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Opinion: Apple TV should get these 10 updates at next week’s event, but probably won’t

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Nearly eight years have passed since Apple released the first-generation Apple TV, a product originally hyped as “something really special” but quickly demoted to a “hobby” after initial sales fizzled. The second-generation version arrived with much less fanfare in late 2010, and the modestly tweaked third-generation model got a mere five-minute launch at a March event three years ago. Since then, there’s been plenty of evidence that Apple was working on updated hardware, a major partnership with cable companies, and major new content deals, but apart from the quiet addition of new channels, nothing’s actually happened.

Since total Apple TV sales remain soft by comparison with Apple’s other product lines, next week’s fashion-focused and celebrity-packed Apple Watch special event would be a great opportunity to launch an updated Apple TV to a broader audience. The current-generation Apple TV is older than its predecessor was when Apple replaced it, and there are at least 10 software and hardware tweaks that could fundamentally improve the Apple TV experience. Here’s our list of 5 features Apple TV really needs, and 5 features it would really benefit from having…

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What Apple TV Needs

1. Unified Search. The absence of an Apple TV-wide, unified search feature is increasingly hurting the growth potential of the device. With every additional channel Apple allows onto the device’s main menu, the number of doorways leading to content increases; once you enter a doorway to a content aggregator such as Yahoo Screen, KOR-TV, or Hulu, you’re confronted with even more possible paths to take. It’s gotten to the point where users can spend as much time navigating through menus as actually watching shows. A unified search feature — at a minimum including titles, cast/crew names, and description field searches — would dramatically improve the Apple TV in a flash. It would be even better with…

2. Better (If Alternate) UI Navigation. Even if we accept that the Apple TV’s packed-in Apple Remote is a necessary first-level menu navigation tool, that doesn’t preclude Apple from leveraging iPhones, iPads, or iPod touches for an alternate navigation scheme. It could be voice searches, but it could also be a mirroring of the Apple TV UI on the iOS device’s screen. Back in 2007 or even 2010, relying on an iPhone as an input device seemed like a rich man’s luxury, and Apple’s underdeveloped iOS app Remote expanded only a little on the free physical remote. Today, iOS devices are so ubiquitous that there’s no excuse not to use them more heavily for fully rethought input.

3. Game Controller Support. Video gaming is annually a $100 billion business. Games are the largest individual category in the App Store, representing over 20% of the 1.4 million titles available for download. People love to play games on their TVs, and love to play games on their iOS devices. The lack of proper Apple TV support for this has been a glaring omission for years, and although there are now Bluetooth iOS game controllers, Apple hasn’t tied them directly into the Apple TV. That needs to change.

4. More Horsepower. The single-core A5 inside the Apple TV is now several generations behind the A7 and A8 devices most of Apple’s customers are using. In theory, that doesn’t mean much — the Apple TV doesn’t need to run all the same apps as an iPad — but if the Apple TV is going to handle next-gen AirPlay Mirroring and streaming, play current-generation iOS games, or offer features such as Siri and FaceTime, it will need more horsepower.

5. More Memory. In addition to more video RAM, the Apple TV could really use additional flash storage space to hold games and more complex apps. Some months ago, Apple’s web site began to use the phrase “Starting at $99” rather than “Only $99” for the Apple TV’s price. This typically only happens when Apple offers more than one model, and most of the time when those models differ in storage capacity.

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What Apple TV Should Get, Too

6. A La Carte Cable Channels. This one’s been rumored for the past year and seems inevitable given HBO’s very-near-term plans to offer direct subscription-based access to its content, but the killer app for Apple TV is still great content. People want to pay for that content (if at all) on a monthly, all-you-can-eat basis rather than by the individual episode. Apple knows this and needs to make it happen.

7. A Camera. Either packed in or as an accessory, a FaceTime camera for video calling is a natural addition to the Apple TV. Gesture controls like Xbox One? Augmented reality like PlayStation 4? Both are optional at best, and probably not worth having. But video calling should not be restricted to iOS devices and Macs.

