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Google Chromecast Leapfrogs Apple TV as the Aging Media Player Loses Ground to Rivals

In the UK you can buy a 'NOW TV' from Sky which does most of it for just £10 and even has inbuilt iPlayer and 4oD apps which the :apple:TV lacks despite being around for years longer.

As a fan of Apple I want to be able to justify spending an extra £60 getting my grandma an :apple:TV for Christmas... but I can't, it would help if AirPlay was actually reliable
 
aperry said:
Setting up wifi on the Chromecast is a much nicer experience compared to using the ATV remote's directional keys to input a wifi password. That has to be one of the most frustrating things to do.
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Why don't you just use the Remote app on your iPhone or iPad? Don't have either? Oh well.

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Moyank24 said:
I have the chromecast, ATV, and the new Fire TV stick and price not withstanding, chromecast is my favorite hands down.

The ability to just cast from an open tab on my Mac put it over the top for me. It's a feature I use daily.
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You can AirPlay from your Mac to AppleTV

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gramtrax said:
Even after repeated software upgrades, my 3rd gen Apple TV still fails to update with new shows available, freezes periodically, claims it can't load content that was previously purchased, etc.

It is a mess, and I am finally ditching it this month for a Roku. Either treat it like a total hobby and open source it, or get out of the market entirely Apple.

What pisses me off is now I will start gather content on a different ecosystem. But I guess oh well, Apple doesn't seem to care....
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Once again, I have to wonder why some people report all these problems with their AppleTV and mine works seamlessly and great....
 
I am still holding out for a refresh (even as I concede that it appears unlikely anytime soon). I will probably still pick up an Apple TV for my classroom when the term opens. :(
 
aperry said:
Haha. Yes, it's totally unrealistic to ask people to use the current most popular browser in the world which is freely available on just about every platform. How dare they! I'm sure Apple would never restrict a user in this way....
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Be my guest. I refuse to use it. That's all I was saying.

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AppleScruff1 said:
Wait a minute, now it's about price? I thought people didn't care about price where Apple was concerned? People buy iPhone, price doesn't matter. People buy iPad, price doesn't matter. Record sales for Mac's, price doesn't matter. Now $50 is a deal killer?
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Well, a lot of it is about price in this arena. And advertising. Especially when Google and Amazon blast you with advertisements for their offerings every time you go to one of their sites, while Apple barely even acknowledges the existence of the Apple TV.
 
$90-$100 for an aging device vs $30 for one that does the same thing that's far more compact and portable... Not a difficult decision.
 
Plutonius said:
Using that argument, Windows and OS X are the same.
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They go about doing the same things in different ways. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. It comes down to personal preference in some instances and in others Windows is the only choice.
 
I think the lower price has definitely helped the chromecast. I bought one as it was only £30 but I rarely use it. Whereas I use my Apple TV very frequently. I think there are quite a few people who did the same thing but ended up not using it. Competition has also worked against Apple. A few years ago the Apple TV was the one of if not the only mainstream streaming device, now it has to share that space with other devices which are just as capable and cheaper. Apple's market share (phones, tablets) has also gone down, which in turn will effect sales of streaming devices as you get more use out of your device if you match it to the ecosystem you are in.
 
I can see....

the point in not updating the AppleTV if really Apple is mounting an assault on TV sets....

If as legend suggests, Old Steve "cracked" the TV issue, we can expect Siri-controlled TVs (one possibility). Or something amazing interfase....:eek:

:):apple:
 
Unami said:
no - it just barely works. the processor is too slow to handle smooth hd-playback, color-rendition is really bad and you need a touchscreen-device for even the simplest functions.

the "problem" with the apple-tv is, that it fails as a standalone device. sure, it plays netflix and youtube smooth and in hd (contrary to chromecast), but that's about it, if you haven't got any other apple devices.
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I've had far more issues with Apple TV sustaining a consistent HD image than Chromecast.
 
oh, U.S. stats :/

You can't compete with a a USB device that turns any non-smart TV into a smart one at a cheaper price point than Apple TV goes for. Even though it does more, for now, ChromeCast is climbing the ladder to being the top spot...

I reckon it will be.
 
The best thing about Apple TV was that I sold used prev gen jailbroken one with a profit. They say it pays to invest in vintage stuff...
 
I have 2012 Samsung TV with Smart TV and it has everything one would like from TV: HBO, Netflix etc. Stream everything from Mac including industry standard MKV.

And all that in one remote. That is how it should be in 2015. No set top boxes, no cables of any kind just TV and Remote.

Where is the real 4K Apple TV?
 
sell the 2nd gen version

I used to have the 2nd gen version. I rarely ever used it, but kept it figuring it wasn't worth much until i did some research on it. apparently the 2nd gen version is very popular with hackers. if you have one you can easily sell it for around $175 on eBay
 
Freeks said:
I have 2012 Samsung TV with Smart TV and it has everything one would like from TV: HBO, Netflix etc. Stream everything from Mac including industry standard MKV.

