{"id":31659,"date":"2021-02-16T16:59:50","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T21:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=31659"},"modified":"2021-02-22T15:48:35","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T20:48:35","slug":"why-does-the-apple-tv-still-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/16\/why-does-the-apple-tv-still-exist\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does the Apple TV Still Exist?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jason Snell<\/a> (tweet<\/a>, 2<\/a>):<\/p>\n

First, the arrival of the Movies Anywhere service has allowed most iTunes film (not television) purchases to migrate to other devices. Then in advance of the arrival of Apple’s TV streaming service, Apple made deals with the makers of TV sets and streaming boxes to add support for AirPlay, an Apple TV app, or both.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Gruber and Thompson suggest that perhaps the way forward is to lean into an identity as a low-end gaming console. Maybe amp up the processor power, bundle a controller, and try to use Apple Arcade to emphasize that this is a box that is for more than watching video.<\/p>\n

The thing is, that’s really been the story of the Apple TV for the last few years, and so far as I can tell, it’s basically gone nowhere.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

My Apple TV 3 is long in the tooth. Now we want to watch a show on HBO, which it no longer supports. But, and I’ve been thinking this for a year or two, this is not a good time to buy an Apple TV 4. It’s still got that awful remote, and surely version 5 will be out soon. I should probably just buy a Roku, now that they support AirPlay and iTunes content. I would miss the Flickr screensaver, though.<\/p>\n\n

John Gruber<\/a> (tweet<\/a>):<\/p>\n

Really, Apple Arcade is the only recent evidence that Apple remains strongly committed to the Apple TV platform. Every single Apple Arcade game is available on Apple TV — which is difficult for games designed for touchscreen phones. And I will bet that it’s been difficult for some games performance-wise to achieve 30+ FPS on Apple TV 4K. I think Apple’s requirement that Arcade games not just play but play well on Apple TV is a sign that they’re committed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Cory Zanoni<\/a>:<\/p>\n

If my Apple TV 4K packed it in today, I’d buy a new one. Options are limited here in Australia and I’m not sold on Chromecasts or Fire Sticks. Asking Siri to jump through videos is just that good. The screensavers are incredible. tvOS, neglected as it is, is smooth. Then there are the services: Music and Fitness+ have their hooks in me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n