Review: CiderTV doubles as gesture-rich Apple TV remote and volume control for your television

CiderTV 1.0 for iOS iPhone screenshot 003

I was researching software remotes for the Apple TV the other day andĀ stumbled upon CiderTV by Aivee Apps. But wait, doesn’tĀ Apple’s own Remote app for the iPhone and iPad get the job done?

Er, not quite. It’s buggy, slow and just a pain in the you-know-what. I wantĀ a solution that goesĀ beyond Remote’s basic functionality, with features like richer gestures and DLNA volume control for compatible TV sets.

That way, I wouldn’t have to constantly juggle between the tiny Apple TV remote and another one for my TV.Ā CiderTV does just thatā€”and then some moreā€”andĀ isĀ available at no charge.

Simple setup

Before you can use CiderTV as a soft-remote, you must first register the app with your set-top box. To do so, just fire up CiderTV on your iPhone, and type in a four-digit code shownĀ on the screen by going to Settings ā†’ General ā†’ Remotes on your Apple TV.

CiderTV 1.0 for iOS iPhone screenshot 001

Both yourĀ Apple TV and iPhone running CiderTV must be connected to the same local Wi-Fi network or they won’t see each other. Don’t worry, connectingĀ a software remote won’t unpair the hardware remote or other software remotes.

To set up volume control, hit the gear icon above the volume slider andĀ CiderTV will scan DLNA-compatible TVs connected to your home network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

Select your TV and you’re good to go. Keep in mind that certain Samsung Smart TV models might require additional pairing between the CiderTV app and the TV set.

Gestures everywhere

Like Apple’s Remote app, CiderTV is heavy on gestures.

That’s expectable and quite appreciated givenĀ the Apple TV’s mess of an interface. You just swipe to select on-screen menus on your TV, double tap anywhere on the screen to go back and swipe to move between items.

ThisĀ intuitive gesture control is particularly handyĀ for nighttime. Instead of struggling to find that Menu button withinĀ Apple’s Remote app, just double tap anywhere inside CiderTVĀ to go back a level.

CiderTV 1.0 for iOS iPhone screenshot 002

Built-in help provides an overview of additional gesture-based actions.

Long tap, for example, takes youĀ back to the Apple TV’s Home screen regardless of where you are currently. When media is playing, use swiping to review and fast-forward or tap once forĀ play/pause.

WithĀ playback paused, swipe left and right toĀ slowly rewind and advance.Ā And ifĀ some text needs inputing (for instance, you want to search clips in the YouTube channel), hitĀ the keyboard icon in theĀ lower right corner of the screen.

Limitations

As per usual, certain limitations apply.

Unless your TV supports volume control over the IP protocol (DLNA) mode, you won’t be able to adjust itsĀ volume with CiderTV.Ā And if your Apple TV is in sleep mode, CiderTV cannot turn it on and off.

To prevent deep sleeping, set Settings ā†’ General ā†’ Sleep after on your Apple TV to Never (not very eco-friendly, I know), which will keep the network stack alive.

Summing up

CiderTV is fast.

I’m happy to report that I didn’tĀ notice annoying lag when navigatingĀ my Apple TVĀ with CiderTV. I especially like that developersĀ addressed Apple Remote’s biggest annoyanceā€”too sensitive scrolling.

CiderTVĀ even lets you rename your Apple TV without fumbling with theĀ menus: just swipe to the left over an entryĀ in the deviceĀ list and choose Rename, or Forget to disentangle the app from theĀ console.

CiderTV 1.0 for iOS iPhone screenshot 004

As a replacement for Apple’s own Remote app, CiderTV is definitely worth trying.

Not only is Apple’s Remote app lacking, but isĀ plagued with some annoyingĀ shortcomings such as unreliable performance and non-existentĀ DLNA volume support.

You might think this isn’tĀ aĀ big deal, but I disagree. TwoĀ separate remotes are normally needed to use an Apple TV: the stock aluminum remote to operateĀ theĀ box itself and your TV’s remote to adjustĀ the volume.

At the very least, CiderTV saves you from the pain of switching between two remotes. Decide for yourself ifĀ eliminatingĀ the need to switch remotes when controllingĀ the volume isĀ worth the trouble to you.

Availability

CiderTV requires an iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 7.0 or later. The app lacks native iPad interface and is English-only.

Grab CiderTV for free in the App Store.