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Apple TV worth it ?
- Thread starter max2
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Yes. It’s a standalone device. Not everyone uses it with another product. And with it supporting so many apps I don’t AirPlay nearly as often as I used to. Now with that said the overall experience is better you’re invested in the ecosystem. But ATK is a great way to get into it. I would advise getting an iCloud account at the very least. It’s not required but it too adds value to the overall experience.
It will work fine as a standalone device if you're not in the Apple ecosystem.
Whether or not it is 'worth it' is another matter. A fair amount of the value of the Apple TV is the integration - especially AirPlay, but also stuff like sharing your photo albums, using an iPhone as a remote, etc.
If you don't have other Apple devices, products like the Roku Premiere or the Chromecast are a third to half the price of an Apple TV for a very similar feature-set. There is a general consensus, I think, that the Apple TV is pretty overpriced compared to the competition, not least as it hasn't been updated in 4.5 years.
Whether or not it is 'worth it' is another matter. A fair amount of the value of the Apple TV is the integration - especially AirPlay, but also stuff like sharing your photo albums, using an iPhone as a remote, etc.
If you don't have other Apple devices, products like the Roku Premiere or the Chromecast are a third to half the price of an Apple TV for a very similar feature-set. There is a general consensus, I think, that the Apple TV is pretty overpriced compared to the competition, not least as it hasn't been updated in 4.5 years.
I returned a 4K ATV because the black levels are not correct. (See Consumer Reports review). I got an NVidea Shield instead; no issues with video performance but you do have to put up with the clunky Android interface and a really subpar ios remote control app. But the bluetooth remote works fine.
This is the correct assessment.
The only thing PeteBurgh does not address is original content exclusive from Apple via Apple TV+.
Otherwise yeah, a $25 Roku Premiere is a far better value as a basic streamer than an Apple TV.
True! But why would you do it?
It is a very expensive option when much cheaper options like Google's Chromecast (25% of the cost of an Apple TV) are available.
While I have an Apple TV, I didn't pay for it (thank heavens) it was a gift. I would never have paid for it. I have had on-going problems with WiFi reception and now use it connected to my modem/router via EoP.
If you have an iPhone or iPad connecting them to your TV via HDMI with the Apple dongle is much cheaper, more reliable and has many more options than an Apple TV.
Don't waste your money!
Stay safe,
Peter
This is an interesting point - I didn’t realise that. I assumed that the content in the Apple TV+ app was the same whether it was running on the Apple TV box, an iPhone, or on the app on a Samsung TV.
It’s a bit confusing to make sense of it all (not least with how the TV App, Apple TV+. and Apple TV being three different things with easily confused names!), especially when it comes to stuff about how channels from other providers are integrated into the TV app.
Your original assumption is correct. I have a Samsung TV with the Apple TV app and can get Apple TV+ content with it. No Apple TV device is required.
My Samsung TV even supports AirPlay as well. I was in the market to get a new Apple TV, but ever since my TV got these updates, I'm finding it very hard to justify the cost or reason to get one.
Sure, it's also a lot more hassle and doesn't suit a lot of people. There's a lot of reasons why people might want a set-top box instead of having to plug their laptop in every day.
My feeling on this is that I love my Apple TV and how it fits into how I watch films and TV. It streams all my ripped and downloaded media perfectly through Infuse, it gives me access to every streaming service, AirPlay is great, the UX is just smooth and nice to use, plays well with all my other devices. I have Roku in my bedroom, but it'd be an Apple TV if they offered a lower-cost device, or frankly at this point if they just released a new Apple TV so I could upgrade and move the 4k into my room. I find the Roku interface clumsy, AirPlay integration isn't perfect, and I have to use Plex to access my own files because transcoding has to be done on my Mac mini rather than on the device itself.
BUT, if you don't have other Apple devices, don't play any of your own personal media, and can tolerate a slightly less-than-Apple-quality user experience, I'd say just go with a Roku, because it'll do everything you want at a lower price. Especially at this point when we have to assume – don't we?? – that a new Apple TV is coming. I wouldn't drop nearly £200 on a four-year-old device.
I would agree if I could get mine to work. I suffer constant buffering often requiring the ATV to be re-booted and then re-buffer 5-10 minutes later. I've had problems with the ATV connected via EoP and WiFi and still get these buffering problems. If I use my Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter with mu iPhone or iPad I simply NEVER get buffering. I accept that this approach has some problems but it just works (which the ATV does not).
I have 30+ years experience working as an engineer and computer professional - I know how to do problem resolution. In my case it's the ATV that's the problem. It seems like there is a cache memory that fills and is never cleared until you turn it off. I have also done Internet speed tests before and after buffering; I've seen drops in speed from 45Mbps down to 1Mbps and less.
My ATV might be a dud unit and I'm going to borrow another one to try before I totally give up on ATV.
Regards,
Peter