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0 pointsChrisMarshallNY4mo ago0 comments

Apple TV apps, in general, are terrible. Every single one [that I routinely use] (including Apple’s apps) regularly crash or lock up, often leaving it to me, to force-quit.

Amazon has started getting into a state, lately, where it ignores the remote, unless I go back, then go forward again.

This kind of “quality” is considered “acceptable,” in today’s world.

AppleTV has a JavaScript-based development system. It also has a fairly classic native Swift system (which I use). I suspect most apps are JavaScript, though.

[EDIT: Added the “routinely use” qualifier]

0 comments

rsynnott4mo ago

The odd thing is, they seem to be getting progressively _worse_. The Netflix one was way better when the first ‘modern’ (app-y) appletv came out, say. Even the YouTube one used to be basically _fine_.

wholinator23mo ago

This is one of the most painful things about the modern corporate web. Why does everything _have_ to get worse? Just why? Fucking up the basic functionality of your central app just cannot be a profit driven decision but it seems like literally every single giant corporation is constantly moving towards destroying their own systems. I just don't understand. Even windows is destroying itself. I simply cannot remember the last time i got an "update" for any single thing and it got better. Why is this happening?

thatguy09003mo ago

Noone wants to accept being feature complete even if they actually were feature complete years ago

jiggawatts3mo ago

Large corporations have the reigns of power seized by the political class: MBAs, sales executives, and CEOs that have never stepped foot in a workshop or factory in their entire lives… or even a shopping center, for that matter.

These people care only about each other: power, influence, money, etc.

Actually using or - gasp - improving the product is beneath them.

Or do you seriously think the billionaire CEO of some white goods company knows or cares about the quality of the wash the cheap Chinese-made washing machine does? He’s got staff laundering his clothes!

Similarly it’s very clear nobody with real power at Microsoft uses their own tools. I see their seniour product managers turn up to Microsoft Ignite with Apple Macs, for crying out loud!

arethuza4mo ago

That might be something wrong with your particular device - we've had two Apple TVs over 10+ years and they've been remarkably stable. I didn't even know how to "force quit" - I looked it up when you mentioned it.

Edit: Did have one problem where the centre channel would occasionally drop out - this would go away if you changed the volume and didn't happen that often so wasn't a big deal. I had assumed it was a problem with the Denon receiver we use but when we replaced our original Apple TV earlier this year wit a 4K model it stopped so must have been something to do with the device.

bildung4mo ago

I have zero experience with these, but every app crashing could also indicate a hardware issue. Faulty memory perhaps?

ChrisMarshallNYOP4mo ago

I have two sets (one is a 4K, and the other, a regular set). It happens on both. The crashes are different, though, for each app. Usually, it’s the app falling into a fugue state, at some point, as I am channel-surfing (I do that, a lot).

I should also qualify that it’s not really “every single one” (that’s hyperbole). It’s the ones that I routinely use (Apple, Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix).

I’ll probably get another one, sooner or later, but I’ve been waiting for them to release a new version[0],

[0] https://share.google/YL2EBlQfewN9CGDxD

jorvi4mo ago

Interestingly enough the same happens on both Spotify's desktop and Chromecast / Apple TV application when you "song surf".

If you rapidly keep skipping through a song, then to the next one and repeat, the performance will keep on tanking. After a while it'll take 5-10 seconds just to load a song, going to other UI sections will take 3-5 seconds to load, and eventually the application completely locks up and soft reboots itself.

Probably JavaScript garbage collectors getting overwhelmed.

1 more reply

thoroughburro4mo ago

> I have zero experience with these

Then please realise your advice is completely unneeded and unhelpful.

MBCook4mo ago

That is not my experience. It’s extremely rare for me to ever need to kill an app.

dontlaugh3mo ago

Same. I’ve only had to do it with the YouTube app, which does suck.

nullbyte8084mo ago

would explain why LG smart TV apps run like crap. The devices are not capable of handling a javascript engine at full speed.

Dylan168074mo ago

Sure they are. The amount of JavaScript that actually needs to run to give you a video browser is very little at a time. The bloat is a software problem.

wooger3mo ago

I mean, the biggest appeal of AppleTV is competent, high quality video casting via airplay 2 from a phone or laptop. Easily the least bad way to watch youtube on a TV is with airplay turned on from an iphone (with Youtube premium).

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