Things I hate about the new AppleTV

[SteveJobs2.0]

My PhD is in product development and this product has been released with several perplexing flaws. I believe that whoever this product was internally tested with was too afraid to state their true opinions out of fear of reprisal by designers.

Anyways, apart from the issues identified previously, I was surprised at how much stuttering there is in games. I tried a few free and cross-buy games and they almost all have pronounced hiccups. My personal complaint is with the remote that could have been made more ergonomic and simultaneously less prone to slippage and disorientation.

 

[captainsemtex]

Now that I've entered into Grey's Anatomy. I'm on Season 8, it shows me an icon to play the next unwatched episode ONLY. There's no description of that episode. Instead, it always shows me the description of the season of that episode it offered to view next.

Not only that, the list of available episodes (watched and unwatched) always start at Season 1, Episode 1.

I'm also binge watching Grey's Anatomy... Currently on Season 10. A workaround solution is to use the Apple TV Netflix app... Which does every you want it to do.

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

It's pretty clear that nobody in senior management bothered to use this product prior to launch. You'd hope that Tim Cook would spend a significant amount of time banging on every new product before it's released, but it doesn't appear that he has the same philosophy as Jobs in this department. The flaws in Apple TV are glaring and point to a major problem in how that department and/or Apple as a whole is structured.

Tim Cook should apologize for this travesty. Apple TV solves no problems and does not improve the experience compared to the other boxes out there - Roku, Android TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, etc. Apple TV is a "me too" product when it could have been a class leading product. It's 3 years too late and many features short of a full deck. Apple needs to go back to the drawing board in a big way.

I suspect that Apple TV 4 was supposed to be something different. I suspect the interface shouldn't have looked the way it does. Apple was planning on bundling channels, etc., and those plans fell through. I suspect the interface and software that we are looking at was kludged together at the last minute when they had to throw Plan A out the window. What we have in front of us is Plan B.

 

[WigWag Workshop]

Wish someone would start a thread "Things I love about the new ATV" LOL. Seriously though, I can't find one thing wrong with ATV4. Everything I have thrown at it, has worked flawlessly.

 

[topdrawer]

i hate the remote. the skip forward by clicking works about 1 out of 5 times. everytime i pick up the remote, it is upside down and i inadvertently press buttons because it's too sensitive.

the interface leaves a lot to be desired too. i hate the new netflix app and i hate the new on screen keyboard. the single line alphabet is torture to use quickly. i want the name and address of whoever came up with that one.

 

[2010mini]

i hate the remote. the skip forward by clicking works about 1 out of 5 times. everytime i pick up the remote, it is upside down and i inadvertently press buttons because it's too sensitive.

the interface leaves a lot to be desired too. i hate the new netflix app and i hate the new on screen keyboard. the single line alphabet is torture to use quickly. i want the name and address of whoever came up with that one.

You do know Apple is not responsible for the Netflix app right? The app actually follows all other Netflix UIs

 

[Uofmtiger]

My main complaint was lack of the Podcast app, but that has been remedied.

 

[fpnc]

The remote is, simply put, a travesty. More specifically, it's poorly shaped and sized and I've yet to see any advantages to the touch surface. I guess the touch surface could have utility in games, but frankly in its current form it just makes navigation and selection more difficult than it should be and that's 90% or more of what I use it for.

Keep Siri (I guess it will eventually be useful) and the gyro and accelerometer, bring back the standard navigation controls (lose the touch pad), add backlighting to the keys (with an option to be turned on automatically when the remote is moved), and make the shape less symmetrical with buttons that have obvious tactile differences. For the backlight you can make the body of the remote slightly thicker and use that for a larger battery and to design a shape that is easier to hold.

Pretty simple, design 101, and Jonathan Ive should be ashamed if he had anything to do with the design of the Siri remote.

 

[topdrawer]

You do know Apple is not responsible for the Netflix app right? The app actually follows all other Netflix UIs

i do know, but with the previous apple tv restrictions, the current netflix app wouldn't be possible. i don't blame apple for netflix, just saying i don't like it.

