First reviews say 4th-gen Apple TV is evolutionary step forward, has untapped potential

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 99
    thrang wrote: »
    Technically, the box can pass several forms of 4K video - that article has a lot of bloviation but ignores this. Certainly Apple will enable it at least for iPhone 4K videos...

    As I stated above, Apple provided a direct response to the question to Andy Ihnatko (and if I recall correctly, Ihnatko stated this in a Macbreak Weekly video podcast recently).
  • Reply 22 of 99
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post





    Those comments conflict with each other. Plus, even if it was a USB-A port, it doesn't mean that the port would have to supply power since it's only stated purpose is for diagnostics for Apple techs or other authorized repair shops.



    USB-C ports charge devices. I just assumed the USB port was there to charge the remote. I didn't realize it was for diagnostics. 

  • Reply 23 of 99
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,301member
    Siri not working with all search functions needs to be corrected in a forthcoming update.
  • Reply 24 of 99
    Most of the reviews I read were pretty "meh." It's fine for what it is, but nothing revolutionary or really worth upgrading your current ATV for. Maybe if it came with 4K functionality. Between my last gen ATV and Xbox One, all my bases are covered.
    I don't know what I was expecting so I'm not disappointed, but I'm not spurred to buy one myself or recommend one to anyone else.
  • Reply 25 of 99
    TV is simply massive. There probably is no way to change TV revolutionary. Only evolutionary. The iPod and iTunes also did not instantly revolutionise music, but it evolved it into what it is today, which, in retrospect was a revolution. It did not work instantly for music, because music was too big. Different with the iPhone. That was primarily a single piece of hardware technology, with which a revolution was instantly obvious (to most). TV is so big it can't change in an instant. I expect TV will now move to apps. Once that's beginning, more and more stations will realise they have to have apps to survive. This will be the tipping point for TV, and after that all TV will migrate to apps. This might take 2-4 years. Then we might see the revolution that happened for TV. There simply is no disruptive way for TV to change.
  • Reply 26 of 99
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    I have two ATV3's and recently sold two ATV2's. The ATV3 does everything I want right now and I can't see this new ATV4 bringing anything new until the apps start coming out. I think I'll wait for the ATV5 with Siri access everywhere and 4k.
    Why did you even bother upgrading your ?TV 2s? I have an ?TV 2 and it does everything my ?TV 3 does at work. The 4 definitely does more than either, and seems worth the upgrade comparatively.
  • Reply 27 of 99
    Does anybody know if the apple "remote" iPhone app will work with the new Apple TV? The keyboard makes text entry so much easier than hunting and pecking.
  • Reply 28 of 99
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    I think the Apple TV will suffer the same fate as the iPad and for the same reason. My theory for why the iPad is declining year after year is that people want to play games on it and (as TotalBiscuit pointed out this week ), for most categories of game, the touch screen just isn't that great. The reason being that pinpoint accurate controls are really needed for a lot of genre of games and are what makes them fun.

     

    Perhaps even moreso with the Apple TV, people will want to play games on it. And once again we see Apple shipping it with a controller that is not capable of pinpoint accuracy. 

     

    So yeah, get ready for another iPad-like sales chart. Unless movies and TV shows and non-game apps are enough to make it a success, but then the iPad has those too.

  • Reply 29 of 99
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ascii View Post

     

    I think the Apple TV will suffer the same fate as the iPad and for the same reason. My theory for why the iPad is declining year after year is that people want to play games on it and (as TotalBiscuit pointed out this week ), for most categories of game, the touch screen just isn't that great. The reason being that pinpoint accurate controls are really needed for a lot of genre of games and are what makes them fun.

     

    Perhaps even moreso with the Apple TV, people will want to play games on it. And once again we see Apple shipping it with a controller that is not capable of pinpoint accuracy. 

     

    So yeah, get ready for another iPad-like sales chart. Unless movies and TV shows and non-game apps are enough to make it a success, but then the iPad has those too.


     

    For a gamer, everything is a gaming device. For the rest, your arguments do not apply. So, you might be right for the share of iPad users that are gamers. For all others, you are wrong.

  • Reply 30 of 99
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    The App Store is the main reason, at least for those outside of of the USA, to buy a new Apple TV.

    Local content support was always shite on the old Apple TV's and this will redress the balance.

    It's just a shame that they didn't release a channel store years ago.
  • Reply 31 of 99
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MacApfel View Post

     

     

    For a gamer, everything is a gaming device. For the rest, your arguments do not apply. So, you might be right for the share of iPad users that are gamers. For all others, you are wrong.


    I'm not sure I quite follow. Are you saying that giving the iPad more accurate controls would not increase it's sales, because gamers will game on it anyway ("For a gamer, everything is a gaming device.")? I disagree, I think gamers buy the device that is best suited for playing the kind of games they like, and right now, for many category of game, that is not the iPad.

     

    I think Apple could get a boost in Apple TV and iPad sales by doing something as simple as bringing out an official Apple bluetooth game controller (third party ones do not have the same effect).

