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Only place to go from here is up........and a struggle it will be for those not entrenched into their ecosystem!
 
Been using my PS4 more and more for streaming instead of the Apple TV. Wish the PS4 had HBO Now, though.

I feels a PS4 is a bit more power consuming than a ”steaming devices” should be. But I still have one for gaming at times (but fans go like crazy…). And also wish that HBO was on PS4, but if the next Apple TV is what it seems like it might be I will mostly be using that for media playback.
 
We have several ATV's and a couple of Roku's in the house. Both have pluses and minuses. Even the ATV in its neglected state is a far more polished experience. Airplay is still second-to-none for that kind of service. But limited apps is really killing the platform. The Roku has more choice, but the interface is still really 2nd rate. Love the ability to plug headphones into the remote though! They both need a Single Sign On service though, NOW!
 
Apple is starting to worry me. They are quickly becoming a one trick pony kind of company (i.e. the iPhone). Long gone is the rumor that Steve Jobs had cracked how to deliver TV content, or that the AppleTV is a hobby. I have an AppleTV because it integrates well with my Mac, iPhone, etc. but I don't see what would be the appeal to someone not already invested in the Apple universe. I don't think it has any advantage over the competition outside of the integration with Apple products. I think Apple needs to do something really innovative in the area of content. Nowadays the trend is towards on demand everything.
 
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The ATV has one thing going for it: UI consistency. Each app is using the same UI template. Other media boxes are all over the place.

i did not understand how important UI consistency was to me until i bought a roku. i can't watch hulu on roku because the UI is HORRIBLE! i only use roku for apps that ATV doesn't have. once ATV has an app store, my roku will be useless to me.
 
I have an ATV, Chromecast, and FireTV. Honestly, the FireTV is probably the best device out of all of them. It runs Netflix and Prime, has voice searching, and doesn't require another device to drive it.
 
I Find that combined with Roku and Plex, it becomes virtually the ultimate streaming machine. it has allowed me to cut 99% of live TV that i used to watch.

PLex is probably the simple, best chord cutting platform. And while even though the ChromeCast supports it, I've found that only the Roku supports the channels in Plex properly (Many of the channels just don't work from the apps, just in roku).

Seriously, go look through the entire listing of Plex channels, and you will see so much available Live, and on Demand programming it's great. From Discovery Channel, History Channel, CBC Televicion, BBC iPlayer and on, and On.

So Far the Roku is the ONLY device, Other than a full web browser that seems to fully support these channels right.

Add the NHL Centre Ice App on Roku3, and MLB.tv, and I have barely touched Cable TV in afew years
 
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Will be getting something and start cutting the cable this September. We'll see what ATV has when (IF!!!) it gets updated. Otherwise it's ROKU.
 
Love my chromecast. works with my android, ipad and mac. i got 3 months netflix offer, 4 free movies rentals
3 month free play music,$6 play store credit and lot more all for $30
 
So when Apple updates the new Apple TV are they going to abandon it again for another 4 yrs?
 
While I do like the Roku the most. They really need to make a qwerty remote. Content searches are painfully slow selecting one letter at a time on screen. Now that I have Tivo it doesn't really matter. The Tivo has a qwerty remote and works with Amazon Prime, Spotify, Hulu and Netflix. If only I had unlimited data. 300GB can go fast with a household streaming HD content.
This is exactly why i love my chromecast. use you phone to search which is already good with keyboard
 
I had both a Roku and Apple TV. Got rid of Roku because it wouldn't start streaming in Super HD on Netflix immediately like the Apple TV. There's nothing worse than starting to watch a TV episode and having to suffer through a low res pixelated picture, waiting for the streaming quality to ramp up to Super HD.
 
I have the ROKU and Apple TV but the Apple TV still gets the most use. I use it for AirPlay and watching movies from iTunes. The ROKU I use for Amazon Prime and VUDU. I like the ROKU but it's hard to choose just one streaming player. They all have their advantages.
 
Media steaming devices are a good segment of consumer electronics that Apple let slowly slip out of its strategic iron sights, and consequently, out of the competition.

