“The iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac all got some love from Apple at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, but the fourth of Apple’s platforms was largely left out in the cold: the Apple TV,” Dan Moren writes for Macworld.
“Indeed, the newest version of tvOS doesn’t even get its own page on Apple’s site—clicking links about it will simply take you to an updated page for the Apple TV 4K, released last September,” Moren writes. “On the face of it, sure, it’s understandable why the Apple TV and tvOS didn’t get a lot of attention: the set-top box is arguably the least ambitious of Apple’s products, and many of the roadblocks that the company has run into in terms of improving it have been stymied by the need to work with partners.”
“But that’s not to say that there aren’t still substantial changes that could be made to the platform,” Moren writes. “Here are just a couple of suggestions of things that Apple could improve.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: $1+ billion worth of love is on the way, but as far as hardware, this bit from Moren jives completely with our many Takes* regarding the awful Siri Remote:
The fundamental problem with the Apple TV’s Siri Remote is that it’s just not very well designed. From its symmetrical shape, it’s a product of Jony Ive’s seeming obsession with shiny black oblongs, to its small, easily-lost-in-couch-cushions size, it’s an elegant weapon for a more civilized age that we simply haven’t reached yet. It doesn’t survive contact with the real world.
More to the point, having to cast about and find a remote when you want to issue a voice command feels restrictive in a way that access to a ubiquitous voice assistant like the Echo or HomePod doesn’t. Imagine if those devices required a handheld external microphone—they probably wouldn’t have caught on the way that they have.
Long term, it would be nice to see Apple build HomePod-like Siri hardware directly into the set-top box, but in the meantime, it would be great if you could at least use the HomePod to control the Apple TV in the same way that you would use the Siri Remote.
With HomePods in the same rooms as our Apple TVs, we tried asking it to control the Apple TV initially, only to be disappointed.
It’d be great if Apple had some nice Apple TV hardware improvements to go along with their “Apple TV” streaming service when it debuts!
*With the Siri Remote, users can’t tell which end is up in a darkened room due to uniform rectangular shape. The remote is still too small, so it gets lost easily. All buttons are the same size and similarly smooth (the raised white ring around the menu button helps, but so barely it’s astounding that Apple even bothered; it’s a bandaid on a turd). The tactile difference between the bottom of the remote vs. the upper Glass Touch surface is too subtle as well; this also leads to not being able to tell which end is up. A larger remote, designed for hands larger than a 2-year-old’s with a simple wedge shape (slightly thicker in depth at the bottom vs. the top), as opposed to a uniform slab, would have instantly communicated the proper orientation to the user.
If Jony Ive “designed” the Siri Remote, he should forfeit his knighthood**.
**But we all know Jony has been obsessed with Apple Park for many years now and likely never even saw the piece of shit remote before they threw it in the box. — MacDailyNews, September 25, 2017
SEE ALSO:
Apple wants to spend $1 billion on 10 original TV shows over the next year – August 16, 2017
Do yourself a favor and just get a ROKU ultra instead. So much better on so many levels.
Have both and both could use improvements, but the Roku does more and is not chained to the Apple ecosystem.
Had an Ultra before I bought the ATV 4K. Not having Dolby Vision on the Roku was a deal breaker for me, to take advantage of my tv with DV. Also, using the same cables and connecting both thru my receiver, I find more issues with the Roku. ATV is faster for what I use it for too. Definitely some growing pains with the ATV 4K, but most have been resolved.
I do prefer Roku’s remote, especially with the headphones option. Great for listening late at night.
The remote really is a complete piece of shit!
agree…the remote is a piece of shit
the ecosystem is part of the appeal but they need to open up the sdk so others can do more with it. absolutely needs a better remote
I guess none of you geniuses use the Apple TV remote app on your iPhones, Apple Watches or iPads then?
Cmon MDN and peeps above, you’re all so smart but you forgot about the remote app which has been around for donkeys years?
Apple is do stubborn at times telling people what they wnt before they know it is great but insisting upon it well after people tell them it’s not what they want in use is just rediculous.
As for AppleTV and TvOS I guess in usual Apple fashion it will sit in stasis untill the streaming platform is launched to try to add impact.