As people migrate away from cable to streaming, Apple TV -- at least a good, quality Apple TV -- is and will be needed more than ever.
In addition, Apple could (and I think should) also produce a Dolby Atmos system that ties into it. They should also be looking at gaming consoles to challenge XBox and Playstation.
But, Apple seems to be befuddled by the home: -- Their Homekit doesn't seem to have much interest or direction from management
-- Their Apple TV doesn't seem to get much interest or direction either.
-- Then instead of expanding and enhancing Homepod, they killed it.
Apple has so much cash that they are literally giving it away. But they won't invest in products to enhance the home despite so much potential there.
But it's also contradictory: They are investing Billions into Apple TV+ But, what are people supposed to watch it on? Comcast cable?
Lot's of TVs now come with an TV app built in. And there's a PlayStation app for TV. And a fair few Mac and iOS devices out there.
Yeh, I knew about the smart TVs that could run Apple TV+. But the ones I've seen were pretty crappy -- but they were also early models. They've probably improved since then.
I had a Gen 2 Apple TV that I didn’t use much. It disappeared when I moved a few years ago.
Just picked up an Apple TV 4K and it’s great! Got sick of futzing with connecting iPads to my monitor. The fact that it can handle all my streaming apps, like MHz Choice, makes it even better. Even better than that, my wife loves it! Just ordered a second one.
Oddly, it’s a little wonky connecting AirPod Pros, but works. The wonders of technology.
As people migrate away from cable to streaming, Apple TV -- at least a good, quality Apple TV -- is and will be needed more than ever.
In addition, Apple could (and I think should) also produce a Dolby Atmos system that ties into it. They should also be looking at gaming consoles to challenge XBox and Playstation.
But, Apple seems to be befuddled by the home: -- Their Homekit doesn't seem to have much interest or direction from management
-- Their Apple TV doesn't seem to get much interest or direction either.
-- Then instead of expanding and enhancing Homepod, they killed it.
Apple has so much cash that they are literally giving it away. But they won't invest in products to enhance the home despite so much potential there.
But it's also contradictory: They are investing Billions into Apple TV+ But, what are people supposed to watch it on? Comcast cable?
Lot's of TVs now come with an TV app built in. And there's a PlayStation app for TV. And a fair few Mac and iOS devices out there.
Yeh, I knew about the smart TVs that could run Apple TV+. But the ones I've seen were pretty crappy -- but they were also early models. They've probably improved since then.
I didn't know about PlayStation.
I have a recent one that runs it fine. Not as good as an AppleTV 4K. But good enough and better than my older ATV 4 (which is not 4K).
I enjoy using my tv 4K and would like to see Apple release a new Dolby Atmos HomePod or sound bar to use with it. Considering the recent Dolby Atmos Music announcements I would expect that new hardware will follow with the capability to make the most of this development.
LOL...what "strategy" do Amazon and Roku have for hardware? They're selling iterations of the same tech they've always sold.
Roku is built into millions and of TV’s. Amazon uses their hardware to support digital sales. Both are pretty dominant. I’d say they have sound strategies.
As people migrate away from cable to streaming, Apple TV -- at least a good, quality Apple TV -- is and will be needed more than ever.
In addition, Apple could (and I think should) also produce a Dolby Atmos system that ties into it. They should also be looking at gaming consoles to challenge XBox and Playstation.
But, Apple seems to be befuddled by the home: -- Their Homekit doesn't seem to have much interest or direction from management
-- Their Apple TV doesn't seem to get much interest or direction either.
-- Then instead of expanding and enhancing Homepod, they killed it.
Apple has so much cash that they are literally giving it away. But they won't invest in products to enhance the home despite so much potential there.
But it's also contradictory: They are investing Billions into Apple TV+ But, what are people supposed to watch it on? Comcast cable?
Apple won’t get into gaming consoles. The profit is on the games, not the console. They lose money for years on the hardware. Sony lost hundreds on the PS3 so they could push blu-ray and penetrate better than XBOX. Apple would be crazy to develop a game console.
They killed HomePod because it wasn’t worth the sales. It’s the their second failed home audio product…after the iPod HiFi. Both were great products that were overpriced and over-designed. They’ve resisted going this way with the TV.
As for TV+, it’s available on every big streaming device at this point. It’s not quite as snappy as an AppleTV, but it’s still good. The Apple TV is still a capable product that outperforms other streamers in quality and speed. I wouldn’t mind an expanded version with sound bar and/or UHD Blu-ray, but it would likely be twice the price. I don’t see what releasing a bare bones version would accomplish.
