Tag: Apple TV

The Multiview App for Apple TV and Android / Google TV Review

I came across an neat cord cutting app last night called Multiview. As its name implies, it can run four simultaneous OTA broadcasts on a single screen using an HDHomerun network tuner. The Apple TV version can also ingest streams from Tablo and Plex – including FAST streaming services.

You can check it out in my latest review.

Multiview is available on both Android and Apple platforms, including Apple TV, Google TV, Android TV, phones, and tablets. It feels a bit like the YouTube TV multiview experience but without the subscription attached.

The app costs ten dollars as a one-time purchase, and there’s a free trial that provides enough time to see whether it fits your needs. I paid for the pro version of the app myself, and the impressions here are entirely my own.

The software is still early in its life, and that shows through some bugs and quirks. The developer is active on Reddit and open to feedback, which makes the rough edges feel more manageable. Even in its early state, the app demonstrates how much innovation can come from small developers in the cord cutting space, especially when they build around open hardware like the HDHomeRun tuners the app relies on. I’ve used HDHomeRun devices for years, and their openness has always encouraged creative third-party projects like this.

Building out a layout inside the app is simple. I was able to pull in four OTA channels, switch audio between them just by moving the cursor, select one stream to go full screen with a button push and switch the layout to two-up or three-up configurations when needed. The app lets you save these layouts so you’re not rebuilding them every time you want to watch. Switching between these presets feels quick on the latest Apple TV hardware.

There’s also a program guide that resembles a traditional grid interface. It loads in all of the OTA channels your tuner sees. Occasionally it hangs, but backing out and reopening usually resolves it. Some of that may be tied to how many channels my Plex server exposes, since the app can merge OTA channels with Plex sources when Plex is connected.

The Plex integration currently works only on Apple TV. It brings in Plex’s FAST channels alongside OTA channels, which makes for some interesting multiview combinations. I did find that a local Plex server is required at the moment and that Plex accounts with two-factor authentication enabled don’t connect properly yet. After switching to an account without two-factor enabled, everything worked. Once connected, I was able to place OTA channels right next to Plex FAST channels within the same grid.

ATSC 3.0 support is present but mixed. The app will tune video from an ATSC 3.0 HDHomeRun, but I couldn’t get audio working in my market. The developer says it works where he is, so it may depend on local conditions. Encrypted ATSC 3.0 broadcasts don’t work at all, as expected, since they remain restricted by broadcasters.

I also tested the app on my iPhone, where it works similarly to the TV version, and on an Android TV device. The Android build currently supports only HDHomeRun sources and feels a bit slower on lower-end hardware. My Nvidia Shield had trouble running it, locking up during tests, while Walmart’s Onn 4K box handled it more reliably, even if it didn’t feel quite as fluid as the Apple TV.

The free demo gives you three fifteen-minute sessions along with the ability to watch a single channel without limits. For anyone trying to follow several games or events at once, the app offers an interesting option to experiment with.

You can find it on the Apple App Store here and the Google Play Store here.

8bitDo Controllers Now Officially Apple Compatible

8BitDo controllers are now officially supported by Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. I tested them on all three platforms in my latest video.

This compatibility eliminates the need for complicated workarounds to pair these controllers with iOS devices. Compatible controllers include the SN30 Pro, SN30 Pro Plus, Pro 2, the 8BitDo Ultimate Controller, and Light SE. 8bitdo has a compatibility page here for more information. Users may need to update their controller’s firmware first – even if they just purchased it recently.

The controllers can be connected via USB-C on iPads with a USB-C port, but iPhones or iPads with a Lightning connector must use Bluetooth connections. I found that they work just like Xbox and Playstation controllers once connected.

The 8-Bitdo controllers can be used with various games, including those on Apple Arcade, as well as game streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming. Users can remap controls and set up different profiles for their controllers using iOS settings or the 8-Bitdo Ultimate app, which allows for further customization on their more premium controllers like the Ultimate and Pro 2 controllers.

This new feature closes a big compatibility gap these controllers had since the beginning. Now if only we can get them working with Xbox and PS4/5 Consoles next!

What’s Plugged Into My TV?

We review a lot of TV boxes on the channel.. In fact TV boxes are about the only thing that performs well on my YouTube channel these days. So I thought it might be fun to show you what I have plugged into my TV! See it all here.

The TLDR is that I’ve really embraced the Apple TV 4k over the last couple of months primarily because it does a few things that I’m looking for quite well. On my bedroom TV it works pretty seamlessly with my Airpods for private listening, and on my home theater TV it can switch into 24p mode better than anything else out there.

For a long time I was relying on the TV’s built in apps, but my aging LG C7 is running rather slowly and doesn’t have all of the apps we’re using these days. The television from a viewing perspective is still perfectly fine (it’s the best TV I’ve ever owned) but it definitely needs to be supplemented by a device these days.

The Nvidia Shield is still my go to for Plex Pro home media serving but the Apple TV is doing everything else. See more in the video!

Apple TV 4k 3rd Generation Review (2022)

Enthusiast issues aside, the Apple TV remains one of the top streaming video players on the market. It’s the only TV box that bests the Nvidia Shield TV in performance, has a clean interface devoid of advertising, and integrates tightly with other Apple products and services like Airpods and iCloud Photo libraries. You can see my review of the 3rd generation unit here.

This new edition nudges the platform forward, featuring a more powerful (yet underutilized) A15 processor. While you’ll find a game or two on the platform like Oceanhorn 2 that can show off the prowess of the device, the game library is nowhere near as deep as a Nintendo Switch, Xbox or Playstation.

The new Apple TV is priced competitively vs. other streamers on the market, although Apple pulled the ethernet port out of the lower cost 64GB unit. You’ll need to go up to the 128GB model to get the port which is something I recommend for 4k streaming. The 64GB model also does not have support for the open Matter smarthome standard but the 128GB does.

It handles all of the streaming services I tried well although there does not appear to be any perceptible performance difference vs. the last two generations of the device. The Apple TV is one of the few boxes that can match content properly coming from most popular services, meaning it can switch your television’s display mode to match what the content requires. HDR, Dolby Vision and ATMOS are supported through most streaming apps (with the exception of lossless ATMOS as noted here). This new version also supports the emerging HDR10+ standard which was not available on the prior models.

Should you upgrade from a prior edition? I don’t think there’s enough here to warrant that. I am using the first generation Apple TV 4k now for most of my streaming from subscription services. I like its integration with my Airpods and photo library along with its proper content matching features. The 3rd generation box doesn’t feel much different even though it has a more powerful processor.

But if I were looking for a new box I’d definitely recommend picking up this 2022 version.