8. 4K Support. This is in the “should” category rather than the “must” category solely because Apple so infrequently updates the Apple TV — at the current rate, a 2015 update probably wouldn’t be tweaked until 2018. Ultra HD 4K televisions aren’t ubiquitous yet, but they’ll grow in popularity over the next few years, so Apple TV hardware support for the standard would be forward-thinking.

9. Better Wireless. The Apple TV would really benefit from 802.11ac support, particularly for smoother AirPlay streaming from 802.11ac-compatible iOS devices. Without improved Wi-Fi (and even with it), streaming 4K video is going to be a challenge.

10. A HomeKit App. Apple has already announced that the Apple TV will in some way be involved in managing HomeKit accessories. An app for HomeKit accessories — along with a proper interface for controlling them — is even more inevitable (though less exciting) than support for Apple TV games. That said, the latest reports suggest that HomeKit accessories won’t be ready to ship until later in 2015, perhaps around the same time as WWDC in June. If the Apple TV is going to be a part of the system, this could make a later-in-the-year update more likely.

What do you think Apple should add to the Apple TV? And when? Use the comments area below to share your thoughts!

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Comments

  1. dougfrost2014 - 9 years ago

    How about giving us a web browser?

  2. sverrirp (@sverrirp) - 9 years ago

    11. Better support for local media. Sharing videos from iTunes doesn’t cut it.

    Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PS4 and Xbox One all support Plex, so it would be nice to have it without the need to use PlexConnect.

    • Dobie Tanpaw (@lildobe) - 9 years ago

      Yes, I agree here. Screen sharing and iTunes sharing just don’t cut it when it comes to playing local media. I’d love to have the Plex option and be able to dump my HTPC all together in favor of an AppleTV

    • crichton007 - 9 years ago

      I agree. Plex is my most used app on my Roku (which I use far more than my Apple TV). I think this ties in with A La Carte channels because Apple TV should support apps which could include channels, games, true apps, etc. The main issue I see with this is that iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) have a pretty large audience. Apple TV was one of the first devices of it’s kind in this space but little has been done with it while Roku, Google, Amazon and others have come in and clearly put a lot of effort into making compelling products while Apple appears to have ramped up their “walled garden” system for getting content onto Apple TV.

      Beyond that the other thing I think others have nailed and Apple has not changed is their remotes. I’m ok with the layout of the current Apple TV remote (although I’m still very surprised that Apple doesn’t offer an Apple TV remote app too) but it is still an IR blaster and pretty much everyone else uses a more useful technology that relies radios rather than photons.

      I’d be willing to bet that we’ll get a new Apple TV sooner or later especially when Home Kit is ready for a big push from Apple but until then my Apple TV pretty much sits unused until I want to watch a video I bought from iTunes.

  3. Randy March - 9 years ago

    Fantastic opinion piece.

  4. hiddendwarf - 9 years ago

    I guess you missed point 0 in your top 10 :

    0. AppStore.

    with more horspower, more ram, controller support, homekit “involvement”, it would be such a killer feature to have a store in that small box.

  5. Scott (@ScooterComputer) - 9 years ago

    Would be nice if Apple got the hint (from recent networking players like Eero, Meraki, and D-Link) and made the AppleTV capable of pulling double-duty as a Wi-Fi extender. Double-plus-good if they do 5GHz backhaul mesh and 2.4GHz WLAN (which the current crop of Airport does not really do well; use both 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands for WDS, which halves overall bandwidth).

    • berdelyi - 9 years ago

      Makes sense that AppleTV functionality could be merged with the AirPort line.

  6. Fallenjt JT - 9 years ago

    Hub for homekit and entertainment center with full iOS support and 4K capable. That would be enough.

  7. berdelyi - 9 years ago

    I think the single most important missing feature is support for third-party apps. If developers could create apps for the Apple TV I think this would blowup the AppStore. Wether those apps are games or cool uses for HomeKit… let’s open it up.

    • Julius Cruickshank - 9 years ago

      100% agree. No-one could have predicted when the original app store came out the popularity of some of the more bizarre apps that are successful on there.

      I just want the fishtank app playing playing like a motion wallpaper on my TV.

