Apple TV Gaining Traction in 4K Streaming Device Market

[MacRumors]

Demand for the Apple TV 4K has surged in the last few weeks as consumers seek ways to stream UHD content going into the holidays, claims a new report by Joshua Fruhlinger, publisher of data-driven site Thinknum.

According to Best Buy sales rank data for streaming 4K devices in the month of November, the 32GB model of Apple's streaming set-top box has surpassed cheaper alternatives including the $40 Roku and Google's $70 Chromecast Ultra, placing the $180 Apple TV 4K a close second behind Amazon's market-leading $35 Fire Stick.

The launch of the fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015, bringing Siri integration and a full App Store, resulted in a big jump in Apple TV sales, but the device still ranked as only the fourth most popular streaming media player in the U.S., coming in behind Roku, Amazon, and Google. Since the launch of the fifth-generation Apple TV 4K last year, however, interest appears to have soared, as Fruhlinger notes:

It wasn't always this way -- in fact, the Apple TV 4K has only been on the market for a little over a year. As the graph above shows, when zoomed out, the 4K race is has been a fluctuating affair. But now with the latest device revisions and 4K TV's market penetration, it appears sales are learning in Apple's direction.

Earlier this year, Apple TV Apple brought Dolby Atmos support to Apple TV 4K, and rumors have suggested Apple is planning to roll out a streaming service next year, perhaps as early as March.

On Wednesday, a report claimed Apple is considering creating a lower-cost Apple TV dongle that's similar to the Amazon Fire Stick or the Google Chromecast, a move that would aim to promote its upcoming streaming service and make it more accessible to potential buyers.

Article Link: Apple TV Gaining Traction in 4K Streaming Device Market

 

[Reason077]

A dongle-sized, Chromecast-like Apple TV would be brilliant. Especially if it can be powered by USB from the TV itself.

I like to wall-mount my TVs and it’s always a bit of a pain having to find a place to put the Apple TV, obscure the tangle of cables, etc.

 

[Aussi3]

I’m waiting for the 6th gen Apple TV

 

[Villarrealadrian]

Demand for the Apple TV 4K has surged in the last few weeks as consumers seek ways to stream UHD content going into the holidays, claims a new report by Joshua Fruhlinger, publisher of data-driven site Thinknum.

According to Best Buy sales rank data for streaming 4K devices in the month of November, the 32GB model of Apple's streaming set-top box has surpassed cheaper alternatives including the $40 Roku and Google's $70 Chromecast Ultra, placing the $180 Apple TV 4K a close second behind Amazon's market-leading $35 Fire Stick.

The launch of the fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015, bringing Siri integration and a full App Store, resulted in a big jump in Apple TV sales, but the device still ranked as only the fourth most popular streaming media player in the U.S., coming in behind Roku, Amazon, and Google. Since the launch of the fifth-generation Apple TV 4K last year, however, interest appears to have soared, as Fruhlinger notes:

Earlier this year, Apple TV Apple brought Dolby Atmos support to Apple TV 4K, and rumors have suggested Apple is planning to roll out a streaming service next year, perhaps as early as March.

On Wednesday, a report claimed Apple is considering creating a lower-cost Apple TV dongle that's similar to the Amazon Fire Stick or the Google Chromecast, a move that would aim to promote its upcoming streaming service and make it more accessible to potential buyers.

Article Link: Apple TV Gaining Traction in 4K Streaming Device Market

I’m thinking on buying an apple tv do you guys recomend it? And if so what size would you recomend?

 

[danny842003]

I’m waiting for the 6th gen Apple TV

What’s wrong with the current one?

 

[jezbd1997]

What’s wrong with the current one?

The remote is pretty much the only reason I don't want one. I bought a 4th gen and returned it after 2 weeks back when they first launched.
I know you can use the old remote which is simple but Apple really needs to re-think the next remote.
Still rocking 2x Apple TV 3rd gens, never have any issues!

 

[XtremeArtists]

I had an itunes credit, so I rented a movie from itunes (which I never do).

I was amazed by how much better the itunes movie rental looked playing through the TV app on Apple TV than any other streaming I have done. It was better than Netflix and HBO Go, which usually look great.