  • Reply 32 of 99
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    I have two ATV3's and recently sold two ATV2's. The ATV3 does everything I want right now and I can't see this new ATV4 bringing anything new until the apps start coming out. I think I'll wait for the ATV5 with Siri access everywhere and 4k. This is definitely not revolutionizing TV in it's current condition. They should have waited another year, polished Siri, signed all the content providers and solved the single login. That would have had a much bigger splash than this.
    My thoughts exactly! This device was released a year too soon. Both its hardware spec and firmware are behind the curve. I'm waiting another year for what this device should of offered today!
  • Reply 33 of 99
    So the new 4th Generation Apple TV has a USB-C port but the new iMac 5K's don't?Huh?
  • Reply 34 of 99
    helgehelge Posts: 11member
    4k eh?

    Just as with retina displays, it depends how far you are away from your screen. For a average living room scenario a decent 4k TV set needs to be about 4m x 2.25m or higher. (Your milage and living room may vary:) )

    4k TV Sets that have a smaller physical size just offer me pixels I cant see anyway. Its just as with the Samsung Android Phones. There is no point in a high density of pixels if they are way beyond of what you can see.

    Beside who has the bandwidth and network performance for 4k streaming?
    And yes,I mean streaming and not downloading to cache as iTunes on Apple TV does. (which is the best solution IMHO)

    It will be a long time till the networks are able to deliver 4k to many. Before that point we will see Internet connections with OoS for paying customers. Hopefully those ppl will then have a TV that is large enough for their 4k experience. But by that time we have probably the next standard coming up.

    Alas, just my opinion. I don't claim I am right - just I don't see any point in 4k if I cant proper use.
  • Reply 35 of 99
    thedbathedba Posts: 762member
    dukemeiser wrote: »
    Lack of Siri app search and lack of universal sign-in shows me that Steve Jobs has been dead for too long. These are the kind of things he would not have let ship until they were "perfect".
    Steve Jobs was alive when ATV2 was released and as far as I can remember, Netflix requires a password.
    This is the industry being so afraid to cede control to Apple.
    Of course all this results in a sub par experience.
  • Reply 36 of 99
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,310member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 1983 View Post





    My thoughts exactly! This device was released a year too soon. Both its hardware spec and firmware are behind the curve. I'm waiting another year for what this device should of offered today!

    You will likely be waiting two years (or more) for the ATV 5.

     

    Myself, I'm not seeing the significance of 4K until content catches up, so I'll be purchasing one tomorrow at my local Apple Store, assuming stock is on hand. At $150, It's a useful step up from the ATV 3 for me, and not really much of an outlay.

  • Reply 37 of 99
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ascii View Post

     

    I'm not sure I quite follow. Are you saying that giving the iPad more accurate controls would not increase it's sales, because gamers will game on it anyway ("For a gamer, everything is a gaming device.")? I disagree, I think gamers buy the device that is best suited for playing the kind of games they like, and right now, for many category of game, that is not the iPad.

     

    I think Apple could get a boost in Apple TV and iPad sales by doing something as simple as bringing out an official Apple bluetooth game controller (third party ones do not have the same effect).




    I agree with you here. I only wanted to state that I'm not sure what the iPad is mainly used for. If it were not gaming, then sales decline is related to other issues (probably long update cycles). I'm not sure, iPad is seen as a gaming device, and even with a dedicated controller I wouldn't expect much different sales. iDevice are more for casual gaming. The AppleTV might change gaming vor Apple. I doubt they'll try it with iDevices.

  • Reply 38 of 99
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 1983 View Post



    My thoughts exactly! This device was released a year too soon. Both its hardware spec and firmware are behind the curve. I'm waiting another year for what this device should of offered today!

    Oh goodness, lots of us have been waiting years for this update, another year would be yet another year longer than we've already waited! The App Store is what many of us have wanted for quite some time, that feature alone is worth the upgrade. The good news is that the device is cheap enough if they upgrade the device with something I can't do without, I'll sell the current one and upgrade to it, though I'm not sure exactly what this one lacks that would compel me to upgrade. I'm happy with it today, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it even more than I've enjoyed both my other ATVs (most used devices in the house).

  • Reply 39 of 99
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    I have a hard time believing serious gamers are looking to AppleTV for their gaming fix. I have no problem with AppleTV being geared towards more casual games. Apple has never been a company focused on gaming so I never expected the new AppleTV to focus on games. Serious gamers are buying either Xbox or PlayStation.
  • Reply 40 of 99
    dukemeiser wrote: »
    Lack of Siri app search and lack of universal sign-in shows me that Steve Jobs has been dead for too long. These are the kind of things he would not have let ship until they were "perfect".

    Given the nature of how 3rd party apps currently work, I don't see how a universal sign-in would even be implemented at this point. Each app runs its own subscription check. Open your iPhone and count how many apps and websites require a separate, unique login. Even AI forum requires a login. How could Apple grant full access to ALL paid apps using a universal sign-in? I have Netflix on at least 10 different devices. Each device required authentication and maintains a unique login. If you stay in the Apple ecosystem(iTunes, etc) then you can bounce around with ease. Until all providers cut themselves from packaged services, and go strictly a la cart, I don't see this being resolved.
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