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Last week, I wrote an article on "The state of the iPad", on which I received very good comments over the next few days. I thought I would take the time to write a similar article on Apple TV. The Apple TV was announced for the first time as iTV in 2006. Steve said his goal was to enjoy your iTunes media on your flat screen TV. While Apple TV has undeniably evolved over the past 12 years in scope, hardware and features, the original goal is still close. It aims to allow you to enjoy your digital content (not just iTunes) on your TV. How is the Apple TV? Is Apple TV better than Amazon Fire Stick and Roku?
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Apple TV Hardware
The physical hardware of the Apple TV is modest in size and has an appearance similar to that of the 2nd generation model released in 2010. You really can not distinguish them from an overall view . Although I want Apple to publish a cheaper "stick" model, I think they really took the form factor here. The Apple TV includes a wired Ethernet connection in a box that does not include an audible fan (which I am passionate about when it comes to TV boxes).
Physical ports have evolved over the years. While the original model included component video, the only ports to remain identical in all versions are HDMI, ethernet, and power.
I appreciate that Apple has kept the Ethernet port on the Apple TV despite the removal of several of its Ethernet products. My house wired Ethernet to all our TVs and I prefer to keep them wired. One remarkable thing missing on the Apple TV 4K is a USB-C port. If you need to restore it, you will have to contact Apple to exchange it (in the same way as the Apple Watch). It's a bad decision on the part of Apple.
Apple should revisit the Siri remote in the next version. Although the menu button of the white ring on the 4th generation model facilitates its use in the dark, it is always thinner than it should be. My family loses remote controls every week, and I've been thinking of attaching a mosaic tracker to the back for locating it. In my opinion, the Roku remote control is much better. It contains a similar button layout, but it is slightly thicker.
Overall, the Apple TV hardware is fantastic. I would love to see it evolve in the future. While Roku and Amazon offer several models (boxes and sticks), I would also like Apple to develop its hardware as well. I think there is room for an "Apple TV Stick" in the lower cost range.
Apple TV Software
tvOS is the software running on Apple TV. For most people, the software is the only part of the Apple TV they notice. The software consists of grid icons that can be rearranged using the Siri remote control. The Apple TV comes with Apple applications such as Apple Music, iCloud Photos, the TV app, and so on.
You can install applications such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, etc. The landscape of TV applications has evolved in the same way as smartphones. Between Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, they have pretty much the same collection of apps. If you encounter a situation where you are missing an app for which you purchased content (such as Google Movies on Apple TV), you can use Movies Anywhere to sync.
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Playing on Apple TV is a big disappointment. There is no other way to say it. From a hardware point of view, this is not a problem, but the software (the games) has not arrived yet. There is no Fortnite and developers have expressed concerns about the future of the platform.
Finally, developer Patrick Hogan told Ars that Apple needed to revitalize the game on Apple TV: include a "full" Apple brand controller with the device, market it as a gaming platform and "spend a lot of money ". money on the exclusives of funding platforms, ports and presence at each major salon and gaming conference to solve the chicken egg problem: getting customers to make it viable for developers. "
If Apple wants to sell more Apple TV, the market for leading (and exclusive) games is natural.
The TV application and the original content of Apple
The Apple TV app is marketed as a way to quickly find new content to watch.
Keep watching your favorite shows and movies, discover new content and search for new video applications. With the Apple TV app, you can do everything from one place.
I tried it a few times, but it never stuck. It does not include all applications to which we subscribe. He ends up being another place to check. It is clear that this application will become more critical in the future, however.
We've had information about Apple's original content plans for a while, and you do not think it's going to happen at any point in time. Will we see a big announcement with ten new shows starting at the same time, or will it be a slow trick? It's clear that Apple has big plans with original programming, so I'm curious to see how that goes.
Is Apple TV better than Amazon Fire Stick and Roku?
My house has five Apple TVs (all 4th generation models), so we are big users. I think it has the cleanest interface of all connected TV boxes. The remote is passable but could be much better. I think Apple has a lot of risks in this area. Roku and Amazon Fire have models that account for a third of the cost, and the integrated Smart TV software continues to improve. Apple's unique advantage lies in iTunes content, Apple Music integration and iCloud Photo support. If you are not part of the Apple ecosystem, you will not find much with Apple TV that you can not go elsewhere.
In the future, Apple's original content plans will change the trajectory of the device. If it fails, Apple TV will be no more than another connected TV box for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. If they end up creating the next Westworld, competitors will remain in the dust because the only way to get it will be on the Apple platform.
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