Apple TV Fell to Fourth Most Popular Streaming Media Device in U.S. in 2014

[Lankyman]

Out if my Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast and Fire TV, the only one we dumped was the Apple TV, useless in Europe and far too limited, games in the Fire TV are pretty poor don't see casual gaming on the new Apple TV being any better

I've commented for years that Apple only really care about their home market, we in the UK and the rest of Europe just get the crumbs from the top table.

This was one of my reasons for moving over to Android as I have way more content for casting onto my SMART TV now. Apple could play this type of waiting game a few years ago but not anymore as the competition has not only caught up it has outflanked them.

 

[calderone]

I have already moved on to a Roku.

One of the most frustrating things is the nagging for an iTunes password when it expires. Alert comes up in the middle of watching something you dismiss and it kicks you back to the home screen. So frustrating.

 

[CartoonCat]

It's all about "Content". Programing is what ultimately drives people to watch a service. Netflix and Amazon create their own programing. Apple needs to step up if they want people to buy Apple TV. Create a series like "Game of Thrones" that you can only view on Apple TV and people will buy.

 

[hemanwomanhater]

It's all about "Content". Programing is what ultimately drives people to watch a service. Netflix and Amazon create their own programing. Apple needs to step up if they want people to buy Apple TV. Create a series like "Game of Thrones" that you can only view on Apple TV and people will buy.

While I'm not really sure I understand Netflix's relevance to your point (since Apple and Netflix are not competitors), I do agree.

But Apple's attempt at content is going to be:

A) Locking down this streaming cable subscription service that will be much cheaper than cable. If they can get some exclusive rights to streaming several quality channels then that could be a big boon for Apple TV. Depends on if that happens, and who is on board.

B) App store content. If it's easy for developers to port existing iOS apps to Apple TV then this could really be a big deal, I think.

 

[IrrationalFanboy]

Threw all 3 of my Apple TVs away for Roku & Chromecasts.

 

[ecommerceedward]

Hurry up Apple!

 

[kuwxman]

What is so great about roku?

One big benefit of the Roku is the ability to use the SlingTV service. That isn't an option on the AppleTV. SlingTV is great for cable cutters that still want to have access to some of the bigger channels (ESPN, TNT, HGTV, Food Network, etc)

 

[Technarchy]

I have had the same Apple TV for a few years now and will probably buy another after the next update.

I'm very content with the quality of service and see no real reason to consider a competitor.

 

[swedishpenguin]

How did we not have this like 2 years ago?

 

[Glenny2lappies]

I've just been looking at which system to buy. Ended up with the Fire Stick as it did what I wanted, was half the price of Apple TV, and, most importantly, didn't lock me into Apple. I find iTunes ridiculously overpriced and don't use the A-Cloud. Amazon includes loads of content for free in their Prime bundle.

The ATV hardware's pretty old now and the remote's old tech.

I would have liked to stream from my iPhone + iPad + Macbook Pros, but ho-hum.

All in it was a no-brainer.

I think that Apple are way too distracted by the watch 'n beets, that streaming radio service, and not to mention solving problems that I've never had (thinner MBP that's not upgradable, etc.). Their website sums it up nicely: all form and no function.

 

[zhenya]

I really fail to see how Apple is too 'distracted' to worry about the AppleTV. The fact is, there is NO money to be made on the ATV platform until content providers get on board. Roku is a tiny company that can afford to provide all of these services that give them no revenue and essentially exist on the tiny margins of selling cheap hardware. Every other streaming device is really just a portal into their other services. Google and Amazon make their devices cheap because they really just want to keep you using their software services. Apple does the same, but sells the hardware integration more than the software services which offer them no payback. Apple will take the ATV seriously when the climate is right for them to finally make some money doing so. In the meantime, it's certainly no worse than any of the other devices out there, it just offers a different set of features. The streaming from iOS devices that the ATV offers is much more polished and reliable than anything offered on competing platforms.

 

[velocityg4]

They have to a degree. You can use the app to control the Roku. It has a keyboard built in.

That's not really a practical solution. It requires everyone including guests to install the app and setup their device. I'd also think it would be a pain if you have four or five ROKU's. It also leaves out people without a Smartphone or whom have the wrong OS.