Apple’s core clientele are middle to upper income folks. These folks are looking to simplify, not further clutter their living rooms. That’s why, I think, Apple TV was never going to be a big seller. It’s not about it’s price - it’s about clutter and wiring. As much as I’ve ridiculed Gene Munster for his years’ long prediction of an impending actual Apple TV set, I think that would be the only way Apple could have succeeded in the living room. Apple should have sourced some 65”+ OLE panels from LG, added a thin & sexy frame to it, and built a user friendly UI on top. Add some HomePod like built-in speakers & Homkit hub capability (maybe even throw in a wi-fi router a la AirPort) and Apple would have had a huge success.
I've been hoping for a long time for a simple wireless Dolby distribution solution that doesn't require a proprietary speaker purchase, which has been typically so far at eye watering prices, questionable audio quality & risking proprietary software reliance, planned obsolescence & data mining.
Any wifi surround I have found required the purchase of a proprietary sound bar at a minimum, along with unknown data mining considerations - potentially building profiles of every user and what & when they watch...
I currently run Apple TV 4K+ to Airport Express to discrete dedicated audiophile amps & speakers - the audio quality seems excellent if limited to 2+2 channels.
Improvement requests if possible would be a persistent preference setting for AE/speaker selection & options for wireless surround sound, including ATMOS. I'd be in the market for more Airport Express if that came to pass...
This could potentially offer customers a wireless home theatre potential unrivalled by what seem very limited systems available to date, assuming Apple could offer true hardware privacy without iCloud, Siri and always on EQ 'ears' with this week's privacy questions in the news.
A HomePod may be excellent for what it is, however could it ever rival the audio quality of Klipshorns, and irrespective of compulsory links to Apple servers...
I think Apple's TV strategy is very good. The AppleTV hardware is top notch and their award winning shows are increasing in numbers globally. The challenge is that TV is very different in each country and AppleTV is Global. So this is going to be a marathon and not sprint to the finish line.
The AppleTV hardware is not meant to sell like the iPhone, it is there for people who want a great streaming experience and the AppleTV+ software runs on most smart TVs now so... The key is in the global TV services market. Not hardware.
In today's global TV landscape, you have to subscribe to multiple streaming services and Apple is well positioned. My most expensive subscription is YouTubeTV in the US at $65 a month and I mostly watch news and sports; so if Apple can get these 2 things covered then...
Old fashion cable tv is trying to compete with streaming but I think streaming will eventually win. We are still in a transition with lots of free ad supported streaming services coming on line and services like YouTube are awesome. Also lots of streaming deals like T-Mobile paying for Netflix and some cable companies pay for Amazon etc... It is very complex and will take time but Apple has staying power.
I remember when people said the ApplePay strategy was bad but Apple has quietly turned it into a global winner. Heck, Steve Balmer even thought that the iPhone strategy was bad. LOL.
I find this report disappointing, as I’ve long been a vocal advocate for Apple releasing a more powerful game-centric ATV. However, given the other reports about Apple cracking down on leaks and planting false rumors, this is one that I’m talking with a grain of salt.
Incidentally, earlier this summer I was staying at my brothers house out of town, and all he had were Roku and Fire sticks and boxes connected to his TV’s. It was then that I discovered a newfound appreciation for the ATV because of one single feature it has that many people (including me) seemingly overlook…The app switcher.
Those other devices, when you want to switch apps, you have to quit the program, return to the main menu, locate the new app, then navigate through to find what your looking for. Even if it’s in an app you were just using 5 minutes ago. So clumsy and time consuming. In the ATV, all you have to do is double click and swipe right. That’s it. So simple, so fast, so intuitive. And I realized that for all the reasons that people (including me) prefer the ATV to other solutions, this is one that never gets mentioned. But for me, this is now just one more reason why I will never switch to anything else.
LOL...what "strategy" do Amazon and Roku have for hardware? They're selling iterations of the same tech they've always sold.
Do you think a strategy of selling 4K stick for $40 pretty much justifies itself? Everyone knows about the Apple tax and many are willing to pay it, but Apple charges $179. The remote sounds great but it's hard to pass up $40 for the same basic functions.
I'm interested in the Apple TV to play Arcade games but Apple headlined the remote and mentions gaming as a bullet point, so wondering how much if a quality experience gaming is on a day to day level. I'm already wondering how my Xbox controller will take to being paired in the same room as the Xbox which will turn on every time I try to pair the controller with another device. And I've done some research and read the Apple controller doesn't have some features that using an Xbox controller does. So, is the gaming worth it.
The Apple TV has potential but honestly, there hasn’t been anything exciting about it as far back as memory serves. It sure as heck doesn’t mandate costing twice or more than competing products. Plus the new remote kinda stinks.
Exciting? Isn’t it enough that apple Tv offered simply the best streaming image on the planet as well as the best sound in the form of Dolby Atmos? Do you even know it does that?
