A hiccup in one app serves as an excuse to leave the platform.
My preferred streaming devices are the Apple TV 4K and the Roku Ultra, but I thought I had put an end to the debate when I switched from Roku to the Apple TV in October 2020. In the year and a half since my last post, I’m back to declare that I’m a squanderer. I know that no one wants to be a flinch.
After its 2021 update, which included a much-needed improvement to the remote control, I fell in love with the Apple TV 4K. In addition, the processor was upgraded from Apple’s A10X to the A12 Bionic, resulting in a significant performance boost. While keeping HDR and Dolby Video at 4K, it also increased framerates from 30fps to 60fps.
Although the new Apple TV 4K (2021), which I love, has prompted me to switch the HDMI cord back to the Roku Ultra (2020), which is reminding me what makes the Ultra in Roku Ultra. That one app that I can’t decide if or not I need is at the heart of my dilemmas. My decision to cancel Netflix may have hidden this problem from me, but I’ve been frustrated in ways I never expected since re-subscribing.
Netflix’s audio issues on Apple TV are a mystery.
Is it possible to tell when a minor issue has become a major issue? For me, the problem occurs when the glitch continues to occur. When I binge-watched Formula 1: Drive to Survive, the docu-drama that takes viewers behind the scenes of the competitive world of F1 live streams, everything went south for me.
My TV’s audio suddenly went out during one of the more boisterous racing sequences. Then, the sound returned. Nevertheless, since I’m a self-blaming narcissist, I assumed I was to blame for having accidentally sitting on the remote control. Even though I was holding my Apple TV control in my hand while listening to Niki Lauda’s advice, the audio went out at the series’ introduction this past weekend.
When I was stumped, I turned to the Internet for help: I opened Google. There were a number of other people who had the same problem. Since the tvOS 15.2 update, Redditors u/FloppyBacon89(opens in new tab) and u/junkie888(opens in new tab) have reported “audio clipping in and out on Netflix” (which actually sounded worse). When they tried to get help on Apple’s forums, users BidiM and Stoner couldn’t come up with a solution.
I ran the Apple TV 4K through a series of tests to see if I could reproduce the fault. A Belkin HDMI cable sold by Apple doesn’t work with my LG 4K TV, so I don’t know what’s going on. This post will be updated as soon as I hear back from either Apple or Netflix.
Is the Roku Ultra an adequate replacement for Apple TV?
As a result, I was able to listen to Netflix without encountering any audio issues on the Roku Ultra when I made the switch to it. Only Dolby Atmos surround sound.
When it comes to 4K streaming, I’d always prefer the $99 Roku Ultra over the $179 Apple TV 4K (I only have both since it’s my work) if you’re not on a tight budget. They also carry out many of the same activities. A 4K UHD stream with HDR and Dolby Atmos is available on both services.
Going back to the Roku Ultra, I quickly realised that it has almost everything I’m looking for in a streaming media device. It has an ethernet port so that you can stream 4K content reliably and quickly. Because of its larger housing, it performs faster than Roku Streaming Sticks. However, even though the Roku Ultra’s remote is a bit bulky and does not have the same minimalist design as the new Siri remote, the device is comfortable to hold and has more lost remote functionality than the Apple TV (which, as I’ve written, should have FindMy support in its remote).
However, returning to the Roku Ultra has required some muscle memory to be re-learned. Since leaving Roku for Apple TV, I’ve written that it’s almost too tightly integrated into the Apple ecosystem. In order to watch television, I simply touch the remote button on my iPhone’s home screen. Using the power button on my Apple TV and the LG television it is connected to, I can start watching my favourite shows right away. It’s wonderful. Say what now? The Roku remote and the Roku app on my phone have already become second nature to me. However, it’s not the end of the world, just a bit extra friction.
Is there a way to get the missing app for Roku?
Roku doesn’t include Twitch as an app; when I tried to watch a friend stream on my TV last night, I realised it was missing. Also, take note of the odd chasm here. It’s also possible that I could just put in both my Apple TV 4K and Roku Ultra, which I possess.
However, I’m the kind of video game nut who has three of my TV’s four HDMI connections taken up by a Nintendo Switch, a PS5, and an Xbox Series X. “I bet one of those systems has a Twitch app,” I thought for a moment. Both of them do, to everyone’s surprise.
In other words, until tvOS 16 is released, how long will it be until I find out that Netflix works properly on the Apple TV 4K? Roku is all I’ve got for now.