 

[Frign]

Am I the only one not able to figure out the graph? Why is it all upside down and why is it so badly scaled?

EDIT: Ah I see, it's sales rank. The picture could definitely use a caption.

 

[KPandian1]

I’m thinking on buying an apple tv do you guys recomend it? And if so what size would you recomend?

I am not sure the 32 vs 64 is going to make a difference; that was the advice given me when I got the 32 GB version. I don't play games on the ATV.

A dongle-sized, Chromecast-like Apple TV would be brilliant. Especially if it can be powered by USB from the TV itself.

I'd prefer it to go bigger in size, add TV tuners and a big storage to record and time shift - basically make it a 1 TB or 3 TB TiVo.

 

[Juicy Box]

I’m thinking on buying an apple tv do you guys recomend it?

It would be nice to have more information, like what you would plan to do with a streaming device.

Some basics though, unless you can find a really, really great deal, do not get an ATV4. It was under-powered at launch, and still is 3 years later.

You can find an ATV3 for pretty cheap sometimes, I have seem them for $20. If you plan on using only the big streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and you don't care about 4K(only a few of the streaming apps are in 4K anyways), I would say use the ATV3.

The ATV3 version of Apps are much better imo, than tvOS and other modern streaming boxes. ATV3 also does AirPlay, and has much less (only at the beginning of videos) YouTube ads.

While the ATV3, has an older processor, the UI is much more simple, and it is still pretty fast. I think it responds much more faster than my ATV4.

Having Siri on tvOS is nice for searching, but if the apps on the ATV3 are the only ones you need, the extra money of the ATV4 or ATV4k isnt worth it just for Siri.

And if so what size would you recomend?

Again, this depends on you. 32GB will probably be fine for most people, but st full retail price, the 64GB is only a little bit more. I would just pay the extra amount if you plan on paying full price.

I wouldn't get the 32GB at full price, it is way overpriced and sometimes you can find some decent deals.

Another thought, there are some threads on this forum with people stating that it would be near impossible to fill up a 32GB ATV, and this is not true, as I have. If you download a lot of games like I have, such as 100+ games, you can fill one up.

 

[69Mustang]

Am I the only one not able to figure out the graph? Why is it all upside down and why is it so badly scaled?

EDIT: Ah I see, it's sales rank. The picture could definitely use a caption.

You aren't the only one. The scale is out of whack and the colors are too similar. That graph is really bad.

 

[rmendol1]

For the price, the Roku is the way to go.. We have a 3rd Gen Apple TV so I can’t compare the lastest and greatest but I love the 4K ultra Roku that was a 1/3 of the price at the time of purchase

 

[iapplelove]

The remote is pretty much the only reason I don't want one. I bought a 4th gen and returned it after 2 weeks back when they first launched.
I know you can use the old remote which is simple but Apple really needs to re-think the next remote.
Still rocking 2x Apple TV 3rd gens, never have any issues!

I just use my phone or iPad for the remote.

I bought a 4K Apple TV last year to replace my aging 3rd gen and I don’t even have a 4K tv. Not much difference in price.

 

[klatox]

I bought an Apple TV and I never use it. I just use the internal apps on my Samsung TV and it works better for me. The remote on the Apple TV seizes up sometimes and the colors are totally washed out for some reason. This is with HDR turned on.

 

[decypher44]

Love, love my Roku Ultra. Almost went with the ATV, but features and price of the Ultra won out.

 

[BillGates1969]

I bought an Apple TV and I never use it. I just use the internal apps on my Samsung TV and it works better for me. The remote on the Apple TV seizes up sometimes and the colors are totally washed out for some reason. This is with HDR turned on.

Mine was the same until I went online to see the best settings. Basically what works for me is to have it to default to 4k SDR, but have match settings turned on. This way the menus are vibrant (and in SDR) but 4k content is in HDR. I am at work so not next to it but will see if I can find the article on how to set it up. Also, I remember that although my Samsung has 3 HDMI ports, only 1 (the first one) is a high speed port for 4k.

