Ondrej Holzman The long-awaited new generation of Apple TV is here. The Californian giant has introduced the fourth generation, which comes with a slightly changed design, improved internals and a new controller. In addition to the touchscreen, it will also offer Siri, through which Apple TV can be easily controlled. The arrival of third-party applications is also very important.
The Apple set-top box received its first major update since the beginning of 2012, and it must be admitted that it finally received some really big changes. The fourth generation Apple TV is significantly faster and more powerful, offers a much better interface, as well as a completely new controller that changes the approach and control of the entire product.
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A more playful and intuitive tvOS
The operating system of the new Apple TV, called tvOS (modeled on watchOS), is not only more playful and intuitive, but above all runs on the basis of iOS, which is essential for third-party applications. After years, Apple opens its set-top box to third-party developers, who can now develop for large televisions in addition to the iPhone, iPad and Watch. We can look forward to innovative applications and games.
Inside the new Apple TV we find the 64-bit A8 chip that the iPhone 6 has, but with 2GB of RAM (the iPhone 6 has half that), which means a significant increase in performance compared to the previous generation. Now Apple TV should have no problem handling more demanding games that can come close to console titles.
Outwardly, the black box has not changed much. It's just a bit taller and has lost the audio output, otherwise the ports remain the same: HDMI, Ethernet and USB Type-C. There's also Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO, which is faster than wired Ethernet (it can only handle 100 megabits).
Next generation driver
The controller underwent a much more significant transformation. The current Apple TV had an aluminum controller with two buttons and a navigation wheel. The new controller can do that and offer much more. In the upper part there is a glass touch surface and immediately below it four buttons and a rocker for volume control.
Use the touchpad to navigate through the user interface. Control will be similar to other iOS devices. You won't find any cursor on Apple TV, everything is designed to be as intuitive and straightforward as possible with your finger and remote control. In addition, thanks to the connection via Bluetooth, not IR, it will not be necessary to aim directly at the box.
The second key part of the new remote is Siri, after all the entire remote is called Siri Remote. In addition to touch, voice will be the main control element of the entire device.
Siri as the key to everything
Siri will make it easy to search for specific content across all services. You will be able to search for movies by actors, by type and by current mood. Siri can also, for example, rewind the show by 15 seconds and turn on the subtitles if you ask what the character was saying.
For a Czech user, the problem is understandably that Siri still does not understand Czech. However, if you don't have a problem with English, it won't be a problem to use our voice assistant either. Then you can talk to Siri about sports results or the weather.
The controller also has an accelerometer and gyroscope built into it, so it can function similarly to the Nintendo Wii controller. A game similar to the Wii's where you swing the controller and hit balls while playing baseball was even demoed at the keynote. The Siri Remote is charged via a Lightning cable, it should last three months on a single charge.
Prospects
It was precisely games that Apple focused on during the keynote. With his set-top box, he would probably like to attack game consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox or the aforementioned Nintendo Wii. There have already been several similar attempts, but the Californian company can at least offer a very large developer community, for which it should not be such a problem to switch from iPhones or iPads to the big screen. (They will only have to deal with a significant limitation on the size of apps - only apps with a maximum size of 200 MB will be allowed to be stored on the device, the rest of the content and data will be downloaded from iCloud.)
For example, the popular will arrive on Apple TV Guitar Hero and we got to watch two players play a recent iOS hit live against each other on a big TV Crossy Road. In addition, it will not be necessary to control the games only with the Siri Remote. Apple TV will support Bluetooth controllers that are already compatible with iOS.
The first such controller is apparently the Nimbus Steelseries, which has classic buttons like other controllers, but includes a Lightning connector through which it can be charged. Then it lasts over 40 hours. Interestingly, the Nimbus also has pressure-sensitive buttons. This driver can also be used on iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. Even the price is not as high as its predecessors, it costs 50 dollars.
For example, compared to other consoles, if we want to compare Apple TV with them, the price of the Apple set-top box itself is quite pleasant. Apple is asking $32 for the 149GB variant, $199 for double the capacity. In the Czech Republic, we can expect a price just below five thousand, or just above six thousand crowns. Apple TV 4 will go on sale in October and should also arrive here.
The offer will continue to include the third-generation Apple TV, for 2 crowns. However, don't expect to be able to install a new tvOS on an older Apple TV and use a new controller with it, for example.
so this looks very interesting and affordable. I am curious about the real use in the Czech Republic, where iTunes does not have a proper film base, streaming services are at the level of the stone age - the most widespread Voyo is for laughs mainly the content and the absence of the original wording for most titles, not to mention the quality. In other words, I am curious if there will be an app in the AppStore that will be able to play movies in various formats from an Apple Time Capsule that is on the network... If not, I don't see much use for the Czech market, unless I count games and music...
I quite agree, I think this is a problem with us, but also with previous generations. I once considered buying it, and after I found out that the ATV3 doesn't actually have USB and can't read from a disc, I completely rejected it...
In my opinion, ATV4 does not offer anything very attractive for us.
