New Apple TV First Impressions: Not a 'Revolution,' But Siri and tvOS Shine

[prowlmedia]

Roku Apps are pretty "poor" ... mostly shells to provide an interface for sites like ABC, Disney, etc.

There are only handful of truly powerful apps on the Roku, Plex being one of them.

Even plex is only an extension of the plex web interface. It's just a very good web application. Roku has Angry Birds, what more do you want?

 

[unplugme71]

The biggest let down was no microphone on the Apple TV for the "Hey Siri". I understand that some people hide their Apple TVs. But mine is out in the open and would like to use my Apple TV like the Amazon Echo.

I guess if there's an app on the watch for the TV it wouldn't be so bad, but I don't usually wear a watch inside my house.

 

[2010mini]

You post this same thing over and over. The hardware must come out first. It makes no sense to put 4K videos for TV in the store before there are lots of 4KTVs in homes. If everything in the store was made available in 4K for TV today, what would happen? Nothing. Why? Because with no hardware to play it, there's no purpose in it being there.

Hardware must lead. 4G phone hardware drove infrastructure to catch up. Look where we are now. However, if 4G phones had to wait until all cellular networks everywhere were upgraded and ready for it, we'd still be waiting on 4G phones.

Technology doesn't go well with a "good enough" mentality. It's advance or be overrun. If you are happy where things are, good for you. Don't buy any new technology. But other people want to move along. There's not a single app in the iOS app store that can take advantage of A10. So I guess Apple shouldn't bother building new iDevices with an A10 next year. Just stop developing any new hardware until all software is updated to take full advantage of something that doesn't exist yet.

Once again, let me remind you that Apple embraced 4K yesterday by launching iPhones that record 4K and touting iMovie to edit 4K. They just left it out of this ONE product.

No it doesn't. What drove 4g was the FCC. Not manufactures. The same for HDTV.

All the manufactures knew 4G was coming way ahead of the consumers and they HAD to design hardware to support it... Just like HDTV.

You all THINK it is the hardware manufactures that pushed innovation in those spaces.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

If the hardware manufacturers would have dragged their feet- like they did with HD- we'd still be waiting on 4G networks today.

You appear to THINK that hardware manufacturers will apparently not innovate unless forced to by GOV mandates. Once again, Apple formally embraced 4K yesterday... just not in this ONE product. The GOV didn't make them do it. They did it because they wanted to embrace it. As such, software that takes advantage of it will come along to go with the software that Apple developed that also takes advantage of that new camera. It would make no sense to develop such software BEFORE there was known hardware.

And it makes no sense to take the stance that there must be a bunch of 4K TV video in the iTunes store BEFORE there are any 4KTVs on which to play them. That would be a tremendous waste of time & money by content owners making software available for something that doesn't exist (and thus 0% opportunity to profit). It just sounds good as rationale... implying that there is scant 4K content available so why should Apple embrace 4K in an TV. All one has to do though is think about this to recognize that only one of the two can come first.

Now, I'm going to go buy a bunch of apps that can only run on the A10 processor that doesn't exist yet. The software companies have certainly loaded the app store with such software even though there's no such hardware on which it can run.

 

[laurim]

I just want to say one thing (because I get to say it so rarely)... I was right!

I predicted an AppleTV gaming console on this very forum on October 29, 2013.

Here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...l-coming-in-2014.1662720/page-4#post-18254303

and Here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...l-coming-in-2014.1662720/page-3#post-18252973

Of course this is completely irrelevant to any current discussion, I just wanted to feel validated.

I was more impressed with whoever predicted they would change the interface to a light color since that was something that was never in the rumors.

 

[BeefCake 15]

I must say that's a good idea, given that you can use iOS devices to control the Apple TV and those of us in the ecosystem already have plenty of those.

B

Then people will yell at each other to get off the phone so they can change the channel or stop their candy crush session on the iPad to play the movie....

 

[laurim]

You do realise that it is possible to build hardware that is capeable to deliver media that is not yet available via a specific service...but then this product would not be obsolete within a couple of years.
Yeah, I can see your point, that would be bad...for Apple.

Well, why not add an input for an Occlus Rift then as long as we are throwing everything in? I have a 3D projector and there are still 3D movies being made. Why no 3D content?

 

[StoneJack]

4k ability is for next year's AppleTV or TvOS 2. From now on, I guess AppleTV will have its annual hardware upgrade cycles (just like iPhone or iPad or Macs), when 4k content will be more available, 4k decoding will be in. Just like 4k recording in 6S.

 

[weckart]

did Apple make a BIG mistake with the remote... no Backlight???

Yes. Exactly the same BIG mistake with the existing remote and iPod Shuffles. Everyone needs a backlight to find and operate the very few buttons on them.

 

[laurim]

What I want to know is why is it bigger?! Any ideas?

The storage?

 

[jumanji]

so much potential. put a damn 1tb flash drive in there. what the heck is 32gb and 64gb. get homekit stuff in there. copy what amazon is doing with the echo. make it a wifi extender, a wifi base. i would have liked a way to not have to switch inputs...overlay on the existing input regardless of what cable provider you are using.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

4k ability is for next year's AppleTV or TvOS 2. From now on, I guess AppleTV will have its annual hardware upgrade cycles (just like iPhone or iPad or Macs), when 4k content will be more available, 4k decoding will be in. Just like 4k recording in 6S.