EDIT: I have just looked on the net and I am pretty sure this is the article I used:

https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-tv-4k-no-longer-forces-you-to-watch-everything-in-hdr/

 

[QuarterSwede]

For the price, the Roku is the way to go.. We have a 3rd Gen Apple TV so I can’t compare the lastest and greatest but I love the 4K ultra Roku that was a 1/3 of the price at the time of purchase

FireTV stick is the one to get if you want cheap and quick. It’s $30 now and, in my opinion, has much better app UIs than Roku. The only thing I dislike is the main home screen UI. That’s a dumpster fire but not hard to to navigate once you understand how it sorts everything.
[doublepost=1542905246][/doublepost]

It would be nice to have more information, like what you would plan to do with a streaming device.

Some basics though, unless you can find a really, really great deal, do not get an ATV4. It was under-powered at launch, and still is 3 years later.

You can find an ATV3 for pretty cheap sometimes, I have seem them for $20. If you plan on using only the big streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and you don't care about 4K(only a few of the streaming apps are in 4K anyways), I would say use the ATV3.

The ATV3 version of Apps are much better imo, than tvOS and other modern streaming boxes. ATV3 also does AirPlay, and has much less (only at the beginning of videos) YouTube ads.

While the ATV3, has an older processor, the UI is much more simple, and it is still pretty fast. I think it responds much more faster than my ATV4.

Having Siri on tvOS is nice for searching, but if the apps on the ATV3 are the only ones you need, the extra money of the ATV4 or ATV4k isnt worth it just for Siri.


Again, this depends on you. 32GB will probably be find for most people, but st full retail price, the 64GB is only a little bit more. I would just pay the extra amount if you plan on paying full price.

I wouldn't get the 32GB at full price, it is way overpriced and sometimes you can find some decent deals.

Another thought, there are some threads on this forum with people stating that it would be near impossible to fill up a 32GB ATV, and this is not true, as I have. If you download a lot of games like I have, such as 100+ games, you can fill one up.

I pretty much disagree with everything you said.

I have both the ATV3 and ATV4 and I much prefer the 4. It’s definitely not slow for normal media viewing (not many people game on one) yet still quick enough that my kids can play games without lag. It’ll even play emulators without lag if you know how to sideload one. It works with Apple Music, which the ATV3 won’t, and has AirPlay 2 which is a major improvement.

For most people the 32GB is the way to go. I have yet to fill mine halfway and I’ve had it since near launch.

 

[jent]

What’s the likelihood of another promo like the DirecTV one where you got a free Apple TV when prepaying for four months of their service? I don’t want to pull the trigger on an Apple TV at full price if it’s likely to get deep discounts or an upgrade in the next six months or so.

 

[jgdeschamps]

I had an itunes credit, so I rented a movie from itunes (which I never do).

I was amazed by how much better the itunes movie rental looked playing through the TV app on Apple TV than any other streaming I have done. It was better than Netflix and HBO Go, which usually look great.

I have the same experience and that's why I have kept buying and renting movies in iTunes Movies for the Apple TV. IN MY OPINION, AirPods, Apple Watch and Apple TV are the products that have kept that feeling of true Apple devices. I know, many hate that remote... but still...

 

[lunarworks]

Drop the price by $50 and I'll pick one up right away. We cut our cable, and the selection of streaming apps on it is very tempting.

 

[Luke MacWalker]

Am I the only one not able to figure out the graph? Why is it all upside down and why is it so badly scaled?

EDIT: Ah I see, it's sales rank. The picture could definitely use a caption.

And they should definitely use more different colors! 3 shades of pink or reddish pink (or pinkish red), 2 shades of darker blue…
Moreover, similar colors are for totally different products: Apple TV 4K 64GB & Amazon Fire Cube TV, almost the same reddish pink; Apple TV 4K 32GB & Amazon Fire Stick 4K, almost the same dark blue.
What did happen to orange, yellow, brown, grey, black, bright red, etc.? Not available today?

 

[Juicy Box]

I pretty much disagree with everything you said.

That's fine, a lot of the stuff I said was based off of my opinion like I mentioned:

imo

Although, it might be hard to disagree with facts:

ATV3 also does AirPlay, and has much less (only at the beginning of videos) YouTube ads.

How is this not true?


But we don't always have to disagree:

For most people the 32GB is the way to go

32GB will probably be fine for most people

But...

