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ATV 4 - Terrible experience

adampk17

adampk17

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 18, 2014
149
209
Seattle Area
Alright Apple, I've been patient. The ATV came about what, a week and half ago?

The fact that the remote app hasn't been updated by now is negligent. I keep my passwords in a password manager. They aren't meant to be typed in on a computer let alone on the TERRIBLE on-screen "keyboard" that the ATV4 has. They are meant to be cut and pasted because they are 20+ random characters.

Common Apple, don't be dumb any longer. Updating the remote app can't be difficult. There is no reason at all that it shouldn't have been ready at launch.
 
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On the one hand, a week and a half is like 3 months in the tech world.

On the other hand, a week and a half is like 50 years in the demanding world of the immediate gratification set.

In other words, Apple sucks for not having a remote app ready by now. And we all suck for not having the slightest hint of patience.
 
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mcdj said:
On the one hand, a week and a half is like 3 months in the tech world.

On the other hand, a week and a half is like 50 years in the demanding world of the immediate gratification set.

In other words, Apple sucks for not having a remote app ready by now. And we all suck for not having the slightest hint of patience.
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I cry foul with your conclusion. If not having the remote app wasn't a regression then maybe you'd have something there. God knows I do lack an appropriate amount of patience at times. But anyone would figure, and most assuredly Apple would figure, that the most annoying thing to do with an onscreen keyboard is type passwords. And when are an an inordinate number of passwords needing to be entered? During initial setup of the box and all the apps that you download in the first day or so.
 
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I will hate myself in the morning but I must ask.

Why would you buy a new TECH product the first week it was released? EVERY tech product has teething pains.

The first PS3 was so loaded with problems that it took may firmware updates to make a stable product. Today, the PS3 is still a mainstay in the gaming world.

When ATV3 first arrived there were also many teething problems but not as many as the ATV4. That was because the ATV3 was more a gen 2 of the ATV2. However, there were problems.

So I again ask you, why wouldn't wait at least six months for the new ATV4 if you wanted perfection?

For the record, I received my ATV4 the day it was released and was UPSET there was no easy keyboard. However, I grinned and bared it as I EXPECTED teething problems.
 
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adampk17 said:
Yep, I've thought of that possibility, and it would be asinine.
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Why? They clearly want everyone to use the trackpad and use Siri. Really struggling why people are failing to understand this.

Just because it doesn't suit your circumstances doesn't mean it it's the wrong choice.
 
How does Siri help me enter passwords? And, are complex passwords, with nearly as many case and symbol switches as their are characters, so uncommon that it's the rare person that has to spend what feels like a millennia typing in each password when it should take seconds with a cut and paste?
 
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BMox said:
Why? They clearly want everyone to use the trackpad and use Siri. Really struggling why people are failing to understand this.

Just because it doesn't suit your circumstances doesn't mean it it's the wrong choice.
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I'm really struggling to understand how people are fine with this. The swiping surface is a poor replacement for a keyboard. Swiping is wonderful for things like scrubbing through videos etc. but not for text entry. Siri has potential, but is not currently supported in anything outside of iTunes and Netflix searches. Even then, Siri isn't appropriate for passwords.

I really like my ATV4 except for this one aspect. We should still have the option to use a keyboard (either Bluetooth or iOS based) if we choose to use it. At least the option would be there. I've already submitted my opinion using Apple's feedback site:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/appletv.html
 
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seadragon said:
I'm really struggling to understand how people are fine with this. The swiping surface is a poor replacement for a keyboard.
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and keyboard is a poor experience of TV watching. keyboard is meant for PC. remember Google TV with full size keyboard 5 years ago? it was a failure. both Logitech and Sony Google TV remote/keyboard has 30+ buttons with various symbol/color.
 
I agree there should be support the Remote App even though I personally did not use it before. But I think Apple had every intention of providing a TV Streaming Service with the ATV 4 so the number of Password being entered by those that use Apple Products have less Passwords to enter.

When setting up the New ATV I used my iPhone for WiFi and my iTunes Account and my iCloud Account. After install I simply did the "Restore Purchase" for HBO Now, Showtime, NFL, Feeln and maybe another. So up to that point NO manually entering Userid's or Passwords. Then I had to enter information for Netflix and Hulu. I have considered paying for these via iTunes just so I can do the "Restore Purchase". Then of course had to link my other Apps to my CABLE Company. But those are mostly done on my laptop. My point is that if pay via iTunes you do not have to do most of this and that of course is what Apple wants you to do. But agreed you should not by typing userid's and password's the the open. I really think it would be better to enter somewhere in your iCloud Account. Especially Netflix and Hulu since they are so popular.
 
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Teething? "Apple doesn't want..."

Apple built a rather solid reputation years ago with "it just works" as in no problems and well thought out products. As Apple was reborn and became a much much bigger company, many of their offerings came out premature or simply missing items one comes to expect with the name Apple.

The ATV4 might be a fine device but certainly there is absolutely no reason to defend them when they get certain things WRONG and put it out in public. I think my biggest chortle is the ads for i-devices that can do 4k and yet the ATV4 wont be able to play them in their native 4k. It is a real shame that Apple has lost its wonderful ability to put products to market that simply work and not have the end user worry will they come out with a patch, update, upgrade or have to wait for a new model to address ISSUES.
 