    • spiralynth - 9 years ago

      >> “… let’s open it up.”

      That’s what she said.

      • berdelyi - 9 years ago

        I must have missed the bullet point suggesting it be opened up for third-party development. There were more specific points… but no AppStore mentioned. It would be amazing to see the type of apps others would develop.

  8. Matt Byers - 9 years ago

    Needs SlingTV app

    • berdelyi - 9 years ago

      More Live TV. A builtin TV antenna would be very cool.

  9. Will Warren - 9 years ago

    HDMI INPUT and OUTPUT so it could overlay on top of a cable box, much like the sony google tv did.

    • Paul - 9 years ago

      Other than updated specs, which is inevitable, this is the option that I want.

  10. nonyabiness - 9 years ago

    You nailed it Jeremy- ATv would be MUCH better if Apple would implement #1 & #2.

  11. htisch76 - 9 years ago

    That would be amazing to have your TV turned into a large screen for FaceTime. Also the gaming is a no brainer, should have been done years ago, so should have haing the ability to access the App Store so you could choose your own channels to watch!

    • friedmud1 - 9 years ago

      FaceTime works now… just use AirPlay while facetiming. I do it all the time with my parents… I just set my phone/iPad by the TV – works great!

      • htisch76 - 9 years ago

        I’ve never seen or noticed the AirPlay option when face timing. Thanks!

  12. Jay Woda (@jaywoda) - 9 years ago

    How about a unified process to authenticate channels subscriptions. Setting up the Apple TV w my Cable subscriber takes 30 min.. Channels unregistered and randomly I receive no audio. I have to then authenticate the device for Showtime, ESPN & Disney.

  13. braytonak - 9 years ago

    Whatever they do, they better damn well make sure ‘it just works’ before shipping the product. I’m on my second Apple TV and it misbehaves as much as the one I replaced. The mentioned features are good ideas, but they’re nothing if they’re as flaky as the current setup. (I could elaborate if anyone wishes.)

    • berdelyi - 9 years ago

      I’d like to hear what isn’t working and why.

      • braytonak - 9 years ago

        As I briefly mentioned, this is my second Apple TV because I thought the first one must have been dying, but nothing improved by replacing it.

        I have issues with:

        1. Starting in the past month, the unit will not wake up using an IR remote. I have to use the Apple Bluetooth keyboard to get its attention.

        2. Apps will crash and dump me at the home screen. Netflix, HBO Go and Crackle are the only ones I use. Nearly everything else is hidden. This isn’t frequent but it happens.

        3. The unit proudly exclaims that it’s not connected to the Internet, yet it is. Ping test monitoring shows that it’s constantly replying. It’s wired to a Time Capsule. Power cycling fixes this for a while. No other devices on the network complain and the patch cord has been replaced. (The previous unit did this, too.)

        4. By far the most annoying, because I try to use the feature, is that AirPlay audio and AirPlay mirroring flake out, stutter and quit, whether from my phone (8.1.3) or OS X (10.9.5 and 10.10.2). I’ve tried adjusting features that force the unit to stream audio directly out of my phone instead of streaming by itself from the Internet. Doesn’t seem to change anything.

      • Paul Horne - 9 years ago

        I have a similar experience to Braytonak — ATV is buggy and slow. It crashes and returns to the home screen, or it stops mid-movie and spins for several minutes or until I restart (on very fast 200+ WiFi). I also have to usually press the remote button 3-5 times before it registers a click.

        I should say I’m an Apple fanboy, was a Mac consultant for 15 years and have had every iteration of the ATV since it launched. But I’m tired of defending and apologizing for the ATV.

        I just got a Roku and it’s so much smarter and faster. The remote is super responsive, it’s got global search, and I can plug headphones into the remote for silent viewing.

        I cut the cable cord last month and surprisingly, survived with Hulu and Netflix. But I’m used to having best in class of everything with Apple products — sadly, they just aren’t the best streaming box.

        I also have an Amazon fire stick, which was also a better experience than ATV (didn’t need it, but it was only $20 for Prime members so I figured I’d try it out).

