LG TV, Apple TV app versus Apple TV

[philstubbington]

Just about to take delivery (tomorrow) of a new LG TV (the snappily named OLED48A16LA ) which as a UK spec is a 48 inch OLED 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart TV Freeview Play Freesat).

I understand that this includes the Apple TV app, but presumably this means I'll still need the Apple TV box to use as my HomeKit hub, and for any other apps (not that I use much - flickr, Apple Fitness+)?

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Correct. Only the Apple TV app is included.

 

[-Gonzo-]

If you have any movie purchases via the store then you don’t get access to iTunes Extras via the LG’s ATV app.

 

[philstubbington]

Thanks @-Gonzo- and @T'hain. I guess an Apple TV box upgrade is due then.....

 

[Nigel Goodman]

Definitely go for an upgraded ATV. I have your exact LG TV (and an ATV) but I made the mistake of logging-in to the different apps on the TV (iPlayer, ATV, C4, etc) and am now bombarded with notifications (which are supposed to be switch off) for ATV trials, etc. I'm seriously considering disconnecting the Ethernet cable and turning off WiFi to see if that will stop the nonsense.

 

[orbital~debris]

Definitely go for an upgraded ATV. I have your exact LG TV (and an ATV) but I made the mistake of logging-in to the different apps on the TV (iPlayer, ATV, C4, etc) and am now bombarded with notifications (which are supposed to be switch off) for ATV trials, etc. I'm seriously considering disconnecting the Ethernet cable and turning off WiFi to see if that will stop the nonsense.

That's interesting, I've not got around to signing-in to most TV apps on my G1 OLED, as I've connected an tv 4K and its interface is wonderfully fluid and nicer to use than the clunkier integrated apps & dashboard.

The one app I have signed-in with on the TV itself is the BBC iPlayer app, so I could access the 4K content the BBC offer. This is not available via the version of the iPlayer app currently available on tvOS. In fact, the stream quality of plain HD seems lower there too, despite plenty of bandwidth available.

I checked the iPlayer app's page on the tvOS App Store the other day and it shows it was last updated in 2020. Maybe they've been waiting to roll out a new version until the iPlayer rebrand (it's already available on iOS/iPadOS, though…)?

 

[OverTheHill]

Just about to take delivery (tomorrow) of a new LG TV (the snappily named OLED48A16LA ) which as a UK spec is a 48 inch OLED 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart TV Freeview Play Freesat).

I understand that this includes the Apple TV app, but presumably this means I'll still need the Apple TV box to use as my HomeKit hub, and for any other apps (not that I use much - flickr, Apple Fitness+)?

Always use the box. Apps on the TV are convenient, but they require processing power which takes away from the primary function of the unit which is to give you something to look at on the screen….

 

[icanhazmac]

Late to this thread but I would and will still maintain a separate Apple TV box even if I buy a new TV that supports the app for the following reasons:

1) TVs are throw away commodities that do not tend to support their apps for very long, at least in terms of how long a TV should last. We have all heard of instances where a popular TV app is no longer supported 3-4 years into the TVs life.

1.5) To keep costs down TVs are not using very fast processors for their apps, this contributes to my point above.

2) Smart TVs rival Google, Facebook and Amazon in terms of the level of spying they do, I block my TV access and ability to phone home for no reason.

I guess I get it that TV manufacturers want a piece of the "data harvesting" pie but I look at this the same way I look at smart speakers, the useful life of the actual TV or Speaker will far outlive the useful life of the "computer" or apps. Apple will at one point retire the homepod... is this because the speaker shot? No, it is because they no longer want to support old hardware.

 

[waw74]

Always use the box. Apps on the TV are convenient, but they require processing power which takes away from the primary function of the unit which is to give you something to look at on the screen….

except for if it's an LG, then it's using processing power to analyze the image of what ever is coming in from external devices and then it reports back to home base what you're watching. I'm not sure how detailed it gets, I don't think it sends actual images back though.

And if you don't agree to that, you can't run any apps on the TV, or use airplay or HomeKit.

 

[philstubbington]

Always use the box. Apps on the TV are convenient, but they require processing power which takes away from the primary function of the unit which is to give you something to look at on the screen….

Thanks, I’m doing just that. Probably will just use the native LG WebOS for recording from the U.K. FreeSat service (F1 almost exclusively) and not much else.

I need to sort out the Harmony settings though because the native stuff shows up for a second or two overlaying the Apple TV OS

 

[priitv8]

except for if it's an LG, then it's using processing power to analyze the image of what ever is coming in from external devices and then it reports back to home base what you're watching. I'm not sure how detailed it gets, I don't think it sends actual images back though.

This tech is called Samba TV and is being used also on Sony Bravia TV-s, for example.

 

[nutmac]

Always use the box. Apps on the TV are convenient, but they require processing power which takes away from the primary function of the unit which is to give you something to look at on the screen….

Not only that, webOS is S-L-O-W, even the newer models. When playing high bitrate Dolby Vision 4K contents from Apple TV+, buffering is more common than I want to tolerate, sometimes downgrading to 480p.

Meanwhile, Apple TV 4K just breezes by, with Speedtest app reporting over 400 Mbps.

While webOS is considered one of the best in terms of UI, I personally find it messy looking and dated looking.