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Apple TV |OT|

MrMephistoX

MrMephistoX

Member
dock said:
The only Apple TV app I use now is Infuse, which I've been very happy with. I stream all my video from my Synology Diskstation NAS, and Infuse does a great job of grabbing media info, covers, etc. This was my main reason for buying it.

The other reason is Airplay from iPads and iPhones, which works nicely, so no regrets there.

The Apple TV remote is total garbage. I truly really hate using the touchpad. It's either too sensitive or not sensitive at all.

Using the TV remote is okay, but it's very annoying that doing this blocks the 'home' button on the TV, which is used to access TV apps, settings, etc.

The lack of proper audio out is very annoying, but I installed a workaround. I wanted some way to play audio through my sound setup while my TV was off. I've set up a HDMI switch which has audio out, and my Apple TV goes through that. I can then switch my soundbar to the 3.5mm socket audio and it'll work.

I'm glad I bought the Apple TV, but it's been a pretty disappointing experience in general.
Click to expand...

Question; I tried getting infuse up and running with my HDD hooked up to my AirPort Extreme and it didn't seem to find the files. Do they need to be placed in a sub folder or something? Right now I have them at the root and that works fine on the Mac mini media server I set up.
 
Q

Quasar

Member
dock said:
The only Apple TV app I use now is Infuse, which I've been very happy with. I stream all my video from my Synology Diskstation NAS, and Infuse does a great job of grabbing media info, covers, etc. This was my main reason for buying it.

The other reason is Airplay from iPads and iPhones, which works nicely, so no regrets there.
Click to expand...

I'm using a fairly wide range of apps. Plex, Netflix and some anime apps (crunchyroll and animelab), plus a bunch of catchup apps. It isn't much different to my androidtv device, just that even now it sadly has better app support.

And thats probably all I wanted. I've yet to really seen a usecase for non media apps.

The lack of proper audio out is very annoying, but I installed a workaround. I wanted some way to play audio through my sound setup while my TV was off. I've set up a HDMI switch which has audio out, and my Apple TV goes through that. I can then switch my soundbar to the 3.5mm socket
Click to expand...

I think I can play audio through mine without having a tv on. It doesnt even wake my v up (but thats because my tv is old enough it lacks cec support)
 
S

SmackCrackleNPop

Member
Quasar said:
I'm using a fairly wide range of apps. Plex, Netflix and some anime apps (crunchyroll and animelab), plus a bunch of catchup apps. It isn't much different to my androidtv device, just that even now it sadly has better app support.

And thats probably all I wanted. I've yet to really seen a usecase for non media apps.



I think I can play audio through mine without having a tv on. It doesnt even wake my v up (but thats because my tv is old enough it lacks cec support)
Click to expand...

My biggest gripe with the Android TV I have, it's almost unchanged from when I got it. The forgotten device. It's just a Kodi machine and to play emulators. The Amazon Instant APK stopped working and no Vudu support.

You can turn off HDMI-CEC if you don't want it to control the TV in the settings.
 
Q

Quasar

Member
SmackCrackleNPop said:
My biggest gripe with the Android TV I have, it's almost unchanged from when I got it. The forgotten device. It's just a Kodi machine and to play emulators. The Amazon Instant APK stopped working and no Vudu support.
Click to expand...

Oh mines changed and I still use it (in part because it can output 24hz) as theres still apps that haven't appeared on ATV but generally it seems services (just like android v ios) are more likely to make an ios app first.

Plus I do like the interface more and its universal search. I do think if it had more tv service apps I would have bought a shield instead of a atv. But no matter what theres the annoying silo war between google, apple and amazon.
 
S

SmackCrackleNPop

Member
I do use the EPIX app for the Nexus Player and the search is really good. Wish the Apple TV would let me speak for searches when not using Siri instead of typing
 
H

hardcastlemccormick

Banned
giga said:
Nah. Using Siri for Netflix is worth the price.
Click to expand...

I don't really agree. Unless you know specifically what you're looking for (and Siri can understand you - good luck) I don't find that feature compelling.

