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Google Chromecast Leapfrogs Apple TV as the Aging Media Player Loses Ground to Rivals
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Apple is going down the same road as with iOS -- sit on their hands and watch a cheaper product grab tons of market share. In this case, multiple cheaper products.
Really stupid.
Really stupid.
For me, it's all about features. I'd happily pay $99 for a new Apple TV if Apple would release one that included an app store and game controller support, like the Fire TV.
They've allowed the produxt to stagnate. The best of the bunch is the second gen and only because it is jailbroken and can therefor have third party addons.
Hopefully this will light a fire under Apple. I am still rocking my Apple TV 2, and I will hold onto it until at least a new version comes out. All I really want is them to open the SDK already...I am not even picky about what you allow, just give me games! I will even pay extra for a MFi controller. Then future proof it with 4K capability and lead the industy in 4K streaming content with iTunes.
In not sure how you can compare ios to this. Ios gets more work done to it every six months than the Apple TV has seen almost since its inception lol.
While I realize that ultimately all of these devices stream content to the TV screen, I personally don't consider Chromecast to be in the same space as AppleTV, Roku, and FireTV because it requires a secondary control device. For someone living alone I am sure it is a great solution. But I believe it offers a significantly different use case from the perspective of a family with multiple TVs.
Aside from that, I do own 3 AppleTVs and use them every single day. I have all of my content within iTunes.
But I also purchased a FireTV Stick the other day for a whopping $25. (In fact, I bought 10 of them, 9 for gifts.) I would highly recommend the FireTV Stick.
Head-to-head, there is very little if any advantage that the AppleTV has over the FireTV Stick. Note that I didn't say that there aren't differences. There are. Of course, AppleTV is heavily reliant upon iTunes, much like FireTV is heavily reliant upon Amazon Prime. But purely as a streaming device with Netflix, YouTube, and local playback, they basically do the same thing.
So yeah, Apple needs to up their game around the AppleTV quickly, as these sub-$50 devices are not going away.
Aside from that, I do own 3 AppleTVs and use them every single day. I have all of my content within iTunes.
But I also purchased a FireTV Stick the other day for a whopping $25. (In fact, I bought 10 of them, 9 for gifts.) I would highly recommend the FireTV Stick.
Head-to-head, there is very little if any advantage that the AppleTV has over the FireTV Stick. Note that I didn't say that there aren't differences. There are. Of course, AppleTV is heavily reliant upon iTunes, much like FireTV is heavily reliant upon Amazon Prime. But purely as a streaming device with Netflix, YouTube, and local playback, they basically do the same thing.
So yeah, Apple needs to up their game around the AppleTV quickly, as these sub-$50 devices are not going away.
I just wish the FireTV stick had a casting or mirroring option like the Chromecast and Apple TV do. I know you can throw from Amazon tablets, but that doesn't help 99.9999% of people. I used an Apple TV for the first time over Thanksgiving and it was great to have AirPlay to stream video from my computer to the TV.
That is not actually Streaming plex then is it. Airplay is lovely and all that. but the max video is about 40000 kbps (4.875 MBps) - Plex can stream up to 20Mbps converted or as high as your network allows if it's A direct play.
And as for the chromecast.. Stutters beyond 30,000kbps (3.75 Mbps) - Video Quality is rubbish - sent it back.
This is the problem with these WiFi only stick etc - max speed and Connection quality. The new google play is WiFi only. Sure you can Use AC - but we still don't know it's capabilities.
The amazon Fire is incredibly good at plex (but it converts AC5.1) and amazon prime videos and presumably any of the other players and it's still got a nice Ethernet connex.
Bascially Apple need to bring out a full on ATV4 player with App Store and full iOS capability.
Even if they did bring out a TV screen then I imagine it will use a docked ATV4 or something. then they could sell the updates every year or 2. It's like the Samsung I have it's 2 years old and the interface was awful to begin with and it's now really slow. I've stopped using it completely and have disabled it all in the menu and use the Fire TV. Such is the problem with smart TVs - Obsolete smarts 2-3 years way before the screen 4-7 years.
