Bought a new Sony Bravia for my Apple TV 4K, now I'm considering getting rid of the Apple TV

by xe_om

With my first and only exposure to Android TV, I have to say I'm impressed. I've been an Apple TV user since gen 1, and I can honestly say Sony/Android experience is better. The voice search is fast and returns better results (e.g., movies on my Plex server, not the iTunes store!), the TV has an IR blaster for my cable box and a comprehensive program guide, and don't get me started on the terrible Apple TV Siri remote. Since getting the Sony, I've had no need for the Apple TV so I'm considering selling it.

One thing Apple is good about is rolling out new software, though. I know next year there will be updates to the Apple TV. Not sure about the Sony. Will it get Oreo?

I suppose I can pick up an Nvidia Shield in the future if I want the latest OS, but then I'm juggling remotes again, which I'd like to avoid.

Any other Apple TV users who made the switch, are you happy you did?

danielcar

Which Sony TV Model did you get? You can expect at least two major OS version upgrades. Lots of upgrades of inbetween stuff. Assistant is updated many times per year, although most of the updates are on the back end servers.

feclar

I switched from Apple TV to nvidia shield tv when it first came back

Not missing anything at all from AppleTV

born4thesky

Go for the shield! If you like Sony android experience you going to be blown by shield!

Bobala

While I really like the Android TV functionality that's built into my Bravia, I still prefer Apple TV. I find the UI to be more responsive and I really like the new TV app that aggregates content from several different providers. It's nice to go to one interface to pick up a movie or show where I left off, regardless of the source (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, CW, FX, etc). Plus, it's consistent across my iPhone and iPad. It's a killer feature.

hotweiss

I got rid of my Apple Tv after I got my Sony TV too. Plus I downloaded an app from the Play Store that allows you to stream via AirPlay. It is the complete solution. I really hated the Apple TV for not aupporting Kodi.

kratoz29

I didn’t ever get an Apple TV cause I didn’t have the money to do so, but I wanted one a lot, I didn’t even knew what a streaming box was, then I got my smart 4K TV (Samsung) and was pleasantly surprised to don’t have to boot up my PS3/PS4 to watch Netflix, then I discovered Android TV and subsequently the Shield and the Mi Box, then I decided to go for the Mi Box and felt in love, but I didn’t though it was that powerful, so returned it and got a Shield, and I don’t think I’d get an Apple TV anymore.

7ka2

I switched from Apple TV to Sony Bravia and the only thing I’m missing is frequent os updates and apple’s support. Sony is shit at both. Also, ...

(1) I really hate the performance of my TV - it wasn’t the snappiest device when I bought it in Jan 16 and with a coupe of updates it became so slow that I decided to buy Nvidia Shield instead (getting it next week), which should be more powerful and therefore faster.

(2) another big reason I decided to go with the Shield is that with Sony (and I believe it’s the same with the other brands selling android TVs) you won’t be getting latest OS. My unit is 2 Year’s old. Marshmallow was pushed to my TV about 4 months ago and it is the last major update it’s going to get - forget nougat or Oreo. From what I read online the Shield gets updates far more frequently.

If I knew this back then, I would’ve bought a best picture quality non-smart TV and the Shield.

TnCyberVol

The lack of updates drove me back to Apple TV.

Now have a Mi Box collecting dust.

vaparagno

Shield honors hdmi cec so you won't need an additional remote for normal use. Not sure if the voice search will work with that though

dvheuvel

I have movies purchased in the iTunes ecosystem. Should I abandon it and move into the Google ecosystem to movies? Or get a 4k apple tv and stay in the iTunes ecosystem. Decisions.

Samdgadii

Decided to go with a Sony/Android TV instead of upgrading my 3rd gen Apple TV to Apple TV 4. I knew I was going to make the switch for my main TV soon as I saw the ATV4 reveal. We’re from the same boat friend. Never had experience with Android before it. Still prefer Apple software, but it’s the same reason why I bought a Xbox One - a seamless user simplified entertainment experience.

Only negatives I’d say I have is; AirPlay is better than Chromecasting and Podcasts and I do desire the ATV4’s white translucent UI. It looks super cool. Although the Android TV OS’s black style matches well with my Comcast’s xfinity cable UI - so I like that. Guest can’t tell when they’re using which.

seaniepants

So much better with Nvidia Shield. Once you see the menus moving at 60 fps as they were intended, using Sony feels like mud.

crazy_goat

Too bad Sony's bloatware cripples it. Having Plex be buried in a gigantic list of "curated" apps is infuriating