NYTimes = The New Apple TV Invigorates the Set-Top Box

[THAIPHUKET]

Very interesting review

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/29/technology/personaltech/the-new-apple-tv-invigorates-the-set-top-box.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=mini-moth&region=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below

[IMHO]

Agreed - but I still think the Amazon FireTV 4K is the box to get ATM... If only Amazon Prime was available in TH

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-DV83YW-Fire-TV/dp/B00U3FPN4U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446176715&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+tv+4k

Edited October 30, 2015 by IMHO

[Chicog]

No 4K - so just an excuse for Apple to bring out yet another box in a years time, once again catching up with everyone else.

You can get one of these for half the price. And you're not locked into the shitty Apple "ecosystem".

http://www.amazon.com/Zenoplige-S82-Android-Amlogic-Bluetooth/dp/B00Y0QFUOG/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1446229898&sr=8-8&keywords=4k+media+players

Edited October 30, 2015 by Chicog

[GinBoy2]

The dirty rotten truth about all the streaming boxes is that there really isn't much differentiation between any of them. I own both AppleTV & Roku. 90% of the services they offer overlap, Hulu, Netflix etc.

I own the Apple so I can assess my iTunes account, but it doesn't give me access to Amazon or CBS All Access among others, my Roku does.

There are days when I would swear the picture and/or sound quality of one or the other is better than the other, but in reality it's all just subjective fantasizes in my head.

The UI's are similar, although I do 'think' the Apple is a bit smoother, but again it's tinkering around the edges.

Until someone, Apple or whoever, comes up with a streaming app that is truly game changing, the boxes will continue to to just that boxes without much to choose between them.

In the meantime, I'll just keep them all using each for the particular services unique to them, if they in anyway interest me.

[Chicog]

The problem with proprietary boxes is that the owners of the material charge a small fortune for them.

If they had any braincells, they'd open things up at a reasonable price and they'd coin it.

E.g. the Netflix model.

Let's see what Time Warner charge if this works. $20 a month is still too much, especially if they are filling programming with commercials.

Time Warner Cable doesn't want to lose cord cutters. The cable company is getting ready to start testing its over-the-top TV service this week, according to Engadget, in a move that will likely mirror the offerings from its competitors. The test will be limited to some internet-only customers in New York for the time being.

The service is designed for TWC customers who are only signed up for internet service. A small bundle of TV channels — likely around 20 — will be offered for an additional $10 on top of internet service fees. The leaked documentation reportedly also reveals a $20 option that includes Showtime and Starz premium channels.

Since this is an over-the-top service, it won't use a cable box. Instead, it will be offered on a number of streaming devices, according to the report. During the testing period, at least, customers will get a Roku 3 for free to stream the TV service, which includes live channels and on demand programming.

It sounds like the offering will largely be a rebranded version of the company's existing TWC TV apps for cable customers, which lets subscribers view TV channels outside the house and on a multitude of streaming devices.

Cable companies and telcos have focused on cord cutters recently by looking to find ways to keep them paying for TV service even if they don't get a full cable subscription. Comcast, the largest cable provider in the US, will launch a similar product called Streamnext year, and Dish released its Sling TV service earlier this year. Other competitors include Sony, with its PlayStation Vue service, as well as Apple, which is continuously rumored to be working on a similar streaming service of its own.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Chicog

[clokwise]

I picked up the new Apple TV last week in Hong Kong (it's not yet available in Thailand). I've owned a number of media players in the past, and I've been on a seemingly never ending quest to find a media player as good as XBMC was on the original XBOX (functionality, not specs obviously). I don't have a US cable subscription nor am I subscriber of Netflix, so 90+% of the Apple TV apps are utterly useless to me. The games are cute, but I suck at games and get frustrated and give up easily. Fortunately, the PLEX app was released just today and I think I've finally found what will be my primary media player for a very long time. I already store all my media files on a Synology NAS with the Plex Server (and a torrent client!), so it couldn't be more painless to setup.

My favorite function of the new Apple TV is how deeply it integrates with Plex, a Samsung TV, an iPhone, and a Yamaha receiver. With a single tap my wife can start a YouTube video on her iPhone, which then wakes up the Apple TV, powers on the receiver, powers on the TV, switches to the correct inputs, and it plays. PERFECT for all my not so technically inclined family who have a hard time sorting out which remote does what. A double tap on the Apple TV remote switches everything off again.

The box is a bit pricey, but I'm perfectly happy with 1080p for the time being, and I'm even considering picking up a second one to replace my Rasberry Pi Plex client in another part of the house.