A lot has been written criticizing the new Apple TV. Chief among these were the limitations of the on-screen keyboard, the lack of an iOS app letting you use the keyboard from your iOS device to do your typing, and the inability to link a Bluetooth keyboard for that same purpose.
Fair points, all.
Yesterday, I got my Apple TV in the mail. My installation experience was great. Yes, I would have preferred a faster way of typing, but the whole installation took me about 10 minutes, including the time it took me to download apps for Netflix and HBO Go, and setup/login to both services.
One of the first things I did once I had control of the interface was disable password prompts for free and paid app downloads. I strongly recommend this approach. It will save you lots of typing. And, once you’ve got your Apple TV set up the way you like it, you can always re-enable password requirements as you like.
OK, on to the magic part.
The first bit of finery was when I noticed that I never typed in my WiFi password. Apple TV used my iOS device to do its initial setup, asking me to enable Bluetooth on my iOS device and place it near the Apple TV (my spot on the couch was close enough). Somehow, in all that setup, my WiFi password (which is a wicked-long series of random characters) was entered for me. Magic that I appreciated.
I didnt recognize the second bit of magic until long after the install was finished. Though I never did a thing to enable this, my Apple TV remote volume controls worked on my TV. I’ve heard a number of different explanations as to how this was possible (some IR magic, or a protocol embedded in the HDMI connection), but it doesn’t matter. It just worked. More magic.
So, I hear the thing about the keyboard, and I absolutely see the value in fixing things so we have a faster way of typing, but I have to say, the Apple TV install was a home run for me.
Eh, so the remote controls your TV volume via IR, like most universal remotes, and you think of it as mysterious and magical? Are you kidding? If the remote could take a piss for me, do my laundry and pickup my kid from school, now THAT would have been magical.
And regarding the automatic WiFi password transfer; consider that process also transferring your iPhone’s Netflix login, HBO login, and all the other logins stored in you iPhone Keychain, and also automatically downloaded those apps (if they are available in the TV Store) for you… THAT would have been magical. Not this.
I was hoping that the connection to my iPhone would help me set up WiFi but after trying 4 times and nothing happened I gave up and entered the credentials manually. (yes I was close and yes bluetooth was on)
Also, the biggest cool factor of the Apple TV is the Siri search. Well for us living outside the US that feature is disable. I can only type search requests (no iPhone app!) with the remote here in Sweden…
The remote doesn’t use IR to control the volume, it uses HDMI. Which has been possible for ages, but almost never implemented. You never tell the Apple tv what it’s connected to – yet it turns the tv on, switches the input and controls the volume (using bluetooth to the base, then hdmi to the tv), so it does feel a little like magic at the beginning.
Also, it’s an IR learning remote, so if you need to, you can actually teach it volume commands for discrete amplifiers. Only then will it use IR.
All right, I stand corrected. However, the HDMI pass-through for remotes aren’t so magical either, imho. Most universal IR remotes does not need programming to be able to change volume och channel either – they just, mostly, work out of the box. Other functions, such as On/Off often need programming though.
I got mine yesterday and so far I’m not impressed. Mostly it was just a bunch of work to get back to where my old Apple TV was with no real gain for the effort.
Thank God the wifi setup was simple and removed at least that pain from the process because I had to go to about 5 of those awful activate sites and deal with that mess.
Showtime Anytime was the worst. I went to activate it and seemed to be impossible from my iPhone browser. It seemed to be insisting I go to my computer to do it?! Did anyone else find this to be true.
I could give a f**k about Showtime anyway so I just deleted it.
Use your old Apple TV remote for keyboards as it turns the keyboard into pretty much the old style.
Trying to setup Netflix using the new remote part of the keyboard was off the screen!!! Had to back out and come back in a couple of times to get it right!!!
The new Movie Trailer app is horrible imo compared to the old one. Part of that may be the new remote.