Apple TV is simply brilliant if you know what it does
Apple’s core clientele are middle to upper income folks. These folks are looking to simplify, not further clutter their living rooms. That’s why, I think, Apple TV was never going to be a big seller. It’s not about it’s price - it’s about clutter and wiring. As much as I’ve ridiculed Gene Munster for his years’ long prediction of an impending actual Apple TV set, I think that would be the only way Apple could have succeeded in the living room. Apple should have sourced some 65”+ OLE panels from LG, added a thin & sexy frame to it, and built a user friendly UI on top. Add some HomePod like built-in speakers & Homkit hub capability (maybe even throw in a wi-fi router a la AirPort) and Apple would have had a huge success.
This is rationalization. Apple TV is simplifying both hardware and software. People who can afford home theater buy it. The middle class and above aren’t throwing away their sound bars, speakers, game consoles and receivers.
We have five AppleTVs driving five different brands of TVs/projectors. Using the shared Home Screen, we need understand only one interface and the experience is identical everywhere. All remotes are the same, all apps are in the same place, our favorites and histories are on all units, if we pause viewing in one place, we can pick it up in another. Does anyone else offer that?
Apple’s core clientele are middle to upper income folks. These folks are looking to simplify, not further clutter their living rooms. That’s why, I think, Apple TV was never going to be a big seller. It’s not about it’s price - it’s about clutter and wiring. As much as I’ve ridiculed Gene Munster for his years’ long prediction of an impending actual Apple TV set, I think that would be the only way Apple could have succeeded in the living room. Apple should have sourced some 65”+ OLE panels from LG, added a thin & sexy frame to it, and built a user friendly UI on top. Add some HomePod like built-in speakers & Homkit hub capability (maybe even throw in a wi-fi router a la AirPort) and Apple would have had a huge success.
This is rationalization. Apple TV is simplifying both hardware and software. People who can afford home theater buy it. The middle class and above aren’t throwing away their sound bars, speakers, game consoles and receivers.
The problem is APPLE TV SUCKS!!
What device can you give you almost lossless Dolby Vision streaming and Dolby Atmos like Apple TV.
just because your Chinese box can give you tons of pirated shit or your Google chrome cast is $5 and let’s You watch all the tired crap on Netflix doesn’t mean it’s the best lol
Apple’s core clientele are middle to upper income folks. These folks are looking to simplify, not further clutter their living rooms. That’s why, I think, Apple TV was never going to be a big seller. It’s not about it’s price - it’s about clutter and wiring. As much as I’ve ridiculed Gene Munster for his years’ long prediction of an impending actual Apple TV set, I think that would be the only way Apple could have succeeded in the living room. Apple should have sourced some 65”+ OLE panels from LG, added a thin & sexy frame to it, and built a user friendly UI on top. Add some HomePod like built-in speakers & Homkit hub capability (maybe even throw in a wi-fi router a la AirPort) and Apple would have had a huge success.
This is rationalization. Apple TV is simplifying both hardware and software. People who can afford home theater buy it. The middle class and above aren’t throwing away their sound bars, speakers, game consoles and receivers.
The problem is APPLE TV SUCKS!!
What device can you give you almost lossless Dolby Vision streaming and Dolby Atmos like Apple TV.
The Chromecast Ultra w/Google TV. It does it for $50.
Is it worth the price upgrading from a Apple TV 3 to the 4K or going for the Google Chromecast?
Yes. The Chromecast, like anything from Google, is a security and privacy nightmare masquerading as a functional peripheral. Does it work, and it is cheaper? Yes. Will you be further profiled and advertised to/manipulated by literally any entity or individual that wants to target you? ALSO YES.
Upgrading to the new one from the 3 is a no-brainer IMO. In addition to regaining features and apps like YouTube that are disappearing from the 3, you get:
* Dolby Vision/HDR10 support if your TV supports it * The ability to control both the TV and the Apple TV box with a single remote (which finally has a mute button!!) * Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio over AirPlay if you have HomePods (and coming this fall, HomePod minis) * A vastly better remote * eARC support for your other connected-to-the-TV devices (DVDs, consoles, etc) * Apple Arcade support * A three-month free trial of Apple TV+ if you don't already have it (So cheap! So good!) * Um, 4K ... and the superior Apple TV 4K interface, screen savers, and TV calibration * Little features I enjoy, ike "what did he/she say?", the TV app to let me know where something I want to watch is available, and the Apple Events app, which I am not sure is available on other stores/platforms.
The security and privacy aspects alone justify the higher price for me, but all these other features and that make the new Apple TV 4K a downright bargain in my eyes. The TV I own has a Roku interface (no longer connected to the internet) ... dear lord what a grossly inferior and spyware-like experience!
Those smaller stick units from Google and Amazon and Roku have their uses, I guess ... smaller to take with you when travelling, for sure ... but the trade-off is too much for me. My old Apple TV lasted many years, while my friends with cheaper sticks seem to replace them every 2-3 years for various reasons (mostly when one of the companies gets in a fight with one of the streaming app companies ... or they just "stop working one day.")
