Netflix's New Interactive 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' Episode Doesn't Work on Apple TV

[0970373]

It’s funny how many come over and ask if I have a “smart tv”. Or when they are shopping for a tv and want a smart tv. I wouldn’t ever give up my appletv’s. I love the interface and I have sideloaded some apps. I can’t live without airplay either.
Seems like most normal people are ok with the crappy tv’s apps because they kinda work People don’t seem to care how things look or work I guess.

(This isn't necessarily a reply to you but to add on in agreement...)

Smart TV's were created for people who don't know better and have the most basic of streaming needs. The UI is incredibly slow and most of the apps are limited, depending on what brand you get and what OS it runs. There is zero chance you'll get me to install an Android TV in my home. (Bandersnatch doesn't work on Chromecast either, BTW.) Vizio was forced to stop collecting & selling data from their Smart TVs.

Though, I stayed at a long term AirBNB for work last year and they had a Roku TV, which I really liked, because, well, it runs on Roku. It surely wasn't the most technologically advanced TV but it was fine for what it was. I would consider it as a 2nd TV for sure. Sadly, I don't think there are any high quality "dumb" TV's. Though, if anyone has one to recommend, let me know.

The fact is, Apple got into the streaming game way too late. Instead of leading the way, they are playing a bit of catch-up and many people have settled into their ways. I love mine though. You'd have to pry it away from my cold dead hands. I wish they made a portable one to travel with.

 

[intelligence]

Not surprised. Apple TV is dead unless they integrate it into A TV set soon. Google have this sector nailed and it’s the only thing android I have in my house. Originally Brought an Apple TV for Netflix, then when I upgraded to a 4K tv, Id have to buy another, newer, Apple TV. Why would I do that when the TV comes bundled with 4K Netflix through google?

It’s dead as a hardware box.

Weird. Besides my Apple Watch, my Apple TV is my favorite gadget since Apple started making luxury phones/computers.

 

[jicon]

LOL...if you can scroll through the Netflix interface and select items, then you should be able to "interact" with a Black Mirror episode. Sounds like Netflix just didn't bother to provide support.

Possibly... Variety seems to indicate some older smart TVs, Chromecast and AppleTV won't work because of the precaching of two different videos reflecting your possible choices in the show. Surely an AppleTV has the horsepower/memory to pull it off, but who knows.... Apps have to run under Apple's imposed rules, and approval.

https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/netflix-black-mirror-bandersnatch-interactive-1203096171/

 

[Shanghaichica]

Yet its available on smart TV's and streaming devices for TV's... you're thinking way too much into it my friend

Fire TV?

 

[budselectjr]

(This isn't necessarily a reply to you but to add on in agreement...)

Smart TV's were created for people who don't know better and have the most basic of streaming needs. The UI is incredibly slow and most of the apps are limited, depending on what brand you get and what OS it runs. There is zero chance you'll get me to install an Android TV in my home. (Bandersnatch doesn't work on Chromecast either, BTW.) Vizio was forced to stop collecting & selling data from their Smart TVs.

Though, I stayed at a long term AirBNB for work last year and they had a Roku TV, which I really liked, because, well, it runs on Roku. It surely wasn't the most technologically advanced TV but it was fine for what it was. I would consider it as a 2nd TV for sure. Sadly, I don't think there are any high quality "dumb" TV's. Though, if anyone has one to recommend, let me know.

The fact is, Apple got into the streaming game way too late. Instead of leading the way, they are playing a bit of catch-up and many people have settled into their ways. I love mine though. You'd have to pry it away from my cold dead hands. I wish they made a portable one to travel with.

What an absurd statement. You should get a better tv. My LG OLED with WebOS is lightning fast.

 

[ignatius345]

This seems lame. I've already watched a bit of interactive "choose your own adventure" type content on Apple TV (this Steven Soderbergh series that came out last year -- it was meh and I never finished it) so it can most definitely be done. I also bought some app-based interactive movie thing on the App Store for Apple TV -- same kind of deal, a movie divided into chapters where you make choices which play subsequent chapters. It's not exactly rocket science, and it sounds like Netflix just hasn't gotten around to beefing up their ATV app to handle it.

 

[0970373]

What an absurd statement. You should get a better tv. My LG OLED with WebOS is lightning fast.

That's cool for you, bro. My ATV4 is pretty fast. The TV is 2 years old and slow. At least in comparison to the ATV. It might feel fast for you. And they *were* created to simplify things for the masses, though it has evolved.

That's the other problem w/ Smart TV's. The life of a TV should be more than a few years. I'm not going to replace a $1000 TV because the OS is slow. Replacing my ATV4, which is also 2 years old, will be less than $200 when it's time. The ATV3 I have connected to the 2nd TV is still quite usable for being 6 years old. And I can use it on the same $1000 TV.

But to each their own. Enjoy!