The size of icons just looks too large and wrong. In general looking at the main screen is painful because of it. Is this because the icons need to be larger for the new remote?
The new remote will take some time and is painful for starters.
If you haven’t made the plunge yet I would wait and see if any apps turn up that you really feel like would make it worth it. So far Plex users are the only ones I hear raving about an app that wasn’t on the old version.
This is not an US only feature. In Germany Siri is enabled, but not in the German speaking countries Austria and Switzerland.
I think he’s saying it’s magical that he didn’t have to keep pressing a ‘program’ button and the ‘power’ button until the tv turned on or find the three digit code among eight possibilities for his model tv from the “harmful drug interaction” insert that comes with most universal remotes.
Not prompting for passwords quickly breaks. I am CONSTANTLY prompted for my LOOOONNGGG itunes password during purchases regardless of free setting and the ‘never prompt’ option.
Also a point Dave missed is the importance of PRIVATE parental controls pin entry. The remote app allowed me to unlock or purchase using a pin with my children witnessing nothing but ‘*’s. Using the remote they can see what the pin is.
The xbox allows for button entries…. apple could just have us use a sequence of up/down/left/right thumbpad taps if they are very uptight about the remote app.
Unfortunately, I use my receiver to adjust volume, not the TV. The volume buttons are locked into the TV volume setting and I can’t figure out how to get it to recognize the receiver instead.
I turned off the TV volume in settings and went into bluetooth in settings to recognize my sound bar and was able to get the Apple TV remote to control that volume.
I had the same problem. But it was easy. There are settings to train the remote using IR. You start the process, and it guides you (though I have to say the language guiding you could be much clearer). You hit the volume up button on your receiver remote until it fills the bar, and then repeat with the down button. Done! It now controls the receiver.
Yep, it’s HDMI-CEC. As long as your TV and receiver support it, you don’t need to do any training, which is nice.
And, if you do have to train, it’s much nicer than the Ye Olde code stuff.
Showtime Anytime has implemented device management; you can only have up to 5 devices per account. On mobile, this UI is only exposed by the Showtime Anytime app. (I personally wouldn’t use it, but my wife really likes some of the shows.)
Well you download the app from the Apple TV app store. It has instructions to activate on website (as usual) BUT the instructions specifically say to use computer. If you go to the website on iPhone browser doesn’t offer activate prompts but has that section on top to download the app for iPhone. I didn’t care enough to want to figure it out.
so which of the other set-top streamers implement this? since you arent impressed by this one?
so the bulk of your complaints are about third-party apps, which has jack to w/ the ATV as a device. so we can ignore all that ranting.
leaving your main complaint….er, the icons are too big now?
in 8 years of iphones, ipads, mice, and trackpads, ive never received an uncharged apple device.
i am quite certain the Remote app will be updated to work w/ the new ATV. this is software we’re talking about.
just go into the Settings app and find the spot to change the remote’s volume buttons functionality — instead of TV you can select Receiver, and train it to your receiver’s remote in about 10 seconds.
I actually did this last night. If you go to the website, there’s small text there saying “use a desktop OR the Showtime Anytime app,” and I successfully managed and activated the new Apple TV using my wife’s phone.
I think ChuckO’s point is that the marginal benefits of the new platform are not particularly pronounced yet (for him), and having third-party apps means Apple no longer exerts a consistent, simple UI on all the channels like it did with the previous gen.
In my case, the main advantages are:
It’s faster and, so far, video performance is more reliable (perhaps because it has 802.11ac, and I’m in an apartment building with tons of networks). And some apps (ESPN) have 60fps!
The remote turns the TV on and off, and there’s a volume control.
The touch surface makes it easier to scrub.
… and that’s about it. The true potential of the device is yet to be realized. That said, this is just like the iOS 2.0 launch. There were lots of quirks and app limitations, but Apple refined iOS relentlessly. I expect the same of tvOS.
