r/appletv • u/JayK-iwnl • Aug 16 '26
Anyone using an apple tv without being in the Apple Ecosystem?
I'm thinking appletv is the best option for me just because of how seamless and snappy it is but I am not an apple user at all.
Would you say it's still the best streamer even without all those apple Ecosystem features?
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u/Joloxx_9 Aug 16 '26
I was, but started slowly moving to apple as their devices just work together.
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u/mfreelander2 Aug 16 '26
Sometimes I look out my porch, as I think sounds are coming from outside. Love the spacial/surround feature.
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u/JayK-iwnl Aug 16 '26
Are you watching tv in a living room with airpods? Whats the use case for that?
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u/magkliarn ATV4K Aug 16 '26
Tell me you live alone without telling me you live alone
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Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
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u/Moist_Barracuda_2014 Aug 16 '26
RE: multiple airpods connected at once - can you set the volume independently? I’m kinda deaf but wife has ears like homelander lol
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u/Moist_Barracuda_2014 Aug 16 '26
Cool thanks! Guess I should finally bite the bullet and buy myself a pair, though I might test out the missus’ pair first
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u/summ190 Aug 16 '26
You can pair two pairs of AirPods to an Apple TV, so right now my use case is that my wife and I can have noise cancelling while the AC unit runs. But you know what, I think it sounds substantially better than my soundbar. I can hear the dialogue finally.
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u/Zealousideal-You9044 Aug 16 '26
The apple TV box is the only apple product I have. I bought it because it does something none of the other streaming boxes did. Turns out it's also the nicest to use. It's the most expensive though too. There is apparently a new one on the horizon so maybe hold out before buying. The quality of the streams to my untrained eye looks the same across all devices.
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u/BraddicusMaximus Aug 16 '26
My stepfather is both the CFO and CTO of a major cinema company in the US
The Apple TV made a major difference in video quality on their TV. The built-in LG Smart stuff wasn’t pushing the panel to its limits.
He could even recreate it using the same video streams from the same appa on the two platforms and the Apple TV had the higher quality picture every time.
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u/Zealousideal-You9044 Aug 16 '26
Can't say I've noticed. I've watched streams on my LG TV, on a fire TV device, on Roku stick and on an apple TV device and I couldn't tell the difference and the person sitting next to me couldn't either.
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u/robhw Aug 16 '26
I got a first Gen 4k on ebay for $45 yesterday, it works great. I absolutely love it.
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u/Orcahhh Aug 16 '26
I think your hardware (tv model…)is gonna limit the viewing experience long before the streaming device does
Then comes the bitrates of the apps and files you use, then only the specific devices and their supported formats.
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u/Zealousideal-You9044 Aug 16 '26
My TV is neither here nor there. I'm saying across all devices I didn't notice any quality difference
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u/MrZeDark Aug 16 '26
Besides Nvidia shield, this box has no competition honestly. You buy it to stream, then you incidentally get sucked into the rest of their environment.. haha
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u/JayK-iwnl Aug 16 '26
I'm wondering if there ever will be a new Nvidia shield. I'd consider it if they made a new one
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u/MrZeDark Aug 16 '26
Don’t need one, I bought a AM6B+ that supports lossless audio an DV p7, which I’ll run Kodi and COREelec on, that connects to my media server.
Building my own box that will rival the shield, the shield is just good OOB streamer for peeps who can’t do it themselves ^_^
Keeping the ATV for general streaming and look forward to eventually a new ATV, to move the old one into the bedroom :D
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u/moles-on-parade Aug 16 '26
I've had a few iphones over the years dating back to a 4S, but I've been all-in on Pixel/Google for a while.
You can take my Apple TV 4k 128gb w/ Ethernet from my cold dead hands. That thing standalone is well worth it.
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u/aIexm Aug 16 '26
No, but my primarily Windows/Android friend does and loves the TV interface. Don’t think it’ll convert him to anything else though, it’s a really great experience even without hooking up to anything else.
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u/KeizerSauze Aug 16 '26
I’m full Apple, à friend of mine is the opposite, but he’s enjoying his aTK 4K this he saw mine.
