Market share ain't profit share, market share ain't usage share, market share ain't quality. I dare you to replace your MacBook with a Lenovo Windows PC cause they are the market share leader. Also drive a Toyota and eat at McDonald's.
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Google Chromecast Leapfrogs Apple TV as the Aging Media Player Loses Ground to Rivals
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Why does Apple TV even need an update, hardware wise? The hardware is capable of anything we might need right now.
Where it needs the update is SOFTWARE. It needs to have an app platform and more flexibility in what it can do. It's great hardware that's hobbled by inadequate software.
No doubt. I'll shell out $99 for a next-gen ATV WAY before I'll drop $350+ on a watch.
Keep in mind, Apple TV hardware is far superior to the other options. It has a real remote. It has SPDIF out. It doesn't have overheating problems (Fire TV stick! Aigh).
So you can't really compare the price directly. The big problem is, as I said before, the software is really limited.
So you can't really compare the price directly. The big problem is, as I said before, the software is really limited.
You mean "worthless to me". For many people it kicks butt. Kind of hard to argue with the hundreds of supported Android apps, not to mention beauties like MediaBrowser.
"Multiple rumors this year hinted at a refreshed Apple TV hardware with App Store integration, Bluetooth controller support, and more, but those rumors have yet to pan out."
The current generation of Apple TV will never run apps/games. It has a SINGLE core A5, more similar in performance to an A4. It already does all it is designed to do, never intended to open to apps. It has just enough to stream 1080p 5.1DD content & AirPlay. It won't do games well at all, won't be able to do current apps, it would have similar limitations as iPhone 4 in that respect.
I wouldn't expect Apple to open up to other "airplay" type formats outside of apple's own AirPlay, just as I wouldn't expect the google thing to allow apple AirPlay.
Netflix has content without commercials, but, not all the content you could get with amazon or hulu plus or cable TV. Personally, I'm unwilling to pay for content with ads (hulu plus)...make it ad free and I might consider it. (Anyone old enough to remember how cable TV started out? You were paying for TV, so you got it without commercials. I was out of the loop for about 10 years ('90s), so, not sure when they started adding commercials back in, but, that's just bull crap.) ...Similarly, don't expect every format to be compatible with every other format, not going to happen.
Exactly, it does all it was intended to do...stream 1080p 5.1DD content & AirPlay. It wasn't built for games or apps, that's what other devices are for.Who cares!! Still does everything I need to do!
Yes, Apple is surely working on one or more new TV innovations, but:
1) we won't see new hardware before next fall at earliest.
2) it will be something totally new/innovative, will take advantage of new hardware and not compatible with old
TV2a) If new hardware has app store, don't expect an update for old hardware, it just won't do it, not made for it. That's like saying, "make my iPhone 4 able to play games made for iPhone 6/iPad Air 2", it's just not realistic.
It's not just about the price. Although price is definitely a factor.
It's about the fact that with the other streaming devices, it's easy to use PLEX and alternative movie/tv/media distributors.
AppleTV is great - I have two - great for airplay and for iTunes. However, anyone who thinks that the Apple TV doesn't need a complete interface overhaul and an app/channel store is out of touch.
Most don't want or need Apple to disrupt the cable industry right now - they just want their device to be as flexible as other devices that have been around for a few years and have, as the title of this story says, leapfrogged past Apple TV,
It's about the fact that with the other streaming devices, it's easy to use PLEX and alternative movie/tv/media distributors.
AppleTV is great - I have two - great for airplay and for iTunes. However, anyone who thinks that the Apple TV doesn't need a complete interface overhaul and an app/channel store is out of touch.
Most don't want or need Apple to disrupt the cable industry right now - they just want their device to be as flexible as other devices that have been around for a few years and have, as the title of this story says, leapfrogged past Apple TV,
I used to have an AppleTV, but its slow performance was always annoying. I got an Amazon Fire to watch the free Prime HBO stuff, and immediately was blown away by the speed and reliability of the Amazon Fire. It was one of those moments, like, whoa, AppleTV is really bad. I'm a big Apple fan, but I sold the AppleTV because I just couldn't stand how slow and buggy it was. I'll probably buy a revamped one, but for now, I think it's embarrassing that Apple even sells them.
I have an atv3 that drops wifi regularly. The biggest problem though is when er do not have internet (as happens regularly) it takes 10-15 minutes to connect to itunes locally and start a movie. I REALLY wish I had gone with something else.
