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abillmann
Channel Surfer

Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

Hey all,

Longtime user of Roku AND Apple products, so no axe to grind here.

Trouble is, when streaming paid movies via the Apple TV app, we frequently see issues with jutter and audio sync. Most of the time it's fine, but again last night, about 40 minutes into a 4K movie, the picture stuttered for a bit, then the audio sync was off by more than a second. Obviously unwatchable from that point on.

Upon switching to Amazon Prime (and buying the movie again), the issues completely disappear. 

Our WiFi is a mesh setup, typically 260Mbps down, 18 up, with the primary point 10 feet from the Roku stick. Apple TV is literally the only app that seems to have a problem.

Any ideas or thoughts? Or is this just Apple not putting a lot of development dollars into an app for a platform they don't own?  🙂

9 REPLIES 9
StreamerUser
Roku Guru

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

@abillmann 

Its a bit of a heavier (read, more resource intensive) app, and even uses/requires an additional hidden code library to run.

Apple has done a lot to speed up its initial loading and UI navigation speed since first released, but it still has issues, especially on older/slower models.

They seem to release app updates every 3 months or so.

However, it IS a more bitrate intensive app as well, using anywhere from 25Mbps to 40Mbps for 4K/HDR/DV w/Atmos.

Because of that, if you are watching 4K/HDR/DV/Atmos (e.g. Apple TV+) content, a newer/faster Roku on a wired connection is preferred.

In my "anecdotal" testing, WiFi was just fine (no issues) when streaming 1080p content on ATV, but when streaming 4K/HDR/DV/Atmos on WiFi (2.4Ghz or 5Ghz), it tended to glitch now and then (instant downres to SD, desyncing, etc) requiring a RW to fix it - none of which ever occurred on wired connections.

Other apps with 4K/HDR/DV/Atmos content didnt/dont have anywhere near the same amount of glitching (if at all) on WiFi connections with different Roku models.

So, the app could still use some resource management efficiency updates, and in the meantime, try to use a wired connection when streaming 4K/HDR/DV/Atmos with the ATV app, otherwise limit output to 1080p.

If you suffer A/V de-syncing again, try to RW a little bit and let it ramp up, should fix itself within a minute.

Robocop77
Newbie

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

I just found the fix. I loaded the app in an Amazon stick. Works like a charm now! 

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

No other way to say it. UI is awful. Performance is awful. Streaming quality is awful. Buffering, audio sync issues. To quote from Silicon Valley, "It's 'Apple Maps' bad."

RokuDanny-R
Retired Moderator

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

@LinusTheVan

Thanks for the post.

For more information about that channel's features and functionality, you'll want to contact Apple TV support directly to inquire further. Many channels on Roku are developed and maintained by the channel provider themselves. 

You can reach Apple TV support here: https://support.apple.com/apple-tv
 

Thanks,
Danny

Danny R.
Roku Community Moderator
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abillmann
Channel Surfer

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

I recently upgraded to a Roku Ultra and specifically set the audio to Dolby Digital (as opposed to any kind of auto-detect or passthrough) since my audio setup is only 5.1 anyway and any extra data used for 7.1 or Atmos is just superfluous. Not sure if that matters, but it can't hurt. I'm guessing the extra processing power of the new Roku Ultra is really where the solution is.

On the WiFi side, prior to using the Apple TV app, I use the Google Home app (on my phone) to set the Roku Ultra as the priority device. Again, not sure if that really matters with the up/down bandwidth I have and the strong WiFi connections, but it can't hurt.

This seems to have solved the issues with playing 4k movies on the AppleTV app.

Agoknee
Channel Surfer

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

The app is TERRIBLE and only seems to get worse, the more I use it.

You have to manually disable subtitles every episode because it doesn't want to remember that you've never once enabled them...

Resume is pretty-much non-existent. Keep a show paused for more than 30 min. or so? The screensaver kicks in and it forgets where you were. Start over and have fun fast-forwarding.

Switching from one Roku to another? Start over and have fun fast-forwarding.

Trying to resume whatever you were watching last night? Good luck because the app doesn't show you which episodes you've watched. If you do happen to guess the right episode, hopefully you remembered how many minutes into the episode/movie you were or you'll be manually fast-forwarding again...

Apple clearly doesn't care about Roku users.

abillmann
Channel Surfer

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

You’re totally right. Lately, I’ve been using the AppleTV app less and less and unsubscribed from AppleTV+ specifically because the app is so unpredictable. It’s very obvious Apple couldn’t care less about the Roku base of users. Luckily, that’s a two-way street. 

Davis1021
Reel Rookie

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

Yes. It’s horrible. 

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FairFacts
Newbie

Re: Is the Apple TV app for Roku just, um, terrible?

I have exactly the same problem.  It is horrible!  I have to use the Apple app on my television. The HBO app is also slow and buggy

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