Telus should standardize on Apple TV for Pik STB

[PBA]

I know it's a provocative title, but having experienced Pik on both an Android TV box (Telus's own) and Apple TV, and keep reading so many negative posts regarding Pik on Android TV, I think it's time for Telus to do themselves a favour and standardize on Apple TV as their set top box for Pik.

The Pik user experience between the two platforms is like chalk and cheese. I cancelled my original Pik subscription after trying to use the Android TV box with the service. It was a grim user experience on Android TV, and I had many of the common complaints listed in this forum.

A quick google search will reveal this is not a Pik issue, but something very common to the Android TV platform itself.

I've got an Apple TV 4K, and when the Pik tvOS app was available, I tried it. It was a breath of fresh air. It was fast, the user interface was smooth, and I never had to restart the app or reboot the Apple TV. 

Here's the thing: I believe the current Pik service is just the tip of the iceberg of what will eventually be an App based, feature a la carte, Optik replacement. If that is true, Telus could discount Apple TVs when signing up for Pik, or even bundle an Apple TV with their Internet contracts, as a loss-leader for the Pik service. 

Users will get a quality user experience, and Telus could save themselves a lot of headaches support their app on a glitchy platform that makes their product look bad. 

I realize this is divisive: many people don't like Apple products for many reasons. But Telus are not doing themselves any favours by branding an Android TV box that makes them look bad.

Thoughts?

[Nighthawk · Accepted solution]

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@PBA wrote:

Telus could discount Apple TVs when signing up for Pik, or even bundle an Apple TV with their Internet contracts, as a loss-leader for the Pik service. 

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They already offer that. https://www.telus.com/en/deals/content/apple-tv-pik-tv-gift

[PBA]

Thanks @Nighthawk, hadn't seen that.

But the deeper question remains: Should Telus standardize on Apple TV and take the Android TV app out the back of the wood shed? 

[WestCoasterBC]

The android app isn’t the problem it’s the hardware only being a dual core processor and min ram. I guarantee if it ran on an Nvidia shield it would be awesome. But for the cost of the PikTV device it’s not to bad.

Roku would be a great choice as well but for whatever reason they avoid the platform. Guessing the cost to develop on another platform, and the outsourcing to get it done/maintained.

Two of the big 3 that use the platform have steered away from it. Example: CraveTV.

It limits the possible customer reach imho.

[rcrh]

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@Nighthawk wrote:

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@PBA wrote:

Telus could discount Apple TVs when signing up for Pik, or even bundle an Apple TV with their Internet contracts, as a loss-leader for the Pik service. 

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They already offer that. https://www.telus.com/en/deals/content/apple-tv-pik-tv-gift

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Wow, I'm pretty annoyed by that offer of a free apple TV after spending $100 to buy a crap box.  

[blastertoad]

Telus should not offer any hardware with pik. What they provide now is under powered equipment, however if they sold higher end hardware it would not move due to price shock. Let people buy their own hardware and be done with it.

[rcrh]

I agree that the android experience is terrible but I don't think it's Android itself but the terrible box Telus selected and subsequently forced us to buy.  You can look past the specific details and just see that most of us are running on a hundred dollar book and those with that waiting for the Apple app are running on a $230 box.

Considering that they are currently GIVING AWAY a 4k Apple TV to new subscribers I'd really like to see them offer an upgrade offer for current android users.

[PBA]

Totally agree @rcrh, making existing Android box users whole with an up to spec device would be the way to go.

[dkr88]

If Telus is going to focus on an app-based, a-la-carte experience (which I think is a fantastic idea), they should go back to the drawing board on both tvOS and Android apps, quite frankly. Having used both, I was disappointing to see that the Apple TV app - though generally faster - is still not the greatest quality. And navigating the app/guide with the Apple TV remote is painful.

[Nivende2]

I like all of the Apple TV experience including the remote but then again I am not into the Android ecosystem. Many Android users would never use an Apple product for ideological reasons.

I guess they need to bundle with Google Chromecast ? In the alternative offer an app on Samsung or Sony TV’s ? As great as Apple TV is perhaps an App on the TV makes sense.

I like using my Samsung and ATV apps far more than the Android box. Just an opinion.

[WestCoasterBC]

Apple TV is a good product but the remote is horrible as is roku remote. But like almost all streaming devices the remotes end up being app based especially for typing.

I used chrome cast, Roku, PikTV, Nvidia Shield, Apple TV 4K. I always fallback to the shield. Chrome cast i had little use for. If Apple TV had a remote like PikTV android box it would make the experience way better.

[Nivende2]

My Samsung app that came with a 4K newer set works as well or better than the ATV remote. Not many here praising the TELUS PIK remote. Not me for sure. I will look into Nividia Shield as I have never heard of it before.

[rcrh]

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@WestCoasterBC wrote:
Apple TV is a good product but the remote is horrible as is roku remote. But like almost all streaming devices the remotes end up being app based especially for typing.

I used chrome cast, Roku, PikTV, Nvidia Shield, Apple TV 4K. I always fallback to the shield. Chrome cast i had little use for. If Apple TV had a remote like PikTV android box it would make the experience way better.

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Nvidia Shield?  How do you use the Pik TV app on that box?

[NFtoBC]

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@rcrh wrote:

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@WestCoasterBC wrote:
I used chrome cast, Roku, PikTV, Nvidia Shield, Apple TV 4K. I always fallback to the shield. Chrome cast i had little use for. If Apple TV had a remote like PikTV android box it would make the experience way better.

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Nvidia Shield?  How do you use the Pik TV app on that box?

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@WestCoasterBC does not state he has used PikTV on Nvidia Shield, only that he is familiar with the remote control, having experienced its use.

[Nivende2]

You can slow down the track pad speed for the ATV remote which helps. I always shut down my ATV Pik app before starting a new TV session. ... probably out of habit.