Video shows 4th-gen Apple TV unboxed ahead of October debut

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited September 2015
A video posted to YouTube on Friday claims to show the first unboxing of Apple's fourth-generation Apple TV set-top box with included Siri Remote, a device not due out until October.




Andru Edwards of GearLive got his hands on what appears to be a legitimate production version of Apple's just-announced Apple TV, complete with packaging and accessories, which he proceeded to unbox on camera.

Since Apple already posted a glut of high-resolution photos to its website, not to mention the extensive device overview and demonstration provided at Wednesday's special event, today's video fails to provide much in the way of new information. Edwards also does not connect the device to an HDTV or power it on, which would have given insight into how the box operates outside of Apple's optimal demo conditions.

What can be gleaned from the four-minute video below is confirmation of what Apple announced two days ago. The device comes packed with a Siri Remote, Lightning cable (sans wall charger) for charging said remote and a black power cord. The Siri Remote is constructed out of aluminum with a glass touchpad and what sounds like tactile "clicky" buttons. Also present are two microphones, one embedded in the touchpad and another on the remote's back.





The new set-top streamer integrates powerful Siri support with cross-service content search, a dedicated App Store, the aforementioned remote control and various internal improvements like an overclocked A8 CPU and faster 802.11ac wireless communications. For gamers, Apple TV will support MFi controllers, including the new SteelSeries Nimbus.

Apple is slated to launch the new Apple TV with Siri Remote in October. A version with 32GB of storage will sell for $149, while a larger capacity 64GB variation will go for $199.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 56

    Unfortunately this will be the first Apple product I'll purchase through grey market because of Siri Remote.

  • Reply 2 of 56
    matrix07 wrote: »
    Unfortunately this will be the first Apple product I'll purchase through grey market because of Siri Remote.

    Grey market? How does that make it better for you over purchasing from Apple or an authorized reseller?
  • Reply 3 of 56
    Higher clocked. Overclocking means to run above specs.
  • Reply 4 of 56
    mr omr o Posts: 1,046member

    Can someone explain me the difference between the 'menu' and the 'home' button on the ? TV remote?

     

    It looks like they could simplify the remote even further?

  • Reply 5 of 56
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post





    Grey market? How does that make it better for you over purchasing from Apple or an authorized reseller?



    If I purchase from Apple or authorized reseller I will get a generic remote control instead.

    http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/09/09/apple-tv-siri-remote-availability/

  • Reply 6 of 56
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    The Siri Remote is the main reason to buy the product. Until we get the Siri Remote included in the box in my country I won't be getting the new ?TV. It makes no sense not to include it. The product is far worse without it. Sure, Siri may not be as accurate, but we've had Siri on our iPhones for years now in other countries. I use it all the time to type on my iPhone. Not to mention the swipe part of the controller is the main reason I want it.
  • Reply 7 of 56
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    mr o wrote: »
    Can someone explain me the difference between the 'menu' and the 'home' button on the ? TV remote? It looks like they could simplify the remote even further?

    Too minimal and you lose valuable features. Without volume buttons the remote would be 'simpler' but you then need to get out the TV remote to adjust volume.

    The home button takes you to the home screen in one click. The menu button takes you one step backwards. Perhaps they should have taken this opportunity to rename it the back button. Here's the sort of thing you can do with Menu: say your viewing a two-up stream in At Bat and you devide you want stats on the focused steam, well you click the Select (trackpad) button to view just that stream and its stats and then you decide you want to view the two streams again. Well you click Menu and your back to where you were.
  • Reply 8 of 56
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post



    The Siri Remote is the main reason to buy the product. Until we get the Siri Remote included in the box in my country I won't be getting the new ?TV. It makes no sense not to include it. The product is far worse without it. Sure, Siri may not be as accurate, but we've had Siri on our iPhones for years now in other countries. I use it all the time to type on my iPhone. Not to mention the swipe part of the controller is the main reason I want it.

     

     

    ""One package for everyone/everywhere"

     

    that they choose to disable siri for non-english countries is another issue --> some of us, do actually speak "siri friendly english" anyway :-)

  • Reply 9 of 56
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post

     

    If I purchase from Apple or authorized reseller I will get a generic remote control instead.

    http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/09/09/apple-tv-siri-remote-availability/


    That's not ideal, not at all. It says Apple Remote will be included instead, what, like the Siri Remote with one less button, or that button grey'd out? Will it start working later? Or is it a completely different remote?

     

    Will the system work normally if you replace it with a Siri Remote?

     

    How is Apple planning to turn on support in those countries, will people be forced to replace their remote and update the software?

     

    Any idea the premium you're going to have to pay to get a proper version of the system??

  • Reply 10 of 56
    matrix07 wrote: »

    If I purchase from Apple or authorized reseller I will get a generic remote control instead.
    http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/09/09/apple-tv-siri-remote-availability/
    Everyone gets the same remote. The only difference is its name, and Siri won't work.
  • Reply 11 of 56
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    Not sure I like the look of those buttons.  I think the current Apple TV has a great aesthetic and tactile feel to its concave and convex buttons, these ones look flatter, chunkier, more pronounced, and more plasticky.

