Apple TV 4K official (3 Viewers)

[Johnny Angell]

Here you go:

Tim Cook
c/o Apple
One Apple Park Way
Cupertino, CA 95014

Do you think snail mail is more likely to get a response than email? Of course, either way, it’s important to be polite and clear in explaining the problem.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It can't hurt to send an email if you were thinking about that.

But in general, my experience with customer service with Apple and a bunch of other companies has shown me that, right or wrong, email is still viewed as "not important." Whereas any time I've actually put the effort into mailing a letter to someone, it's been taken much more seriously.

 

[David Norman]

I think you are 100x more likely to get a useful response (discount an autobot response) with a real letter than an email that likely goes straight to the spam filter and gets deleted without being read. Of course I think snail mail is probably around 1%

Subpoena > Face to face > Ear to ear > handwritten letter > copy/paste letter > email >>> petition/tweet/facebook post/forum message 'to the powers that be'

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I am in full agreement that online petitions do absolutely nothing. There's no way to verify if the people signing them are real people, so the whole point of showing that there are tons of people interested in something means nothing because no one believes the number. And asking a major company to please open this email and click this link and believe that these are all real people, that's too big of an ask.

On the other hand, I've never failed to get a response from a snail mail letter sent to a company regarding a customer service issue. I haven't always gotten the resolution I wanted (though my batting average is pretty good!), but I have always gotten a response.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I just sent this email:

I have had some recent trouble with my new Apple TV. I have it about 40 days and it was purchased from Amazon. It is outside the Amazon return period so I need Apple’s help.

I was very disturbed at the attitude I received from Apple support. Both a beginning level CSR and senior CSR basically said “It’s not our fault.”

I have a home theater system. All my inputs, such as DirecTV, Blu Ray player, and Apple TV send their output to my Denon X4300H, which is a top-notch receiver and has not caused my any problems.

When I installed the Apple TV I sent the HDMI output to the Denon, which in turn routes it to my LG UH8500 TV. For almost all the 40 days I’ve had the Apple TV that arrangement has worked fine.

This past Thursday, we tried to watch Game of Thrones using HBOGO app. The app just went into wait mode and would not connect. The Apple TV settings say it’s connected to my WiFi and the signal is strong. Netflix was the same, wait state. I tried streaming Netflix with my LG TV and it worked fine.

I fixed this by unplugging the Apple TV from power and reconnecting. It worked.

Then Friday night, the Apple TV would not send an output signal, nothing. I’ve got a blank TV telling me no signal. I decided to wait until the next morning to diagnose the problem.

I first had to go thru the thrash of getting behind my home theater system. I connected the Apple TV directly to the tv using the input on the tv that my receiver normally outputs to, so I know that port works. Still no signal. I changed the cable to one I know works. Still no signal. This is important, No Signal when connected directly to the TV.

I called tech support and while talking to them unplugged the Apple TV from power and reconnected power and that fixed the problem. The CSR took that to mean that it only works when connected directly to the TV, ignoring the fact it worked for over 30 days connected to the receiver.

I asked to be transferred to a senior tech and I wanted on hold about 45’ for that to happen. When I finally got the senior tech he basically repeated what I had been told and said Apple is always updating the OS and now it’s not compatible with my receiver and that Apple only guarantees it to work when directly connected to the TV.

Really? Do you think that only a few audiophile nuts want to use an AVR? Without going thru the receiver I’m limited to the TV’s speakers and I don’t want that and I believe most users of Apple TV use it the way I do. I find it unreasonable to put out a home theater product and then say you can’t use it as a home theater component.

The senior CSR volunteered to get Denon on the line, I said ok, and he put me on hold. About 45’ later I hung up. I don’t think Denon does phone support on weekends. Frankly, I think that CSR was just getting rid of me.

At the moment, since disconnecting power on Saturday morning thru today, it is still working while connected to my AVR. If it’s incompatible how is that possible? How did it work for over a month.

Once electronics exhibit problems, they tend to reoccur, even if intermittently. We’ve really enjoyed the Apple TV (I had a older version). We’ve been good customers of Apple, owning over the years 6 iPhones (currently at X and 8), an iPad Pro, another iPad, and currently have 2 iMacs.

I’m asking apple to replace this Apple TV. You can contact me at the above email address, at my Apple cell of 999-999-9999 (ignore the area code, I live in ARkansas), or by snail mail at Xxxxx, xxxxx, AR 99999.

Please help.

Johnny Angell

Sent from my iPad

I will follow up with a snail mail tomorrow.

 

[Sam Posten]

Atmos support is live on iTunes.
https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1534065124

 

[Robert Crawford]

Atmos support is live on iTunes.
https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1534065124

I'll check it out now!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Atmos support is live on iTunes.
https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1534065124

Wow! Kong: Skull Island sounds unbelievable.

 

[Sam Posten]

Wow! Kong: Skull Island sounds unbelievable.

Exactly. Anyone who goes bitching that it's not uncompressed TrueHD is getting a karate chop =p

 

[Sam Posten]

I finally updated my office to do both Atmos and Dolby Vision on ATV. When I play Vision content it shows fine but the menus won’t play in SDR. They want to play in DV even if match content is set.

Any ideas?

 

[Sam Posten]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kadath/29253865197

 

[Ted Todorov]

...At the moment, since disconnecting power on Saturday morning thru today, it is still working while connected to my AVR. If it’s incompatible how is that possible? How did it work for over a month...