 

[snipper]

Apple needs to update this ASAP. It is nice to have a seamless ecosystem and the App Store for Apple TV will be a big deal.

(Ditto a 17 inch MBP )

I really hope the 17' MBP will return when retina 17' is commercially possible.

After 10 years our 720P TV broke down. Like more and more TVs, our new one is a smart TV that can run Plex. AFAIK it can do anything I wanted to buy the Apple TV for. So yes, like you and others said: Apple needs a TV app store and iHome apps, else an Apple TV has little use for TVs and it'll have to wait for the next round, when domotica / home automation take off.

 

[TimUSCA]

Better UI is subjective. I use my Roku a lot for Netflix, and I think the Netflix UI (which is used on all of their other devices) is leagues ahead of Apple's "we control the horizontal, we control the vertical" approach.

AirPlay/iTunes integration is great if you're entrenched in the Apple ecosystem - but of course, it's no good if you don't have other iDevices or a Mac. The Roku does do Miracast screen streaming, so it has multiplatform support going for it (e.g. Android and Windows 10).

I am fairly sure many of the Rokus have IR sensors too - it's just that an RF remote is supplied and preferred. I don't know if the very latest Roku 3 does, but the older one did.

Since I'm in the UK I can't use Amazon Prime on my Roku anyway - it's a technically different service to the American one and so the apps aren't the same. Netflix does work, of course. This is probably something that needs fixing if they want all the Brits to sign up to Prime for the new "Top Gear" next year.

The Roku 3 does not have IR.

But honestly, all you did was tell me what your preferences are... and we all have our own preferences. That's why I was pointing out that both devices have their pros, and therefore you can't say with certainty that the Roku is better.

Also, when I was talking about the UI, I was talking about the OS, not the apps. I 100% agree that Netflix on Roku is better than on Apple TV.

 

[Uofmtiger]

The Roku 3 does not have IR.

But honestly, all you did was tell me what your preferences are... and we all have our own preferences. That's why I was pointing out that both devices have their pros, and therefore you can't say with certainty that the Roku is better.

Also, when I was talking about the UI, I was talking about the OS, not the apps. I 100% agree that Netflix on Roku is better than on Apple TV.

The funny thing about the Roku 2XDS is that its IR uses the same code as LED lights I have in the room. I have to try to block the remote from being in the line of site with my LEDs otherwise, they turn on when I use an IR remote with the Roku.

The AppleTV is better for people that want to stream music/video/photos from just about any app from their iPhones/iPads/Touch. The Roku can't touch them in this regard. As you said, it depends on the use case.

Personally, I think Roku makes more sense for most people that don't own an iOS device or want to mirror or stream from their Macs. However, the number of people that have at least one iOS device and would benefit from Airplay is pretty large. The reason AppleTV is not selling well is because a lot of people are sitting on the sideline waiting for the updated version.

 

[billy the fish]

I have a feeling Apple will strip away the hobby moniker when they announce the new Apple TV's. Apps, an exclusive video subscription service, and a rich new user experience - the next Apple TV will be the one that they always wanted to build. It all starts with a new platform for content that rewards consumers, creators and distributors in varying different but exciting ways.

Give it up already Tim, this is getting embarrassing, you sound like a radio commercial..

 

[dumastudetto]

Give it up already Tim, this is getting embarrassing, you sound like a radio commercial..

John Gruber linked to an article that shared a lot of my sentiments some 10 days ago. I'm definitely not the only one who thinks the new Apple TV will be huge. It's not just about the hardware, it's about bringing an amazing new platform and experience to our living rooms.

I genuinely do feel this is going to change the way we consume entertainment forever. Maybe not immediately, but in the next year or two everyone will agree that Apple TV is another gamechanger product. So yes, I'm very excited to learn more about the future of television next week.

 

[billy the fish]

John Gruber linked to an article that shared a lot of my sentiments some 10 days ago. I'm definitely not the only one who thinks the new Apple TV will be huge. It's not just about the hardware, it's about bringing an amazing new platform and experience to our living rooms.

I genuinely do feel this is going to change the way we consume entertainment forever. Maybe not immediately, but in the next year or two everyone will agree that Apple TV is another gamechanger product. So yes, I'm very excited to learn more about the future of television next week.

