For example, the original YouTube app on the AppleTV 4th generation was great. Navigating was a breeze with the native scroll momentum and sensitivity, now playing gestures worked as expected, et all.
After a year or so the app started falling behind in features to the LG/Samsung/SmartTV/Console apps, which presumingly use a shared web/javascript base. They (I assume) decided maintaining a separate codebase for AppleTV was a waste and went to work on porting the SmartTV app to the AppleTV.
Now navigating the app using the AppleTV touch remote is complete mayhem, frustrating and unpredictable in every sense. Gestures that work on other platforms such as long press to add to playlist are absent, and the video player doesn't use the native gestures such as drag down for audio options or skip ahead/behind with tap on edge.
The new remote is Apple giving up and saying that HDMI-CEC and 4-way DPad controls have won.
Ugh. I hated the thing 'cause it was non-intuitive to learn initially and required a level of precision in operation that's just ridiculous relative to its primary function. When my aging mother (RIP) moved in with me, she could not use it at all due to declining fine motor control.
Now every TV I own has a Roku built-in and I can't imagine ever going back. All I want my TVs to do is launch Plex and Sling and let the kids hook up whichever gaming console is trendy. They get the job done with remotes that are simple, intuitive, cheap to replace, and I don't have to tutor anyone in how to use the damned things.
Besides, if I just wanted to use my smartphone I would simply stick to my chrome cast devices. If I’m gonna be using the phone to control my entertainment center then the chrome cast provides by far the best interface because you have access to the entire app.
To be clear I use my TVs remote with HDMI CEC, not that insane apple remote.
That said, I just tried it and it does not seem to work for me in my setup. I just have a Samsung TV with the Apple TV connected. No other "AV system". The volume buttons do not seem to do anything with the TV. Now that I know it works in some situations I will start digging around.
The Apple TV remote controls the volume of the TV fine but I seem to recall that I programmed it for the power and volume of my TV when I set it up.
I'm not sure what remote your are using, but the one built into the iPhones pull down menu is instant for me.
Unfortunately I can't find any definitive source on the internet to confirm exactly what's going on.
Mine is behind the tv.
I have multiple of both Apple TV and Chromecast and they both have their benefits. The babysitter can control the Apple TV with their phone. With the Chromecast they need their own Netflix/Prime. Not nearly as good. For my own personal use Chromecast is best.
Edit: and of course on my newer TV’s most services are available as apps.
You may want to double check that statement and reset your "Apple Advertising ID".
Our family does this only because the actual remote is such a pile of crap.
But add a little silicon sleeve that solves both issues, and it quickly became my favorite.
The little cord at the bottom quickly allows me to tell which end is "up". And the silicone at the edges of the touchpad prevent almost all accidental touches.
This seems like the same thing: https://smile.amazon.com/FineGood-Protective-Generation-Skid...
Its amusing to me that this new appleremote is very similar to a traditional TV remote.
In addition to all your points... it just isn't that durable. All our normal TV remotes made it through our daughters "stick everything in her mouth" phase completely unscathed. Both our "touch" remotes now constantly act weird and flakey. I refuse to spend money to replace them because they are so awful.
I'm very glad to see that these remotes are going away. Like you, that pile of shit remote is a deal breaker for any future AppleTV purchase.
And the ridiculous use of glass where no one would ever have complained about aluminum or plastic (which I've seen shatter on multiple remotes now)
Good riddance
Yup. All the time. Especially if you use those sleeves people talk about. And you have to use those sleeves because otherwise you don't know if you picked it up in the right direction.
Seriously. That remote is the worst pile of trash. I hate it every time I use it. Good riddance.
Wonder if you can just buy the remote independently and use on old hardware?
https://function101.com/pages/button-remote-for-apple-tv-hom...
It does lack the Apple TV button, though. Which, meh, long press Menu and hit the Apple TV icon from the home screen. Before today's announcement, that was made up for by the fact that the old Apple remote inexplicably lacked a mute button, which the button remote has. It makes me wonder how stuff like the old remote gets out the door sometimes.
The old AppleTV 4K will be relegated to the spare TV. Which will please my son greatly as now he doesn't get locked out of using the AppleTV if my wife and I are watching something through Plex on the main TV.
Makes going back 30 seconds really easy.
The voice commands were nice "forward 60 seconds" but for some reason it seemed to have a bug where "forward two minutes" almost NEVER worked right on YoutubeTV. You could say almost any other time interval, but not 2 minutes.
In my house, we have two 4K TV remotes with broken glass. Not safe, and the worse part is the replacement cost of the remote is typical Apple pricing ($$$). Apple managed to create a remote where getting a case was reasonable.
Instead of them running up and touching the TV screen to tell me which episode they wanted to watch, I could fling over to the big thumbnail and wiggle it around with my finger on the trackpad. They could easily see what was "focused" and what I was referring to on the screen
As the kids grew older they got used to just asking Siri through the remote to search for shows they wanted to watch, something they couldn't do when they were too young to type and spell
It is initially harder to use than the discrete button remote, and I agree that it's tough to scrub very fine intervals. Though you can use Siri button to "go back 25 seconds" or "what did she say?" — which goes back ~15 seconds and also turns on subtitles temporarily
This new remote looks like a good combination of trackpad + clicky buttons though
It feels like magic to have my TV turn on by a touch of my phone, and to also be able to control the TV when the kids think they are sneaky by not giving me back the remote.
Annoyingly, this does not apply to screen mirroring to the AppleTV.
Also there is the option of using a simpler Ir remote control to control the Apple TV. You can record the commands for a simpler operation.
Tip: press the mike button and say "go back 30 seconds" ... or "open netflix" etc.
1. You breath on the thing, and it does something. It's extremely sensitive
2. It's really hard to fast fwd/rewind just a little bit. Its good at scrubbing through a whole movie, but try to go back 30 seconds with it, it's nearly impossible. Even worse, if you accidentally touch it, the movie goes fwd/back, and you try to scrub precisely to where you were - pretty frustrating.
3. You're not touching the thing you're interacting with, and unlike a touchpad, you don't see a cursor you're moving. It's supposed to be 'like' you're touching the screen itself.
4. Most people who aren't somewhat tech savvy just will give up (I set my dad up with our roku elsewhere for this reason). They expect physical buttons and to be able to 'click' through channels. It's not even apparent until you use it for a while part of the remote is a touchpad, as it's all black
It's like the remote was built for savvy iPhone users, not people that want to just watch TV.
Apple TV has other usablity problems, but that was a big one for me that would make me question getting another one.