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I want it so we can have a standard second "controller" for games. Just give me an app that emulates the core functions of the Siri Remote so I don't need to download dedicated apps like Crossy Roads for every player. I'm not going to by multiple Siri Remotes for Beat Sports or Badlands. (I admit that I'm not sure how to best distinguish between a tap and a click on the trackpad)
Oh, and toss in a keyboard while your at it.
That said, in a perfect word we would have a smart Remote app that that tvOS games could push themes to, so each app could have a custom look on the phone app automatically. Without dealing with separate apps.
 
normanfox said:
and keyboard is a poor experience of TV watching. keyboard is meant for PC. remember Google TV with full size keyboard 5 years ago? it was a failure. both Logitech and Sony Google TV remote/keyboard has 30+ buttons with various symbol/color.
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Well, we don't share the same opinion on this. I actually like using a keyboard with my TV. I have a Harmony Smart Keyboard that even has a touch pad built in which allows me to control literally everything in my home theater system.

QWERTY and arrow keys = a happy me.

The main problem I have with Apple's decision on the ATV4 is that it's something we had before and they purposely took it away. Why not allow the option for those that want it? It's not like asking for a new feature, its one that we already had. No reason to get rid of it IMO.
 
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phrehdd said:
Teething? "Apple doesn't want..."

Apple built a rather solid reputation years ago with "it just works" as in no problems and well thought out products. As Apple was reborn and became a much much bigger company, many of their offerings came out premature or simply missing items one comes to expect with the name Apple.

The ATV4 might be a fine device but certainly there is absolutely no reason to defend them when they get certain things WRONG and put it out in public. I think my biggest chortle is the ads for i-devices that can do 4k and yet the ATV4 wont be able to play them in their native 4k. It is a real shame that Apple has lost its wonderful ability to put products to market that simply work and not have the end user worry will they come out with a patch, update, upgrade or have to wait for a new model to address ISSUES.
Click to expand...

But that's the thing - it does "just work". Just not to your own hopes and expectations.

err404 said:
I want it so we can have a standard second "controller" for games. Just give me an app that emulates the core functions of the Siri Remote so I don't need to download dedicated apps like Crossy Roads for every player. I'm not going to by multiple Siri Remotes for Beat Sports or Badlands. (I admit that I'm not sure how to best distinguish between a tap and a click on the trackpad)
Oh, and toss in a keyboard while your at it.
That said, in a perfect word we would have a smart Remote app that that tvOS games could push themes to, so each app could have a custom look on the phone app automatically. Without dealing with separate apps.
Click to expand...

That is probably the last thing they are going to do.

Why on earth would they create something that could take away from why the remote is there in the first place?
 
They turned over $50 billion in the last 3 months.
There are expectations for a more polished offering. You can't on one hand position yourself as premium, while on the other hand go "oh well it's just released, can't expect it to actually work well can you!".
It's been a very long time since they released a major AppleTV version, patience is wearing thin. It's what, 3 years since the last major update? How many more years will it take before it's smooth? It's not as if "you know, this remote is awful at doing anything outside of picking a movie" is exactly a new problem.

Let alone how long ago that biography came out saying how Steve had "solved TV" - I'll be 6 foot under too at this rate before they've actually solved it (hint: use the freaking remote app and utilise the ecosystem. No way a 2 button remote is ever going to work)

EDIT: ATV2 (which this barely improves on) came out in 2010! It's almost 2016, and STILL they haven't properly integrated iCloud, STILL have no way of inputting text that doesn't feel like I bought some dodge thing from eBay. It's not like it's a revolutionary new product they brought out last month which understandably needs time to mature and develop features.
 
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BMox said:
But that's the thing - it does "just work". Just not to your own hopes and expectations.



That is probably the last thing they are going to do.

Why on earth would they create something that could take away from why the remote is there in the first place?
Click to expand...


I admit that the on-screen keyboard does an acceptable, if not slightly annoying, job for things like searches. For searches you usually only have to enter 3-5 characters before what you are looking for pops up in the results list. The fact that the alphabet is one 26 character string is mind-numbing, but I digress.

What the on-screen keyboard is simply unacceptable for is passwords.
 
rochow said:
No doubt. However, I don't buy "premium" products to have a "well, I guess that's acceptable" experience.
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But it's clear they are pushing the Siri experience as the main driver. Ask Siri a question, then swipe to your desired choice. They don't want you typing.
 
seadragon said:
The main problem I have with Apple's decision on the ATV4 is that it's something we had before and they purposely took it away. Why not allow the option for those that want it? It's not like asking for a new feature, its one that we already had. No reason to get rid of it IMO.
Click to expand...

I know from the user perspective, it looks like they took away an existing feature, and I'm not defending Apple for not having the remote app or Bluetooth keyboard work with ATV4, but from a software coding perspective, it's completely new code that have to be written. So I don't think Apple "got rid of it," more like they forgot / decided not to build it.
 
BMox said:
But it's clear they are pushing the Siri experience as the main driver. Ask Siri a question, then swipe to your desired choice. They don't want you typing.
Click to expand...

Siri can't enter passwords, nor understand half of what I'm saying. Though being Australian might have to do with the last one :)

Pretty sure Siri is still pretty rough on other languages? A keyboard just 'works'. There are hundreds of languages, there are accents (Scottish hardly speak English for example)... having that as your only real port of call isn't too hot.
 
rochow said:
Siri can't enter passwords, nor understand half of what I'm saying. Though being Australian might have to do with the last one :)

Pretty sure Siri is still pretty rough on other languages? A keyboard just 'works'. There are hundreds of languages, there are accents (Scottish hardly speak English for example)... having that as your only real port of call isn't too hot.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. Then there are deaf/hearing impaired people who might not be able to speak quite correctly, and people with speech disabilities, like myself. Speech recognition is fine, but there always is a need to have alternate ways to use devices without it.
 
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