 

[2010mini]

The remote is, simply put, a travesty. More specifically, it's poorly shaped and sized and I've yet to see any advantages to the touch surface. I guess the touch surface could have utility in games, but frankly in its current form it just makes navigation and selection more difficult than it should be and that's 90% or more of what I use it for.

Keep Siri (I guess it will eventually be useful) and the gyro and accelerometer, bring back the standard navigation controls (lose the touch pad), add backlighting to the keys (with an option to be turned on automatically when the remote is moved), and make the shape less symmetrical with buttons that have obvious tactile differences. For the backlight you can make the body of the remote slightly thicker and use that for a larger battery and to design a shape that is easier to hold.

Pretty simple, design 101, and Jonathan Ive should be ashamed if he had anything to do with the design of the Siri remote.

Interesting.... I find the remote very useful and its simple design refreshing. All the current remotes out there Are cluttered with buttons. And some of those buttons do the exact same things. This remote is simple.... Navigation, volume, return, and home.

My 6 year old figured it out within minutes.

 

[Uofmtiger]

Interesting.... I find the remote very useful and its simple design refreshing. All the current remotes out there Are cluttered with buttons. And some of those buttons do the exact same things. This remote is simple.... Navigation, volume, return, and home.

My 6 year old figured it out within minutes.

I don't hate it nearly as much as fpnc, but I am not a fan of the symmetry. I pick it up the wrong way half the time, so I have to look at it be for touching keys. I can live with it because I typically only use it for Siri and use SimpleControl or a Harmony if I don't need Siri. For games, especially those that have wifi like controls, it is too small and light. I bought a nimbus, but I would prefer a better, heavier remote with Siri. If Siri was implemented in the iPhone or a new Harmony, I would go with one of those options most of the time.

It isn't that it is difficult to figure out. It is very basic. It was also great for setting up my receiver volume. It is just too small and too symmetrical for my taste. However, the AppleTV works for my needs and now that I have the podcast app back, I am pretty happy with it.

 

[charlituna]

* The physically symmetric remote. There is no substantial physical cue for feeling the difference between the remote being held right side up vs. upside down by touch. This leads to frequently experiencing an exit to the home screen when a pause was intended.

I'm curious about where you got that remote. Cause i got my Apple TV in the US and the remote is not symmetric. Not only are the textures of the top and bottom different but the volume button is a full oval on the right side and the play/pause and Siri are little round buttons on the left side. I really don't like it and I'd rather have a symmetric remote. I don't like the two sides being different as if they think I should be able to tell them apart from the size of the buttons. I want them all the same

 

[Uofmtiger]

I'm curious about where you got that remote. Cause i got my Apple TV in the US and the remote is not symmetric. Not only are the textures of the top and bottom different but the volume button is a full oval on the right side and the play/pause and Siri are little round buttons on the left side. I really don't like it and I'd rather have a symmetric remote. I don't like the two sides being different as if they think I should be able to tell them apart from the size of the buttons. I want them all the same

Personally, I have a bigger problem with the size and weight. I prefer the Roku remote even with the wasteful Rdio button. To be honest, I much prefer using a universal remote rather than having a bunch of remotes laying around for voice controlled search. If Apple gave us a way to use AppleTV Siri with the iPhone/iPad (or opened it up to harmony), that would be ideal.

Just not sure how the phone would distinguish Siri on the phone from Siri on the AppleTV. If they gave them different names or, better yet, allowed user defined names, that problem could be solved.

 

[Snoopy4]

It's pretty clear that nobody in senior management bothered to use this product prior to launch. You'd hope that Tim Cook would spend a significant amount of time banging on every new product before it's released, but it doesn't appear that he has the same philosophy as Jobs in this department. The flaws in Apple TV are glaring and point to a major problem in how that department and/or Apple as a whole is structured.

Tim Cook should apologize for this travesty. Apple TV solves no problems and does not improve the experience compared to the other boxes out there - Roku, Android TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, etc. Apple TV is a "me too" product when it could have been a class leading product. It's 3 years too late and many features short of a full deck. Apple needs to go back to the drawing board in a big way.

I suspect that Apple TV 4 was supposed to be something different. I suspect the interface shouldn't have looked the way it does. Apple was planning on bundling channels, etc., and those plans fell through. I suspect the interface and software that we are looking at was kludged together at the last minute when they had to throw Plan A out the window. What we have in front of us is Plan B.

