Apple TV Wish List: 5 Things We'd Like to See on September 12th

While Apple September 12 event should be packed with new iPhones and one new Apple Watch, rumors do not show a new Apple TV. No, no Apple TV 8K, not even Fortnite.

I hope however that Apple does not completely ignore it. the Apple TV 4K is already one of my favorite streaming devices thanks to its advanced format support, its superb and useful Siri voice options. The non-4K version is just as smooth, but both could be better.

Beyond 4K YouTube – which I doubt that it will ever be available on the current 4K box because it lacks 4K of YouTube required VP9 video decoding – Here are some points I would like to see Apple deploy for its venerable streamer.

Dolby Atmos support beyond iTunes for Apple TV 4K

We already know the next Apple TV operating system, TVOS 12, will be add support for The best Dolby surround sound format at Apple TV 4K when he will come later this year. Apple claims that its iTunes service will have the world's largest library of Atmos titles, and that if a user has a title that will later add Atmos, this title will be updated for free.

However, only movies on iTunes will receive Atmos initially. It does not matter if Atmos is a big problem in the first place, it would be nice if other services with Atmos titles, like Netflix, Amazon and Vudu for example, update their Apple TV 4K applications to also add Atmos. Other 4K HDR streamers, like Roku and the Xbox One, offer Atmos for these services, and Apple should also if it wants to claim the supremacy of streaming for the Apple TV 4K.

New menus with universal navigation and watch list (with Netflix)

A new patent describes an updated menu system for Apple TV that focuses more on TV shows and movies, as opposed to the apps themselves. It looks good; The current interface of Apple TV seems outdated and feels trapped by the legacy of the iPhone. The new menus, according to the patent application, would provide a central place for users to continue to watch current videos, to find new ones and to obtain recommendations from several applications, without having to enter the individual applications themselves.

If you think that sounds very much like the current TV application on Apple TV, you're right. This app is great and many video services are included, but not Netflix. It also lacks popular applications such as Plex, YouTube, Vudu, Movies Anywhere. Live TV apps are also missing such as Sling TV, DirecTV Now and YouTube TV. Hopefully, Apple will have greater participation for its new interface than for its TV application.

& # 39; Find my Apple TV remote & # 39;

Roku put rangefinders on his boxes for a few years, and I love the feature. It works like this: press a button at the top of the box and the remote makes a noise, letting you find it among your sofa cushions or elsewhere.

I love the touch remote control of the Apple TV, especially the scrolling action of its touchpad, but it is super thin and easy to misplace. It lacks a speaker, so it can not make noise itself, but there should be a way to get an iPhone to locate the remote in a room. Right? Otherwise, Apple should offer a new replacement clicker with a search function.

Upcoming TV service provided with Apple Music

This is not technically limited to Apple TV, but nevertheless deserves to be mentioned. Apple should launch its video service in 2019 to compete with Netflix, Hulu and the rest. His invest $ 1 billion and has already announced more than a dozen shows and multiannual developments.

Why not let him ride more and more Apple Music successfully ($ 10, £ 10 and AU $ 12 per month)? You know, what Google did with YouTube Premium (aka YouTube Music with the previous Red service) but with things you might actually want to watch. Maybe Apple could throw in the lowest level of iCloud storage (1 dollar, 0.79 dollar and 1.49 Australian dollar per month for 50 GB) and offers a discount on the set.

I know that the words "Apple" and "discount" go together like "peanut butter" and "lobster", but in today's ultra-competitive broadcast world, he might need to # 39; s help. The video service will be billed below Netflix, which for HD streaming starts at $ 11, $ 8 and $ 14 a month, which seems to be $ 10 a month. If that's the case, a set of Apple TV, music and storage services could be very tempting at $ 15 a month.

A price reduction

Speaking of peanut butter lobster, the good old Apple TV 4K of $ 179, £ 179 or AU $ 249 could use a permanent discount a year after its launch. $ 150 sounds good to me, especially if it is paired with the non-4K version, which debuted in 2015, being hashed at $ 100 (read: $ 99). The superb 4K streamers like the Roku Streaming Stick Plus and Amazon Fire TV cost $ 70 in the US, so the Apple TV still feels "premium" at these prices, but at least it would come back in the conversation for the price way.

And while I'm dreaming, why not a new Apple TV Stick that lacks 4K and the remote for $ 50? Once upon a time old Apple TV case sold for $ 69, £ 59 and AU $ 109. Maybe we could see these days again.

Watch the iPhone XS event on September 12thWe'll be live Wednesday at 9 am Pacific time.

New iPhone XS 2018, iPhone X Plus, iPhone 9, iPhone XS Max: All the rumors of the price to specifications and the release date.