[Technology] Apple TV

[Goring-by-Seagull]

What does it do? Anyone have it?

My girlfriend wants to get one and as much as I understand technology and her love for Apple items, I just can't see the point in it.

The only thing I can think of using it for is to "mirror" BT Sports onto the big screen. Otherwise... What can it be used for that a smart TV can't already do?

 

[studio150]

What does it do? Anyone have it?

My girlfriend wants to get one and as much as I understand technology and her love for Apple items, I just can't see the point in it.

The only thing I can think of using it for is to "mirror" BT Sports onto the big screen. Otherwise... What can it be used for that a smart TV can't already do?

But its Apple, you aren't supposed to ask what does it do, just pay a premium price because its Apple, then tell all your friends and post on NSC how wonderful the latest Apple gizzmo is

 

[FloatLeft]

I’ll tell you what mine does...

It sits on the shelf next to my TV looking small and sophisticated and it is actually used about once a month when I opt to use iTunes for renting a move instead of Sky Store just to justify me buying it in the first place.

I originally bought it to use Now TV instead of getting the full Sky experience but the Now TV app on the Apple TV was never updated and I got fed up of using it.

It also manages some of my HomeKit devices but I’m not sure to what extent.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I’ll tell you what mine does...

It sits on the shelf next to my TV looking small and sophisticated and it is actually used about once a month when I opt to use iTunes for renting a move instead of Sky Store just to justify me buying it in the first place.

I originally bought it to use Now TV instead of getting the full Sky experience but the Now TV app on the Apple TV was never updated and I got fed up of using it.

It also manages some of my HomeKit devices but I’m not sure to what extent.

This is more than enough reason to own one....as I do

 

[Dorset Seagull]

I use it for Now TV sports pass for Albion games but haven’t looked to see what it does since our Humax box seems to have most of the apps we need

 

[Change at Barnham]

I borrowed one from my sister who said she didn't need it any long as she has a new smart TV (she paid £55 for it).
I plugged it in to my telly yesterday and it has allowed me to mirror from my laptop my 'borrowed from my mate' SkySports account.
I also have my son's shared Netflix account available to play through it at very high quality. And I also have my sisters Amazon Prime account that she has just been awarded free of charge with 5 free logins after taking out an EON energy gas/electric product. I'm currently watching the excellent Man City documentary.
So for me it's given me Netflix, Sky Sports and Amazon Prime free of charge.
Happy days!

 

[Bozza]

We have one (obvs).

A lot of what it does can be done with our Sony Smart TV, but that's a few years old now and I guess for what is essentially a computer, it's under-powered, so it's a bit sluggish and the UI isn't particularly pleasant.

The AppleTV on the other hand is very slick indeed, so we use it for iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube. BT Sport is the only sports subscription service we have so I can Airplay to the AppleTV from my phone or an iPad to watch that. We can do the same with our MacBooks if there's something you want to share more widely, which is better than trying to get multiple people to cram round a laptop screen.

It also picks up our Mac Photos library and will use the photos if finds as a screensaver of sorts, which sounds quite an uninteresting/useless feature but I'll often stop and look at some photos it's showing from the dim distant past that I'd otherwise probably never look at.

We'll also occasionally rent a new-fish film directly from Apple if we're in a "what do we want to watch?" kind of mood. It's good to be able to browse and start watching something within a few seconds.

Finally, there are are a few games and other apps on there we use too.

 

[Creaky]

We have one (obvs).

A lot of what it does can be done with our Sony Smart TV, but that's a few years old now and I guess for what is essentially a computer, it's under-powered, so it's a bit sluggish and the UI isn't particularly pleasant.

The AppleTV on the other hand is very slick indeed, so we use it for iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube. BT Sport is the only sports subscription service we have so I can Airplay to the AppleTV from my phone or an iPad to watch that. We can do the same with our MacBooks if there's something you want to share more widely, which is better than trying to get multiple people to cram round a laptop screen.

It also picks up our Mac Photos library and will use the photos if finds as a screensaver of sorts, which sounds quite an uninteresting/useless feature but I'll often stop and look at some photos it's showing from the dim distant past that I'd otherwise probably never look at.

We'll also occasionally rent a new-fish film directly from Apple if we're in a "what do we want to watch?" kind of mood. It's good to be able to browse and start watching something within a few seconds.

Finally, there are are a few games and other apps on there we use too.

Have they updated Sky Sports so you can now airplay it to the Apple TV from your iPad?

Can’t get it to work on mine

 

[GOM]

I borrowed one from my sister who said she didn't need it any long as she has a new smart TV (she paid £55 for it).!

I think that says it all

We have one (obvs).........................we use it for iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube. ..........

As above , new smart TV does all this very slickly one press of a button on remote, at least my nice LG does, but not ITunes thingy.