        They need a MAJOR refresh — I think they’d need ALL these upgrades mentioned in order to be considered a player. I’m assuming something big is coming, but we’ve been assuming that for years and meanwhile they went from a leader to a follower in this market.

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      AppleTV is the most reliable product they’ve shipped yet.

  14. Dave (@AppleSeeder) - 9 years ago

    More than other Apple products, the ATV is a multi-user product- meaning anyone in the family can use it. If they do open it up to app developers, I think they need to also create user accounts linked to iOS devices. That way when I walk into OUR TV room. with MY iPhone and fire up ATV, MY channels, games, music appear. e.g. content aware user screens. This would be amazing.

    • cjt3007 - 9 years ago

      and what happens when two or more people walk in the room… it explodes because it tries to bring up everyone’s stuff?

      • Norm Johnson - 9 years ago

        Or it just intelligently pics whatever is the default profile or asks you which of the two you’d like to launch.

        There are many possibilities.

  15. Merrill Fratkin - 9 years ago

    Apple is really letting such an easy category for them to languish unnecessarily. I’ve recommended that a number of my friends that have asked about these types of devices get a Roku (which is a good idea anyway because they are independent and that is such a dying breed these days) unless they specifically have the need to work with their other Apple devices. Not one bought an Apple TV.

  16. Christopher Armenia - 9 years ago

    The Apple TV has so much potential, its unbelievable that Apple has’t expanded on it more. Bump the hardware specs (A7 or A8, more RAM, and some local storage), open an ATV App Store to developers and integrate bluetooth gaming controllers, and add support for 3D/4K streaming content from Netflix/iTunes and you would have an entertainment powerhouse. And lets kill the current UI while we’re at it. Its really gotten to be a mess the last couple years. It reminds me of iOS 3 before we had folders.

  17. tomtubbs - 9 years ago

    #11- working AirPlay

  18. Toro Volt (@torovolt) - 9 years ago

    You forgot CEC-HDMI.
    For a better integration with TVs and Remote Controllers.
    I’m surprised Apple TV doesnt have this yet even the cheapest DVD player has it and is very useful.

    • brockbruce - 9 years ago

      I use my comcast remote to control my AppleTV more than my iPhone or Apple remote.

  19. Tylor Sweeney - 9 years ago

    My shortlist:

    1. App Store access. Separate the core iTunes and Apple apps from third-party services and allow developers to integrate their own branded UIs on the platform (it’s not debatable that the Netflix and YouTube apps on Apple TV are pretty shit compared to other platforms).
    2. A new model with improved specs: 802.11ac is a must, as is a 64-bit processor (A8X would be the best candidate) and at least 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
    3. Games. In addition to allowing Netflix and the like to build their own TV-optimized apps for distribution, game developers should be able to target the Apple TV. The only issue here is game controls, but…
    4. Game controller support and an official Apple controller. Not only should iOS 7’s MFi controller support be extended to the Apple TV, but Apple should jump in the ring and build a reference controller for about the same $50-$60 price as the Xbox One and PS4 controllers.
    5. Unified Search with improved UI navigation. The Apple TV needs a Google- and Roku-like unified search to surface content across apps installed on the system, not just Apple’s iTunes ecosystem. Plus, Siri needs to be backed into the platform to allow for easy voice search using the Apple Remote (rebuilt with a mic and Siri button) or the Remote app for iOS. The UI itself also needs to be updated, preferably to be in line with the Android TV and Fire TV interfaces (I personally think Apple’s TV interface is really terrible).

    If Apple were to do all of this and release a new Apple TV model, I’d pick it up and be a devout Apple TV user. My preferred model lineup:

    $99 – Apple TV w/ included Apple Remote (now with Siri) [A8X, 2GB RAM, 32GB]
    $149 – Apple TV w/ included Apple Remote and Apple Controller [A8X, 2GB RAM, 32GB]
    $199 – Apple TV w/ included Apple Remote and Apple Controller [A8X, 2GB RAM, 64GB]

  20. Administrator - 9 years ago

    Who cares? I bought an ATV3 2 1/2 years ago. Then it was a toss up whether it or the Roku was the better choice. Now it is no contest, with the Roku 3 far surpassing the ATV3 and with the Amazon Fire TV also providing a superior streaming box. Now, its competitors offer Sling TV, which Apple TV doesn’t have. Apple has allowed Apple TV to grow mold. Absent a stunning update, I expect it to continue to lose market share. This is a product category which Apple should own but has chosen to be largely passive in.

