Not impressed by Apple TV in UK

[spinstorm]

I have been playing with the ATV since yesterday and I am most likely going to return it. Why?

It has no useful features to me here in the UK.

No BBC iPlayer or Sky or BT Sport; I have netflix and that is it. The games are fun but I am not a gamer casual or otherwise.

And as cool as Siri is to use searching with it isn't a better experience than using my phone and a Chromecast.

The bright white/grey menus are also terrible at night. They are way too bright. And turning down the brightness makes the videos look bad.

I have a 4K TV; and I can use the Netflix app on there to watch better quality video. I can use my Chromecast to cast content from my phone or tablet.

Right now ATV isn't worth it for me if you have a smart TV which I do and a Chromecast for getting other content onto the TV.

That may change in a few months or if Apple put out their all in one TV service but right now you may as well buy the original ATV for a third of the price if you need Airplay.

I also have an Android TV box. The apps are the same choice as the ATV and Google Voice Search isn't able to filter out the content but it can search itself and the internet; it isn't a better experience but it is also half the price and has casting built in... but I don't use it either.

Of course if you have a terrible old TV with slow or no smart functionality and have never used a Chromecast then you will probably love it but not because it is a better device; only because you haven't got anything else.

 

[Gav2k]

Give it time. Most broadcasters have tweeted they are working on their apps

 

[spinstorm]

Sure but in the meantime I may as well get my £130 back and buy it when it has useful services as right now it is just a weirdly large box that doesn't do much for me.

 

[SMIDG3T]

You knew these apps wouldn't be available at launch. Why did you even buy one? It makes no sense. Can't you just wait? The Now TV app is awaiting approval. Should be out next week.

 

[spinstorm]

It isn't about waiting. It is about comparing this product with the competition that I already have.

Android TV also doesn't have BBC or Sky or BT; but I can cast using the chromecast technology.

No doubt that the design and experience is the best I have used on Apple TV but as someone with alternatives it isn't worth the £129 yet... that may change soon; but right now it isn't.

However if I didn't have alternatives I could see how it would be considered a really good product but for me it doesn't add anything.

I even connected it to a US VPN and watched US TV shows but most of them are pay apps (and I could just torrent them for free).

 

[The Game 161]

Apps are very limited, I use the NBA app though so for that it's very good. Iplayer hopefully coming soon. photos is nice to have too and airplay.

Sadly it won't be completly useful until more apps are added

 

[BMox81]

It isn't about waiting. It is about comparing this product with the competition that I already have.

Android TV also doesn't have BBC or Sky or BT; but I can cast using the chromecast technology.

No doubt that the design and experience is the best I have used on Apple TV but as someone with alternatives it isn't worth the £129 yet... that may change soon; but right now it isn't.

However if I didn't have alternatives I could see how it would be considered a really good product but for me it doesn't add anything.

I even connected it to a US VPN and watched US TV shows but most of them are pay apps (and I could just torrent them for free).

And you can AirPlay BT Sport and iPlayer to the Apple TV.

Try downloading an app called TV Player-it has all the uk terrestrial channels available to watch.

 

[MH01]

You knew these apps wouldn't be available at launch. Why did you even buy one? It makes no sense. Can't you just wait? The Now TV app is awaiting approval. Should be out next week.

Lots of people don't stay upto date on rumour sites in relation to what apps would be available at launch. I just turned up at the Apple Store at launch and took one home. From watching the keynote, to first day experience I am underwhelmed. I was not when I got the 2g iPhone or original iPad, which had very few apps also.

Going to give it a few more weeks. Comparing a £169 ATV4 to the £35 firestick, firestick is a clear winner, and runs plex . Hoping plex comes to ATV very soon. ATV 4 has potential, though in my case, it's not the apps, it's playing content directly from my NAS.

Edit : a jailbroken ATV is what I am looking most forward to. Is alone will probably mean I will keep it

 

[RB1959]

I ordered mine last Monday and its due to be delivered today, however in the week since ordering I decided to buy a new TV, a SAMSUNG UE65JS9500. Now I'm wondering why I need the ATV4? What does it do that the Samsung doesn't? It seems the Samsung TV does a heck of a lot more. Hmmm not sure what to do now....

 

[sparkie1984]

I was all excited pre announcement about a new Apple TV and I assumed it was a given I'd be replacing my fire tv with it.

Nope. The new Apple TV does nothing for me. Fancy not giving it the ability to view the new iPhones video in 4K for one! I was just underwhelmed about it generally as I have been by most Apple products this year but that's a different story.

Amazon will probably never release an app for the Apple TV and I don't want to have multiple boxes.

I also have a 4K tv and whilst it's still in it's infancy I'd like to invest in a box which will cover all bases, if one will ever exist!

 

[Jsameds]

It isn't about waiting. It is about comparing this product with the competition that I already have.

Android TV also doesn't have BBC or Sky or BT; but I can cast using the chromecast technology.

