Now, we have Sony Playstation Vue (and DirecTV NOW) through our Apple TVs.
And so far, so good!
Until the primary Siri remote just.... stopped... working.
The Siri Remote has been a bit controversial.
And while I understand the primary complaints....
- It's too small and gets lost easily
- It's symmetrical and difficult to use in the dark
- It's made of glass and easily broken
....we really haven't had any issues.
Until last night. Suddenly, the Siri Remote Touchpad just wasn't reliable.
It worked occasionally, when you really, REALLY deliberately moved your finger across the pad. That shows that the touchpad sensors are still working... just not very well.
For the most part, touchpad input was horribly delayed - and quick "flicks" for scrolling were not picked up at all.
It left the Apple TV more or less useless. We had to go with the iPhone Remote app, which is not a great solution.
This Siri Remote is about a year old - we were one of the first people to pick up an ATV 4.
It's had "typical" use since then. No damage.
This seems to be a case of the Apple TV Siri Remote touchpad just.... wearing out.
I'll be contacting Apple Support - I hope this isn't a widespread problem. Because an $80 remote should have more than a 12-month lifespan.
HDMI-CEC
There is a workaround, if you don't mind losing Siri forever.
HDMI-CEC is the protocol by which devices can control each other, when they're connected via HDMI.
It has really made things simpler.... for instance, your TV will switch the input on your stereo when you change video inputs. (We used to have to do that manually.)
With HDMI-CEC, ANY third-party remote is capable of controlling your AppleTV - even the one that came with your television.
Just go to Settings --> Remotes --. Learn Remote, and map the various buttons on your third-party remote to your AppleTV.
After setup, you don't need a direct line-of-sight to the ATV - so long as you can see the TV, you're set. The TV will pass the remote control commands on to the Apple TV.
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