 

[Gazwag]

But its Apple, you aren't supposed to ask what does it do, just pay a premium price because its Apple, then tell all your friends and post on NSC how wonderful the latest Apple gizzmo is

You don't ask what it does or do I need it you just work out how many meals a week you will need to go cheaper so you can buy it

 

[matski_98]

I probably use mine more than I do my Virgin box. Netflix, Amazon Prime, NowTV (for the occasional Sky Sports day pass when Albion are on TV), iPlayer and Plex (for streaming stuff that I've downloaded from the other computer). Yes I could do all that stuff from my Samsung Smart TV but I find the whole experience so clunky and slow its just nicer to use the AppleTV.

 

[Gazwag]

I borrowed one from my sister who said she didn't need it any long as she has a new smart TV (she paid £55 for it).
I plugged it in to my telly yesterday and it has allowed me to mirror from my laptop my 'borrowed from my mate' SkySports account.
I also have my son's shared Netflix account available to play through it at very high quality. And I also have my sisters Amazon Prime account that she has just been awarded free of charge with 5 free logins after taking out an EON energy gas/electric product. I'm currently watching the excellent Man City documentary.
So for me it's given me Netflix, Sky Sports and Amazon Prime free of charge.
Happy days!

Its hasn't really though has it. Its just given you the ability to watch three items on your TV rather than your laptop having sponged them from your mate and your family.

 

[Gazwag]

We'll also occasionally rent a new-fish film directly from Apple.

Are there many of those released each year

 

[Springal]

I must admit, £ for £ Apple TV is probably the best Apple device I've bought. My 2009 Macbook runs it close as it is still running away happily. But for $99 5-6 years ago my Apple TV just works

Which is more than can be said for my Amazon Firestick or in-built 'Smart' TV

 

[Bozza]

Have they updated Sky Sports so you can now airplay it to the Apple TV from your iPad?

Can’t get it to work on mine

No idea - I don't have Sky.

As above , new smart TV does all this very slickly one press of a button on remote, at least my nice LG does, but not ITunes thingy.

As I said, our TV does the "watching stuff from other services" stuff but it's slow and clunky, but that may be just because our TV is quite old. Our AppleTV has nothing to do with iTunes though. (My iPhones also haven't been connected to iTunes for at least 5 years.)

I probably use mine more than I do my Virgin box. Netflix, Amazon Prime, NowTV (for the occasional Sky Sports day pass when Albion are on TV), iPlayer and Plex (for streaming stuff that I've downloaded from the other computer). Yes I could do all that stuff from my Samsung Smart TV but I find the whole experience so clunky and slow its just nicer to use the AppleTV.

Snap.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I probably use mine more than I do my Virgin box. Netflix, Amazon Prime, NowTV (for the occasional Sky Sports day pass when Albion are on TV), iPlayer and Plex (for streaming stuff that I've downloaded from the other computer). Yes I could do all that stuff from my Samsung Smart TV but I find the whole experience so clunky and slow its just nicer to use the AppleTV.

Likewise!

 

[narly101]

We have one (obvs).

A lot of what it does can be done with our Sony Smart TV, but that's a few years old now and I guess for what is essentially a computer, it's under-powered, so it's a bit sluggish and the UI isn't particularly pleasant.

The AppleTV on the other hand is very slick indeed, so we use it for iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube. BT Sport is the only sports subscription service we have so I can Airplay to the AppleTV from my phone or an iPad to watch that. We can do the same with our MacBooks if there's something you want to share more widely, which is better than trying to get multiple people to cram round a laptop screen.

It also picks up our Mac Photos library and will use the photos if finds as a screensaver of sorts, which sounds quite an uninteresting/useless feature but I'll often stop and look at some photos it's showing from the dim distant past that I'd otherwise probably never look at.

We'll also occasionally rent a new-fish film directly from Apple if we're in a "what do we want to watch?" kind of mood. It's good to be able to browse and start watching something within a few seconds.

Finally, there are are a few games and other apps on there we use too.

All of this, except BT Sport.

My 10yo son also uses it to play the old Sonic the Hedgehog games.

And it's also used as a 4th speaker to complement our all round the house music via Apple Music, or iTunes (from the offline libraries).

Very slick piece of kit if you're bought into the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Looks promising:

The adaptation of the award-winning novel from Mick Herron, Slow Horses follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 due to their career-ending mistakes. Led by their brilliant but irascible leader, the notorious Jackson Lamb.

Starts on Friday.



With Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas.

 

[RandyWanger]

Mine isn't even connected anymore. What it does is everything my Smart TV does. So if you have an old TV that doesn't have smart feature, it'll help. I used to use it to stream my Mac or iPad to the TV when games weren't on the usual platforms but I also have a cable that does the same thing.

 

[MJsGhost]

Looks promising:

The adaptation of the award-winning novel from Mick Herron, Slow Horses follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 due to their career-ending mistakes. Led by their brilliant but irascible leader, the notorious Jackson Lamb.

Starts on Friday.



With Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas.

I do like Gary Oldman, so may go for the free trial to watch this. Thanks for posting.

Aside from Ted Lasso (which I haven't seen, but would probably like), is there anything else on AppleTV+ that people would recommend?

I quick search suggests there's not an awful lot - the Morning Show seems to be the biggest hit, but I'm no fan of Jenifer Aniston