I have yet to fill mine halfway and I’ve had it since near launch.

Like I said, 32Gb would be fine for most, but if paying full retail, the 64GB is just a little bit more I would get it. Although it probably wouldn't happen to the huge majority of users, the 32GB can run out of storage. It happened to me last June to my 32GB ATV.:



Also, this is totally different than what I posted:

(not many people game on one) yet still quick enough that my kids can play games without lag. It’ll even play emulators without lag if you know how to sideload one. It works with Apple Music, which the ATV3 won’t, and has AirPlay 2 which is a major improvement.

How are these things basic streaming apps? Well, maybe I guess you can consider Apple Music a basic music streaming, but I was referring to the basic video streamers.

If you plan on using only the big streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and you don't care about 4K(only a few of the streaming apps are in 4K anyways), I would say use the ATV3.

Of course if you were going to do more than basic video streaming services, the ATV3 would not be a good choice.
I would then recommend going with an AppleAT 4K.


I have a question, would you buy an ATV4 at full retail price when the ATV4K is just a little bit more?

 

[Villarrealadrian]

It would be nice to have more information, like what you would plan to do with a streaming device.

Some basics though, unless you can find a really, really great deal, do not get an ATV4. It was under-powered at launch, and still is 3 years later.

You can find an ATV3 for pretty cheap sometimes, I have seem them for $20. If you plan on using only the big streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and you don't care about 4K(only a few of the streaming apps are in 4K anyways), I would say use the ATV3.

The ATV3 version of Apps are much better imo, than tvOS and other modern streaming boxes. ATV3 also does AirPlay, and has much less (only at the beginning of videos) YouTube ads.

While the ATV3, has an older processor, the UI is much more simple, and it is still pretty fast. I think it responds much more faster than my ATV4.

Having Siri on tvOS is nice for searching, but if the apps on the ATV3 are the only ones you need, the extra money of the ATV4 or ATV4k isnt worth it just for Siri.


Again, this depends on you. 32GB will probably be fine for most people, but st full retail price, the 64GB is only a little bit more. I would just pay the extra amount if you plan on paying full price.

I wouldn't get the 32GB at full price, it is way overpriced and sometimes you can find some decent deals.

Another thought, there are some threads on this forum with people stating that it would be near impossible to fill up a 32GB ATV, and this is not true, as I have. If you download a lot of games like I have, such as 100+ games, you can fill one up.

Well I have various suscriptions like netflix hbo fox crunchyroll clarovideo but i also want to to game on it and what about siri in the apple tv what can you say about it?

 

[Juicy Box]

Well I have various suscriptions like netflix hbo fox crunchyroll clarovideo but i also want to to game on it and what about siri in the apple tv what can you say about it?

The ATV3 has Netflix, HBO, Fox, and Crunchyroll, but I am not sure about Clarovideo.

If you want to game, I would recommend the ATV4K. 32GB would probably be fine for you, but if you end up paying full retail, get the 64GB.

I haven't seen any good deals for the 64GB ATV4K, other than Apple's refurbished store. I bought one there for less than the 32GB at full price.

I have seen plenty of deals for the 32GB ATV4K. I got one for free with the DirecTV Now deal that has since expired, but they might have another one. The deal was you get a free ATV with paying 3 months of their service, which was a total of $104 when I did the deal, and you could cancel the service at any time, so this was much cheaper than getting it via Apple.

I heard of ppl getting even better deals too.

As for Siri on tvOS, it is much better now than it was at launch, but it definitely has room for improvements. I love using Siri to search on the ATV, mostly because manual searches using the Siri remote is so painful.

Gaming on tvOS is not great, especially when compared to the rumors prior to the ATV4 launch. That CrossyRoads demo during the ATV4 event was so disappointing to watch. Apple killed any momentum tvOS had for gaming at the launch.

That said, there are a few good ports on tvOS. Hopefully it will get better.

 

[0970373]

A dongle-sized, Chromecast-like Apple TV would be brilliant. Especially if it can be powered by USB from the TV itself.

I like to wall-mount my TVs and it’s always a bit of a pain having to find a place to put the Apple TV, obscure the tangle of cables, etc.

I just want to be able to travel with it.