Tag: gadgets

The increasing cost of streaming: Apple TV is now not worth your money

Apple HQ in Cupertino, California. Also known as the Spaceship or Apple Park in some articles.

Apple has become a behemoth in the software and hardware worlds. It is a megacorporation in the truest sense, a 1 trillion dollar company at market cap and it shows.

Look at the Apple HQ in Cupertino, California. It looks like spaceship landed in the forest but it is a testament to the strength and glory of Apple now. It is the palace of software and hardware engineers who now seek to change the world and make it into their vision.

However, they have been making missteps with Apple TV+. They raised the price of Apple TV+ from $9.99 to $12.99. This is a 30% increase in prices. Many users are angry with Apple and I can’t really blame them.

Since launching Apple TV+, the company has only really raised prices three times. The starting price was $4.99 with no ads here. However, the price is now $12.99 a month without ads but a very insufficient library now. In 2019, users would be willing to give them a chance as it was new; now, consumers have more choices.

Apple cannot rely entirely on its mythic power now. In the past, Apple was attempting to create a culture where people would be creative with their computers; it was not about them using them as lifestyle extensions of their own egos. Apple by the time the iPhone came out has just become about pushing expensive pieces of glass into people’s faces. Why do we need phones costing nearly $1000 dollars here?

Everything about this company is expensive here. The price is simply too high for many people in this current age.

Another issue is that many of their best series would be better served on another platform. Apple should have simply made the series and then release them on Netflix. The company lacks an ability to make Apple TV + actually profitable. These series are stuck as cult series which isn’t necessarily an issue for science fiction series such as Severance, but this mind bending show would better served on Netflix alongside Squid Game for added synergy.

Jason Momoa’s passion project about the unifier of Hawaii in the 18th Century, Chief of War is stuck on Apple TV +. I was highly intrigued by the story but the price is getting in the way now and I just did not want to create yet another account to watch yet another series.

Apple TV+ at this current moment has about 40 million subscribers. That pales in comparison to what Netflix has or other places have on their sites. Apple TV + simply does not have enough content to justify the cost. The people who are largely on the app now represent a certain kind of viewer who wants higher quality, but Apple should have pared some of their expectations with this service and expand it slowly. They simply do not have enough content in order to support more viewers. What they have is a base of viewers who support the Apple brand more than they do the shows they have on there.

Apple TV + price hikes may seem the app start to have issues maintaining its viewer counts.

Samsung Standard IR Remote Control Review 2025.

Rating: 3 out of 5.
Samsung Standard IR Remote Control size image.

The Samsung Standard IR Remote Control is universal remote that is built to work on any Samsung TV made after 2012. So, the generation of TVs made before that will not work with this remote.

Samsung has pretty competent at unifying their devices into one interface. This isn’t like in the 1990s or before, where single remote could only work with that particular television. Now, you can many remotes which can work on many generations of Samsung Televisions.

The remote, much like many other universal remotes is an utilitarian device. It is not about the style which matters to the consumer when purchasing such a remote, it the function which it exceeds in expectations.

Who should buy the Samsung Standard IR Remote?

The people who should buy it are people looking for a cheap replacement for their Samsung remote. Power users who want more features or buttons should look for another remote. This remote is mostly utilitarian in its features. It’s not about bell or whistles but fulfilling a need for replacing a broken remote that came with your Samsung television box. This will appeal with people who are budget conscious here.

The Samsung Standard IR Remote Unboxing and Review

The remote unlike earlier remotes is compact and easy to use. In the photograph above, it fits in the palm of my hand with ease. Unlike an earlier generation of remotes, it is easy to store and does not take up much space.

The previous remote that I had was specialized in a sense as it had special buttons for Netflix and Samsung TV Plus. However, not having these buttons is not as important to me. I just scroll on the screen to the app button. These special app buttons can be mapped onto one of the four colored buttons that are on the remote.

The functionality of the remote is probably one of the best of the universal remotes. The remote’s keys are evenly spaced are all within easy reach. The remote weighs quite well within my hands, it is not too heavy and is comfortable in use.

The Samsung Standard IR remote comes in a handy box. It contains two AAA batteries and a quick start guide. The complete manual can be accessed by clicking on the E-Manual button on the lower left side of the remote.

Samsung Standard IR Remote Control Box

When you purchase the remote, two AAA batteries are provided for you to insert into the back of the remote.

Samsung Standard IR Remote Control AAA Batteries.

Once you are done with putting in the batteries, the remote should respond to your Samsung TV as long as it was made after 2012 model years.

Where can you purchase a Samsung Standard IR Remote and what is the cost?

At Walmart. This is where I got the device. It was $16.98 in total which is about half as cheap as the Insignia Samsung remotes that Best Buy sells at their stores.

There isn’t really a need to purchase an expensive TV remote above this price.

Overall, the Samsung IR Remote is not a fancy choice, but it works well and is a great form factor which will make an excellent replacement for any Samsung remote in your house.