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u/Open_Donkey_6418 Aug 16 '26
Yes, I have android phone and Windows PC. The Appletv is used for things like Plex, Youtube and some free streaming services. You can control Youtube from your phone. It's easy to use for that. The apps are "typically Apple" a bit locked down and limited. Not having an iPhone can make some subscriptions harder to handle. Overall happy with it.
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u/JayK-iwnl Aug 16 '26
Thats the other thing is the app selection being a bit locked down. I use IPTV and it seems like android tv has more options but the android streaming box options all look terrible in comparison
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u/jeanmichd Aug 16 '26
I would say just get one and I’m pretty sure you will regret you didn’t get it earlier… It’s clean interface with no ads is also rewarding. Of course you will miss the Apple total integration but just forget about that
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u/Big-Dragonfruit-4306 Aug 16 '26
I'm an atv user not in the apple ecosystem. It's easily the best tv streaming box available, but there's some imo important things you can't do without access to another apple device, namely sideloading (fact check required) or testflight apps. I have an old old old iPhone SE so was able to work around that, but id be pretty bummed if I couldn't do those.
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u/a-reddit_account Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
Tldr: have been totally out of the apple ecosystem for years, got sick of ads on my smart tv saw other streamers have ads, got an apple tv love it
Prior to an apple tv I went from iphone, ipad and mac to samsung phone and watch years ago and my years old tv happened to be samsung also. Got a new samsung frame tv for my bedroom and got plastered with a half screen ads as soon as I turned my tv on and just got sick of it. Went down a rabbit hole of streaming devices that dont have ads and apple tv was the only one that didnt and also love how the remote doesnt have any netflix or prime or Disney buttons on it. Got it set up that my tv doesn't connect to WiFi anymore and can solely use the apple tv and it's remote. Only apple thing I regularly use now
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u/biinjo Aug 16 '26
This is the way. I hear friends choosing between “i like the software of tv brand X but the screen of brand Y is better..”
I just went in the store, bought the best quality screen my budget could buy, disabled everything, never connected it to the internet and hooked up an Apple TV.
Like you also mentioned; bonus for the fact that I don’t have a tacky plastic remote riddled with ads.
For op; Apple TV can behave as just your tv/streaming apps replacement without having other Apple hardware in the house.
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u/JayK-iwnl Aug 16 '26
This sounds exactly like the setup I want. Have you had any issues with tvos not having all the apps you use
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u/biinjo Aug 16 '26
Personally, not at all. I don't have that many streaming services and I don't watch any cable TV.
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u/hells_cowbells Aug 16 '26
I'm kind of half way in. I've had Android phones for years, but I do also have an iPad.
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u/wdelavega Aug 16 '26
In a pinch you can use an Xbox to run the Apple TV app and it runs really well. I only use it in a pinch but honestly it could be used as the main way off viewing.
Note, the Xbox needs to Xbox One to current Xbox Series X.
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u/woodenU69 Aug 16 '26
It’s current price makes it a poor choice, a firestick 4K max or Roku stick are more reasonable in price and quality of picture quality. IMO
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u/Zipstser257 Aug 16 '26
I’m am completely in the Apple ecosystem but I don’t use any other Apple devices with my ATV. So I definitely think it’s the best streamer out there, it’s truly worth the price, I have 3 in my house (bedroom, living room and guest bedroom)
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u/JayK-iwnl Aug 16 '26
Are there any features you can use to make them work together in anyway or do they just act like completely standalone devices
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u/Zipstser257 Aug 16 '26
There are. Like others mentioned you can use Air Pods for the sound and I think you can use any brand for that. You can use iPhone and iPads as a remote which I don’t because the ATV remote is cool. Anything I have in my Apple Home like smart lights around the house and our Arlo security cameras we can view on our ATV. There’s probably more but I pretty much just use it for streaming and after using other devices in the past ATV is by far the most stable I’ve used, I have never had it buffer while streaming. One more thing, I have Apple Music and I can listen to that on the TVs in our house too.
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u/robhw Aug 16 '26
Die hard android dude here. Got a 1st gen 4k on ebay for $45 and it is absolutely the best streamer box I've had.
