I bought an Apple TV (third gen) in 2012. But I sold it when the Roku 3 came out mainly because the ATV was confining as far as third-party content is concerned and I couldn't access Amazon Prime Instant Videos. My Roku 3 does everything my Apple TV does and more (I can access pretty much the entire library of Time Warner Cable HD content using the TWC app, so I don't even need a cable box in our bedroom).
Really? Including your iTunes content, iTunes Match, and iPhoto?
I don't use iTunes Match
All of my music is in MP3 format, and the Roku 3 scans my iTunes folder to get music
I use iPhoto, but only to view pictures from my iPhone on my MacBook Pro. I have no reason to look at pictures on my bedroom TV.
However, I should have stipulated that it does everything that "I" used my Apple TV for (streaming movies/music from my MacBook Pro) and more. An added bonus is being able to play sound through the Roku 3 remote using headphones so that I can watch TV/movies late at night without disturbing my wife. That alone is worth its weight in gold.
That's a feature I'm glad they dropped. It was confusing for people to be able to sync their content to their Apple TV or stream. With 802.11n is decent for HD video but with 802.11ac dropping this year with Apple (educated guess) we'll see 802.11ac get very popular from other vendors after that happens.
The one thing I wished they didn't get rid of is the ability to connect to a computer via the Apple TV with Home Sharing. Instead you seemingly can only connect by inputting your Apple ID and password which gives full access to the entire library, whether you want to or not.
That's a feature I'm glad they dropped. It was confusing for people to be able to sync their content to their Apple TV or stream.
What's confusing is why I can't attach an iTunes Library to the network and stream directly from an AirPort device instead of being forced to have a computer turned on and iTunes open. What's confusing is splitting up the store into three icons and compressing your actual library into one.
The one thing I wished they didn't get rid of is the ability to connect to a computer via the Apple TV with Home Sharing. Instead you seemingly can only connect by inputting your Apple ID and password which gives full access to the entire library, whether you want to or not.
Is not having that option anymore the reason why people jailbreak their ATV's and install XBMC?
I'm surprised they haven't started competing with Sonos. Among other reasons wireless speakers are a product many people would buy more than one of. Airplay begs for it. So what's the obstacle?
Remember the HiFi? No? Apple want you to keep it that way.
A TV version of AppleTV has got to be waiting on content owners much the same way music and book publisher were the key. I still hope they do an external version cause I can't convert to <65".
Actually I'd rather see an Apple TV with a Thunderbolt port. Then we would have an option of a single disk or a disk array. I'm really hoping that when Apple teamed up with Intel they got the right to make their own TB silicon. Either that or they switch to an Intel processor but I can't see that happening again.
It would be interesting to understand why they don't market it. I was in the Apple store yesterday and there was just one in the corner with a TV on a table. People who have it really like it and it ties you more into the Apple ecosystem. What about a few commercials or a better demo in the stores? What about a promotion where it is $50 with purchase of select other Apple products? My only possible guess is that they don't want too many messages out there or perhaps they want to do big marketing when the have their bigger solution and don't want to confuse the market by overly defining Apple TV now.
I think they don't market it, because the ATV they really have in mind will have a different feature set. So until this new ATV comes out, they won't market the old one, as they don't want to put off customers who bought the current ATV.
I went into Radio Shack the other day because I wanted to be able to hook up my iPad to flat screen TVs in various meeting rooms. For a 6' HDMI cable and the adapter for iPad to HDMI it ran about $50 each. For that I can buy an ATV and not be physically wired to the TV.
Or, you know, you could have went to monoprice.com and got them for $10.
Comments
You can't change the DNS on the Roku. No sale!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ireland
You can't change the DNS on the Roku. No sale!
Not an issue for me (I have absolutely no reason to chance the DNS), but to each his own
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mazda 3s
My Roku 3 does everything my Apple TV does and more ....
Really? Including your iTunes content, iTunes Match, and iPhoto?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ireland
Please use the word culture, not DNA. That's all RDF. It's called company culture, thinking, philosophy, not DNA.
http://hbr.org/2009/12/the-innovators-dna
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atashi
I love my Apple TV but it's starting to act up. I think the hard drive might be starting to go on it.
AppleTV hasn't got a hard drive. It's turtles all the way down.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Really? Including your iTunes content, iTunes Match, and iPhoto?
I don't use iTunes Match
All of my music is in MP3 format, and the Roku 3 scans my iTunes folder to get music
I use iPhoto, but only to view pictures from my iPhone on my MacBook Pro. I have no reason to look at pictures on my bedroom TV.
However, I should have stipulated that it does everything that "I" used my Apple TV for (streaming movies/music from my MacBook Pro) and more. An added bonus is being able to play sound through the Roku 3 remote using headphones so that I can watch TV/movies late at night without disturbing my wife. That alone is worth its weight in gold.
Originally Posted by chabig
AppleTV hasn't got a hard drive. It's turtles all the way down.
He has a first-gen.
It never should have dropped the hard drive.
That's a feature I'm glad they dropped. It was confusing for people to be able to sync their content to their Apple TV or stream. With 802.11n is decent for HD video but with 802.11ac dropping this year with Apple (educated guess) we'll see 802.11ac get very popular from other vendors after that happens.
The one thing I wished they didn't get rid of is the ability to connect to a computer via the Apple TV with Home Sharing. Instead you seemingly can only connect by inputting your Apple ID and password which gives full access to the entire library, whether you want to or not.
Because it's basically handicapped as a standalone device. It's dependent on the user having another iDevice to reach it's full potential.
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
That's a feature I'm glad they dropped. It was confusing for people to be able to sync their content to their Apple TV or stream.
What's confusing is why I can't attach an iTunes Library to the network and stream directly from an AirPort device instead of being forced to have a computer turned on and iTunes open. What's confusing is splitting up the store into three icons and compressing your actual library into one.
Is not having that option anymore the reason why people jailbreak their ATV's and install XBMC?
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasanman69
Is not having that option anymore the reason why people jailbreak their ATV's and install XBMC?
I don't believe the ATV3 has a jailbreak yet IIRC.
Remember the HiFi? No? Apple want you to keep it that way.
Glad they dropped it cause I'd need a 4TB by now.
A TV version of AppleTV has got to be waiting on content owners much the same way music and book publisher were the key. I still hope they do an external version cause I can't convert to <65".
Originally Posted by ChristophB
…cause I can't convert to <65".
That's one of the many reasons they shouldn't waste time, money, and effort making a television.
Actually I'd rather see an Apple TV with a Thunderbolt port. Then we would have an option of a single disk or a disk array. I'm really hoping that when Apple teamed up with Intel they got the right to make their own TB silicon. Either that or they switch to an Intel processor but I can't see that happening again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jhart376
It would be interesting to understand why they don't market it. I was in the Apple store yesterday and there was just one in the corner with a TV on a table. People who have it really like it and it ties you more into the Apple ecosystem. What about a few commercials or a better demo in the stores? What about a promotion where it is $50 with purchase of select other Apple products? My only possible guess is that they don't want too many messages out there or perhaps they want to do big marketing when the have their bigger solution and don't want to confuse the market by overly defining Apple TV now.
I think they don't market it, because the ATV they really have in mind will have a different feature set. So until this new ATV comes out, they won't market the old one, as they don't want to put off customers who bought the current ATV.
Yea appletv could be made better in so many easy ways, but when was it upgraded lastly? I mean even the software...
Or, you know, you could have went to monoprice.com and got them for $10.