Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz> wrote:

Very late to the party, I must say my new Apple TV is a major letdown compared to my Rokus.

Interesting, as I just got an ATV4 and a Roku. After less than a week with
the Roku, I offered it to a friend as a gift.

The initial setup of the Roku was obnoxious. I find the interface unattractive, and unless something happened to SlingTV while I was using
it, the Roku seems to have much poorer video quality than even my old Apple TVs.

The Apple TV setup was much more pleasant, and made much easier with the auto-appearing keyboard helper on my iPad (whenever the Apple TV needs you
to type, a prompt comes up on the iPad lock screen offering a remote
keyboard).

As to app selection, I think that is a personal thing. I am sure that the
Roku is missing some app that somebody wants.

I do agree with your comments about the Apple TV's remote. While I do appreciate the functionality it brings, I pretty much hate everything else about it.

--
A.

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On 2017-07-20, Alrescha <alrescha@gmail.com> wrote:

Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz> wrote:

Very late to the party, I must say my new Apple TV is a major letdown
compared to my Rokus.

Interesting, as I just got an ATV4 and a Roku. After less than a week
with the Roku, I offered it to a friend as a gift.

The initial setup of the Roku was obnoxious. I find the interface unattractive, and unless something happened to SlingTV while I was
using it, the Roku seems to have much poorer video quality than even
my old Apple TVs.

The Apple TV setup was much more pleasant, and made much easier with
the auto-appearing keyboard helper on my iPad (whenever the Apple TV
needs you to type, a prompt comes up on the iPad lock screen offering
a remote keyboard).

As to app selection, I think that is a personal thing. I am sure that
the Roku is missing some app that somebody wants.

I've been pleased with the Apple TV 4 for the most part too.

I do agree with your comments about the Apple TV's remote. While I do appreciate the functionality it brings, I pretty much hate everything
else about it.

Yeah the new remote is definitely crap. It's hard to tell which side is
up without looking, the touch surface routinely activates when you don't
want it to, and it's missing important functions. I'm not sure what they
were thinking! They really screwed the pooch on this remote. The
previous (non-touch) remote was way better. They also screwed up the
ability to use a third-party remote for several important features
(skipping ahead, fast forwarding, etc don't work the way they used to
with the older model Apple TVs; and some things like mute aren't even
there!).

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

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Alrescha <alrescha@gmail.com> wrote:

Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz> wrote:

Very late to the party, I must say my new Apple TV is a major letdown compared to my Rokus.

Interesting, as I just got an ATV4 and a Roku. After less than a week with the Roku, I offered it to a friend as a gift.

The initial setup of the Roku was obnoxious. I find the interface unattractive, and unless something happened to SlingTV while I was using
it, the Roku seems to have much poorer video quality than even my old Apple TVs.

The Apple TV setup was much more pleasant, and made much easier with the auto-appearing keyboard helper on my iPad (whenever the Apple TV needs you
to type, a prompt comes up on the iPad lock screen offering a remote keyboard).

As to app selection, I think that is a personal thing. I am sure that the Roku is missing some app that somebody wants.

I do agree with your comments about the Apple TV's remote. While I do appreciate the functionality it brings, I pretty much hate everything else about it.

There is an official Roku remote app and many third party Roku
compatible remote apps that will allow iOS keyboard text entry. I just
switch to my iOS Roku remote app if I've more than half a dozen
characters to type. I will admit before WiFi is setup, the Apple TV has
the best WiFi setup - just copying credentials from a handy iOS device
:-)

I do miss a physical remote on another device from over a decade ago,
that had a keyboard inside the bottom half of it's remote, usually
covered by a door to prevent accidental key presses. Sure it was
inelegant, but it was the most useful physical remote I ever used,
excepting it's use of LOS IR.

Today's Rokus support anything up to 1080 or 4K depending on the model. Obviously whether you actually get HD or ultra HD depends on the source
and your internet connection.