This is where I feel like chromecast delivers a better experience. I like that I can cast to my TV and still use either my Air or iPad for other things.
I use the ATV for watching games using the WATCH ESPN app or the MLB app and frankly it's less stable than opening the games on my Mac and casting to chromecast. For me, it's just a smoother experience all around.
A remote and the ability to cast multiple tabs to different chromecasts from the same computer would make it even better.
Does this include blu-ray players with apps?
I assume that's how Sony gets in the rankings, but I'm surprised Samsung isn't included. This weekend I picked up a Sammy blu-ray player that streams content from my NAS remarkably well and has Netflix, etc. $70. Then I bought a second one for my dad, who was considering an AppleTV.
Oh, and it also plays discs.
We have an AppleTV, but haven't bothered to plug it in for a year or so.
I assume that's how Sony gets in the rankings, but I'm surprised Samsung isn't included. This weekend I picked up a Sammy blu-ray player that streams content from my NAS remarkably well and has Netflix, etc. $70. Then I bought a second one for my dad, who was considering an AppleTV.
Oh, and it also plays discs.
We have an AppleTV, but haven't bothered to plug it in for a year or so.
I agree. My Fire TV sat around for a week after I got it in the box because I couldn't figure out how I would use it. I ordered it because it was $19 and I figured, why not? But the ability to cast without having to go through PLEX would help it out.
Well it would run incredibly well on a A7. let alone an A8 or A8+
But if they want it 4k compatible then they would have to use the latest.
Really? How do you figure?
I love everything Apple and own a ATV. In my opinion, I think the UI is a horrible misfire. Overall, the user experience on the Fire is much nicer. If you dive into an app, like Netflix, the Fire really shines. The ATV Netflix app is horrendous.
I love everything Apple and own a ATV. In my opinion, I think the UI is a horrible misfire. Overall, the user experience on the Fire is much nicer. If you dive into an app, like Netflix, the Fire really shines. The ATV Netflix app is horrendous.
Just another dropped/not working as well as it should ball. Apple's basket full of dropped balls is getting pretty full.
Agreed. I don't see the watch as something that fundamentally needs to be revolutionized. And Apple implementation of it doesn't solve any problems, rather makes it more complicated since many functions require a nearby iPhone.
TV is long overdue for innovation. But I wouldn't consider buying ATV if they continue to block Amazon Prime video.
We have 3 of them in the house and watch them everyday (no cable, just ATV's and an antenna in the attic for local channels that we only use when the weather is bad). I did order an Amazon Fire TV Stick when it was on pre-order "sale" for $20. I figured we would use it when we travel, easier to toss in a bag than to try to remove one of the ATV's from the backs of our wall-mounted TV's. They keep adding content to the ATV but I sure wish they would go ahead and open it up to developers for more apps and services.
Who writes this crap!! The main reason its losing ground is MONEY; yes, people are god damn cheap and we know it.
The Chromecast thing is $40 (sometimes, $30), that's 3-4 times cheaper than the Apple TV. Roku lost just as much BTW and its just 1.5-3 times more expensive.
Also, the processor in the Chromecast is abysmal and can't be compared to the one in the Roku (any type) or Apple TV. But, hey they're ALL THE SAME... I guess Toyota should stop selling Lexus because its being beat in sales by an Hyundai Accent
Next thing they'll tell us is that Android has a bigger market share... Oh NO!!! (sic)
The Chromecast thing is $40 (sometimes, $30), that's 3-4 times cheaper than the Apple TV. Roku lost just as much BTW and its just 1.5-3 times more expensive.
Also, the processor in the Chromecast is abysmal and can't be compared to the one in the Roku (any type) or Apple TV. But, hey they're ALL THE SAME... I guess Toyota should stop selling Lexus because its being beat in sales by an Hyundai Accent
Next thing they'll tell us is that Android has a bigger market share... Oh NO!!! (sic)
And here is is, more proof apple needs to step up their game. It seems to me all apple cares about now is their iPads and iPhones (sorry iPad mini). I don't understand why they can't just update their products across the board each year? It's getting annoying and old. rant over! 