Apple TV questions. vs Android TV (Shield) experiences

[speedingcheetah]

U posted a speedtest from the Channels app...I am not referring to that.
That is LAN to LAN.
From your client device to server.

As I stated, my test is WAN to LAN.

I stated my Shield's Internet performance can nearly max my home gigiabit internet.
I ran the same test on the Apple TV, it does not.
Fact and proven.
It is important for the reasons I stated before, for streaming services performance since they use the download bandwidth of you internet connection.
Who would care about this? My guess, the average consumer that thinks faster is always better. I just find it fascinating that the premium Apple product is performing less than its competition, at least in my experience. All i did was buy it, plug it in and use it, same as anyone, tech savy or not. and am sharing my experience. I should not have to modify or spend hours tweaking my network hardware to get it to work at top performance. I never had to do that for the Shield, why should I have to for the Apple TV, both are plug and play devices.

I did not post screenshots as not to clutter up the thread, but, it seems, Apple fans just have to be right all the time and defend Apple to the death and dismiss other peoples experiences.
but here u go.

Apple:

Shield: (speedtest app is sideloaded cause i could not find the same app on native Android tv Google Play)

You can debate its internal LAN to LAN performance, all you wish (but start your own thread), but that is not what I was commenting on originally.

I will also mention, again, that since Apple TV has no USB or Lightning, etc, way of external connectivity, it does not even compare to having a Shield that is connected via a 10Gig NIC via USB 3.0 and a 12TB HDD. A contact of min has that setup as his Plex server.

[speedingcheetah]

@djcastaldo Was going to also post the same speedtest from Channels app but i do not see a Speedtest option in the Apple TV channels app under support.
I see a test surround sound option. (interesting voice and music it plays)
How did you come up with that if the Apple Tv version has no option for it.

[speedingcheetah]

Another thing i notice with Apple Tv, for those users like me that use a computer monitor and separate speaker system (connected to the aux out jack of the monitor).

Apple TV has no internal system volume control it seems.
It is hard set on fixed audio out, with no options to change it.
The only options for volume control is HDMI CEC, which won't work unless you are connected to a supported TV.
And, IR via the remote.

I leave my speakers, Creative T4, set at a set volume and use the internal native volume adjustment on the Android TV os on the Shield. Works very well.

But the only thing i can do on the Apple TV is program the remote to the IR of the speakers control pod, so that it adjusts the speakers volume directly. which, screws up the level when i switch over to my Shield or PC, or Xbox. All of those , i use the native volume adjust and do not ever change the speaker themselves volume.

Unless there is a setting I am missing to unlock the OS level volume control on the Apple TV, just know that you will need a actual TV, or a home theater receiver, or sound bar...something that support CEC or otherwise, IR, to adjust the volume levels.

[jseymour]

@djcastaldo

@jseymour

It's unclear to me why anyone would care whether the ATV4K hits GigE wire speeds--other than for the intellectual exercise. 4K maxes out somewhere around 25Mb/s.

No, its not necessary at all. But the higher speeds + lower latency absolutely add a small tangible benefit.

Fair point.

@djcastaldo

The point was that @speedingcheetah was making a claim that all Apple TVs have some sort of deficiency and cannot come close to gigabit speed.
But this is clearly a false claim.

Clearly. The results I posted above were using the iperf app on our wired ATV. Running the Channels speed test:

[djcastaldo]

@speedingcheetah

U posted a speedtest from the Channels app...I am not referring to that.
That is LAN to LAN.

I posted both. The WAN-to-LAN was in an earlier post.

@djcastaldo

933 / 37.4
907 / 41.7
923 / 41.6

I guess you wanted pictures for WAN-to-LAN? :

EDIT:
All I am trying to show is that this isn't an Apple TV deficiency. It will do gigabit anytime the network connection is sending it gigabit. If you are getting less, then the issue lies somewhere outside of the Apple TV.