Aside from local apps if you live somewhere like NZ, the Roku pretty
much destroys the Apple TV's tiny app selection, except in one area -
games. But I've yet to find a tvOS game that's better played there than
on an iOS device. And again, though I know it's not Apple's fault, but
why on earth is the tvOS YouTube app so poor? :-( Get it together
Google!

I can't speak to your issues with SlingTV on your Roku, as I've never
used that service.

--
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:

On 2017-07-20, Alrescha <alrescha@gmail.com> wrote:

Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz> wrote:

Very late to the party, I must say my new Apple TV is a major letdown
compared to my Rokus.

Interesting, as I just got an ATV4 and a Roku. After less than a week
with the Roku, I offered it to a friend as a gift.

The initial setup of the Roku was obnoxious. I find the interface unattractive, and unless something happened to SlingTV while I was
using it, the Roku seems to have much poorer video quality than even
my old Apple TVs.

The Apple TV setup was much more pleasant, and made much easier with
the auto-appearing keyboard helper on my iPad (whenever the Apple TV
needs you to type, a prompt comes up on the iPad lock screen offering
a remote keyboard).

As to app selection, I think that is a personal thing. I am sure that
the Roku is missing some app that somebody wants.

I've been pleased with the Apple TV 4 for the most part too.

I do agree with your comments about the Apple TV's remote. While I do appreciate the functionality it brings, I pretty much hate everything
else about it.

Yeah the new remote is definitely crap. It's hard to tell which side is
up without looking, the touch surface routinely activates when you don't
want it to, and it's missing important functions. I'm not sure what they
were thinking! They really screwed the pooch on this remote. The
previous (non-touch) remote was way better. They also screwed up the
ability to use a third-party remote for several important features
(skipping ahead, fast forwarding, etc don't work the way they used to
with the older model Apple TVs; and some things like mute aren't even there!).

This is the first set top box I've bought that makes me want to spend
money on a universal remote to replace it. I mean I seriously keep
picking up my Apple TV 4 remote backwards, and am trying to swipe and
click the wrong surface :-D

Leaving aside how annoying and inefficient I find touch for most remote operations, this remote is badly in need of some form and styling to add
grip, and to make it immediately obvious which way it is oriented. Yes,
I know the textures are mildly different, but not enough for me to
immediately discern.

And why on earth is there no indication (that I can see) of battery
charge?

--
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

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Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz> wrote:

And why on earth is there no indication (that I can see) of battery charge?

The Apple TV remote is the only remote I own (out of half a dozen) where I
can see the battery charge (the Apple TV will tell you).

--
A.

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Alrescha <alrescha@gmail.com> wrote:

Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz> wrote:

And why on earth is there no indication (that I can see) of battery charge?

The Apple TV remote is the only remote I own (out of half a dozen) where I can see the battery charge (the Apple TV will tell you).

Specifically, it is in Settings > Remotes and Devices.

And at least with my occasional use, the battery lasts ages on a full
charge - I think I've only had to charge it once every three months or
even less often.

--
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz

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David Empson <dempson@actrix.gen.nz> wrote:

Alrescha <alrescha@gmail.com> wrote:

Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz> wrote:

And why on earth is there no indication (that I can see) of battery charge?

The Apple TV remote is the only remote I own (out of half a dozen) where I can see the battery charge (the Apple TV will tell you).

Specifically, it is in Settings > Remotes and Devices.

And at least with my occasional use, the battery lasts ages on a full
charge - I think I've only had to charge it once every three months or
even less often.

I was unclear, sorry. I mean more simply an indication that the remote
is finished charging and is at 100%. Every other device I own that plugs
in to charge will at least provide some indication on the device itself,
e.g. an LED lit for charging and off for finished charging. I find it
odd that the Apple TV remote won't just tell me it's fully charged,
without having to drill down into software settings.
--
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Alrescha <alrescha@gmail.com> wrote:

Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz> wrote:

And why on earth is there no indication (that I can see) of battery charge?

The Apple TV remote is the only remote I own (out of half a dozen) where I can see the battery charge (the Apple TV will tell you).

My Roku also does the above. It is a useful way to work out if remote
trouble is just drained batteries.

--
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)