AppleTV complete replacement opinions

Submitted ⁨⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org⁩ to ⁨selfhosted@lemmy.world⁩

Hi and hope all are well today. First, thanks in advance for any / all responses. Second, apologies if this isn’t the best place to ask this question.

I’m curious if anyone, has moved completely from using an AppleTV to something else. Current use case for the ATV is a few streaming apps (Crunchyroll / HiDive, Tubi, etc.) and Apple Arcade (a few casual games).

If you did completely switch, what did you decide on using? Did you go back to buying movies / using a DVD/Blu-Ray player, setup a mini PC and stream from websites / rip music and movies, use a gaming console instead, etc.?

Exploring options and entertaining thoughts for right now. Again, thanks and have a good day / evening.

source

Comments

Sort:hotnew top

plz1@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
ATV is the only box I recommend. I’m anti-Google, don’t trust Amazon (and now their service is going to do ads on a paid Prime membership), and Roku has major privacy issues at least in the past. Curious why you’re seeking an alternative to Apple.

source
- Squizzy@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Their box UI is poor, typing sucks and you can’t just close an app or turn off the box. It is a really annoying piece of tech to use.
  
  source
  - flames5123@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Huh? Use the remote app on your phone. It automatically pops up like a notification when there’s a text box on the screen. So easy. You can turn the box off by holding the power button for a few seconds. To close apps, you double tap the TV button and then it’s an iOS like interface that you scroll over and swipe up on the ones you want to close.
    
    The UI is very minimal and the same across most all apps, so it’s easy to learn and use. It may be missing some power features, but most things are accessed via clicking of just holding.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - harsh3466@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted to hell. The Apple TV ui used to be really nice, but when they launched Apple TV+, it turned into this garbage interface that’s terrible to navigate with an absolute garbage remote that took them years to fix (butterfly keyboard anyone?)
    
    (I say this as an Apple user.)
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - brettvitaz@programming.dev ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    You close apps by double tapping the TV/control button then swipe up, similar to other iOS devices. It’s rarely necessary but super easy.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Who is typing on an Apple TV? The microphone works really well, and is designed to be the primary choice for searching.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thank you for the comment. I should’ve provided more context in the original post. Without getting too deep, I’m starting to reconsider my personal views on privacy, content ownership (vs. streaming), where / how I spend my money, etc.
  
  I’m in the Apple ecosystem but wondering if going back to open source, purchased media (music, movies, etc.), donating to projects, etc. is “better”. Which is highly subjective and personal, of course.
  
  The reason for the question was to see what other folks may be doing.
  
  source
  - chiisana@lemmy.chiisana.net ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    If privacy is the concern, you should really read the breakdown from Mozilla someone shared. Can’t miss it, large wall of text in this thread. Apple ecosystem is much better than others in the privacy department. The other players are much worse when it comes to personal data collection and selling.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
Bransonb3@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I have tried Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast (not the new models with an interface), and AppleTV. So far Apple TV is the cleanest without ads or sponsored content on the home screen.

If you find something better please let me know.

source
- radix@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I like my Roku, but it would be much more annoying without a pihole to block the ads.
  
  source
  - AtariDump@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    And telemetry.
    
    source
- wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  When I switched my family from predatory directv, this was obviously a question I had, and I ended up going with chromecasts (gen 2 and 3/ultra). Once I showed them how to use their phone as the controller, it immediately clicked, which was fantastic. I thought about an atv or an android box, but that would involve multiple profiles and remembering to switch when someone else wanted to use it (android TV boxes have this buried in the system settings; and I’m the only one with an apple account). Ads were a showstopper for me too, so the pictures/art on the cc when idle was great.
  
  Curious why you went the other way :o
  
  source
  - AtariDump@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Because Google is collecting data on EVERYTHING you do.
    
    lemmy.world/comment/6326127
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Understood about the ads / sponsored content. I’ve not used anything but an ATV, but I’ve heard similar (ads, interface, etc.). If I come up with a different solution, I will revive the post and let folks know. Thanks.
  
  source
sparky@lemmy.federate.cc ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Keep your Apple TV and use it as a streaming client for whatever you stand up on the backend. Personally I have a Synology NAS that I love and I use the net to get all my content. Use the net. 😉

source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Appreciate your comment, and that seems like a common setup. If you didn’t have the ATV, what would you front end the Plex server with? I have a Synology router and would probably buy a Synology NAS, if I went that route.
  
  source
  - pineapplelover@lemm.ee ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I would go with Jellyfin instead of Plex. It’s open source and works great
    
    source
  - sparky@lemmy.federate.cc ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Actually with a Synology NAS you don’t need Plex, they have a built in equivalent called DS Video with apps for Apple TV, iOS, Android, etc!
    