The easiest fix would be for them to just build an app for mobile devices, to include an app for set top boxes. They'd make a killing.

 

[rhett7660]

The easiest fix would be for them to just build an app for mobile devices, to include an app for set top boxes. They'd make a killing.

Well if you are so inclined and like doing this type of thing, I switched over to iRule and have not looked back. I have my Cable, Blu-Ray, Receiver, TV, Sonos, Pandora, and AppleTV all running through it. Soon to be my air conditioning and lights.

The wife loves it, I love it, and heck even my mom wants it now. But again, it is for those that like to do stuff like this.

 

[Snoopy4]

Well if you are so inclined and like doing this type of thing, I switched over to iRule and have not looked back. I have my Cable, Blu-Ray, Receiver, TV, Sonos, Pandora, and AppleTV all running through it. Soon to be my air conditioning and lights.

The wife loves it, I love it, and heck even my mom wants it now. But again, it is for those that like to do stuff like this.

Interesting. Slick too.

 

[Uofmtiger]

Well if you are so inclined and like doing this type of thing, I switched over to iRule and have not looked back. I have my Cable, Blu-Ray, Receiver, TV, Sonos, Pandora, and AppleTV all running through it. Soon to be my air conditioning and lights.

The wife loves it, I love it, and heck even my mom wants it now. But again, it is for those that like to do stuff like this.

As I mentioned above, I use an app called SimpleControl (was renamed from Roomie Remote), which I believe is similar (haven't really looked into iRule,but I took a quick look at their website and it appears to be similar).

The downside is that SimpleControl has no access to the Siri/voice controls built into the AppleTV. It controls all of the other features, though. It also has a convenient Apple Watch app.

 

[rhett7660]

As I mentioned above, I use an app called SimpleControl (was renamed from Roomie Remote), which I believe is similar (haven't really looked into iRule,but I took a quick look at their website and it appears to be similar).

The downside is that SimpleControl has no access to the Siri/voice controls built into the AppleTV. It controls all of the other features, though. It also has a convenient Apple Watch app.

I missed your post about this. Yup, that is pretty much one of the things it does not do. I kinda wish apple would open up Siri to other applications. ohhh the possibilities.

 

[Odok]

I believe that whoever this product was internally tested with was too afraid to state their true opinions out of fear of reprisal by designers.

Wow now there's a leap. Someone projecting their own issues perhaps??

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

I like the new remote, except for button placement. I think the old remote was vastly superior in that aspect, as you knew exactly where everything was when you picked it up, without looking at it. With this one you have feel around and align it in your hand depending on where the volume buttons are.

It also looked better, with the round button placement, compared to the very unoriginal placement the current one has.

But functionality wise, I really dig it. Do feel the screen-button could have been left out though, and its functionality provided by the other buttons.

 

[wunnspeed]

Mostly, I really like the ATV. My one complaint is that to get it working as I believe it really should, I have to load most of the external (i.e. Plex, TV apps, etc.) on it instead of it coming with said apps. Granted, I'm thrilled that I'm even able to do that.
I like the remote quite a bit, especially compared to the old remote. It's still often tough to get it to do exactly what you'd like it to do. So, sometimes, I resort to my iPhone remote app as it actually seems to function better.

My hope is that they continue to develop the internal software as opposed to continually making new ATV's so that some of us that have been long time users get some of the benefit vs. only the newbies.

 

[applezulu]

Mostly, I really like the ATV. My one complaint is that to get it working as I believe it really should, I have to load most of the external (i.e. Plex, TV apps, etc.) on it instead of it coming with said apps. Granted, I'm thrilled that I'm even able to do that. ...

You realize, of course, that if it came with those apps pre-loaded, someone would be here complaining that they had to delete the ones they don't use.

 

[weeniewawa?]

if Steve was still alive, the remote would have been better. They all say he was just a ball buster but EVERYTHING was better when he was running the place. Also you can use the old remotes for the gen 4 ATV which makes it a little better

 

[JoeShades]

you can use any remote you want

 

[sinatik]

I had problems with the remote at first, but I got a case for it and all is good.