Apple shows how it’s done with the new Apple TV

We’re in the midst of a TV revolution. With a great demand for selective content, it is safe to say that there is a change in how we look at television today. Netflix, Hulu and so many other entertainment apps have made it possible to think of TV beyond the cords. I myself, cut the cord a while ago and have been experimenting with the new era cable packages offered by Sling TV and Playstation besides being a subscriber of entertainment apps and a Chromecast dongle to stream content from anywhere on the web to my TV. To add this experiment, we now have the new Apple TV.

I don’t know about you, but when Apple releases a new product, I set high expectations for the product and will not accept anything less from them. The new Apple TV is promising and I can see it all come together as they build their new App Store for TvOS. Their newly designed remote for Apple TV and the stunning new OS is a clear example of what Apple does every single time – tell the world how it’s done. That does not mean there isn’t room for improvement.

The box – There is nothing wrong with the cube design of the box. But it isn’t anything revolutionary. And when Apple says that this is the future of TV, I am expecting something that does not look like the Roku. I want something that will complement the sleek television sets we see today. Time for Apple’s design team to recreate some of the magic put towards the new TV remote and the Macbook!

The much talked about ‘remote’ – This is the part that got me excited the most. Like most of you, I am someone who strongly loathes remotes with a million buttons. Don’t even get me started on today’s universal remotes! The new Apple TV remote impresses with its minimalistic design and the highly responsive touchpad that makes keying in and maneuvering a breeze. Add to that the IR blaster that lets you control volume on your TV automatically. The remote can be charged which is way more easier than remembering to buy new batteries! It also comes with a mic button for interacting with Siri.

Interactions with Siri – Siri adds a punch to the new Apple TV experience and is quite impressive in picking out movies, music, answering questions and even opening apps. She can search within apps making it very easy to search for titles within apps. Siri can also answer a bunch of basic questions like “Is it going to rain” , “What’s the score”, “What’s the date” or take commands like “play me some music” or “Open Netflix” and more.

Interface – Apple has always impressed us with their beautiful interface and they have done an inspiring job with the new interface for Apple TV. It’s very easy on the eye and the powerful hardware make the experience a lot zippier than its rivals.

Airplay – Like Chromecast, Apple lets you stream from your devices and this is where Apple fails to impress. Airplay streams videos with noticeable lags unlike Chromecast that does a pretty awesome job in streaming videos of any link without lags. I was slightly disappointed at the quality of stream since the App Store for TvOS is still limited and I have to use my laptop browser or my phone/iPad to stream videos from sites that don’t have apps yet on the TvOS.

Apps – With the new Apple TV, Apple is looking at apps engineered for TV. The new App Store already has a bunch of apps. Despite the lack of live TV streaming apps for those that are still attached to their cords, the presence of major players like Netflix and Hulu make it all worth it.The design on most of these apps remain the same which makes the transition easy.

Games – Now this is no PS or Xbox. However, it does offer a bunch of games that you can play and the fact that the app store is stocked with so many beautiful looking games makes the experience a pleasure. The options are good enough, but not the best for a serious gamer.

What this means for Android users – You don’t know what you are missing out on. Not convinced yet? The TvOS app store is growing. Wait for your favorites to also join the boat and take a look. It won’t disappoint.

How does it compare?

Personally, I don’t think the lack of 4k support is a deal breaker since there isn’t a bunch of 4k content out anyway. The new Apple TV is a pricey gadget like many of Apple’s other products. However, the interface and remote alone is worth paying for. I’m not even worried about a lot of apps not yet supported on the TvOS as it would only be a matter of time before they come on the App Store. The only improvement I would really love to see on the TvOS is on the Airplay. It could definitely be better. The new TvOS is definitely one to look out for.

Note: Apple, if you’re seeing this page, could you please throw in Spotify asap???