Posts from serafina in thread „Apple TV“

Quote from Semigoodlooking

It is also worth noting that app developers may continue to maintain their app even if Apple is not offering support of an older iOS version. Another note is Apple's seven-year support is excellent service in my opinion and I think 7 years is fair considering most people will change their phone in that time. For comparison, Samsung only supports phones for four years.

Still, Apple made a point to pay more for their product because they last longer... However, 7 years is still half the duration of their products. Our Apple devices are all old and we are starting to experience software issues (no hardware issue for the most part).

Each of us has an iMac, a Macbook, an iPad, and an iPhone.

Except for the iPhones, which are just three years old, the other Apple devices are from 2014 or earlier. As such, their OS is no longer updated and some apps / softwares are no longer compatible.

The most tedious part is that the icloud (which allowed to share stuff across devices) has cross-OS compatibility issues. I.e. we cannot sync our modern iPhone with the older computer/iPads.

The iPads are running slow, and the apps often freeze and shut down unexpectedly. They also navigate slowly (or perhaps we got used to navigating at higher speed from other devices).

One thing that has remained consistent is touch sensitivity. The screens are always very reactive, and the slow interaction is entirely software. Aesthetically they just have minor dents but are still good-looking (we also used them with a case and only at home since we moved here, which certainly helped).

At this point, I would like to upgrade the devices but I am not sure if it would be better to try and sell what I have here in Argentina, and buy 2nd hand in Europe; or trade-in my old iPad in Europe for a newer model. Last time I went home, my cousins brought me to Chinatown and I traded my old Macbook, which had serious issues (booting issues) for a newer model for €300. I was very happy with the exchange because the newer model is 15" Retina and the screen is AMAZING. If only I could do the same with the iMac...

It was bound to happen! Happy reencounter!

Quote from GlasgowJohn

Are they easy to recode?

They are bluetooth as far as I know. You just need to pair it with the device.

Apple Remote (aluminum or white)

1. Unlink your Apple Remote to your Apple TV. On your Apple Remote, hold down Menu and Left for six seconds. Then on your Apple TV, look for above an icon of a remote.
2. Link your Apple Remote to your Apple TV. On your Apple Remote, hold down Menu and Right for six seconds. Then on your Apple TV, look for above an icon of a remote.
3. Unplug your Apple TV from the wall power outlet. Wait at least six seconds, then plug it back in.

https://support.apple.com/en-u…ssibility%20features%20on.

Quote from GlasgowJohn

Is it possible to buy a new remote control for AppleTV

Yes, I think we have a used one up for grab. Let me check with the hubby. Are you looking for the silver slim one or the black sturdy one? We have the first.

Quote from Splinter

Bloody hell Serafina.

Ever considered writing for a tech blog?

I'll take it as a compliment. It took me a lot of time to write this, I am not a natural like you!

Anyway, I wasn't expecting that whole Amazon account location thing and I am not super duper happy about it, because working around it involves getting up and going to the computer, disconnect and reconnect the account to the Fire Stick... all in all, it was simpler to keep a small notebook next to the TV like we did in the old time. But it means having a computer and cables around just for that, and getting up to stop the video instead of using a remote.

However, it's true it was easy to configure and Express VPN chat support is prompt and helpful.

It took me 6 hours to figure it out with their help, and I was exhausted afterwards.

I have to say that the stream is fluid and bufferless - I am really impressed with Express VPN. It's well worth the price.

Quote from Semigoodlooking

We still have cable so we had flow to give us access to HBO and Fox Premium on demand. HBO is alright but it is not the full streaming service. Netflix remains our go to and for me on my own, 99% of anything I watch is on YouTube. The best thing about YouTube is it lets me niche down. I have 2 to 3 content creators I watch across each of my hobbies and interests. Netflix is mostly for documentaries and the occasional series or movie. Could never get into Amazon Prime but that’s because it is not on our TV or Chromecast and I don’t like watching through a PC.

Can't you install the app on Chromecast?

Our previous configuration was a 3rd gen Apple TV with Netflix and Amazon Prime. When we exhausted the local movie catalogues, I subscribed to a VPN service and I was able to mask my IP and access the US catalogue. With a US IP there are a lot more services available on the Apple TV, although most require an expensive subscription with very little free content - it is basically cable TV on the Internet, with US cable TV service prices which can be 40-50 USD per month.

Other services are niche, such as Kids, History, Reality etc. and slightly less expensive. You can also subscribe to a specific TV network or Producer (HBO, A&E, abc, TLC, HGTV, the History Channel etc.). There is plenty of choice! Some content is shared over more than one service - for example on Hulu there is some seasons of certain HGTV shows, depending on the licensing (such as Season 5 to 7 of 'Flip or Flop', or episode 143 to 165 of International House).

However, this configuration only allowed me to use a US IP with my Apple TV because it is not possible to install the VPN app on it and a workaround with static DNS is used, instead. My VPN provider offers this workaround only to get a US IP address, unfortunately. They call this service Mediastreamer.

With the Amazon Fire Stick I was able to install the VPN app on the Fire Stick, so I can use whatever IP address I like (UK, US, IT, ES, BRA, CAN, JP and so on). However.... I found out that since the Amazon Fire Stick is linked to your Amazon account, and your Amazon account is set on a specific region/location, this impacts the choice of services you are shown, regardless of your IP address. You can easily change this setting in your Amazon account at no cost and without having to provide proof of foreign address, however this must be done from a computer, and you have to de-associate and associate the Fire Stick every time you switch country. It's a pain in the butt!

So , now we have the Amazon Fire Stick associated to my Amazon account set to UK as a location, the VPN on the Fire Stick set to UK - London, and I was able to download the BBC iPlayer app and watch the BBC iPlayer content.

Our 3rd Gen Apple TV is set to the US using the Mediastreamer, and I can access the US catalogue of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu, plus the free content of other services.

We could connect both devices to the same TV and switch between UK and US easily, in a far simpler fashion than the procedure described above to change your Amazon account location.

In reality, we are keeping the TV downstairs connected to the UK and the one upstairs connected to the US, so that we can both watch whatever we like.

Maybe a Roku or similar devices would have been a better choice because it is not linked to Amazon, and not limited as an Apple TV. But my VPN provider recommended the Fire Stick for the ease of installation and it was about the same price. I wasn't also sure of the quality of smart TV boxes sold here and I didn't want to spend too much on it.

In the past, I spent just USD 14,99 a month on Netflix, and right now I am piling up subscriptions for the VPN and Hulu. I am considering this as an investment to keep me sane and entertained during this looooong quarantine. I wouldn't normally spend 40 USD a month in TV service.