[speedingcheetah]

@jseymour

The results I posted above were using the iperf app on our wired ATV. Running the Channels speed test:

Where is this speedtest to server option in the Channels Apple TV app...i cant find it.

[speedingcheetah]

@maddox

It looks like Android isn’t using the long description in that view, we can fix it.

This would be nice. Funny, i never knew there was short or long descriptions.
I Never really payed that close attention to show descriptions i guess.

[Macnbaish]

http://atv.ip.add.ress:57000/speedtest

For some reason it’s not loading when I try it now… I know this has worked for me in the past..

[speedingcheetah]

I mean the Test speed to channel sever option in the Channels app.
I find it on Android TV app, but not Apple.

Also, that url does not load anything for me.

[racameron]

@Macnbaish

For some reason it’s not loading when I try it now

The Channels app must be active. For security reasons, inactive/background apps cannot be directly accessed IIRC.

[Macnbaish]

Yeah mine is up and running but it won’t load for me. Perhaps I have the wrong address, I’ll double check.

[speedingcheetah]

Do not see a Test speed to server option in the Channels app.
On Android tv it is under Support < Test speed to server.

[Macnbaish]

I don’t think the speed test has ever been in the menu for Apple TV, only via the URL.

[speedingcheetah]

Well thats dumb. There is a Test Surround sound option instead, which would be nice to have on Android too.
Maybe some technical limitation as to why they do not have it in the app on Apple?

[Macnbaish]

I’m an idiot. Channels wasn’t running after all. I need more sleep. It loads fine once I fixed my brain fart.

[speedingcheetah]

Ah. After a couple min, the url link works.

Apple TV:

Shield:

Curious, the Apple TV is show slightly higher speeds with that.
But again, that has nothing do due with what it pulls from the Internet side of things.
But, at least, yes, know I know that it is pulling full gig speed local lan side.

thanks for that link.
they really should have the speed test option show in the app.

[djcastaldo]

@speedingcheetah

Was going to also post the same speedtest from Channels app but i do not see a Speedtest option in the Apple TV channels app under support.
How did you come up with that if the Apple Tv version has no option for it.

With the client running, open a browser on your server or any other wired system on your LAN. Then go to

http://<ip of client running channels>:57000/speedtest

This tests the speed your lan can send to the ATV. Which, essentially is the max downstream for the device using the internal network. And the ATV gigabit port should see all connections as if they were LAN-to-LAN because once a WAN connection passes through NAT on the router, it becomes the same as LAN-to-LAN. (ie: the ATV doesn't have anything extra to process for WAN-to-LAN. Only the router is doing extra work).

[speedingcheetah]

@djcastaldo

WAN connection passes through NAT on the router, it becomes the same as LAN-to-LAN. (ie: the ATV doesn't have anything extra to process for WAN-to-LAN. Only the router is doing extra work).

Router is not showing any "extra work" with HWoffload, such routing does not peg the cpu at all. Same test, on both devices, on same network hardware, should yield the same results. they do not. All my other computers and devices show same figures as the Shield.

Anyway, the fact remains that an Internet speed test based test show lower downstream throughput on the Apple TV vs the Shield. Don't know why. Tested on 3 other different networks by now, each with different network hardware and ISPs. Same results...Apple TV is pulling down slower. Maybe its some thing in their OS that throttles it, or the Speed test app itself(though I tried a few other apps, similar results.)...no idea.
It not a big deal. Just its what it does for me. Done everything else i can think of to prove other wise.

[chDVRuser]

Channels speedtest for Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV https://getchannels.com/docs/getting-started/faqs/channels-apps/#how-can-i-test-the-network-speed-at-my-tv

Channels speedtest for iOS/iPadOS Channels app speedtest with iOS app?

[speedingcheetah]

More ridiculousness. lol
So many extra steps on Apple to do something simple vs one click on Android.
Not surprising to me.

Would like to hear from the devs why they have a sound test in the settings on Apple TV, and not Android TV, but have speed test on Android TV and not Apple Tv.