I agree that these are great features and made setting up the new AppleTV a pleasure for the most part. Not so much magical but what we have come to expect from Apple. The keyboard wouldn’t be so bad if the current crop of third party apps weren’t having such difficulty. First case in point is Hulu. I’ve have to re login to Hulu every time the device has gone to sleep or the app has been quit and no longer resident in the back ground. This can be seen by logging in, watching something, then force quitting the app. Open Hulu and it requires logging in again. Netflix hasn’t done this, but a couple of other channel apps that use auth have had me do this several times.
I think we are just seeing 1.0 growing pains, but I look forward to what is to come.
Dave – I noticed that WiFi setup trick with the AirPort Extreme (the newest model), too. I was ready to start tapping in all sorts of information, but it took the information from my ancient AirPort and applied it to the new device with one tap. Truly magical!
Jason Snell asked this if the Remote app would be updated at the release event and was told “Nope.” I’m with you, tho. No way Apple’s not going to fix the app after all the complaints of the new ‘single row’ keyboard.
Had the same exact experience with my setup. Volume control of my receiver happened automatically, through HDMI, and with a TV that is eight years old!
All good for me.
“Third party apps have jack to do with ATV as a device”? Dude, get it together. Thats completely idiotic.
And there was plenty about Apple specific problems.
Here’s a third bit of magic: I held down the button with the TV icon and put my Apple TV to sleep… and it turned off the TV too. That’s cool.
As a process that’s insane and so painful for the user.
All you have to do to get something working on one device is:
a) probably leave the room to access a computer.
b) read the instructions on the web page you had to visit which then tells you to download an app on your phone that you will use to activate another device.
F’n duh!
For what it’s worth, Showtime Anytime requires me to go to a computer on my 3rd Gen AppleTV, also. I believe Showtime changed something because I don’t remember it being that way the first time I set it up.
That’s a Showtime thing for sure. Hopefully Apple can implement an API and/or procedure that allows the AppleTV itself to log one in to services just from your AppleID. That might be much more possible now with actual apps as opposed to the channel things we had before (still have on older AppleTVs).
I should receive my AppleTV today, so I’m looking forward to seeing how much hassle it really is. I’m getting the idea we’re seeing a lot of set up for Apple being able to build upon in future TVOS version, much like they totally changed some apps and eventually reintroduced features on the new codebase.
If you actually have the app installed, it’s much easier than visiting a website on your phone. But, it does presume you have the app installed and configured.
Yep, I think AppleID-based authentication will eventually happen, but it might wait until a subscription service is finalized.
The hassle is roughly on par as the old AppleTV except a) you probably did that over time; b) the iOS Remote app is not compatible. It’s not fun, but a half-hour or so will likely do it for all the channels you care about.
I’m interested to see if there will be a way to tie the AppleTV to an iPhone or iPad’s TouchID. Getting ready to purchase or rent? DING! A message comes up on your nearby iDevice asking you to touch the TouchID, and done.With all the Handoff and Continuity stuff they have been working on and improving, I can imagine this in the pipeline.
That’s brilliant! Even more reason for them to update the app.
I can’t take total credit for the idea. Someone on one of the podcasts I listen to/watch mentioned it in a wishlist. I wish I could remember who in order to give them credit. I will take it and run with it, though, including making a suggestion on the Apple feedback page. 🙂
Mine never installed. Just a grey screen with a faint outline of the apps. Tried to use phone as requested, couldn’t find it. Restarted, reconnected, same thing. One time I made it to the main page, but everything was grey. Tried to go to app store, Netflix, Moives, etc. nothing worked. Plugged my old Apple TV in and it worked fine. First time returning an Apple product in 30 years of being a customer. Not exchanging for a couple of reasons: 1. My Apple TV is about half as slow as my Amazon FireStick, which works flawlessly. I’m constantly waiting and watching the spinning circle. Don’t expect the new one to be any different. 2. Can’t use my bluetooth keyboard any more. 3. Can’t use my iOS remote app any more. 4. Typing is about twice as much of a hassle as it used to be. Who came up with this horizontal interface? 5. No optical audio out means I have to reconfigure my system or buy an adaptor.