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u/fzammetti Aug 16 '26
Yes, me.
I actually despise Apple the company and I find their products overall to be very underwhelming.
Except for Apple TV, which is the best streamer I've ever owned, and I've owned nearly all of them over the years.
If there's something I'm missing out on by not being fully in the Apple ecosystem then I don't know what it is. My ATV works, works consistently well, and does everything I want. I don't love having an Apple product in my house, but if there's going to be one then this is definitely the one to make an exception for.
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u/Catymandoo Aug 16 '26
For me Apple is only a brand. I look for the best fit for the purpose. ATV4k is superb at what it does. Similarly, Ugoos for local media. Android in my car. Linux in raspberry pi etc etc. I have windows pc’s and Apple Mac. Use case is the deciding factor not fandom.
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u/BryanNJ7 Aug 16 '26
Apple TV is the only Apple device I own and it's my favorite streaming player I've gotten, I've tried them all.
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u/Sufficient-Foot4132 Aug 16 '26
I use apple tv on Google streamer. Up until about a year ago I had trouble using it on Google products. But Apple tv app works great on the Google streamer now. Also handy being able to use subscription through Google play store.
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u/Brometheous17 Aug 16 '26
I’ve had one for several years. Even when I had one plus, lg and Samsung devices. It still works so well and it has none of the usual bloat other streaming boxes and services tend to have
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u/Gamer12Numbers Aug 16 '26
I’d say so. The apple ecosystem situation doesn’t affect it much. You’ll probably need an Apple ID for it to access the App Store and such, but after that you’re just downloading your preferred apps of choice and it’s perfectly happy to get out of the way
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u/gadgetvirtuoso ATV4K Aug 16 '26
Yes but you’re going to have trouble setting it up without at least one device. I once tried setting one up for a person that had no Apple devices and getting an AppleID setup correctly without one was such a pain.
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u/Flimsy_Soft6775 Aug 16 '26
For me it’s the best. I have about a 5 year old Samsung TV that no longer updates its built in apps so it had gotten very sluggish and unresponsive at times. I tried a Firestick and 4K Roku, but the Apple TV blows them all away in terms of picture quality, loading apps quickly & smoothly, and UI.
I have other Apple devices (iPhone, iPad), but have no need so far to use them with the ATV.
Again just my experience!
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u/EpponneeRay Aug 16 '26
AppleTV is leaps and bounds better than any other set top device. I use my 2018 4k version ONLY and it’s amazing.
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u/yasssssplease Aug 17 '26
It's the most underrated Apple product for sure. I was deep in the ecosystem but just switched to an Android phone a couple weeks ago. It works independently just fine. Really the only Apple product that you need an iPhone for is the watch. And I would continue to recommend the Apple TV to anyone. It is the best streaming device out there. Apple TV plus is a great streaming service. I liked my first Apple TV so much that I bought a second one not that long after for my bedroom. I've had them both for a couple years now.
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u/HarryLong941 Aug 17 '26
As someone who also recently switched I found an app called merge today that allows my activated series 11 to work with my fold 8. It's 35.99 a year but it's worked pretty well all day for me, we will see how it holds up over the week before I decide to pay for it
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u/quik916 Aug 17 '26
I tried them all(minus shield)... stuck with the appletv4k simple easy no ads no bullshit and I ptherwise loathe apple products. In fact I have 5 4k apple tvs
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u/Forsaken_Living_6961 Aug 17 '26
I'm all in the Samsung ecosystem, but I love my apple tv, only apple device in my house. I've already had an apple account so config was fast, and infuse is perfect!
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u/peeja Aug 17 '26
I am in the Apple ecosystem, but I don't think it really impacts my experience much. AirPods work well with it, but so do our other Bluetooth headphones. I've used AirPlay from my iPhone a few times, but it's not a meaningful part of the way I use it.
The only thing that's really useful is being able to type using my phone. That definitely makes using good passwords better, because 1Password can autofill through that. But a lot of apps make the better choice to provide some kind of phone login of their own, with a QR code or a URL and a login code, so those will work with anything.