  21. You mentioned games and the current generation of A8 series chips is almost on par with some console games. What if Apple took this to the next level and placed dual A8 chips in the box and gave a major boost in processing power?

    In addition to games I would agree that the UI needs to be updated to make it easier to get to things. When this UI launched it was quick and easy, but now with additional providers that UI is becoming complex and in some ways “dull” with white text on a black background. Personally I would like to see them open up the UI options for app creators to do more.

    Last idea is make it a “life device” that would give you options for multitasking such as checking the weather or sports while watching Netflix. Something more than just an iTunes front end.

    • Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 9 years ago

      The A8X is, with a following wind and the right content, just about on par with an Xbox 360. That’s a 9 year old console. To compete with a PS4, you need a desktop class mid-range GPU, which which represents a performance level mobile GPUs won’t be able for match for another 4 or 5 years.

  22. RP - 9 years ago

    Hulu, Netflix and ESPN give me most everything i want, my last thing to be forever free of cable tv would be a live news channel

    • brianlbaker - 9 years ago

      Sling TV gives you ESPN, ESPN2, and CNN, as well as others, and works well via AirPlay.

  23. Rohan Gupta - 9 years ago

    Great article. Agree with all of it.

  24. o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

    I had a thought, considering the fact that Apple made 3 Watch models, I could see them doing similar with a new Apple TV, when they take it out of hobby status and put it alongside their major product list.

    I think they’ll rebrand it to TV, but I had the thought that it’s feasible that they release 3 separate devices.

    TV – reimagining of TV experience with all necessary content coming from it, along with casual gaming, and act as the hub for homekit devices. Also is a powerful router that can beam multiple streams of content.
    TV Play – same as TV except much more expensive, with internals that compare to PS4/Xbox One in gaming capability so that hardcore games can be made. Includes Controller fully designed by them. Also can stream games.
    TV Pod – smaller, much cheaper, simpler device, that can be hooked up to other TVs throughout your house to display a stream of content from the central TV.

    And of course iCloud TV to view content online at iCloud.com, and across all iOS and OS X devices, and with handoff integration so you could be watching on your iPhone, get home, and in the bottom left of your TV screen or iPad lock screen is the content ready to continue right where you stopped.

  25. eimbier - 9 years ago

    The Apple TV box or iTVCast (like Chromecast) could have three new features to make it a more useful set-top device:
    1> A Safari browser with a good bookmarking system to categorize and play online videos.
    2> A way to play iPhone/iPad games on the big screen.
    3> A USB3 port to play videos from a Flash drive including ones bought from the iTunes Store.

  26. jamadest - 9 years ago

    4K should be mandatory. This is the year for it’ll take off…CES2015 proved it.

    • philboogie - 9 years ago

      Complete and utterly useless option. Without hardly any content out there, there simply is no go-to-market-strategy. 4K is a long way out. I mean, a whole generation before it’s globally widespread. Heck, 1080p is still in it’s infancy. Those who want 4k are simply spec-sheet-ejaculators.

      • Walter A. (@freediverx) - 9 years ago

        Couldn’t agree more. There is very little 4K content out there, plus I’ve stood in front of massive 4K TVs and have had a hard time appreciating the difference from 1080P. Totally not worth the cost of the TV, nor the overhead on bandwidth and storage.

        4K is almost as useless as 3D. It will eventually become the new normal when a) 4k content is widely available and b) 4K TVs cost as little as 1080p models cost today.

        Of all the things Apple needs to focus on for the next gen Apple TV, this is DEAD LAST.

