Tinlad wrote:It'll be interesting to see what policies Apple apply to the App Store for the new Apple TV.
If it gets Plex, iPlayer, Amazon Instant Video etc. apps then I'd love one to replace my HTPC. I guess it depends on whether they're primarily selling it to make money from the hardware, or from the media they can sell through it.
I suspect the latter, but I hope for the former.
I have one, and my HTPC is on eBay.
The Plex app works well - it's a first release, so it doesn't have all the bells and whistles yet, but it does what I need it to do. My server's having to do a bit more transcoding, but the vast majority of my files are playing via Direct Stream or Direct Play.
HDMI-CEC means that I can now ditch my Harmony remote - pressing a button on the Siri Remote turns on the TV, and it turns it off when it goes to sleep. It controls the volume via IR (didn't even need setting up - guess it detected a Samsung TV via the EDID and chose the appropriate codes). The touchpad on the remote is really nice to use. I've not used Siri much, but when I have it's been accurate and fast.
The App Store is currently a bit sparse, but I've no doubt it'll soon start filling up - and that's when things will really get interesting. The BBC have confirmed they're working on an iPlayer app, but in the mean time I'm accessing it via a Plex Channel. Having reliable AirPlay (which PHT/Kodi don't have) means that anything currently missing can just be streamed from my phone/tablet/laptop. tvOS needs a bit more polish - text entry, for example, can be painful - but the general experience is pleasant.
I know that my HTPC was technically more flexible/capable, but I was getting frustrated with temperamental remotes, sleep/wake, updates, etc. I'm OK with the trade-offs to have something that works reliably as an appliance.