And all that in one remote. That is how it should be in 2015. No set top boxes, no cables of any kind just TV and Remote.

Where is the real 4K Apple TV?
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Not for me. I'd prefer to spend ~$50 every couple of years to have the latest and greatest media experience (including apps, etc). I don't expect that I would buy a new TV more frequently than once every 5 years, and I don't expect any device's "smart" functionality to stay fresh and feature-rich for nearly that long. I'm not even sure a TV exists today that has the same feature set of the Fire TV Stick that I bought last week for $19.
 
kds1 said:
If 90% of them suck, then it's not an advantage. Most of what's on Roku is GAR-BAGE.
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You forgot to carry the 1 :)

Or in this case - 10%. Your logic is incorrect. Because that 10% that doesn't "suck" as the other poster commented (his words/stat not mine) sets the Roku above the Apple TV. So yes - it is an advantage.
 
If you walk into any Apple store, the iPhones and iPads blare out at you. You can't ignore them if you tried. MacBooks and iMacs are prominently displayed, as are peripherals and accessories. The Apple TV usually sits in some tiny corner. It's a wonder why Apple hasn't discontinued the product, they certainly don't promote it.
 
foofan said:
I used to have the 2nd gen version. I rarely ever used it, but kept it figuring it wasn't worth much until i did some research on it. apparently the 2nd gen version is very popular with hackers. if you have one you can easily sell it for around $175 on eBay
Click to expand...

Yes 2nd gen has the most possible features out of any tv box I believe because of hacks

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kds1 said:
Once again, I have to wonder why some people report all these problems with their AppleTV and mine works seamlessly and great....
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I wonder the same thing about the people trash talking the chrome cast
 
AppleScruff1 said:
They go about doing the same things in different ways. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. It comes down to personal preference in some instances and in others Windows is the only choice.
Click to expand...

The same with IOS and Android which is why people are willing to pay more for iPhones / iPads. In the case of ATV vs Chromecast, they both are similar so price is the driving function as far as sales.
 
I am starting to believe the choice of a TV box is tied to the online ecosystem they are tied too.


For those it doesn't register with this statement just think what box supports the ecosystem that you buy movies & TV shows from.


The true device is the one that will play iTunes, Amazon & Google Play plus networked saved content.
 
I've got a Roku 3, Chromecast, and a Fire TV Stick on order still waiting to be delivered. If Apple would ever update their Apple TV, I would have bought one by now. But who wants to buy a 2.5 year old design now?
 
Black Friday deals

I got an Apple TV for $80. But then I got a roku 3 for $35. And I thought - why pay double? Sure there are differences but Apple is falling behind and I decided I should not reward them for being lazy. The Apple TV goes back. They are just not doing enough to be a compelling option. I will wait until they get serious and have apps.
 
I've had every generation of Apple TV as it made sense because all my content is in iTunes BUT I'm completely losing my interest in it

Why can't we have a simple search feature? Search for an actor/actress, search for a films name, flicking through 400+ movies to get to the one I want is so tedious. And why not recommend other films that are like the ones you've watched so you can buy some more from iTunes?

It's years behind the other streaming hardware and netflix/amazon etc.. :(

So sad, it had such potential when it was launched
 
Plutonius said:
The same with IOS and Android which is why people are willing to pay more for iPhones / iPads. In the case of ATV vs Chromecast, they both are similar so price is the driving function as far as sales.
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I disagree. Price isn't the driving function across the board.

satcomer said:
I am starting to believe the choice of a TV box is tied to the online ecosystem they are tied too.


For those it doesn't register with this statement just think what box supports the ecosystem that you buy movies & TV shows from.


The true device is the one that will play iTunes, Amazon & Google Play plus networked saved content.
Click to expand...

I have two Apple TVs. Very much into the Apple ecosystem. Then I was having a frustrating problem that Apple/IP Provider/Router Co couldn't solve. The Apple TV, after streaming, would pretty much lock out the internet in the home. Only by turning the Apple TV off (unplugging) and often powercycling the router could I get internet back. Not a major issue, just annoying. So during that time, I bought a Roku. With Plex, I could still watch everything in my iTunes library that I ripped. I had access to multiple ecosystems so could often price compare as some movies are cheaper or offered through a promotion at any given time on one vs the other. And this doesn't include all the other channel options. In short, my Apple TVs became merely a way to burn off the iTunes credit I have. I don't use it for anything else.

Now - had I bought movies/tv shows vs renting, perhaps another story. If I buy these days, it's physical media and usually blu-ray.

Kudos to Amazon and Google for making their ecosystems available on the Roku too. It would be nice if Apple would do the same. Especially if the TV is just a hobby :)
 
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