      • Agreed. The point is further driven home by the vast amount of 8K TVs shown off at CES 2015. Beyond that, I read an article (I forget where now…) discussing the fact that for 4K to even take off, most major production houses will need to fully upgrade their entire infrastructure since they don’t have the internal bandwidth to handle it using their current workflows. Everything was created/optimized around 1080p content, and the demand for 4k content just isn’t there.

        I have a decent 1080p 46″ display in my living room and from a comfortable viewing distance (~9′), I can see zero pixels and zero difference between that and a comparable 4K or even 8K TV. I have zero motivation to upgrade, and would purchase a higher-quality (better color/contrast/SIPS) 1080p TV before I spent the money to upgrade to 4K – and have encouraged many friends who are looking to purchase new TVs to do likewise. Wait for 8K to become widespread and then either pick one of those up, or grab a 4K at current 1080p prices. I’d wager it’s 5 years before 4K/8K content becomes the norm. People think buffering 720p Netflix content is bad…

        Which brings up the whole OTHER argument about broadband speeds…

  27. friedmud1 - 9 years ago

    #2 is already implemented… get the “Remote” App…

    • gkbrown - 9 years ago

      The Remote app is terrible. Talk about a “hobby” project. It’s buggy and the UI is poorly designed.

  28. A decent remote app is my no.1 wish.

    In my opinion, the interaction model on the current app is complete nonsense: At the moment, I interact with a touchscreen but I do not see the interaction on the small screen; instead the touchscreen controls highlighted elements on the large tv display (and these highlighted elements are the equivalent of a selection via a mousepointer). Such an indirect mode of interaction is not the usage paradigm for the iPhone – it is a badly implemented 1:1 replacement of a conventional display-less remote.

    A direct way of interaction would be:
    The entire interface is presented on the iPhone/iPad and all the interaction happens there directly. What is displayed on the TV is not essential to the interaction (e.g. an adapted view for a TV screen but essentially passive). Once I hit the play button on the iPhone/iPad touchscreen, the movie starts on the TV.

  29. Ian Eiloart - 9 years ago

    In the UK, it really needs BBC iPlayer. And, since the BBC is in need of additional or alternative sources of income: this should be a paid option for non-UK subscribers, too. Other UK catch-up TV options should be provided, too: like 4oD.

    • Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 9 years ago

      Not just iPlayer, the list of missing UK apps is gigantic. It’s telling that a gaming focussed device like the PS4 had more UK streaming apps on its launch day than Apple have managed to accumulate in several years of being on the market.

      Bizarre too that there’s no Amazon Instant Video app, given the popularity of the service in several countries.

  30. Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 9 years ago

    The most obvious omission is an app store, and not just for games, but for anything. At the moment unless you live in the US the amount of local content on the ATV is next to nothing. By contrast the iPad and the iPhone have every local streaming service imaginable.

  31. In regards to games and app store access: I think apple is waiting for their A-chips (together with Metal) to be powerfull enough to support 4K games with really killer graphic. When they release something, they would want to leapfrog anything out there.

    Possible they are experimenting/working on a “groundbreaking input device” to separate them self from the current gaming system. If its just going to be another gaming system? they would want to release something new.

    All the standard ingredients are already available: Quite powerfull chips, thousands of game with bluetooth controller support, and app store with millions of accounts with credit card. But if they realised this it would just be a(nother?) mediocre solution, nothing revolutionary and nothing leapfrogging whats already out there….thats not what apple usually wants/does.

    • Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 9 years ago

      Unless you’re talking about playing basic 2D games in 4K, then you can put that out of your mind completely. Even top end PC GPUs struggle to run games at 4K, so a mobile GPU like an A8X stands absolutely no chance.

  32. Mirroring the ATV’s UI in our iPhones is something very welcome. I keep a TV connected to the ATV only to browse the menus until I hit my desired internet radio station. And it’s Internet Radio only, because…

    …my ATV won’t allow me to browse the stuff I keep on my NAS. No, this is Apple and everything has to go through the iTunes pinhole. Tim doesn’t like NASes.

    No, Tim, thanks.