I'm much happier using the ATV4 with the Remote app now that I can use the keyboard. I wish that you could use the speech option for any search bar on the device.
 
D

dock

Member
MrMephistoX said:
Question; I tried getting infuse up and running with my HDD hooked up to my AirPort Extreme and it didn't seem to find the files. Do they need to be placed in a sub folder or something? Right now I have them at the root and that works fine on the Mac mini media server I set up.
Click to expand...
I think Infuse relies on DLNA or UPNP media streaming services, but I could be wrong. My Synology NAS shows up on a lot of my devices as having movies to stream.
 
jts

jts

...hate me...
Alright so I plugged a USB stick to my router, set up the SMB share, used Infuse instead of VLC's local storage playback (which is flimsy and not so good) and...

WrKPhfd.gif


I'll admit I was in the wrong with the need for local storage playback (I had forgot about the USB port on the router) although it can come handy in specific situations so I'll not outright uninstall VLC.

I'm loving the Apple TV.
 
MrMephistoX

MrMephistoX

Member
dock said:
I think Infuse relies on DLNA or UPNP media streaming services, but I could be wrong. My Synology NAS shows up on a lot of my devices as having movies to stream.
Click to expand...

Thanks, makes sense might also be because I'm using my old extreme as a range extender vs plugging it into my main router directly...I'll experiment.
 
N

nullref

Member
dock said:
I think Infuse relies on DLNA or UPNP media streaming services, but I could be wrong. My Synology NAS shows up on a lot of my devices as having movies to stream.
Click to expand...

It can definitely connect to SMB shares as well. I think it also supports FTP and maybe WebDAV.
 
H

_h8bit

Banned
Hey Gaf,

Some folks at work and I helped translate a recently kickstarted card game called Devil's Advocate to Apple TV and iPhone. It's a free 4 player party game about debating and predicting how your friends will feel about contentious topics all in the name of good fun.

http://www.devilsadvocategame.com/apple-tv

If you decide to check it out, thanks! It means a lot and I hope you and your friends have fun with it.
 
I

infiniteloop

Member
_h8bit said:
Hey Gaf,

Some folks at work and I helped translate a recently kickstarted card game called Devil's Advocate to Apple TV and iPhone. It's a free 4 player party game about debating and predicting how your friends will feel about contentious topics all in the name of good fun.

http://www.devilsadvocategame.com/apple-tv

If you decide to check it out, thanks! It means a lot and I hope you and your friends have fun with it.
Click to expand...

Looks good. Is it only 4 players? not 3?
 
G

GaryD

Member
The killer feature of infuse is the inbuilt sub title downloader.

People on their forums are saying divx playback doesn't work in the latest release but its coming back in a future release.
 
SuperPac

SuperPac

Member
Infuse and Plex are nice but I have a big local media drive with a lot of iTunes-purchased content and Apple's "Computers" section is terrible to navigate on the new Apple TV. Really kinda ruins the whole thing. :\
 
C

Confusion Illusion

Banned
JackBauer24 said:
Been thinking about putting all my DVDs onto a NAS and getting an Apple TV 4. Is it as easy as they say?
Click to expand...

Well, you use Makemkv to rip your dvds and put them in the NAS. You can transcode them with something like Handbrake if you want to save some space, but you can forego this part — it's really up to you. For watching on the Apple TV you have some options. I personally like to use Plex, but there is also Infuse. With is Infuse you just add in your network shares(like NAS) and folders where your videos are stored(no additional software necessary). Plex requires the plex media server to be active on your NAS or Windows/Mac/Linux — it is also dlna so any dlna client on network will pick it up (including Infuse). Anything else I guess some else can chime in.
 
Q

Quasar

Member
SuperPac said:
Infuse and Plex are nice but I have a big local media drive with a lot of iTunes-purchased content and Apple's "Computers" section is terrible to navigate on the new Apple TV. Really kinda ruins the whole thing. :
Click to expand...

Thats why I long resisted buying itunes media. Hopefully at least apple adds that to the siri search.
 