    I’ve had an Nvidia shield in the past as well and it works reasonably well, but the video experience is definitely better on the Apple TV. The Android boxes make more sense if you want a place to install emulators that also occasionally streams.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
chiisana@lemmy.chiisana.net ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
If you have Apple users at home, the integrated experience and the video quality is going to be very hard to match from other platforms. My parents use Chromecast and it takes so many more steps to send content on to their media system. The video quality when casting also suffers a little, though that may be because they’re using cheap ISP router AP combo box, and I’m using Ubiquiti APs instead. Having said that, I do think the A15 processor in the most recent model is an overkill in the graphics performance department, so I wouldn’t completely rule out device capability compared as the cause of video quality difference.

Based on my readings, I think most recent high end nVIDIA Shield Tv Pro is the only closest in terms of raw performance and even then it may be a bit behind. Tegra X1+ found in the Shield Pro is on Maxwell architecture, which is older than GeForce 1080 series’ Pascal architecture, if I’m not mistaken. This would date it to around 2015-ish; whereas the previously mentioned A15 processor in most recent version of AppleTV 4K was introduced in 2021 with iPhone 13 series.

source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  And with my luck, the day I buy a Shield is the day they announce a new one :) Luckily it’s just me, so I’m the only to complain if I do something dumb, ha! I’ll start keeping an eye on the Shield, as I’m not in a rush to buy / change.
  
  Appreciate the device info and response!
  
  source
geekworking@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I have had various sticks and Roku highest end models and then got the latest ATV with hard wire port that adds Dolby vision and high frame rate HDR. I have a 2022 high-end TV.

The video quality is noticeably better. Not sure of older ATV, but this is clearly better than the top end Roku. Also, I’m not sure if it is the same on older tvs

The other thing is that you want to hard wire if at all possible. Even the best wifi can’t touch the reliability of a wire

source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Got it, and yes, current ATV is hardwired. Wi-Fi in my home wasn’t too bad, but wired is definitely better. Appreciate the response / thoughts.
  
  source
eramseth@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Not sure if it’s a factor for you but roku tries to phone home a lot more than. Anything else on my network (or perhaps my firewall just catches it more than other devices and apps). Otherwise roku is pretty good.

Nvidia shield tv is better though. It’s the best set top box. Made even better by replacing the default launcher/ home screen (android TV default launcher now has 2/3 or more of the screen taken up by ads or “recommended content” which is just ads)

source
- Osiris@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  ProjectIvy is a great launcher if anyone needs it
  
  source
  - eramseth@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    That’s what I’m using now and I like it.
    
    source
  - randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I will give this a look, appreciate it!
    
    source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  One of the concerns is the current state of “privacy” with these devices. Interesting that you can mod the Shield (as mentioned by a couple of others as well). Good to know, even if I get one just to tinker / experiment. Thank you so much!
  
  source
  - eramseth@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Yes that’s a concern with all of them, Apple TV included.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
robolemmy@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Nvidia Shield Pro with the default launcher disabled & replaced, Plex server. I’m pulling the unused apple TV out of the media setup this week.

source
- aStonedSanta@lemm.ee ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Preference on a launcher? I’m getting tired of the google ads lol
  
  source
  - robolemmy@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I use flauncher. It’s ugly and doesn’t have a lot of features but I don’t care. I only have two apps installed, so I’m rarely looking at or using the launcher anyway.
    
    source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks, this seems like a common theme as well as Roku and Plex. At least you can recoup a few dollars on the ATV if you sell it.
  
  source
jackoneill@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I ran an Apple TV in the living room for a long time to access my Plex server and whatever subscription my wife has this month. As time went on it got more and more glitchy until it came to the point where I had to power cycle the thing every few days. Replaced it with a cheap fire stick, annoyed the crap out of me. Replaced that with a cheap Roku, it was only slightly better than the shitty firestick.

