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Not using my ATV4 much

profmjh

profmjh

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 7, 2015
1,805
2,091
UK
I have a Kindle Fire TV and the new ATV4. I only have one HDMI port on my TV, so I have to physically switch the cable over. As a result, I tend to stick with whichever one is plugged in unless I really want to change.

Although I much prefer the Siri remote (I find myself trying to use the Kindle remote as a trackpad, and I half lift it to my mouth to ask it to skip forward and then remember it can't) I'm spending more time with the Kindle than the ATV.

This is mostly because the ATV still doesn't have iPlayer or Amazon Prime. (Will it ever have Amazon Prime?) The only thing ATV has that the Kindle doesn't is iTunes (which I rarely use as you have to pay for content) and Now TV.

I really like the Kindle and if it had an ATV4-style remote it might be a killer device for me.
 
Well I'm using mine daily, and whilst I don't have a Fire TV to compare I don't have any plans to use anything else anytime soon!

The native Plex client is the most used app, but I've found a few games too that capture my interest for a few minutes now and again (the 2048 game is good!). Have also side loaded Auntie Player (which is brilliant) and a couple of game emulators (although these really need a game controller to play)

It's only going to get better with more apps in the store, Apple opening up APIs (so other apps can benefit from Siri controls) and fixing issues with Bluetooth support and iOS controls.
 
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I'm using mine more and more. Mostly Plex, Netflix UK, NowTV and the occasional game of skittles :) I also airplay HBO Nordic and Netflix US from my iPad or iPhone to the ATV4. iPlayer would be good to have on there but I can get that though the smart TV and also my Freesat box so its not a biggie. Plex looks so much better on the ATV4 than it does on my Samsung TV app.
 
I use mine very often for AppleMusic, movies, and now that wrestling season is underway to AirPlay BT2GO (BT+) & FloWrestling. It exceeds my expectation.
 
Gutwrench said:
I use mine very often for AppleMusic, movies, and now that wrestling season is underway to AirPlay BT2GO (BT+) & FloWrestling. It exceeds my expectation.
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yeah it's become my go to device, the image quality on the apps it supports is better than my xbox one, which often buffers a lot more running of the same Ethernet source. I'm just waiting for my apps like Starz and Encore and Vudu to come as well as more Music options like Pandora
 
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Mine gets used every day. I'd use it even more if Google would update their Play Music app with tvOS support.
 
Have not gone a day without using it. Since I don't use Amazon Prime, it works in my favor.
 
RB1959 said:
I'm using mine more and more. Mostly Plex, Netflix UK, NowTV and the occasional game of skittles :) I also airplay HBO Nordic and Netflix US from my iPad or iPhone to the ATV4. iPlayer would be good to have on there but I can get that though the smart TV and also my Freesat box so its not a biggie. Plex looks so much better on the ATV4 than it does on my Samsung TV app.
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How do you get HBO on your iPad? I've got the iPad pro and would really like access to that great content.
 
MNLondon said:
How do you get HBO on your iPad? I've got the iPad pro and would really like access to that great content.
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HBO Nordic is in the UK app store and the UK ATV app store. Not sure why as officially you cannot use it in the UK. Just sign up and use a Scandanavian VPN. You can change the language to English and its pretty much the same content as HBO in the states. You get a free months trial.
 
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Having never owned any other streaming boxes other than the ATV (2, 3 and 4), I picked up a Roku 3 to compliment my ATV4. I find that I'm using the Roku more than the ATV. The Roku is different enough to warrant having both due to the selection of channels and content available on the Roku.

Plus, these boxes are dirt cheap compared to what I was paying for cable each month.
 
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I use my ATV4 more than I watch cable TV to be completely honest. It's beginning to make me consider downgrading my cable TV service or even cutting the cord completely and just getting a digital antenna so I can still watch NFL games on Sunday.
 
I have to agree. I fully expected the ATV 4 to replace my Roku 3 as my primary streaming box. But there are so many reasons why that hasn't happened. Examples:

1. Poor support for my Harmony remote (especially fast forward/rewind). Roku - and ATV 3 for that matter - are much better. I don't want to use the Apple remote most of the time.

2. Netflix is buggy. Some shows don't play consistently, or keep showing subtitles even though I keep turning them off. Netflix is the most important app for my family... not fun to mumble apologies to the wife when watching shows.

3. Other apps are very slow to load and/or take a long time to buffer when compared to their Roku counterpart. Still other apps appear to be more limited. For example, PlutoTV (which is also new on Roku) appears to have the full channel lineup, while their ATV app has only a small handful.

4. AirPlay is very disappointing. I was hoping it would be more responsive, but it's about the same as the ATV 3. On the other hand, "Play on Roku" via TV Cast iOS app is almost instant, and I can jump around web videos without the long buffering or freezing. Even better, I can always turn off the iPad screen after casting because it's playing from the Roku. With Safari or Chrome, it often stops AirPlaying the content as soon as I hit the sleep button.

5. Minor, but annoying: why does the screen have to stay dimmed with a big thumbnail sticking up when paused? Sometimes I pause in order to see the frame. Why not just have a clean pause like Roku or ATV3, then bring up the thumbnail when moving around?

Honestly, I really want to like this thing, but it hasn't been easy. Games are about the only draw right now, and I am hoping that more of the already controller-supported iOS games get ported over soon.
 
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