    Keep the next ATV in your hobby department. When you decide to give it a decent set of REAL features, we’ll talk again

  33. Walter A. (@freediverx) - 9 years ago

    You missed a feature I consider second only to Unified Search… “Favorite Shows”

    Apple TV should provide users a way to mark favorite shows from different channels and then access those shows directly from a dedicated, uncluttered screen. That screen should keep track of which episodes have already been watched, and/or display badges and/or notifications to highlight new episodes.

    It’s ridiculous to have to repeatedly wade through countless screens of junk in search of one show you watch regularly.

  34. I think Apple TV is lame, and am considering getting rid of it as I don’t really use it anymore.

    Why don’t they just drop it from their product line-up??

  35. App Store and a gigabit ethernet!

  36. Harley Lunar - 9 years ago

    how about BBC iplayer! so crazy its not on apple TV

  37. Robert A Jones - 9 years ago

    I’ve been saying Apple needs to add games and apps to the AppleTV since the first AppleTV.

  38. efalconwebsite - 9 years ago

    when is the release in UAE?

  39. Graham Rosenberg - 9 years ago

    Shrink the size to a thumb drive (maybe a little bigger) and have it plug directly into an HDMI port and draw power from the TV

  40. Bryan Hoke - 9 years ago

    Imagine an Apple TV remote — same form factor as the ones now — that you point at the screen to control a cursor (like the Wii does) and which also supports touch gestures (e.g., swiping, tapping) to interact with the UI.

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      Yeah that sounds putrid. No one wants that.

      The real opportunity is using iPhones and iPads as better remotes than they are today. Instead of touch screen canvas to swipe as it is now….it needs to be an App that is itself the entire AppleTV UI. You interact with the native app as if it were any other iOS app…but everything you do is controlling the AppleTV. You find, select, and play content that way.

  41. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    Really great article. I’d glad that unified search is #1 because I couldn’t agree more. I am never gonna browse these Apps/Channels that I’ve never heard of looking for content….I should be able to perform a global search for “XYZ” TV Show or Movie, and get a list of results of where it exists. Then a one-click Go To / Play from there.

    That said, most of the content on AppleTV is useless because it requires a cable subscription. I’ll pay $x.xx/mon for each channel that I see the value in, but I am not subscribing to cable and paying $xx.xx/mon for a bunch of shit that no human being should be exposed to.

  42. Stephen (@step7777) - 9 years ago

    Apple needs to simply make their TV have the same capabilities as all the other players. And then some, because it’s Apple. I need to be able to play my videos and my DVDs streaming from my computer or even better, icloud. I can do this with all the others, even Amazon’s weak entry Fire TV tries to do this with the Plex app. It fails miserably as the Plex support pages will clearly show. I don’t know why they won’t improve the Fire TV really fast rather than give all the refunds people are claiming they are getting as a last resort.

  43. Alan Twist Andrews - 9 years ago

    Apple TV should get Siri, also should get the ability to present a morning dashboard of your schedule, weather and traffic to go with the morning coffee

  44. bennynihon - 9 years ago

    Sigh. You forgot a HUGE feature that nearly all media players inexplicably lack. The ability to play a movie at its native frame rate of 24 fps. This is a feature DVD players had 10 years ago. No movie enthusiast should stand for the mess of judder that results from fitting 24 Hz video into 60 Hz video output. This HAS to be on the Apple TV 4 to be taken seriously.

    The Boxee Box of all things supported 24p or 24 Hz video output. The Roku Stick I believe does. But none of the Apple TV, Google TV, or Amazon Fire TV products do. I find it very odd, since it’s akin to a music player not supporting a song’s native sampling rate (or something similar) and resampling it and distorting the audio output in the process.

  45. How about they buy from Firecore Infuse app and implimenting it to apple tv. Much better support of local media than anything else

  46. glideratio - 9 years ago

    11. Volume control.
    It’s insane that when using ATV with a large PC-monitor (without dedicated remote) instead of a TV, there’s no way of controlling the volume. You actually have to walk to your speakers and control it manually. Spotify is the only app I’ve seen so far that actually provides volume control during airplay streaming. All others (including Apple’s own apps) don’t support this. For instance, Google’s Youtube app doesn’t provide a volume slider while using Airplay to stream the video.