K

kuppy

Member
What is up with this podcast app. How about showing a player with a timeline that allows fast forwarding, rewinding and what not.
 
F

FlyStarJay

Member
kuppy said:
What is up with this podcast app. How about showing a player with a timeline that allows fast forwarding, rewinding and what not.
Click to expand...

yea, i was so excited about it, tried it and cannot fast forward. Why is apple keep making this same mistakes? missing out the really little important things
 
Q

Quasar

Member
kuppy said:
What is up with this podcast app. How about showing a player with a timeline that allows fast forwarding, rewinding and what not.
Click to expand...

Heh for me I'd browse shows and when you get to the screens that lists episodes or subscribe there's no cursor or anything so all I can do is go back. Not every podcast but some.
 
K

kuppy

Member
Quasar said:
Heh for me I'd browse shows and when you get to the screens that lists episodes or subscribe there's no cursor or anything so all I can do is go back. Not every podcast but some.
Click to expand...
Oh you are right. Didn't expect it to navigate like that.
So you play the episode and go back into the menu which then has a Now Playing tab showing the active podcast. A tab reveals the player and queued up episodes. Cool. That works. Thanks.

Edit: Double tabbing right or left goes to the next podcast, but if you swipe down, actually into the timestamp you can freely navigate and fast forward and backward the usual 10s.
 
H

hugocésar

Member
The Mickey Mouse app is legit. I expected it to be a membership service, and it's not so that's cool. I've also been using the Pluto app, which I never heard of until I saw it on the app store. Really cool as well. I was a bit confused by it at first, but I guess it's all royalty free stuff (and some deals).
 
K

kuppy

Member
The Apple TV needs full multitasking support with control center, slide over, split view and picture in picture.
Audio and video should have the option to keep playing in the background and can even additionally be mixed.

Also there should be Safari, notifications and sharing options.
 
C

Confusion Illusion

Banned
kuppy said:
The Apple TV needs full multitasking support with control center, slide over, split view and picture in picture.
Audio and video should have the option to keep playing in the background and can even additionally be mixed.

Also there should be Safari, notifications and sharing options.
Click to expand...

I dunno...all that just seems unnecessary? The Apple TV isn't some kind of productivity device.
 
P

petethepanda

Member
Is there any way to make AirPlay stick to a single app on your phone? Say I'm doing AirPlay to play something in Audible on my TV. I switch to Twitter on my phone, and suddenly AirPlay decides it's going to play any video I see on Twitter and stop playing the audiobook entirely.

There are a lot of ways the Apple TV and being able to use AirPlay has been cool, but there are also a lot of ways it's frustrating compared to the Chromecast experience.
 
B

Blackhead

Redarse
DigitalSoul said:
I dunno...all that just seems unnecessary? The Apple TV isn't some kind of productivity device.
Click to expand...

kuppy said:
Yes, it's not targeted as that, which is why it probably won't happen, but it could be really special for certain power users.
Click to expand...

Those aren't power user features and aren't only useful for productivity. PiP for example is on most basic cable boxes for when using the TV guide. Apple claims the future of TV is apps and simple use scenarios for multitasking, slide-over, sharing etc would be a shopping app when watching an Ad/show or having twitter and a fantasy sports app when watching a match. Those are basic consumption stuff.
 
D

dock

Member
I played a little of Shadowmatic a few days ago. Nice game, but the remote is proving to be a truly horrible controller to play any sort of games with. I don't think I want to trying playing games on here again.

My Apple TV henceforth will be solely for Airplay and Infuse.

I do wish Spotify had an Apple TV app. I don't mind using Airplay but it's nicer if you can have it be a little more self sufficient.
 