My wife got me the NVIDIA shield pro for Christmas this year, and I picked up the p2920 controller for it. My god this thing is awesome - not only is it the best tv box I’ve ever used, I can use moonlight to play games on my rig or GeForce now to stream games. I highly recommend this thing

source
- NightAuthor@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Roku really should not sell most of their cheapest options, they’re very bad, while the top of the line Rokus are very solid.
  
  source
  - kick_out_the_jams@kbin.social ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    They are not the fastest things in the world, some apps are a bit sluggish.
    But easy to use and cheap are nice qualities.
    
    One of the few things you can't really do on Roku is Twitch, but that's not something I really care about.
    
    source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I’m seeing a few comments on the Nvidia. I know of them, but had not really given them a serious look. Thank you so much!
  
  source
InTheEnd2021@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I host a Plex server for streaming and my apple TV 4k 2021 would refuse to play high bit rate media. Kept displaying an error message telling me I’ve exceeded the limit. Started searching online and everyone consistently called Nvidia shield pro the best one can buy. Bought it, love it, now have 3. But all I use it Plex. I’ve made my server basically all streaming services combined to one.

source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  If I may ask, what are you using to host the Plex server? I’ve read about people using NAS devices (Synology, etc. which has Plex available natively) and running a PC with a lot of storage. Appreciate the comment!
  
  source
ctobrien84@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Roku, Playstation, Xbox, streaming device from ISP (like the device from comcast), Fire stick, and I’m sure there are many more. They all do what you’re looking for.

source
- reddig33@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Xbox sucks as a streaming box, especially with Plex. If you try to choose something from the watchlist, it can’t send a url to the related streaming app.
  
  source
Jimmycakes@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Roku ultra with the memory card. But no one in my household uses apple devices.

source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Appreciate the comment. The Roku seems to be pretty popular and luckily it’s just me, so I can experiment.
  
  source
MrJameGumb@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I’ve never used an Apple TV, but my smart TV is a Roku and it does most of the things you’ve described. I use Crunchyroll and Tubi and a few other streaming apps including Apple’s. I use Prime Music and it has like 99% of the albums I want to listen to. Obviously it doesn’t have Apple Arcade, but I mostly just play games on my phone anyway. I even put a Roku box on an old CRT TV that I use sometimes for watching older shows in SD format lol! I don’t know if this is the type of answer you were looking for but I hope it’s helpful.

source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Appreciate your insights on how you use the Roku devices. Understood about gaming, my eyes can’t handle mobile gaming :)
  
  source
- AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  As does my fire stick, and even my Vizio smart TV … all except the Apple Arcade
  
  I’ve bent thinking about moving in the other direction. I try to avoid privacy abuse of the SmartTV and Fire Stick is being enshittified, so what should I use? AppleTV seems interesting to try plus games may be fun
  
  source
ben_dover@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
my go-to setup is

chromecast with googletv 4k

alldebrid membership (€3 a month)

stremio app + torrentio addon
source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Appreciate the info / response. I’ll have to check out alldebrid, stremio, and torrentio; those are new to me.
  
  source
  - ben_dover@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    debrid is basically “cloud torrenting”, a server torrents the files and you download them from there. extremely useful if you live in a jurisdiction where p2p filesharing is illegal.
    
    stremio is a netflix-like video player app, torrentio an addon that let’s you crawl torrent sites and stream stuff via debrid.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
Decronym@lemmy.decronym.xyz ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I’ve seen in this thread:

Fewer Letters More Letters

AP WiFi Access Point

NAS Network-Attached Storage

Plex Brand of media server package

[Thread #393 for this sub, first seen 1st Jan 2024, 07:55] [FAQ] [Full list] [Contact] [Source code]

source
shrugal@lemm.ee ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I use a Synology NAS + Plex + Chromecast, works great.

source
JeromeVancouver@lemmy.ca ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
We have a Roku and host a Plex server. I have never had an apple tv but I don’t think I am missing anything

source
- randomcruft@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thanks for the reply. Seems Roku / Plex are a fairly common combination.
  
  source
  - aStonedSanta@lemm.ee ⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Yup. The generic answer. I’d rec a nvidia shield pro. I have two and fucking love them.
    
    source

Fewer Letters	More Letters
AP	WiFi Access Point
NAS	Network-Attached Storage
Plex	Brand of media server package