Apple is increasingly acting like a chicken without a head... no real strategy, just flapping around and hoping that a new hiring of celebrity XYZ will magically turn things around. And yet, the solution is very simple and inexpensive. For example, keep your products updated and bug free. Also, given that apple is generally a follower with respect to innovation, they could have easily copied what Roku did better and then polished the final product with some old-school Apple refinement.

GTFO you have got to be kidding. Apple has no strategy? Chicken without a head? It is the most valuable company in the world with more cash than anyone. They do not need to "magically turn things around" as they are doing just fine. The AppleTV is not a money maker for them and they clearly understand that they can't "innovate" without content deals, so they aren't doing much with it.

NO surprise ... it's all about iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, iPhone, and iPhone.

Do you blame them from prioritizing their largest revenue stream?

they dump money to make a new ipad mini 3 or a mac mini with (close to) no improvements, just so the buyers can feel like they're buying the latest and greatest, why don't they do that with the apple tv?
even just double ram, more ports, app store, retina eye scan on the remote would keep your customers Apple...

You say they should "do that with the Apple TV" yet adding ports and an app store are nowhere near "close to no improvements" that you refer to in the other devices. Those are big changes, not small.

Apple is starting to worry me. They are quickly becoming a one trick pony kind of company (i.e. the iPhone). Long gone is the rumor that Steve Jobs had cracked how to deliver TV content, or that the AppleTV is a hobby. I have an AppleTV because it integrates well with my Mac, iPhone, etc. but I don't see what would be the appeal to someone not already invested in the Apple universe. I don't think it has any advantage over the competition outside of the integration with Apple products. I think Apple needs to do something really innovative in the area of content. Nowadays the trend is towards on demand everything.

You are nuts. The iPhone is their largest revenue stream and of course they are going to focus on that product more than others. Apple can't do anything innovative in content without deals with content providers, which they have been working on for years now. It isn't Apple's fault that providers don't want to negotiate. They will cling to their bundled cable packages for dear life. Providers don't want to release their content a la carte and on-demand.
 
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How can Google only have 19 percent vs Apple's 17 percent when clearly the charts shows Google has almost twice as much market share. I love how this stuff is spun here at MR. lol
 
Everyone is complaining that Apple lost so much ground and are now playing catchup, yada yada... all this on a device that was first introduced in 2012. But what if (like typical Apple fashion) they are making a new version and are just waiting for everything to line up so they can launch and truly disrupt I've product instead of being a "hobby" or a copy like everyone else (aside from Roku). Hmmm... not only is that their modus operandi, but it would also leave everyone else as "also rans".

I think you will be able to expect new AppleTV hardware in September and an App Store opened by Christmas for games.

Just saying...
 
A streaming device is not a "game changer" on its own. Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire whatever, and Apple TV all do the same thing and none of them are "disruptive". I can run Netflix on every device in my home and probably my toaster. The thing that will make these devices actually mean something will be content deals with the providers. The first to do that well will win and Apple has a better shot than the others.
 
Lately, I've been using my Fire TV stick more than my "old" Apple TV to take advantage of a some movies that come "free" with my Amazon Prime subscription.

But if the next-gen Apple TV allows native apps and video games with some sort of low latency hand controller, that will be the killer product.
 
While I do like the Roku the most. They really need to make a qwerty remote. Content searches are painfully slow selecting one letter at a time on screen. Now that I have Tivo it doesn't really matter. The Tivo has a qwerty remote and works with Amazon Prime, Spotify, Hulu and Netflix. If only I had unlimited data. 300GB can go fast with a household streaming HD content.

If you have an iPhone or iPad, the Remote app made by Apple allows you to control everything on the AppleTV AND use a qwerty keyboard for text entry right from your phone or tablet.
 
Hey it's Apple ... they are doing whatever they want ... but my Apple eco-system experience continues to diminish.

You are right. I am sure the stockholders would love it if Apple took a year or two off from developing new iPhones to focus on making an awesome Apple TV that still won't have any content and is their least popular device. Then they can sell more of those $99 devices but two years without $800 devices will all work out in the end.
 
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