Video Wars: GA(F)A move their war to the living room

In recent days we saw an escalation  between the GA(F)A, the 3 giants Google, Apple and Amazon which each offer both:

  • Electronic streaming video Products
  • Streaming video Platforms

For the consumer, these competing solutions are mainly complementary to have access to more offers with a minimal equipment: people will simply not buy a media-player for each catalog. In order to make each offer more attractive, we have seen in the past many fruitful collaborations such as those of Google making Youtube available on the Apple TV on day one.

But today, as the market gains maturity, the tensions reappear and each actor tries to use his strengths to his advantage to gain leadership.

  • Google uses the importance of Youtube to impose a video format and its devices linked to its content store
  • Apple uses its niche courted premium users to impose another video format and its devices linked to its content store
  • Amazon is blackmailing the availabilty of Apple and Google products in its e-commerce store to make its contents, brand and global store emerge even more.

Here is a small summary that details how each of the 3 GA(F)A process and is processed by the other 2 (click to see it larger):

How Apple, Google and Amazon process and are processed by the 2 others
How Apple, Google and Amazon process and are processed by the 2 others

All of this changes permanently of course. But thanks to the Perfektly service, without worrying about technical incompatibilities and political options, you will be able to always know which service is really available on which equipment and in which quality.

So, in 3 clicks, Perfeklty allow you to always make the right choice.

The Apple TV 4K in 7 questions and some revelations

Apple TV 4K
The Apple TV 4K and the new version of the touch remote control

After more than a year of rumors, the Apple TV 4K is now available! Let’s take a look at this new product in 7 questions and few revelations.

In short :

1) For what uses is the Apple TV 4K perfect ?

In France :

  • Watch Netflix movies/series, CanalPlay in 4K HDR
  • Watch myCanal, the live/replay of Canal+ in 4K HDR
  • Watch french TV/TNT programs live and in replay with Molotov and other channel’s apps (BFMTV, Eurosport…)
  • Buy/rent movies/series in HD or 4K HDR on iTunes
  • Listen to your iTunes music library
  • Look at your photos/videos stored in iCloud
  • Mirror your Mac, iPad or iPhone screen
  • Play beautiful 2D and 3D “casual games

2) What makes the Apple TV 4K really unique?

  • A really simple and fluid interface designed for touch remote control
  • A really quick and easy installation
  • A great choice of over 8000 applications and games designed for the big screen
  • Very good integration with the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Mac, iTunes, Apple, Music, iCloud)
  • The Siri voice command designed for music and movies/series (in France, Siri search across iTunes, Netflix, myCanal and OCS)
  • It’s also a hub for the Homekit home automation system, compatible with Philips, Logitech, Netamo products…

3) Where the Apple TV 4K available ?

In France :

Apple TV 4K
The interface of the Apple TV 4K

 

If you’re interested in the details :

4) What are the differences with the previous model of Apple TV?

  • The ability to decode the 4K in HDR video at 60 frames per second
  • A much more powerful processor (A10X Fusion, like the iPad Pro 2017)
  • A faster ethernet port (Gigabit)
  • A faster wifi (simultaneous dual band)
  • 5.0 Bluetooth support
  • A quiet fan
  • An easier to use and more accurate remote
  • One port less, but we don’t care, it was only intended for maintenance

5) What are the good surprises for the Apple TV 4K ?

  • Support for 2 HDR modes, the classic HDR10 but also the much better Dolby Vision
  • The imminent availability of an Apple TV app mixing programs from iTunes, Molotov.tv, MyCanal, OCS
  • The imminent availability of an Amazon Premium Video app
  • Movies in 4K at the same price as those in HD on iTunes (unlike other platforms)
  • Your old iTunes HD purchases made available for free in 4K
  • The supplied USB cable to recharge the remote

Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K

6) What are the Apple TV 4K little known weak points?

  • For now, the Apple TV 4K only reads Youtube 4K videos in HD
  • The touch remote control is sometimes difficult to use in the dark
  • Still no support for Dolby Atmos (but it should happen soon)
  • For iTunes, Disney and Marvel have not yet planned to make their movies available in 4K HDR
  • The HDMI cable is not provided (but this one is perfect in any situation for HD, 4K HDR and 3D)

7) What are the alternatives to the Apple TV 4K ?

Media Player: The biggest player may be not who you think

In the USA, Roku is the major player in market share. Amazon is second with its FireTV, followed by Google with the Chromecast range and Apple with the Apple TV.

But everything will be different soon with the new models coming for christmas by Apple, Amazon and Roku. Stay tuned !

source: Parks Associates