I agree. Chromecast requiring a device (tablet/phone) to act as controller just seems like a plug-in adapter.
AppleTV and Roku seems like they are in the same space but IMO they are slightly different. To my limited knowledge Roku's business model is to make money on the hardware. Apple's model is more like Gillette: give the razor away for free, and charge for the blades. AppleTV is basically Apple's hope to sell content or placement in their ecosystem... so if you spend avg $5-10 per month on rentals or any other service, they get rough 30% of $60-120 every year for the product life -- all based on a $99 sale... possibly very profitable in the long term. They also charge for icon placement (eg, ESPN may pay to be in the top row).
FireTV is interesting (used to promote their ecosystem) but to my limited knowledge, highly regional (US, maybe UK). It's not a global player, not is their short term intention to expand global (with global alliances, billing system, etc)..
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No wonder. I've only used an Apple TV at a friends house so I'm familiar with it, I like that I can stream and access my iTunes account stuff (even though all I have on it is films I already own on Bluray that included a download code, and I'd rather watch the best quality video I can).
I installed a Chromecast for my parents and its just leaps ahead. It's tiny, more useful, works with a whole load of devices. I don't need one myself but I'm more likely to pick one of them up at this stage.
I installed a Chromecast for my parents and its just leaps ahead. It's tiny, more useful, works with a whole load of devices. I don't need one myself but I'm more likely to pick one of them up at this stage.
Amazon Fire TV/Fire TV Stick are gaining ground but I really don't see how. I picked up the Fire TV Stick when it was $19 to Prime members and it is really not ready for the big time.
There are some nice touches - automatically logging into my Amazon account on first use, simple controller setup, the polished intro video to get you started - but the user interface is the same stuttering, inconsistent, confusing-to-navigate mess as any other Android-based device. The remote control creaks and twists and feels extremely poorly made.
All Apple need to do right now is stand up an App Store experience and gaming ecosystem. No hardware changes are required, but obviously iPad Air 2-esque specs would do wonders for its gaming chops.
There are some nice touches - automatically logging into my Amazon account on first use, simple controller setup, the polished intro video to get you started - but the user interface is the same stuttering, inconsistent, confusing-to-navigate mess as any other Android-based device. The remote control creaks and twists and feels extremely poorly made.
All Apple need to do right now is stand up an App Store experience and gaming ecosystem. No hardware changes are required, but obviously iPad Air 2-esque specs would do wonders for its gaming chops.
i bought a chromecast recently, but returned it after a few days and got an appletv instead.
despite the appletv habing only an a5-chip, chromecast is woefully underpowered, compared to it - youtube in hd is jerky, so is netflix (which only worked in sd anyways), and screencasting is slow as hell. colors are really bad as well. you get, what you pay for - in this case you get something unusable unless you got no eye for video quality whatsoever.
it might be slightly more usable, if you've got an android phone or tablet (because you get screencasting) - and the appletv is probably pretty useless without other apple hardware and itunes (no airplay, no screencasting, no itunes sharing).
so this probably just reflects the market share of android vs. apple.
i've been waiting for a substantial update of the appletv for years - hence i wanted to cheap out with the chromecast until a more powerful apple tv with app support arrived (i'd also love a comeback of the analog audio out - which is not going to happen) - but that did not work out.
despite the appletv habing only an a5-chip, chromecast is woefully underpowered, compared to it - youtube in hd is jerky, so is netflix (which only worked in sd anyways), and screencasting is slow as hell. colors are really bad as well. you get, what you pay for - in this case you get something unusable unless you got no eye for video quality whatsoever.
it might be slightly more usable, if you've got an android phone or tablet (because you get screencasting) - and the appletv is probably pretty useless without other apple hardware and itunes (no airplay, no screencasting, no itunes sharing).
so this probably just reflects the market share of android vs. apple.
i've been waiting for a substantial update of the appletv for years - hence i wanted to cheap out with the chromecast until a more powerful apple tv with app support arrived (i'd also love a comeback of the analog audio out - which is not going to happen) - but that did not work out.
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It does all the hardware is capable of doing, not hobbled at all, and there will be no app platform on current Apple TV, ever.
3rd gen Apple TV has a SINGLE core A5 chip, similar in performance to an A4 (iPhone 4/iPad 1st gen). It is just enough to drive 1080p 5.1DD content & do AirPlay. (The main difference between A4 & A5 is the dual core in A5, the second core is disabled by 3rd gen Apple TV 2012. 2013 changed the hardware for cheaper production, a new single-core A5 chip is used, and other tweaks made for lower-power consumption.)