 

[kwikdeth]

I mean my TV comes bundled with Netflix and Hulu and stuff too, but it's hot garbage quality. Also, this isn't an inherent flaw with the Apple TV-- the Netflix app just doesn't support it. Apple doesn't write the Netflix app.

Netflix didnt just conjure up this movie out of thin air; they've had plenty of time to prepare the AppleTV app for it. Either they can't due to Apple's policies/processes, or they can't/don't want to.

Also dont know what TV you're running but Netflix and Hulu work just fine and snappy on my LG 4K.
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Uh, no?

Having owned every black puck Apple TV, a Nexus Player, and two Nvidia Shields, unless you're slinging games from your GeForce-equipped PC, the Apple TV is the best box there is. As for the built-in menus on TVs, they're turds. Slow, don't deliver 4K (and I'd wager HDR is out of the question as well), and they just have bad GUIs.

Nexus? you're comparing the AppleTV to a device that was discontinued over two years ago. Hardly a fair comparison.

 

[Porco]

Ignorant, BS troll comments like yours are what makes me long for this site to have a DOWNVOTE button!

Android smart TV’s are total turds with horrible GUI’s, slow GUI’s, and a bovine excrement UX. Let’s not even get started on their insanely invasive data harvesting for ad targeting, non-existent security, and piss-poor support. My work just bought a top-of-the-line Sony Bravia 4K 80” smart TV for the conference room, and it’s the WORST POS I have EVER used! Insanely slow and laggy UI, doesn’t remember custom colour settings whenever you switch HDMI ports, and has frozen twice!

At least LG TV’s use Web OS, which is much nicer than that turd Android, but even those I still don’t trust. If I am ever forced to get a Smart TV because my current non-Smart TV bites the dust, I am NEVER connecting it to the network, and using my Apple TV 4K with it, and NOTHING else.
[doublepost=1546029806][/doublepost]
The world has “moved on” because they’ve been brainwashed by marketing hyperspeak to make people think Smart TV’s are the end-all and be-all of everything they may need, without realizing just how invasive these devices are, harvesting vast amounts of your data and sending that off to third-parties, often without your knowledge and consent, and as with some major OEM’s of these turds, if you do not consent to the data harvesting, the TV will simply refuse to function.

I’ve stopped MANY people from getting one of these monstrosities, or at the very least convinced them NOT to connect it to any home network and use it offline, as it’s safer and less invasive to use them like this, in conjunction with an Apple TV.

I agree with all your points about ‘smart’ TVs and have similarly advised many people to not put their TVs online, and that it’s better to use dedicated devices for a variety of reasons ... but I do think people are allowed to disagree without it making them trolls.

 

[darkslide29]

The vast majority of people don’t “upgrade” their TVs every few years. Apple probably doesn’t want to be stuck maintaining its software for very old televisions.

Google - as well as most television manufacturers - doesn’t seem to have a problem choosing to drop support for devices after two or three years.

I also didn't think I'd be upgrading my stainless steel watch so soon. You'd think an item sold and marketed as a luxury item in 2015 would have more support, but was unable to update in 2018. Not compatible with the newest OS, so I was had to purchase a new one. And Apple offered me $25 in trade-in value. I say this mostly as tongue in cheek.

 

[MagMan1979]

What an absurd statement. You should get a better tv. My LG OLED with WebOS is lightning fast.

That statement isn’t absurd at all, it’s actually quite spot-on. Even with WebOS, being much lighter weight and more responsive than Android, read the TOS that came with your TV, and just realize how much privacy you’ve given up having that turd connected to the network.

Thanks, but no thanks. I know many people in this era don’t give a hoot about privacy, and hence we have the idiocy and data theft now happening with tech. But for those of us who are smart enough to know what’s happening with these products, and demand better, I’ll gladly take an Apple TV and a dumb TV if I can get one any day!

I agree with all your points about ‘smart’ TVs and have similarly advised many people to not put their TVs online, and that it’s better to use dedicated devices for a variety of reasons ... but I do think people are allowed to disagree without it making them trolls.

The way the guy proclaimed the Apple TV was dead and a turd is what prompted the troll response, and I stand by it, as the Apple TV is one of the top selling TV boxes now on the market, has all major services now onboard with apps, including Prime Video, and the guy went on proclaiming how superior the Android offerings are, when that is just straight up FUD.

 

[zorinlynx]

Uh, no?

Having owned every black puck Apple TV, a Nexus Player, and two Nvidia Shields, unless you're slinging games from your GeForce-equipped PC, the Apple TV is the best box there is. As for the built-in menus on TVs, they're turds. Slow, don't deliver 4K (and I'd wager HDR is out of the question as well), and they just have bad GUIs.

Not to mention most new smart TVs (and probably all of them, soon) have cameras and microphones and such could easily be used to spy on you in your own home. I don't trust Smart TV manufacturers; if I ever own a Smart TV (because you have no choice today if you want a quality display) I'll likely never connect it to the network and use my Apple TV via HDMI like I do with my current non-smart TV.

