Apple polls customers for feedback on streaming video & Apple TV

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited June 2016
Apple is hunting for feedback on streaming video, presumably to help decide on a future direction for the Apple TV and/or video in general, AppleInsider learned on Thursday.




A email survey sent to AppleInsider first asked about a recent iPad purchase, but then launched into a series of questions about streaming video. These included which devices were being used for streaming, and several about the Apple TV, among them satisfaction and when a fourth-generation unit was bought.

Hardware appears to be the focus of Apple's interest, since a later question asked about the likelihood of buying another streaming media player.

Until recently the company has put relatively little emphasis on the Apple TV, referring to it as a "hobby" and only updating it periodically, instead of annually like Macs and iPhones.

The fourth-generation model has been treated more seriously though, with upgrades like Siri and a native App Store, plus much more extensive marketing. The survey could be meant to gauge things like the overall success of the Apple TV and the best time to launch a fifth-generation model.

In May, one report suggest that Apple's rumored Amazon echo competitor could instead be just an upgraded Apple TV with its own microphone and speaker array. No timetable was given, though other rumors have hinted at 2017.

It's not clear what else Apple would change. One possibility might be 4K support, since iPhones already support shooting in that resolution.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 41
    I received an email today. Just submitted the latest survey to 'em.
  • Reply 2 of 41
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Bring down the price of ATV4 in Europe and it would be more popular here. I think it currently starts at €179. Seeing as these don't sell in smartphone quantities I think Apple should reduce the price and target market share Apple TV growth over large per unit hardware profits, with a goal to profiting from app sales and services longer term on this device.
    edited June 2016
  • Reply 3 of 41
    zroger73zroger73 Posts: 787member
    My survey focused more on software and how I actually use my Apple TV. It didn't ask about future purchases. Some questions may depend on answers to previous questions or not all surveys are the same.
    edited June 2016
  • Reply 4 of 41
    TurboPGTTurboPGT Posts: 355member
    ireland said:
    Bring down the price of ATV4 in Europe and it would be more popular here. I think it currently starts at €179. Seeing as these don't sell in smartphone quantities I think Apple should reduce the price and target market share Apple TV growth over large per unit products with a goal to profiting from app sales and services over hardware.
    Cost isn't an issue. It's already within reach at sub > $200. Apple TV requires a paradigm shift in the individual away from cable, to streaming. To really take advantage of it, it needs to be the primary, or only, thing you use.
    lolliver
  • Reply 5 of 41
    mj webmj web Posts: 918member
    Make it 4K and redesign it with some J-IVE"wow" factor and I'll upgrade from my old "hobby" ATV, which wasn't nearly as ugly as the current stubby model.
    edited June 2016
  • Reply 6 of 41
    zroger73 said:
    My survey focused more on software and how I actually use my Apple TV. It didn't ask about future purchases. Some questions may depend on answers to previous questions or not all surveys are the same.
    My survey was more along the lines of Apple TV3 and will I cut the cord from cable company.
  • Reply 7 of 41
    stompystompy Posts: 408member
    ireland said:
    Bring down the price of ATV4 in Europe and it would be more popular here. I think it currently starts at €179. Seeing as these don't sell in smartphone quantities I think Apple should reduce the price and target market share Apple TV growth over large per unit hardware profits, with a goal to profiting from app sales and services longer term on this device.
    179 is a lot, even if you account for the VAT figured into the price. 40% higher than the US no tax price? Isn't VAT around 20%? I know Apple tries to preserve margins by accounting for fluctuations in currency exchange rates over the life of the product, but wow...

    I'd like to see a healthier AppleTV app store, I don't know if the current and announced subscription services will move the needle, but I hope something does soon.
  • Reply 8 of 41
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    Just buyout TiVo already.
    mike1
  • Reply 9 of 41
    I have third generation. I've never understand why, with a purported 8GB cache, it never seems to cache anything, including content streamed from iMac server, content streamed from Apple, and content streamed from Netflix. Scan a bit forward or backward, and prepare to wait while it thinks about it.

    I suppose it could just be a matter of limited processing power but have yet to procure the answer to my enduring mystery of the age.
    lostkiwi
  • Reply 10 of 41
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    I have third generation. I've never understand why, with a purported 8GB cache, it never seems to cache anything, including content streamed from iMac server, content streamed from Apple, and content streamed from Netflix. Scan a bit forward or backward, and prepare to wait while it thinks about it.
    What do you mean? Of course it does. It preloads what you're watching so that you can skim it more efficiently. That's what the white part of the bar is.