Comments
Just picked up an Apple TV 4K and it’s great! Got sick of futzing with connecting iPads to my monitor.
The fact that it can handle all my streaming apps, like MHz Choice, makes it even better.
Even better than that, my wife loves it! Just ordered a second one.
Oddly, it’s a little wonky connecting AirPod Pros, but works. The wonders of technology.
Any wifi surround I have found required the purchase of a proprietary sound bar at a minimum, along with unknown data mining considerations - potentially building profiles of every user and what & when they watch...
I currently run Apple TV 4K+ to Airport Express to discrete dedicated audiophile amps & speakers - the audio quality seems excellent if limited to 2+2 channels.
Improvement requests if possible would be a persistent preference setting for AE/speaker selection & options for wireless surround sound, including ATMOS. I'd be in the market for more Airport Express if that came to pass...
This could potentially offer customers a wireless home theatre potential unrivalled by what seem very limited systems available to date, assuming Apple could offer true hardware privacy without iCloud, Siri and always on EQ 'ears' with this week's privacy questions in the news.
A HomePod may be excellent for what it is, however could it ever rival the audio quality of Klipshorns, and irrespective of compulsory links to Apple servers...
The AppleTV hardware is top notch and their award winning shows are increasing in numbers globally.
The challenge is that TV is very different in each country and AppleTV is Global. So this is going to be a marathon and not sprint to the finish line.
The AppleTV hardware is not meant to sell like the iPhone, it is there for people who want a great streaming experience and the AppleTV+ software runs on most smart TVs now so... The key is in the global TV services market. Not hardware.
In today's global TV landscape, you have to subscribe to multiple streaming services and Apple is well positioned.
My most expensive subscription is YouTubeTV in the US at $65 a month and I mostly watch news and sports; so if Apple can get these 2 things covered then...
Old fashion cable tv is trying to compete with streaming but I think streaming will eventually win.
We are still in a transition with lots of free ad supported streaming services coming on line and services like YouTube are awesome.
Also lots of streaming deals like T-Mobile paying for Netflix and some cable companies pay for Amazon etc...
It is very complex and will take time but Apple has staying power.
I remember when people said the ApplePay strategy was bad but Apple has quietly turned it into a global winner.
Heck, Steve Balmer even thought that the iPhone strategy was bad. LOL.
Tv offered simply the best streaming image on the planet as well as the best sound in the form of Dolby Atmos? Do you even know it does that?
Apple TV is simply brilliant if you know what it does
GIVE A SH**!!
It’s sad that casual forum posters in 2016 had better ideas than Apple has executed in 2021.
AR, Gaming, FaceTime, Fitness and other huge multi-billion dollar industries are lost on Apple TV.
This is rationalization. Apple TV is simplifying both hardware and software. People who can afford home theater buy it. The middle class and above aren’t throwing away their sound bars, speakers, game consoles and receivers.
The problem is APPLE TV SUCKS!!
just because your Chinese box can give you tons of pirated shit or your Google chrome cast is $5 and let’s You watch all the tired crap on Netflix doesn’t mean it’s the best lol
again Porsche vs Kia
The Chromecast, like anything from Google, is a security and privacy nightmare masquerading as a functional peripheral. Does it work, and it is cheaper? Yes. Will you be further profiled and advertised to/manipulated by literally any entity or individual that wants to target you? ALSO YES.
Upgrading to the new one from the 3 is a no-brainer IMO. In addition to regaining features and apps like YouTube that are disappearing from the 3, you get:
* The ability to control both the TV and the Apple TV box with a single remote (which finally has a mute button!!)
* Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio over AirPlay if you have HomePods (and coming this fall, HomePod minis)
* A vastly better remote
* eARC support for your other connected-to-the-TV devices (DVDs, consoles, etc)
* Apple Arcade support
* A three-month free trial of Apple TV+ if you don't already have it (So cheap! So good!)
* Um, 4K ... and the superior Apple TV 4K interface, screen savers, and TV calibration
* Little features I enjoy, ike "what did he/she say?", the TV app to let me know where something I want to watch is available, and the Apple Events app, which I am not sure is available on other stores/platforms.
The security and privacy aspects alone justify the higher price for me, but all these other features and that make the new Apple TV 4K a downright bargain in my eyes. The TV I own has a Roku interface (no longer connected to the internet) ... dear lord what a grossly inferior and spyware-like experience!
Those smaller stick units from Google and Amazon and Roku have their uses, I guess ... smaller to take with you when travelling, for sure ... but the trade-off is too much for me. My old Apple TV lasted many years, while my friends with cheaper sticks seem to replace them every 2-3 years for various reasons (mostly when one of the companies gets in a fight with one of the streaming app companies ... or they just "stop working one day.")