No doubt that the design and experience is the best I have used on Apple TV but as someone with alternatives it isn't worth the £129 yet... that may change soon; but right now it isn't.

However if I didn't have alternatives I could see how it would be considered a really good product but for me it doesn't add anything.

I even connected it to a US VPN and watched US TV shows but most of them are pay apps (and I could just torrent them for free).

It's what - two days old and you're comparing to products that have been out for a few years? Srsly, have some perspective.

 

[matrix07]

It's what - two days old and you're comparing to products that have been out for a few years? Srsly, have some perspective.

It's Android guy reviewing Apple TV. Not different than a Blackberry guy reviewing original iPhone and not impressed because of the lack of 3G, physical keyboard, apps, etc.
The fact that guys like this are here is a testament of Apple products (and Apple TV in particular), but people here shouldn't take him seriously.

 

[brandscill]

Give it time. Most broadcasters have tweeted they are working on their apps

Who ones?

 

[Hermes Monster]

This is pretty much what I expected of the Apple TV, right now it seems like there's very little difference to the ATV3; which is why I chose to wait until Christmas for mine. Hopefully by the new year there will be lots of new apps.

Ultimately though, it's like an upgrade from iOS6 to iOS7 - it's pretty much the same as the last one, but with a lick of paint and some tweaks. This is what Apple always do, isn't it?

For me, the ATV has always looked a better piece of hardware for the USA, with the UK getting very few of the TV services, which is all thanks to SKY I suspect?

BTW Plex should be out soon, it already is in the US app store

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Quite a few Apple fanboys that apparently buys products without knowing what they can or what they are going to use them for... Amazing..

 

[BMox81]

This is pretty much what I expected of the Apple TV, right now it seems like there's very little difference to the ATV3; which is why I chose to wait until Christmas for mine. Hopefully by the new year there will be lots of new apps.

Ultimately though, it's like an upgrade from iOS6 to iOS7 - it's pretty much the same as the last one, but with a lick of paint and some tweaks. This is what Apple always do, isn't it?

For me, the ATV has always looked a better piece of hardware for the USA, with the UK getting very few of the TV services, which is all thanks to SKY I suspect?

BTW Plex should be out soon, it already is in the US app store

I think once iPlayer is released, the others will soon come round to the notion that they need their Apps on the ATV.

 

[Hermes Monster]

I think once iPlayer is released, the others will soon come round to the notion that they need their Apps on the ATV.

Not sure why they suddenly need it on this version when they didn't on the old ones?

What I really want is a SKY TV challenger from Apple, couldn't care less about iPlayer, 4OD or ITV Player - I have other ways of watching them (not that I ever actually do)

 

[Deadeyeshark]

the ATV is still in it's infancy, when the iPad was released it had nowhere near the number of apps available on the iPhone, same difference with the ATV.

I also have the Fire TV and it obviously trumps in the 4k stakes. Apple TV Siri does a much better job of voice search, Fire only brings back Amazon content, ATV at least picks up Netflix. Both are capable boxes in their own right, but for me ATV is "the" streaming box to buy at this moment in time.

 

[BMox81]

Not sure why they suddenly need it on this version when they didn't on the old ones?

What I really want is a SKY TV challenger from Apple, couldn't care less about iPlayer, 4OD or ITV Player - I have other ways of watching them (not that I ever actually do)

BBC didn't have a version on the 3rd gen but that hasn't stopped them from now saying that they are creating a version. My point was that for any streaming box to have a chance in this country, you need to have the 5 terrestrial channels on there.

 

[DougieB]

BTW Plex should be out soon, it already is in the US app store

The official app is out in the US store? Sweet, will have to download it from my American account when I get home tonight.

Have you tried it? What's it like?

 

[Crazy Badger]

The Now TV app (once it's launched) will at least give you a different way to access and pay for Sky content, even though it's still Sky providing it. There's already the TV Player app for watching many Freeview channels, and I'm sure there will be more to come. The UK TV market is very different to the US one though, so I don't think we'll see the same options and choice available across the pond for some time, which I don't think is such a bad thing.

Most of the TV I watch these days is downloaded and watched through Plex.

 

[movielad]

Yes, I agree that the Apple TV (4th gen) has a number of limitations right now, but one reason I bought it and will be keeping it is that it feels much much faster to stream content from my iOS devices to it (4K video from 6S Plus downscaled to the ATV is much, much faster than the previous generation).

I can wait for the apps to come along.

 

[BMcCoy]

If it had a different name (such as Apple Home) with less emphasis on TV, then there may be more realistic expectation for its use in the UK!

 

[Hermes Monster]

The official app is out in the US store? Sweet, will have to download it from my American account when I get home tonight.

Have you tried it? What's it like?

I haven't I'm afraid, I just stream from sites and AirPlay to my ATV3 currently.

 

[BMox81]

The thing with the UK is that as long as there is Sky, Virgin and BT around, we'll never have dedicated apps for what they provide.