 

[karsten]

someone dropped the ball on this. looks like netflix is making apple customers suffer on purpose with the ios subscription ending and now this. Corporate bickering, and the customer is always the one who gets screwed..

 

[HMFIC03]

I just so happen to be in a hotel tonight with my 11” iPad Pro so thanks! Now I have plans, too bad about the Apple TV though - would have pushed me off if I were home.

 

[ShinySteelRobot]

Bandersnatch? Finally a TV series named after the sound I make when I try to remember this person's name:

He's a famous actor, his name is easy to remember (Bentdick Cumpatch iirc). He played Khan in that Star Trek remake movie.

 

[DipDog3]

Did someone say “works on Roku”? Yay!!! Love, love my Roku Ultra.

Yes, very seemless on Roku.

The video doesn’t stop for even a frame, choices are made as the video plays and the next sequence is seemless. Very slick.

 

[kgelner]

As an iOS developer I have a bone to pick with Netflix: The Apple TV IS AN IOS DEVICE, which they claim to support.

Also as an iOS developer, I can say with confidence there is NO REASON the AppleTV app cannot handle these interactive videos if they work on the phone and tablets. The AppleTV itself has more memory than some of the phones...

But since the AppleTV app has lacked interactive support for something like a year now, I just watched the Black Mirror episode in a browser. It is pretty amazing but it is criminal they are so lazy as to not support this on the AppleTV...

 

[TomaxXamot]

This to me seems like an intentional design and artistic decision considering ‘black mirror’ refers to the reflective surface of a phone screen. So it would only make sense to make it available predominantly on mobile.

Derp.

 

[0970373]

So I've watched part of it on my iPad and some on the Roku. It's easier and IMO, better, on a mobile device. While obviously a tablet is not a book (though many of us do read on them), holding it in your hand while making the choices fits a little better with the concept and the spirit of of choose-your-own-adventure-books.

 

[Upgrader]

As someone who own both a 4K tv and an Apple TV 4K the built in apps in the tv are trash and a lot of them don’t actually stream 4K content. It’s also Netflix responsibility to update their app

100% this. My Sony Android TV is a frustrating Frankenstein bodge of a device. Native streaming apps often stall (working 100% on the ATV) and the Android OS is an example of shockingly bad design with some ridiculous UI decisions in places. It’s a mess. I regret taking a gamble on it and were it not for the Sony picture quality I would’ve returned it. I think Sony have made a huge mistake teaming up with Android - their previous native OS was better!

The ATV: smooth, reliable, responsive, well thought out, well designed, easy to use. If Apple sold a Freeview TV here in the UK with a picture to rival the Sony running tvOS I wouldn’t hesitate.

 

[iLilana]

ever play Stanley parable? first though, Lewis Carroll was mean spirited. some of the so called choice were not actually choices. And I love being from the future.

 

[bookcase]

Using a MacBook, I was able to mirror my screen through my Apple TV and it worked flawlessly. It would've been better if I didn't have to have a screen next to me to click choices, though. The show was sort of cool, and we watched a few of the alternate choices, but got bored with it. Just too gimmicky for me.

 

[err404]

For what it’s worth, Netflix has had interactive shows like this episode for over a year. The first one that I noticed was an episode for Puss in Boots from last Christmas. Black mirror is just the first high profile show to use it.
Netflix has been very slow to support this feature on any client. It’s more that Netflix doesn’t seem to care about the interactive function than the platform itself. Clearly their is no technical limitation.
Lastly, I have tried many set top and built in streaming apps. The Apple TV is by far my favorite.

 

[bitfactory]

As an iOS developer I have a bone to pick with Netflix: The Apple TV IS AN IOS DEVICE, which they claim to support.

Also as an iOS developer, I can say with confidence there is NO REASON the AppleTV app cannot handle these interactive videos if they work on the phone and tablets. The AppleTV itself has more memory than some of the phones...

But since the AppleTV app has lacked interactive support for something like a year now, I just watched the Black Mirror episode in a browser. It is pretty amazing but it is criminal they are so lazy as to not support this on the AppleTV...

Yes. This is most likely a 'message' to Apple about them starting their own streaming service to compete w/ Netflix.

Apple TV is most likely more powerful than almost all Android devices on the market - it's not like it couldn't handle it like some have postulated in the press. Also, the overall frameworks are almost exactly them same between iOS and tvOS. I'd venture to say aTV viewership numbers are VERY high for Netflix, but they'd never release them.

This is 100% on purpose / and not because they 'didn't have time'. I'd venture to say, though, that making your service worse on a completing box is not the way to go about having people stick around.

 

[SuperMatt]

This quote from Netflix is hilarious: "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is only available on devices that support interactive content." You can play all sorts of video games on an Apple TV. It's more than capable of "interactive content" - it's a problem with the Netflix app, not with Apple TV. Note that the Windows 10 Netflix app doesn't do it either. I'm pretty sure a Windows 10 PC is capable of "interactive content" too.