    Try a factory reset if you're not getting that.
    king editor the gratelolliver
  • Reply 11 of 41
    I have third generation. I've never understand why, with a purported 8GB cache, it never seems to cache anything, including content streamed from iMac server, content streamed from Apple, and content streamed from Netflix. Scan a bit forward or backward, and prepare to wait while it thinks about it.
    What do you mean? Of course it does. It preloads what you're watching so that you can skim it more efficiently. That's what the white part of the bar is.

    Try a factory reset if you're not getting that.
    Well, I get that it won't play without a buffer. However, with 8GB as a cache, it should be able to download the entirety of a long movie. But when I fast-forward or (fast) reverse, I get the spinner while it buffers. It seems odd watching a 23-minute show on Netflix that going back 20 seconds forces a rebuffering.
    tallest skillostkiwigoodbyeranch
  • Reply 12 of 41
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    TurboPGT said:

    Cost isn't an issue. It's already within reach at sub > $200.
    Within reach? Yeah, OK. It's €179 here for an ATV4. Gamers choose consoles and streamers have much cheaper options. Everyone's going Chromecast on Android box in this country. I've an ATV3 but I don't know anyone else with one.
  • Reply 13 of 41
    qmac73qmac73 Posts: 4member
    I have a fire stick because I can stream content pretty much immeditely. I had an appletv and ditched it because it took so long to load content (even when streaming from my mac), regardless of speed of connection.
    king editor the gratebobschlobgoodbyeranch
  • Reply 14 of 41
    zroger73zroger73 Posts: 787member
    I have third generation. I've never understand why, with a purported 8GB cache, it never seems to cache anything, including content streamed from iMac server, content streamed from Apple, and content streamed from Netflix. Scan a bit forward or backward, and prepare to wait while it thinks about it.
    What do you mean? Of course it does. It preloads what you're watching so that you can skim it more efficiently. That's what the white part of the bar is.

    Try a factory reset if you're not getting that.
    Before I moved and switched Internet providers, my ATV 3 was lucky to stream without buffering, let alone preload anything. Now, it'll preload a 2-hour movie in minutes. I've never noticed a delay in "scanning". In fact, it always impressed me how quickly the ATV 3 would preview while moving then start playing once resumed. The ATV 4 is even better. ANY ATV I've had has been FAR better than any "smart" TVs or Blu-Ray players I've used to stream content.
    tallest skilgoodbyeranchbrometheus
  • Reply 15 of 41
    I told them I wanted a faster horse.
    goodbyeranchunbeliever2
  • Reply 16 of 41
    brucemcbrucemc Posts: 1,541member
    What do you mean? Of course it does. It preloads what you're watching so that you can skim it more efficiently. That's what the white part of the bar is.

    Try a factory reset if you're not getting that.
    Well, I get that it won't play without a buffer. However, with 8GB as a cache, it should be able to download the entirety of a long movie. But when I fast-forward or (fast) reverse, I get the spinner while it buffers. It seems odd watching a 23-minute show on Netflix that going back 20 seconds forces a rebuffering.
    I won't comment on the ATV buffering ability in general, as I don't have any deep knowledge there, but what you describe is all about Netflix.  They choose not to let the client store the content - it is streamed, viewed, and then shortly discarded by the client app.  It doesn't preload what you are watching.  It is the same on any device, if you notice.
    nolamacguygoodbyeranchunbeliever2
  • Reply 17 of 41
    brucemcbrucemc Posts: 1,541member

    bobschlob said:
    Just buyout TiVo already.
    Skating to where the puck was.
  • Reply 18 of 41
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    brucemc said:
    Skating to where the puck was.
    Just for any patents they might have that would keep Apple out of the market.

    TiVo and tvOS, together at last.*

    *warning: contents may include less than 0.0000001% TiVo
    king editor the grate
  • Reply 19 of 41
    brucemc said:
    Well, I get that it won't play without a buffer. However, with 8GB as a cache, it should be able to download the entirety of a long movie. But when I fast-forward or (fast) reverse, I get the spinner while it buffers. It seems odd watching a 23-minute show on Netflix that going back 20 seconds forces a rebuffering.
    I won't comment on the ATV buffering ability in general, as I don't have any deep knowledge there, but what you describe is all about Netflix.  They choose not to let the client store the content - it is streamed, viewed, and then shortly discarded by the client app.  It doesn't preload what you are watching.  It is the same on any device, if you notice.
    Ah! That's interesting. I'll chalk that up to their failure then. Unfortunately, I have same issue streaming from Apple. (And iMac, although I suspect some of that is due to hard-drive spinning.

  • Reply 20 of 41
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    bobschlob said:
    Just buyout TiVo already.
    Too late. Tivo was just purchased by Roku. However, they could buy Roku, keep the Tivo brains and throw away all the Roku garbage.
    lostkiwi
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