The third generation of the Apple TV media streaming box continues to lose access to its limited collection of apps, and there is no replacement Apple product in the less than $ 100 range on the market.
Apple launched Apple TV’s first 1080p set-top box for $ 99 many, many, many moons ago in 2012. Three years later, Apple lowered the cost to the good $ 69 price before discontinuing it a year and a half later.
The fourth generation of Apple TV technically replaced it in programming and ran a dramatically different operating system with its own App Store for games and any media applications.
The only obstacle is that the new 1080p media streaming box cost $ 149 in 2015, and still costs $ 149 in 2021. Apple TV 4K, the fifth generation box, joined the lineup in 2017 for $ 179- $ 199 , and these prices remain the same today.
If all you want to do is keep watching the same video services as YouTube, CBS and now MLB At Bat (H / T Joe Rossignol) without messing with AirPlay, your options start at $ 149 if you want to stay in the Apple ecosystem .
Want to save a lot of money and avoid relying on AirPlay? Streaming media sticks regularly start at $ 25, with 4K options available for less than $ 50.
The big question is whether we should expect Apple to serve the streaming media box market below $ 100 again? I wouldn’t hold my breath for that.
Apple’s current focus on video is to distribute its Apple TV application to more places like Fire TV and Roku, PlayStation and Xbox, and smart TVs from LG, Samsung and virtually all smart TVs on the market today.
Even the premium media streaming box market is currently waiting for any sign of new Apple hardware today. Apple TV HD debuted six years ago, and Apple TV 4K is now four years old and counting (and it’s not like processors haven’t gotten faster and TV specifications haven’t matured).
This probably means that the streaming media hardware solution under $ 100 for Apple is nowhere near its radar. Unfortunately, video “applications” for third generation Apple TV were developed specifically for a single instance of the Apple operating system that is no longer supported or no longer found on devices sold today.
Developers simply cannot justify putting resources into a discontinued product that is no longer being sold or maintained by Apple. Based on the state of affairs of streaming media, we will only continue to see third-generation Apple TV lose access to applications without a direct replacement product from Apple on the market.
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