Well, we will see. The option is here. If the storage is only 32 and 64 GB, then the question arises here, how will it be after it is filled with downloaded movies. Apple could offer the option to use the Apple Time Capsule as another option. Either way, an App will be needed to play "pirated" copies of movies of various formats. However, the question is whether Apple will let something like this into the AppStore. But there are such apps on iOs, so why not on Apple TV.
Older versions work in such a way that they can access iTunes on a computer on the same network and its video and audio files via WiFi. It is enough to have the movies there, which I have thanks to subler and subtitlesmarine. But that's still quite a headache, if I turn on the PC, I can easily play a movie on it...
well... Anyway, I'll probably wait for the first user reviews before/if I go for it..
Well, I don't know, but in my opinion, the main advantage is the app store and thus third-party applications such as AvPlayer, vlc, etc., which will definitely come to this system. Finally, it will be possible to play from network drives, NAS and other devices without converting to mp4.
I know it's not confirmed anywhere, but I don't believe it won't be.
Like will one be able to install XBMC-Kodi or VLC there? Well, I wouldn't count on that much, as we know apple. In my opinion, it will be as closed as the older generation. Apple never wanted to play pirated content. And this would make it possible. Otherwise, the game options for today, me and not only me, seemed ridiculous. (at least according to my nephew, he grabbed his stomach...) I like the Nvidia Shield much more, it's really somewhere else in terms of performance. And Kodi can be installed there too. Same price, game controller, 4k etc..
http://shield.nvidia.com/android-tv/shield-androidtv-vs-appletv-vs-roku-vs-firetv
The fact that someone has something stored somewhere other than in iTunes or that it is not in apple supported formats does not mean that it must be pirated content. And closed apple? Well, it's not as true as it used to be, on the contrary, it's more open than ever before and in many ways it borrows from competing systems, which I'm not saying is always good, but for me apple tv (2nd gen) is the only thing I've ever jailbroken just because I have a central server at home and require access to it from all devices.
There are a ton of players and solutions on iOS, so why wouldn't this be on apple tv? I don't believe that.
As far as games are concerned, I'm not that interested, if every once in a while I'd rather play fifa on the console.
I want a connection to the "ecosystem" of apple air play, etc. + a full-fledged multimedia center with a pleasant user experience. interface and I hope to replace my old two with the new Apple TV.
The new ATV does not have optical audio! God why? So if I just want to listen to music, do I have to turn on the TV? Or constantly switching HDMI either to the TV or to the stereo :-(
And it even has a 100 meg LAN :D
I'm looking to see if it really doesn't have one :-( I'm also sick of it, I don't understand how they could have left it out. How do I connect it to the home theater when I'm listening to music or the radio? :-(
It seems to me that in a while they will take away our LAN like with a macbook. At the moment, I swear at the slow 100mb LAN with the AppleTV. And they put her there again.
When I download a movie from my computer from iTunes that has 60fps and needs 10+ GB, the LAN can't keep up, if I switch it to wifi-n it can keep up. And neither the computer nor the router slows me down.
There are dozens of Wi-Fis in the panel house, and every device running on a cable is a relief for the environment saturated with radiation.
Cau a few new improvements, but in the Czech Republic only photos and video, about 10 people will buy a movie for x euro, maybe 1-2 people tv apple ... that's the first impression after a few days it will be like 2-3 tv just a few news that you don't have such a weight.
I expected more…. 100Mb, optical sound? I prefer to stick with my NAS/HTPC combination running Plex Server and AppleTV 3rd Gen/iPhone/iPad/Macbook. Through the DNS "bug", all movie features can also be used on Plex, which runs on ATV 3.gen (audio track selection, subtitles, quality). I ignore Siri, because it has no future in our region... Netflix, Hulu are also out. Put a HTPC VPN tunnel to the USA and we can even have full-fledged American Netflix :-) :-)
Of course, with the OS team that is adapted to this device comes the possibility of jailbreaking :-)
Are you running Plex on ATV3?
Programming for tvOS in JavaScript??? Welcome back to the year 2000. Apple probably doesn't have much faith in its Swift yet :-( Anyway, Javascript is not a good choice IMHO.
JavaScript is currently one of the most widely used languages. It is no longer just a support script for HTML.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/09/09/siri-on-apple-tv-will-be-limited-to-just-8-of-80-launch-countries-apps-limited-to-200mb
Does it have a 4k tv output?
Considering that Netflix will be launched in our country next year and music streaming services are already operating here, I find it quite interesting. I will definitely use it as a console as well, I already have a gamepad at home from an iPhone. So thumbs up for me ;-)
I would also expect force .. sorry 3D touch (as someone nicely said in the presentation in the evening) :)
They canceled the digital audio output. With it? When I don't want to drag the sound through the TV...
This is quite a weakness for me!
Otherwise, I'm curious if, for example, VLC media player will run on that HW. If not, I don't know if I'll go to the next generation.
I already wrote it here under another article about TV, but I hope it doesn't matter. The USB-C connector is a very small chance even today and in the history of TV. If it is not somehow "cut down" only for service purposes or "blocked" or if it can at least be hacked, then min. in the future it's the way - either directly or through different hubs (I hope that there will be more and more of them and the price will go down) then it will be possible to extract both image and sound or just sound.