Are you reading from a script fella, this is cringing, give it up.. Its like when you ring an overseas call centre and English isn't their first language, so if you go off script then just start reading from the beginning again.. Good attempt mate, but time to stop trolling..

 

[OllyW]

John Gruber linked to an article that shared a lot of my sentiments some 10 days ago. I'm definitely not the only one who thinks the new Apple TV will be huge. It's not just about the hardware, it's about bringing an amazing new platform and experience to our living rooms.

I genuinely do feel this is going to change the way we consume entertainment forever. Maybe not immediately, but in the next year or two everyone will agree that Apple TV is another gamechanger product. So yes, I'm very excited to learn more about the future of television next week.

Not much of a surprise, you've said almost exactly the same thing about every single product Apple have bought out since you joined MacRumors.

 

[dumastudetto]

Are you reading from a script fella, this is cringing, give it up..

Just sharing my opinion. Clearly you don't agree with me, and that's fine, so let's leave it at that.

 

[dumastudetto]

Not much of a surprise, you've said almost exactly the same thing about every single product Apple have bought out since you joined MacRumors.

I'm nearly always excited by new products - yeah. I'm not always right as has been proven by several members who pointed out my previous opinions of larger screen smartphones. All I can do is post what I feel. And I don't generally pretend to be unbiased either.

 

[OllyW]

I'm nearly always excited by new products - yeah. I'm not always right as has been proven by several members who pointed out my previous opinions of larger screen smartphones. All I can do is post what I feel. And I don't generally pretend to be unbiased either.

The TV market is still a tough one to crack, what works in the USA is not automatically going to work in other countries as the viewing tastes and the way TV networks function is a lot different in each nation. I hear lots of complaints about their TV services from members in the USA and how they want Apple to come in and save the day but it doesn't mean much to me as I'm here in the UK.

 

[dumastudetto]

The TV market is still a tough one to crack, what works in the USA is not automatically going to work in other countries as the viewing tastes and the way TV networks function is a lot different in each nation. I hear lots of complaints about their TV services from members in the USA and how they want Apple to come in and save the day but it doesn't mean much to me as I'm here in the UK.

Apple TV in the UK right now is poor. When I'm in the US, I can get a massive amount more content on my Apple TV than when in the UK. It is frustrating. But I think this changes when Apple gives content providers the ability to build on the platform with great tools. I'm hopeful at least.

It all hinges on whether Apple can give developers a rich development environment to create great app-like experiences on the big TV. So you can get your iPlayer, Sky Go and ITV Player on the Apple TV. I'd hope for many other channels to also make their presence felt on Apple TV - at least those available freely on Freeview/YouView/Freesat. All of the on demand content is fully searchable from a central location and quick searching is done using Siri. This will be a massive step up from what you currently get.

I'm not sure Apple will do a subscription type service internationally anytime in the forseeable future. That will likely be limited to the US. But I don't think that's even necessary if the content providers in the UK step up. I'm guessing right now it's complicated and expensive to put your stuff on Apple TV, which is why so few providers in the UK do it. This has to change with the launch of the new box.

 

[OllyW]

Apple TV in the UK right now is poor.

Yes, Apple's focus has been almost exclusively US centric with only a trickle of new additions that have been aimed at us. At least we've had something though, most other countries have been more or less ignored.

I'm hoping the app store can fix this and let other developers add extra value to the product as we can't rely on Apple to look after their TV customers outside the USA.

 

[dumastudetto]

Yes, Apple's focus has been almost exclusively US centric with only a trickle of new additions that have been aimed at us. At least we've had something though, most other countries have been more or less ignored.

I'm hoping the app store can fix this and let other developers add extra value to the product as we can't rely on Apple to look after their TV customers outside the USA.

Sorry you only got the first line of my reply because I hit post reply prematurely. But we do essentially agree and share the same hope for how the content problem gets solved with the new Apple TV internationally.

In the place i rent in the UK, I can only get TV in the living room via satellite or aerial. All the other rooms rely on an internet connected device, and all of the solutions lack something I want. The ultimate dream for me is I can have a small Apple TV connected to every TV in my home, and I can get rid of all the other "smart boxes" that deliver content. I definitely don't see that happening immediately with the new Apple TV, but maybe if enough content players get on board we can get there in a year or two.