I’m a huge Apple fan.. I’ve run my music business on Apple for 30 years. I’ve owned 26 Apple computers, and just about every iPod, iPhone and iPad….this is the first true disappointment to me. What were they thinking? I realize I got a lemon but wow…hoping for better, I’m a shareholder also.
Can you come back and report your Customer Service experience on this? It definitely sounds like you have a bad HDMI port or similar. I’m interested in what they say and how fast you get it resolved.
Ok grumpy, thanks for sharing.
It’s not that I’m not impressed, surely it could be said that it is impressive, but to go from that to say that it’s magical and mysterious? Come on…
To answer your question more specifically: Chromecast is a good example of a streamer with HDMI-CEC. In addition Philips has 3-4 streamers with CEC, and Sony as well.
Your WiFi info is in your iCloud Keychain. That’s how, say, your Watch finds it too.
Perhaps obvious, perhaps not, but keyboard entry gets quite a bit faster and easier if you use ye olde Play/Pause Button to change key case mode trick.
Yes, a long press on a the touch pad will change mode too, but it’s more cumbersome…at least for me. The discrete key to change mode makes for less screw ups.
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No iOS Remote app is a glaring omission imo. No words.
hdmi-cec control. It is crazy Apple do not introduced it before 😉 Anyway, here are my consideration: http://blog.pedrera.it/2015/11/03/apple-tv-4th/#more-1888
You are wrong. No remote can control 2 device via IR at the same time. This is done using HDMI-CEC commands, sent back to TV on HDMI cable (if it support this). You can only control via IR mnore device only if you configure different mode on the remote, so first you switch mode (from tv, to decoder, to dvd-reader and so on) and then you send command as volume control. Then probably you will change mode to manage the other device and so on. With HDMI-CE you never change mode, you simply send some commands to TV and in the same time you keep control of the actual device (in this case of Apple TV).
Passing the wifi passwords from iPhone (and iCloud and apple id) were already in gen 3 apple tv. Used it multiple times. So nothing new there. I think this came with iOS 7 or 8 equal version of apple tv:s OS.
As for the ir volume. It is an standard. Most devices are using this. Some have own version of this and new apple tv works does not get it but is able to learn them. Pretty much every device besides Apple TV has done this from 1980s.
Good grief … Amazing it works with totally new energy, Electricity.
The bit I’ve heard that’s disturbing is that there may be a remote with no microphone in those countries. That seems insane to me. Do you know?
Who did Snell ask, anyway? I’ve never heard. Which seems unusual. Was it Tim Cook or Craig Federighi? Or was it Joe Smith, Apple Genius?
Joe Smith, apparently. He made it sound like it was one of the people who was on hand to answer questions for the press during the event. Not anyone that was on stage. He said it on two of his podcasts; Upgrade #61 and Clockwise #111.
Setting up the ATV via your iPhone works for at least a year, same way with the old one. Not only setting up your WiFi, but your Apple-ID as well, as long as you have 2 factor auth. It will only fail if you dont use DHCP on your router and on the iPhone. If you set a fixed IP – no way.
I’m sure they have their reasons. We just have to wait for them to realize they were wrong.
Sigh. Right. Thanks. I consider that bullshit, and I expect better. (From Snell, not from you.)
My favorite part of Apple TV 4 is that I can hit the TV button on the Apple TV remote, if the TV is off, it powers on my TV and switches to the correct HDMI input, if the TV is on it simply switches to correct HDMI input 🙂 Worst thing is how big the icons are 🙂
Actually the fact that volume is NOT IR is an annoyance for me. My Apple TV goes to an HDMI switch into Xbox One.. so the HDMI command isn’t working.