K

kuppy

Member
Blackhead said:
Those aren't power user features and aren't only useful for productivity. PiP for example is on most basic cable boxes for when using the TV guide. Apple claims the future of TV is apps and simple use scenarios for multitasking, slide-over, sharing etc would be a shopping app when watching an Ad/show or having twitter and a fantasy sports app when watching a match. Those are basic consumption stuff.
Click to expand...
True, just wanted to backpedal a bit after demanding audio mixing options, laugh.
CraigMcD said:
Does the Podcasts app work for anyone else? It seems to play podcasts but there's no audio coming out of the speakers.
Click to expand...
Does work for me, but I did have a bug like that once.
Maybe down to look if the speakers are selected as output source, otherwise try rebooting.
petethepanda said:
Is there any way to make AirPlay stick to a single app on your phone? Say I'm doing AirPlay to play something in Audible on my TV. I switch to Twitter on my phone, and suddenly AirPlay decides it's going to play any video I see on Twitter and stop playing the audiobook entirely.

There are a lot of ways the Apple TV and being able to use AirPlay has been cool, but there are also a lot of ways it's frustrating compared to the Chromecast experience.
Click to expand...
So like AirParrot for iPhone. Just saw that the other day, haven't looked into it yet, anyone using it here?
 
G

giga

Member
kuppy said:
The Apple TV needs full multitasking support with control center, slide over, split view and picture in picture.
Audio and video should have the option to keep playing in the background and can even additionally be mixed.

Also there should be Safari, notifications and sharing options.
Click to expand...

How does one use Safari with the remote?
 
K

kuppy

Member
giga said:
How does one use Safari with the remote?
Click to expand...
Have a cursor? Or no, scroll and tab to switch between highlighted sections, like when you press option or tab or something on desktop, sorry don't recall how you do that right now. And obviously tab and long tap. Oh btw, how about force touch, not to useful but should've been there for consistency reason.
Actually just want a Giant Bomb app. Only hope for that is Video Buddy and that dude doesn't have the time for it right now.
 
N

nullref

Member
kuppy said:
Also there should be Safari, notifications and sharing options.
Click to expand...

I think Apple's probably right to be cautious about adding Safari or web views – not because it couldn't be a workable user experience (particularly with Bluetooth keyboard support), but because if developers have the option to half-ass the TV experience by involving a browser/web view instead of native UI, many will do so, and that will tend to suck. I guess they could just make it so apps can't link out to a browser, or embed one.

They may add it eventually, once the app ecosystem is more mature and expectations are set.

The rest of your suggestions are just the kinds of things they'd tend to leave out of 1.0, and get around to in future OS versions.
 
G

giga

Member
kuppy said:
Have a cursor? Or no, scroll and tab to switch between highlighted sections, like when you press option or tab or something on desktop, sorry don't recall how you do that right now. And obviously tab and long tap. Oh btw, how about force touch, not to useful but should've been there for consistency reason.
Actually just want a Giant Bomb app. Only hope for that is Video Buddy and that dude doesn't have the time for it right now.
Click to expand...

I hope they never do any of that because I literally just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
 
Q

Quasar

Member
kuppy said:
Have a cursor? Or no, scroll and tab to switch between highlighted sections, like when you press option or tab or something on desktop, sorry don't recall how you do that right now. And obviously tab and long tap. Oh btw, how about force touch, not to useful but should've been there for consistency reason.
Actually just want a Giant Bomb app. Only hope for that is Video Buddy and that dude doesn't have the time for it right now.
Click to expand...

The giantbomb youtube channel is enough for me.

Personally I think a web browser on a tv is terrible. Especially with that kind of input device. I'd rather just airplay my ipad.
 
B

Blackhead

Redarse
nullref said:
The rest of your suggestions are just the kinds of things they'd tend to leave out of 1.0, and get around to in future OS versions.
Click to expand...

Which is a damn shame because the UX of features Apple adds in later updates tends to feel hacked together and poorly implemented.
Well actually most of their UI changes have felt that way since Ive took over
 
M

Mr. Wonderful

Member
Blackhead said:
Which is a damn shame because the UX of features Apple adds in later updates tends to feel hacked together and poorly implemented.
Well actually most of their UI changes have felt that way since Ive took over
Click to expand...

Off-topic, but 3D Touch seems like the type of thing you could reimagine the OS over, rather than implement on top of a mature OS.
 
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