  • Reply 12 of 56
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post

     



    If I purchase from Apple or authorized reseller I will get a generic remote control instead.

    http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/09/09/apple-tv-siri-remote-availability/


    Siri is the first thing that gets switched off on my iDevice. I don't want the world (or anyone within earshot) to know my business.

  • Reply 13 of 56
    Siri is the first thing that gets switched off on my iDevice. I don't want the world (or anyone within earshot) to know my business.

    I'm pretty sure that your neighbours are more likely to hear the movie or game blaring from your TV over you talking normally to a microphone in your hand
  • Reply 14 of 56
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by cy_starkman View Post





    I'm pretty sure that your neighbours are more likely to hear the movie or game blaring from your TV over you talking normally to a microphone in your hand



    That might be true but on the Underground doing a 'Hey Siri' is an invitation for those around you to listen in on your business.

    Sorry but IMHO this is one bit of technology I can do without. I do have some track record in this area because I did an MSc in Voice Recognition in the early 1990's. I came to the conclusion then that yes it has an application but in its own time and place. On my iPhone/iPad or ATV is not one of those. I even stop my car to make calls even though it has hands free kit.

    Mind you, I',m a certified Grumpy Old Man so my opinion does not count at all.

  • Reply 15 of 56
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member

    Any idea the premium you're going to have to pay to get a proper version of the system??

    Could be an extra $30.00 at least.

    Couldn't understand how this will help sale in those countries.
  • Reply 16 of 56
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member
    Siri is the first thing that gets switched off on my iDevice. I don't want the world (or anyone within earshot) to know my business.

    Not me. I find it's a joy to use. And with a Remote that's very hard to type, it's a no brainer.
  • Reply 17 of 56
    I'm not a fan of the industrial design. The former model's proportions seemed pleasing-this, not so much. If they needed the height for wifi, perhaps they could have done a more narrow base. Perhaps they could have used aluminum? Or even white plastic, to match the AirPort Extreme/Time capsule product family.

    This is more likely to match consumers' preexisting A/V components for sure, but Apple had an opportunity to completely redesign it. The industrial design still speaks "hobby".
  • Reply 18 of 56
    And the interior packaging looks cramped and cheap. They should have used black, not white, interior inserts and a custom black lightning cable. You can't always justify outsized hardware markups on the basis of software. The hardware needs to reflect that also.
  • Reply 19 of 56
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    carthusia wrote: »
    I'm not a fan of the industrial design. The former model's proportions seemed pleasing-this, not so much. If they needed the height for wifi, perhaps they could have done a more narrow base. Perhaps they could have used aluminum? Or even white plastic, to match the AirPort Extreme/Time capsule product family.

    This is more likely to match consumers' preexisting A/V components for sure, but Apple had an opportunity to completely redesign it. The industrial design still speaks "hobby".

    I am wondering about the durability of the remote's glass panel. I drop my remotes routinely. I sit on them, they bounce of furniture and get knocked off tables, and sometimes the dog takes them. So hopefully the glass panel is the strongest gorilla glass yet. I wonder if we'll see third party cases to help protect them.

    But I agree, I wish they would have taken the all aluminum approach like the original ATV remote, perhaps annodized Space gray like the iPhone -- or heck, how much would it have cost them to offer it in gold too? As sad as it sounds, I bet that would have sold a few new ATV upgrades by itself.

    Maybe Apple will treat this like the dock for the original iPhone, and drop the remote from the bundled packaging, offering 4 annodized aluminum colors with black or white touch panels to go with a customers decor ... No reason they can't offer them individually for the same price they sell them together.
  • Reply 20 of 56
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    ireland wrote: »
    Too minimal and you lose valuable features. Without volume buttons the remote would be 'simpler' but you then need to get out the TV remote to adjust volume.

    The home button takes you to the home screen in one click. The menu button takes you one step backwards. Perhaps they should have taken this opportunity to rename it the back button. Here's the sort of thing you can do with Menu: say your viewing a two-up stream in At Bat and you devide you want stats on the focused steam, well you click the Select (trackpad) button to view just that stream and its stats and then you decide you want to view the two streams again. Well you click Menu and your back to where you were.

    I'm with you, I've programmed my DirectTV remote to replace my existing ATV remote, and I constantly forget I've mapped the menu button to the menu button, because it's so counter intuitive to function.

    I'm still very confused about this remote ... It can control your TV volume, which is pretty much mandatory. But does it switch between TV sources? If it doesn't do that, then so much for replacing all of my remotes. I have to imagine Apple has set the stage for the first major improvement across TV manufacturers, a shift to touch panel navigation. But I do wonder if Apple will allow third parties to license their proprietary technology so "universal" remotes which include the ?TV functions can be sold.

    I think the most disappointing thing about the ?TV is that it doesn't allow you to feed all of your other video sources through it and select them through a single interface. Not having to switch AV sources and turn on other devices with their own remotes, as well as keep track of them, would improve my life considerably.
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