From reading your full letter, if I understand it correctly, the problem is consistently solvable by rebooting the AppleTV by unplugging/replugging it. Have you tried rebooting it via Settings (if doable when it is not working)? I would certainly try that as well if/when it occurs again.

Again, if I understand your letter correctly, you receiver is irrelevant in that the problem will occur regardless of whether it is connected or not. If so, no point of complicating the discussion with Apple: you can just tell them that your aTV periodically hangs until it gets rebooted.

FWIW, I've noticed my mom's gen 4 aTV (the one before the 4K version which I have - which one is yours?) will periodically be not working (sorry, don't remember the details) and inevitably rebooting it (usually unplugging/replugging or via software) will fix the problem. My aTV, the new 4K version seems to be consistently working, I can think of only one occasion where I rebooted it (via software) because it was acting like there was no internet service (I can't swear that in fact service hadn't gone down and didn't come back by the time I finished rebooting).

Also FWIW, I too have a Denon AVR, by mine is ancient enough it doesn't have HDMI ports, so I am directly plugged into my LG from the aTV and a TOSLink goes from the LG to the receiver, and all my devices get their audio out that way, including Blu-ray player & TiVo.

 

[Ted Todorov]

TL;DR When dealing with help, try to debug the problem enough to give them an easy to understand point of failure.

I am certainly not trying to defend Apple Care: they are far from perfect. For instance I had a just gotten a brand new HP printer the was on Apple's list of supporting printing OTA from iPads and iPhones: not only didn't that work, but there was no way to upgrade the printer software via Printers/Scanners in Setting (my ancient HP which it replaced seemed to work). They gave it a shot, but boiled down to "call HP" which is useless.

Having usable/working customer support is what makes Apple great. But not covering areas that Apple used to support in the past (LaserWriter, AirPort, etc.) they make it impossible to have a fully supported home computer system - one for which you are willing to pay more in exchange for never having to deal with call vendor X, Y or Z situations. Which in the AppleTV case would mean, at a minimum provide full coverage for aTV audio out via HomePods - i.e. have a setting that will mean the your HomePods will automatically switch over to the AppleTV the moment you hit play on your remote.

 

[Johnny Angell]

From reading your full letter, if I understand it correctly, the problem is consistently solvable by rebooting the AppleTV by unplugging/replugging it. Have you tried rebooting it via Settings (if doable when it is not working)? I would certainly try that as well if/when it occurs again.

Again, if I understand your letter correctly, you receiver is irrelevant in that the problem will occur regardless of whether it is connected or not. If so, no point of complicating the discussion with Apple: you can just tell them that your aTV periodically hangs until it gets rebooted.

FWIW, I've noticed my mom's gen 4 aTV (the one before the 4K version which I have - which one is yours?) will periodically be not working (sorry, don't remember the details) and inevitably rebooting it (usually unplugging/replugging or via software) will fix the problem. My aTV, the new 4K version seems to be consistently working, I can think of only one occasion where I rebooted it (via software) because it was acting like there was no internet service (I can't swear that in fact service hadn't gone down and didn't come back by the time I finished rebooting).

Also FWIW, I too have a Denon AVR, by mine is ancient enough it doesn't have HDMI ports, so I am directly plugged into my LG from the aTV and a TOSLink goes from the LG to the receiver, and all my devices get their audio out that way, including Blu-ray player & TiVo.

I have not rebooted via settings. If it fails to connect again, I will first try settings to rebook. If it fails to output a signal I will have no choice but disconnect from power to reboot. I have the latest and greatest ATV 4K. It sounds like from your experience I should expect an intermittent failure to work.

The thing that really sets me off is Apple claiming they will only guarantee it will work when corrected directly to a TV. They should put that directly in their specs and advertising and we’ll see how many they sell. Or they could provide another HDMI out so I can send audio to my receiver and video to the TV.

 

[Sam Posten]

@Johnny Angell i bet you are behind in firmware updates on your Denon

 

[Sam Posten]

Also I fixed my issue. I assumed you set the ATV to DV. Not so. Set to 4k HDR and match HDR and refresh. Works great, switches to DV as needed

 

[Johnny Angell]

@Johnny Angell i bet you are behind in firmware updates on your Denon

Nope. Current.

Also I fixed my issue. I assumed you set the ATV to DV. Not so. Set to 4k HDR and match HDR and refresh. Works great, switches to DV as needed

I will check.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Atmos support is live on iTunes.
https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1534065124

Cool. I'm not on the beta, though, so I will have to wait until fall. Since my Roku Ultra isn't working properly again (getting audio dropouts since a recent firmware update) I am reluctant to mess with beta software on my only reliable streaming box.

At least Apple gives its users the choice whether they want to participate in a beta software program. All of Roku's software releases are basically beta -- you never know what's going to break with the next release, but you know there's a good chance something will get screwed up.

 

[Tino]

Found a way to upgrade iTunes HD versions to 4K if you already own them.

On your phone or pc simply go to iTunes, find the film you want and gift it to yourself.

I tried it with Wild for$4.99 and it worked.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I had to reboot via setting on Friday and Saturday to get the atv to connect. Twice on Saturday and the second time was an unplug reboot.

No reply from apple from my email. Too soon for the snail mail version, I guess.