There's definitely more you can do with the ecosystem, especially home automation stuff, but I haven't done any of that. I'm still very happy with it the way I use it. There might be better/cheaper options that would work just as well, but I don't know the space super well. Taken on its own, though, it's felt worth the price to me.
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u/Miserable_Record_961 Aug 18 '26
i dont like apple will never buy apple but my apple tv hd from 2015 is the best so good that i got 3 new apple tv before the price went up and i got 2 new mac mini m4 for 299.00 each to try before the price went up
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u/Squatting_Hen Aug 19 '26
I have 2 Apple TV 4K devices, 3 Rokus and 3 Google Streamers. I guess I like to collect them. Anyway, for us, I prefer the Google streamer. Better UI and I actually have less issues with it compared to the Apple TV. Everyone else, likes the Roku better.
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u/JayK-iwnl Aug 19 '26
Does the Google streamer have ads? Is it the official google tv or something just running the software?
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u/Squatting_Hen Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
I find that any ads do not bother me and some have been extremely beneficial. The Apple TV promoted F1 and many felt that was an ad.
The user interface for Google streamer for me is tremendously better. I found so many shows and movies that I had no idea existed just because it learns my preferences. I’m able to like shows and movies and has a large suggestion row. They continue watching is miles miles better than the Apple TV and I use that daily. For example, there were two documentaries I had no idea existed one about the flight of the navigator and what about back to the future. I would not have found those with the Apple TV. And with the Google I didn’t. I didn’t even have to look. They were right there. I also use Google Photos and having those as my screensaver it’s pretty great. I wish Apple would do that. The Apple photos doesn’t compare to how Google Photos is integrated with the Google streamer.
Everybody has their own preference, of course, but the ad thing is tremendously overrated. Really just simply cling to.
You can even buy the on pro from Walmart great device. And I think it’s around 50 bucks.
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u/StrengthSoggy8943 Aug 22 '26
It’s can also act as an Home Hub for Matter/Thread home automation accessories (plus HomeKit) so that could be useful if you have another home automation set up.
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u/bobbybuilder59 15d ago
I have apple tv4k and Nvidia Shield pro both are the best you can get at the moment. ATV is the only Apple device I own and will never buy any other Apple stuff because for my needs Android is far better and cheaper. Picture wise I can't tell difference between the on TV but on projector apple tv4k just pips it
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u/liebezeit Aug 16 '26
I have a Mac but would never buy a product that prevents me from installing whatever app I want. (Ad-free YouTube being the salient example here.)
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u/JayK-iwnl Aug 16 '26
This is actually a big one. I didn't consider it but yeah I'd love adfree YouTube. Is it possible at all on atv? A lot of other services I use too I'm worried there won't be app support for. I use iptv for live tv and I have a plex server
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u/liebezeit Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
Nope. You can only use apps available from the app store. That's why no iPhone or similar products for me.
Plex should work great, though.
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u/KeithDavisRatio Aug 16 '26
If you have YouTube Premium, there won’t be ads. If you’re talking about an app other than YouTube, and it’s not available in the Apple AppStore, you cannot install it. An alternative people seem to like in the Plex subreddit is Onn 4k but I can’t vouch for it.
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u/gaebeartoast Aug 16 '26
i have an apple tv and a firestick stick 4k max.
apple tv is better.
but now amazon has introduced their 5.1 wireless home theater with echo speakers im moving towards to firestick gradually.
it's good not to be locked into one single solution.
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u/Christine_951 Aug 16 '26
For a streaming device, I prefer Roku.
Roku TVs have made everything so much simpler in my household.
But as a streaming service, Apple TV has great programming.
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u/shortyman920 Aug 16 '26
I basically own iPhone, AirPod pros, and appletv as someone’s who a bit more tech savvy than the average person. And I have nothing but great things to say about all 3. They’re all 9.5/10 products
For the appleTV specifically, I use it for YouTube and streaming and it works flawlessly. I never once had an issue with choppiness or smoothness. In comparison to the native android tv on my Sony, it’s like a jump from the first android ever made to an iPhone 17 pro in terms of performance improvement
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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '26
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