TidBITS:
When the fourth-generation Apple TV was announced last September, I gave an audible (and embarrassing) “Whoop!” in my chair as I watched the presentation, eager to write the second edition of “Take Control of Apple TV” (which is now available). The little set-top box suddenly had a lot more potential, thanks to Apple finally adding an App Store.
But it has been nearly six months since the fourth-generation Apple TV was released, and there isn’t much to show yet. Yes, the tvOS App Store quickly added over 1000 apps, but growth since that initial explosion seems slow. I dutifully check the “Best New Apps” section every week, only to be disappointed by the slow trickle of interesting new apps.
The problem isn’t a complete lack of apps (there were over 2600 back in December, and likely many more than that now), but a dearth of those that make the Apple TV compelling.
One of the complaints from developers is that there’s just no there there. In other words, there’s just not enough to the Apple TV to make developing for it worth the effort, particularly for smaller developers working on iOS.
Still waiting for Amazon Video app that I have on my iPad. Yo, Jeff, I’m not going to buy an Amazon Fire TV. Get over it already.
The television platform is only useful for two things, media and games. In order for the Apple TV to excel, it needs two things:
More/better third party media content. There are only a handful of great television apps on the Apple TV, but most of the networks just don’t seem to get it. I don’t want to be required to have a cable subscription to use your app. Put ALL your content on the app, not just clips or the last 2 episodes. Look at the CBS or HBO app, that’s how it’s done.
The included Apple remote is useless for anything more than the most casual games. Apple needs to produce a game controller and/or standardize it’s design so third parties can make them. With a standardized controller, developers should be allowed to require a proper game controller (not be required to support the worthless Apple remote) and deny purchase to any system that has never paired a one.
When the tvOs+SDK were annonced, i was pretty sure that each tv channel would create an app with montly live streaming option.
Nothing of the sort in Canada. Pretty sad.
I just can’t understand why Apple didn’t try something different here. The ability to install apps is quite simply, underwhelming. Why not have a favorites section/introduce an API to track and launch new shows across those different apps? Why not introduce some sort of overlay/widget functionality? Don’t get me wrong, I love my AppleTV but it’s really nothing special and certainly not the revolutionary product Apple promised.
I think the biggest barrier to the Apple TV being a Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft competitor is that the MFi Controller, is at best, a second class citizen. And the Siri remote is a less capable game controller than the NES’s(!!!). I mean think about that. Most developers get around the limitation by turning what might’ve been a button press into a flick motion… and poor Rayman had to turn their traditional platformer into an Endless runner because the remote is so limited.
Gamers don’t want to play games with the Siri remote.
Game developers can’t support themselves if the gamers can’t enjoy/buy their games.
This all falls on Apple.
I made a pretty dope app (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/balllin-a-dribbble-client/id457288487?mt=8) IMHO for apple tv but its not probably the ideal app just context standpoint. People want / expect television content and games and I think those are thriving but not the other category of apps. The large majority of apps on iPhone and iPad don’t make sense on Apple TV.
So basically the past two weeks have been dump on Apple. I’ve never seen so many negative articles all at once. And being linked to by Apple-centric bloggers. Even today my Twitter feed was full of tech writers bagging on Apple over the rumored Apple Music redesign. They haven’t even seen it yet but are already complaining about it. Good grief.
“I’ve never seen so many negative articles all at once.” You must be fairly young. It was a LOT worse in the 90s. 🙂
“I’ve never seen so many negative articles all at once. And being linked to by Apple-centric bloggers.”
Apple is not perfect. I’d fully expect “Apple-centric bloggers” to be honest and praise Apple when they deserve it and criticize them when they don’t.
I was referring to the Jobs 2.0 era. 😉
1 is, for the most part, outside of Apple’s control. Apple doesn’t make their own streaming media so they can’t show their user base their preferred base standard for how TV apps should act. Supposedly this is going to change, but as is there isn’t anything I think Apple could’ve seriously done differently.
2 on the other hand, is spot on. Perhaps what Apple should’ve done is make the 32GB model as they have, just Siri Remote and box… but the 64GB one should’ve had the Siri remote ‘and’ a game controller standard. Streaming apps, by design, don’t take up much space, so the 64 GB model is already primarily for gamers. Developers and Users are going to be reluctant to adopt a secondary input system if Apple isn’t going to actually show support for it.
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Most of the Australian TV channels have made their own Apps for catchup shows etc. Sometimes its full seasons, other times its just the last 2-4 eps but that’s probably out of their control and overall it’s pretty good. Better than trying to use AirPlay imo.
Our two leading pay per month streaming providers – Netflix and Stan – are the only two so far on Apple TV. No idea why the other main one – Presto – is yet to make an Apple TV app as they already have iPad and iPhone apps. The other streaming company has pretty much gone broke.
I’ve tired a few (ok a lot) of games and for the most part I feel no massive desire to play more when I sit down. So much clutter when looking for new ones.
I was miffed when I discovered my $99 game controller wouldn’t also work on our new Wii or anything else other than iOS / Mac. I can imagine other gamers not being terribly interested in Apple TV as a gaming platform if they need to buy new hardware again as well.
Just let Apple TV be an awesome TV platform, some games will come, and don’t stress.
Apart from all that – Apple TV will be 100x times more useful when we can use Siri to search our own damn iTunes library.
That stupid inability is then worse thing about Apple TV to me.