Yep, but where will this anti-4K crowd be after Apple rolls out a 4KTV? (rhetorical, they'll be in the "shut up and take my money" line).

Then, a few years thereafter, we'll dust off all of the "1080p is good enough" rationale to reassign it to 4K and bash against rumors and consumers wanting an 8KTV... even after we have iDevices recording in 8K (and thus Apple's formal endorsement of 8K). Rinse: repeat... at least we're a consistent lot.

 

[laurim]

watchOS, tvOS is there anybody working at Apple with some sort of brand awareness??
The only other explanation for that mess, is that they're moving from 'i' to 'Apple' devices,
and new products seem to suggest just that, Apple Music, Apple Watch, but I doubt
Cook has the balls to relabel it Apple Phone, so what we have is some weired inconsistent POS terminology.
There's aesthetics in categories/terminology as well, too bad Steve's successors don't grasp
that concept.

Maybe because "i"whatever has become a generic term and other companies have started using it (iHome, etc.). If they use "whatever" it is more obviously an Apple product and no one else can usurp it.

 

[From A Buick 8]

Excited about the new remote! Including an IR blaster is genius; means I can ditch my Logitech Harmony remote for my TV and Sound system and just use the Apple Remote. This is the first remote that I've seen that has successfully combined power and simplicity.

I simply can't wait to get my hands on my new Apple TV!

How does the IR blaster work, in my setup I want to tuck the ATV behind my TV so it is out of sight. With the Bluetooth remote this will work great, but how about the IR blaster does it need to be line of site for it to control the TV

 

[mr.steevo]

With the exchange rate and the Apple tax on top of the Apple tax I'm expecting these to start at $229 in my country.

My Roku 2 that I bought half price for $35 last Spring will do me just fine.

 

[macvergio]

While it would have been nice to have, I didn't think it would have 4K.

4K content and the amount of 4K users is still low. Compare 4K content now to 1080p content when the ATV2 was launched. 1080p was everywhere then, and Apple still did 720p.

It would be different if iTunes had 4K content, and my guess is that when that does happen, ATV5 or 6 will have 4K.

It runs netflix, and netflix has 4k content. Without 4k I won't buy one.

 

[bh85]

Yes. Exactly the same BIG mistake with the existing remote and iPod Shuffles. Everyone needs a backlight to find and operate the very few buttons on them.

I agree. You have what, 5 buttons? And you need backlight? You will get used to 5 buttons and you wont even look at them.

 

[Four oF NINE]

I have a couple of current generation Apple TVs, yesterday's presentation didn't especially impress me and the added "features" strike me as gimmicky.

 

[Dub1ous]

I think there is a lot we're not seeing yet that we'll see at launch, like Apple Watch integration, etc. REALLY hoping the subscription service launches then too, but not betting on it.

I was going to make a point like this, as well. There's pretty "basic" stuff the Apple Watch doesn't yet do that it will in WatchOS 2, and now that Apple TV has a more extensible platform, I'd bet we'll see a lot more focus on it now.

 

[mantan]

Not ready for prime time. Apple is on the right track of trying to bring different things together in (more) simple user interface, but this looks lacking in a lot ways. And laying all their eggs in the Siri basket with limited functionality may be a mistake. Google, Amazon - heck even xBox are executing better on that front.

 

[JEREZANO]

The hardware is more than 4K capable. A software and/or a firmware update will do the trick when the time is right. Not enough adopters as of yet.

You right Apple most the time resolve software and hardware issues with simples updates.....

 

[Popeye206]

It's interesting that many wrote off Apple TV as a hobby project for Apple and now people are expecting for an all-in one, future-proof entertainment solution for their living rooms.

Apple TV was supposed to be announced at WWDC this year, so who knows what was added between just then and now? We could have gotten even less of a project if they rushed it. They just created a huge demand for features that people want now. Once developers get a crack at it, they'll have even more demands / requested features as well, so we can expect a faster refresh rate for the Apple TV.

Another reasonable thought from PA. I agree.

Again... I think the Apple TV version of iOS is the key... I'm sure the hardware will change over time, but I'm sure we'll see tons of new Apple born and 3rd party born functionality quickly after release. Maybe even a few cool things before release?

Either way... I'll be ordering one the second they give us the green light.

 

[JEREZANO]

But will this thing work with the Harmony? That's my concern, I thought I read the remote is bluetooth. I'm not adding a device that needs its own remote regardless of how neat that remote is. I've only had one remote for all the stuff attached to my TV for maybe 10 years now. The current Apple TV works with my Harmony, if this doesn't, I don't see myself getting one, if it does (or does HDMI-CEC, or if the new remote can control my other stuff) I think the new box could be a buy.

I have the same question I have Harmony ultimate controls 15 devices ..it control aptv3 Does aptv4 can be control with harmony???????

 

[ABC5S]

Prior to announcement, must have. Now ? Nope. Will keep my Apple TV 3. Not worth it for what it gives use. My opinion only...Unless my current one dies on me

 

[imola.zhp]

Have you checked to see whether your TV has an optical output?

I'll check, that might be a good option for the soundbar, thanks.

So how do I get audio to my home cinema system?

Audio can (and does) run through HDMI, some media centers can act as a hub, where HDMI goes to it first and then out to the TV. Another option might be like the post quoted and replied to above yours; where HDMI goes from ATV to the TV then optical out from the TV to your sound system (in my case a cheap soundbar setup).