre-release state).

I would rate the HDHR + Channels app a solid 8. I just installed the Plex DVR and would give it a 6 (it is brand new, still in beta, and a lot of promise).

I know that is a lot of info but I hope it helps.

TL/DR: Tablo is OK. I personally prefer HDHomeRun + Channels + Plex. My opinion is based on using Tablo for ~18 months and HDHR for ~3 weeks.
 
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Floris

macrumors 68020
Sep 7, 2007
2,382
1,478
Netherlands
New Apple TV to go along with a new retina Cinema display?
I wouldn't mind buying a 6k 32" cinema display to replace my tv and as external for new macbook pro.
one monitor for both, excellent.. if only!
 

oneMadRssn

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
6,085
14,193
Can you name any of the killer apple tv apps? Or are they mostly ported? Most games play at 25FPS I have been reading, which is not good at all.

I want to cut the cord and some of the apple tv functionality fits the bill but am hesitant. Can anyone chime in?

It's not the apps themselves that are killer, but rather the combination of having a great selection of apps all one device, which also has a very nice and fluid UI.

Netflix, Hulu, HBOGo, MLB.tv, Plex, Infuse, Channels. Those are great apps.
Indeed, the MLB app is fantastic on the AppleTV as it lets you watch two games side by side. People take issue with the Netflix, Hulu, and HBO UIs, but those are not in Apple's control. What is in Apple's control is that despite the quirky layout and navigation those developers have chosen, the apps are very smooth and responsive.

If you can "borrow" a cable login from a friend (or an elderly family member for whom cutting the cord is a nonstarter), there is also HGTV, ESPN, Food Network, Fox Sports, Comedy Central, AMC, etc.

Get a PS4 or an Xbox One for games if things like FPS are even in your lexicon. The few games I like on the AppleTV are little time-wasters, like JetPack Joyride. The games there are not really for gaming, not yet. This is a set-top box for content consumption first and foremost.
 
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nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,557
2,459
DE
The ATV4 does everything my fiancée and I need it for. For all of the TV shows that we watch, there isn't a channel/app we can't download to the ATV. Granted we only have internet as we ditched cable earlier in the year, but we use cable login credentials from family to watch what we want. I can't really speak of games because we don't play them, but the entertainment apps are readily available (I'd honestly rather buy a PS4 or Xbox One if I wanted to play video games anyway).

Sports apps have caught up with Fox Sports Go being introduced about a month ago. The only sports app that I wish the ATV had was BTN so I can watch Penn State games. But I usually stream them on my iPhone/iPad as AirPlay is terrible with the iOS BTN app.

All in all, I honestly don't expect Apple to introduce a new ATV any time soon.
 

jdillings

macrumors 68000
Jun 21, 2015
1,540
5,175
Can you name any of the killer apple tv apps? Or are they mostly ported? Most games play at 25FPS I have been reading, which is not good at all.

I want to cut the cord and some of the apple tv functionality fits the bill but am hesitant. Can anyone chime in?

Fox Sports Go. Four games on the screen at one time. None of the other Fox Sports Go apps have this feature.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,156
I wonder how many months it would take app devs for 4k/HDR streaming services to update their apps for that content if Apple made the a 4k/HDR ATV?
 

oneMadRssn

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
6,085
14,193
Fox Sports Go. Four games on the screen at one time. None of the other Fox Sports Go apps have this feature.

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