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Has the AppleTV been a failure?

I like my Apple TVs. Ive had many. Almost since the very beginning. But at this point, i use my ps5 for streaming as its far superior at everything thing it does. The YouTube app is like…a generation better. i can see comments, the layout is updated, the HBO max and other apps work far better. Even Apple TV and Apple Music seem to work better on my ps5. How weird is that?

and I’ve loved the sony remote far better than the Apple TV one. So…i havent sold my apple tv’s, but I’m not planning on getting a new one. Probably ever. I’m sure quite a few people are the same way
 
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Eric Idle said:
Apple TV has been a colossal failure, costing Apple billions of dollars.
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Edd70 said:
Why is that? Have a link or something?
Click to expand...
I could be wrong, but I think @Eric Idle is referring to the Apple TV+ streaming service, not the HW.

If he his referring to the Apple TV HW, I doubt his statement about costing Apple $Billions is correct, and there isn't any proof that I have ever seen that supports that.

I follow Apple TV (HW) news, and have been a long time fan of the HW, and the closest I have ever seen that would support Apple losing money on Apple TV HW was about five years ago, it was a rumor stating that Apple is selling the Apple TV 4K near to at-cost.

No where close to losing billions on it.

An argument could definitely be made that the Apple TV has been a failure, but not that it cost Apple "billions", imo.
 
I am probably an outlier, as I do not view my demands as being very high. That said, here's my take, based on the two 4K devices I have (the current one and one from, I think, 2 generations ago).

It's cheap, under $200. There may be stuff cheaper, and maybe a lot cheaper. But at the end of the day, as far as I am concerned, it's cheap. Any electronic device you can viably use for YEARS that costs under $200 is cheap in my book.

My TV is a Sharp Aquos from 2010. The only "current" app it has is Netflix, which I don't subscribe to. The Apple TV gives me Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu and probably anything else I would want to subscribe to (I don't subscribe to all of those). IMHO, it has steaming services more than adequately covered.

It has Apple Arcade. It's great for small children. Pair with a PlayStation controller and it is hours of fun, on the cheap for hardware and only $5/month for the games.

It has some educational games and content. Again, good for small children and available on the cheap.

It has AirPlay. That's awesome for piping a meeting through the 60" TV.

The remote, even the new one on the 4K, is absolute trash. I hate it and would like to do a lot of illegal things to the people who designed and approved that piece of trash.

It's very nice for travel! A lot of places just have cable TV. With an Apple TV, you have a portable steaming device, game console and meeting host thing all in one. Just connect it to the TV in your room and WIFI and off you go.

Besides the garbage remote, probably my biggest complaint is lack of native meeting apps, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, MS Teams, etc. It would be nice being able to run those directly, rather than via my phone, iPad or Mac.

It would also be nice if it could run ExpressVPN.

I'm not a big fan of the interface. I'm constantly hitting the wrong button when trying to figure out how to go back or stop or whatever. I think the interface sucks as much as the remote.

Overall...I mean, what do you want for under $200? People need to keep it real. By all means go and save $50 or $100 or whatever the cheapest thing goes for, good luck with that. But Apple TV is hardly a failure in my book, no matter how poorly it sells.

By the way, Amazon used to sell a nifty case that is the perfect size to safely hold an Apple TV, a PlayStation controller, the remote and all the cables you need. If you want to travel with your AppleTV, definitely get one. They don't have it but you may be able to find it elsewhere:

fanttik Tool Case, Waterproof, Shockproof, Dustproof, Scratchproof Tool Bag, Portable Protection Case, Universal Indoor Outdoor Tool Bag, For Several Accessories, Cord, Charger, SD Card, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X2JPKLS?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_EQ1H348W9BJEQR0F8ZZW
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
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Very happy with my smart TV app set. It allows me to customize its home screen and I like having a one remote. I brought a basic roku to get airplay since my TV pre-dates the mfg airplay support by about a year. With a pihole, I get most ads suppressed on the tv and roku
 
I am happy with my Apple TV it is quick and responsive, there have been times I show a trip or something to friends/family that come over and can easily do that via the big screen instead of people passing around my phone grouped up tightly around it. Do I think it is a little overpriced for what it is...sure, but I have also owned Roku the Firestick and didn't care for either one although the firestick wasn't bad, but both seem to just have so many built in ads while browsing and I do not want that. Quickly looking if one of my many streaming services has a movie/show I want is where Siri really isn't too bad since I just press the button and say a movie and in my experience it is 9/10 effective.
 
monstermash said:
The remote, even the new one on the 4K, is absolute trash. I hate it and would like to do a lot of illegal things to the people who designed and approved that piece of trash.