If Apple were to open the Apple TV to app store so you can use bluetooth controls and do gaming, THAT would hobble the Apple TV, it just does not have enough processing power to handle all that, hardware was never intended for multitasking, just streaming video/audio content, one thing.
Really? I use a WDTV, play everything, I can attach a hard drive, two hard drives in fact. While the ATV is great for streaming from iTunes or an Apple device, I prefer to have a dedicated player that plays everything and is not tied to another remote device. If ATV had the option to attach a large HDD, and play everything, then it will change. Add to that the rumoured apps etc, even better
Market share seems meaningless to Apple. From what I can tell, they usually go for profit. I remember when there was analyst speculation that Apple was finally releasing the iPhone 5C to compete with cheap Android phones. Nope, the thing was priced with a nice profit built in.
The current generation of the Apple TV has been around for years, but even in 2013 they sold 1 billion dollars worth of them. I don't know how much of that is profit, but I do know that there is a higher margin on it than a $35 stick that is being tied to all kinds of deals. I remember a deal with 3 months of Google Play Music with the purchase of a Chromecast. In other words, they are practically giving them away and hoping you stick with their subscription services (Play/Amazon Prime).
Personally, our Apple TV is still used a lot more than our Roku. For many apps that Roku has built in, I prefer using Airplay from Apple. As an example, Rdio or Spotify are just a lot more full feature on iOS than on the Roku app.
Chromecast is just the opposite. When I would want to sit down with my Harmony remote and watch a movie, I have to get out a separate internet connected device, which isn't ideal. As a result, despite the fact that Google is practically giving them away, I haven't been in line to take one.
I look forward to seeing what Apple adds when and if they update the Apple TV, but I am enjoying my Apple TVs until that happens.
The current generation of the Apple TV has been around for years, but even in 2013 they sold 1 billion dollars worth of them. I don't know how much of that is profit, but I do know that there is a higher margin on it than a $35 stick that is being tied to all kinds of deals. I remember a deal with 3 months of Google Play Music with the purchase of a Chromecast. In other words, they are practically giving them away and hoping you stick with their subscription services (Play/Amazon Prime).
Personally, our Apple TV is still used a lot more than our Roku. For many apps that Roku has built in, I prefer using Airplay from Apple. As an example, Rdio or Spotify are just a lot more full feature on iOS than on the Roku app.
Chromecast is just the opposite. When I would want to sit down with my Harmony remote and watch a movie, I have to get out a separate internet connected device, which isn't ideal. As a result, despite the fact that Google is practically giving them away, I haven't been in line to take one.
I look forward to seeing what Apple adds when and if they update the Apple TV, but I am enjoying my Apple TVs until that happens.
THIS completely. Nobody was asking for apple to make a damn watch. It's not like people that wear watches (all 3 of them) were staring at their watch saying "man. I really wish this thing did more". The justifications for the apple watch are bordering on the ridiculous. Notifications? Take your expensive phone out of your pocket and use THAT! Not some 1 line half assed text on your wrist. Controlling your apple tv? Your phone does that too. Motel room key? Your phone can do that eventually when apple unlocks NFC.
The apple watch is just a product looking for a market, not apple solving yet another problem that actually exists. Now tv..that has been a problem for decades. It hasn't changed and hasn't kept up with the times. Thats where we really NEED some of apple's problem solving. Not just getting an email on my wrist or drawing a fish on my wrist to send to someone signaling lunch.
Still waiting for new Apple TV update - if nothing by the summer I'll get something else only because I'm canceling cable tv soon and need sonething to stick into my TV lol
Yuck. I wouldn't mind this if it weren't associated with Chrome. Apple, step up your game already.
The Chromecast is a gadget, but I picked up an Amazon Fire over the weekend, and you know what? It's pretty much everything I've been waiting for from Apple -- minus iTunes, from which I've already begun to distance myself.
Apple truly dropped the ball here. I LOVED my Apple TV and was enamored with the entire Apple ecosystem, but after waiting more than two years for the TV device to live up to its promise, I finally welcomed an Android-based device into my living room.
And now I'm suddenly not as concerned whether my next device supports Airplay or iTunes.
Apple truly dropped the ball here. I LOVED my Apple TV and was enamored with the entire Apple ecosystem, but after waiting more than two years for the TV device to live up to its promise, I finally welcomed an Android-based device into my living room.
And now I'm suddenly not as concerned whether my next device supports Airplay or iTunes.