I'm not a big fan of the interface. I'm constantly hitting the wrong button when trying to figure out how to go back or stop or whatever. I think the interface sucks as much as the remote.
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You’ve hit on my two complaints exactly. Worse, the remotes on my two AppleTV4K devices of different generations have interchanged the location of two buttons…endless fun there going from one TV to the other.

I do not understand the UI at all. Why do I continuously see programs I’ve never added to any watchlist? Why do I continuously see programs I’ve watched and removed from my watchlist? What order is chosen to present items? The list goes on. And on. And on. Just don’t get it, nor like it.
 
SalisburySam said:
I do not understand the UI at all. Why do I continuously see programs I’ve never added to any watchlist? Why do I continuously see programs I’ve watched and removed from my watchlist? What order is chosen to present items? The list goes on. And on. And on. Just don’t get it, nor like it.
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Apple TV+, a pure unmitigated disaster. Steve Jobs' Apple would not have the hot mess of an interface that is Apple TV+. Watching shows on this interface is a profoundly degrading experience.
 
I’ve always enjoyed the Apple TV. I’ve been using one since 2010 when I got the first generation. I’ve gotten rid of my cable subscription. My blu ray player is in storage. I was thinking about getting a UHD blu ray player but I’ve decided to stay all digital.
 
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Apple TV library management is weak.

  • Some TV Series are categorized by season 1, season 2- others just lump everything together.
  • "Up next" rarely works for me... I click the episode and it wants me to buy it- so my only recourse is to navigate back into the tv series and scroll endlessly to find the episode I paid for.
  • The thumbnails seem to always be blank. If I reboot the unit, the thumbnails will load but then in a day or two- they're back to being blank.

It's been this way since I started using it. Would I buy it again, knowing what I know now? No. If Apple has no interest in fixing it, that that tells me all I need to know about its future.
 
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AtikCzaTok said:
Apple TV library management is weak.

  • Some TV Series are categorized by season 1, season 2- others just lump everything together.
  • "Up next" rarely works for me... I click the episode and it wants me to buy it- so my only recourse is to navigate back into the tv series and scroll endlessly to find the episode I paid for.
  • The thumbnails seem to always be blank. If I reboot the unit, the thumbnails will load but then in a day or two- they're back to being blank.

It's been this way since I started using it. Would I buy it again, knowing what I know now? No. If Apple has no interest in fixing it, that that tells me all I need to know about its future.
Click to expand...
So, this post is in regard to the content you’ve purchased from Apple? Otherwise, not sure what you’re referring to. We bought the Mad Men series from Apple and nothing else. It just displays the next episode we haven’t watched at all times.
 
If I didn't require local streaming, I'd be quite happy to view my Apple-purchased content on third-party hardware.

But a large proportion of my video library is self-added from physical media, so local streaming is invaluable. Hence I hope ATV never goes away (or stops supporting local streaming).

(Yes, I know there's Plex etc but I like keeping all my stuff together in the Apple TV app.)
 
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AtikCzaTok said:
Apple TV library management is weak.

  • Some TV Series are categorized by season 1, season 2- others just lump everything together
Click to expand...
Agree this is a problem. I think it depends whether you buy the show in seasons or as a 'complete' bundle. It's very untidy and un-Apple.
 
AtikCzaTok said:
Apple TV library management is weak.

  • Some TV Series are categorized by season 1, season 2- others just lump everything together.
  • "Up next" rarely works for me... I click the episode and it wants me to buy it- so my only recourse is to navigate back into the tv series and scroll endlessly to find the episode I paid for.
  • The thumbnails seem to always be blank. If I reboot the unit, the thumbnails will load but then in a day or two- they're back to being blank.

It's been this way since I started using it. Would I buy it again, knowing what I know now? No. If Apple has no interest in fixing it, that that tells me all I need to know about its future.
Click to expand...
Edd70 said:
So, this post is in regard to the content you’ve purchased from Apple? Otherwise, not sure what you’re referring to. We bought the Mad Men series from Apple and nothing else. It just displays the next episode we haven’t watched at all times.
Click to expand...
kiranmk2 said:
Agree this is a problem. I think it depends whether you buy the show in seasons or as a 'complete' bundle. It's very untidy and un-Apple.
Click to expand...
I am pretty sure these posts are issues with the Apple TV app, not specific to the Apple TV HW, correct?
 
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