2021 Apple TV 4K vs. 2017 Apple TV 4K: Is It Worth Upgrading?

[MacRumors]

Apple in April unveiled a new version of the 4K Apple TV, but on the surface, it's hard to tell it apart from its predecessor because it looks the same as the 2017 model. There are, however, a few internal changes, but are those changes worth upgrading for? That's what we're aiming to find out in our Apple TV 4K hands-on video.

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Compared to the original Apple TV 4K, there are no design changes to the second-generation Apple TV 4K with one peripheral exception -- the Siri Remote. The Siri Remote has been overhauled with a new clickpad and updated buttons that make it more intuitive to use.

There's a dedicated power button for the first time, along with a mute button, and the Siri button has been moved to the side. There's no touchpad anymore, and the clickpad that replaces it is easier to use, making it simple to scrub through content with a swipe around the wheel. It's also much thicker and heftier, and Apple believes this will make it harder to lose.

Without a doubt, the Siri Remote is a major upgrade that's worth it, but you don't need a whole new Apple TV just for the remote -- Apple is selling it on a standalone basis for $60. That's pricey, but if you're fed up with the current remote and want something better, it's worth considering.

As for the rest of the Apple TV, upgrades include support for high frame rate 4K HDR and Dolby Vision content, which is useful for sports and other fast-paced action. There's not a lot of support right now, but you can check it out on YouTube or on videos recorded with the iPhone.

The Apple TV does have HDMI 2.1, but it doesn't have 120Hz frame rate support, so it's not a reason to upgrade. What is new, however, is eARC support, a feature that lets all TV audio be routed through HomePods. With eARC, audio from game consoles, cable boxes, and other peripherals can be routed through the HomePod when you have a compatible TV.

There's an upgraded A12 Bionic chip in the second-generation Apple TV 4K, which is a good deal faster than the A10X Fusion chip that was in the prior model, but unless you're playing a system-intensive game on the Apple TV, you're probably not really going to notice the upgrade.

If you have a 2017 Apple TV 4K, there's generally no reason to upgrade at this time unless one of the included features is particularly appealing to you. If you have an Apple TV HD or are considering an Apple TV purchase for the first time, the new 2021 model makes much more sense and is worth the $179 purchase price.

Article Link: 2021 Apple TV 4K vs. 2017 Apple TV 4K: Is It Worth Upgrading?

 

[LilNasX]

so basically no.. unless you really hate the old remote, which you can buy separately, or if you need eARC support.

 

[ELman]

I have both models and I noticed the speed difference with the new device. It's especially noticeable when the system restarts.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

The eARC feature was a great surprise, playing the PS5 with HomePod audio is fantastic!

If folks are having issues with audio / video latency on the PS5 via eARC, switch off Dolby DTS in the PS5 audio out settings and it eradicates it for me on my 2018 LG Nanocell.

 

[TapDatApp]

I have both models and I noticed the speed difference with the new device. It's especially noticeable when the system restarts.

Agreed. Have had the last 3 generations of Apple TV since launch day and the latest model is blazing fast compared to certain lag points the old 4K model had. I’ve noticed in particular, videos load one after another almost instantaneously and updates and restarts are quicker too. May also be faster at switching modes when set to match frame rate and dynamic range in my experience.

 

[loekf]

I am geek, so newer = better. However, in this case it's not always better. The A12 is not faster than A10X. CPUs yes, but the GPU in the A10X is better/faster than the one in the A12. So if you want to play Arcade games on AppleTV, it's not an improvement I would say.

Not sure why you need 120 Hz support. For gaming yes, for content it makes zero sense.

Think the main drive for Apple was to go to an A-series chip more recent and phase out an older design, also saves $$.

 

[NewUsername]

First time I watch a tech review of a product saying it is not worth upgrading.

 

[harrypham]

I upgraded from an Apple TV 3rd Generation to the new Apple TV 4K as I made transition from a 2013 Sony HDTV to a 2020 Sony X900H 4K TV . It is worth it.

 

[UsersCanHave]

The eARC feature was a great surprise, playing the PS5 with HomePod audio is fantastic!

If folks are having issues with audio / video latency on the PS5 via eARC, switch off Dolby DTS in the PS5 audio out settings and it eradicates it for me on my 2018 LG Nanocell.

For sure. I was not going to upgrade but the eARC has me sold.

 

[Jaro65]

I upgraded a couple of mine. The new one is faster and the remote feels better. Don't regret it. I'm pretty happy with the new ones.

 

[neoelectronaut]

I want a new one just for Wi-Fi 6 in hopes that it improves my Steam Link experience.

 

[b1wils1]

I have both. I would say the new one is just faster. Menus, background videos, apps; they all are just quicker. I got it because I wanted an extra one around the house.

re: the remote. Sure, you may not lose it as much now, but it’s very ugly and does not feel good to touch. I definitely think there is a huge room for improvement in this area still. Maybe invest more in making the Remote app on phones better. Or have a feature that while the atv is on, I can say commands to open, close, and find things without looking for the now-ugly remote. ?

 

[swrobel]

Truly insane that they didn't add webcam/Facetime support ??‍♂️

 

[TVreporter]

You neglected to mention it has Thread - which is important for those with smart home devices.

Still debating if I want to add this set to a second TV. The 2017 serves me well and unlike many I enjoy the remote and don't have any issues — after I added a case to it for improved grip.

 

[nutmac]

so basically no.. unless you really hate the old remote, which you can buy separately, or if you need eARC support.

I sold my old Apple TV 4K 32GB (used) for $110, and got the new model for $170 from Costco.

Other improvements:

• Apps launch noticeably faster, as well as many other operations.
• Thread router.
• Dolby Vision no longer has raised black issue. That is, black bars are completely black.
• 60 frames per second 4K with YouTube. HDR is currently janky, but it's probably going to be fixed in the future.
• HDR High Frame Rate, which not something I really care about, is still worth noting.

And it's probably more future proof, such as the presence of eARC HomePods audio routing. I am hoping future tvOS will unlock HDMI 2.1 features such as QMS, which would significantly reduce the blank/no signal screen when switching frame rates.

 

[bommai]

I upgraded from an Apple TV 3rd Generation to the new Apple TV 4K as I made transition from a 2013 Sony HDTV to a 2020 Sony X900H 4K TV . It is worth it.

I bought the 85” Sony x90ch as well (Costco model) and I have been pleased with the built in apps including the Apple TV app so much that I did not upgrade my Apple TV 4. In fact my kids use the Apple TV 4 to play an occasional game. All the built in apps in the Sony support 4K HDR including HBO max, Disney plus, Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, etc. I don’t see the point of buying the box. Do you use the Apple TV box for a particular use.

 

[ouimetnick]

I think it's a good upgrade, but not if you keep your old ATV 4K. I sold my old used Apple TV HD for $100, and will be selling the old 4K box after I get the new one. Thread support along with eARC seem like small but good improvements for me. I just wouldn't spend $180 on those 2 improvements either, so the old one has to go.

 

[Shasterball]

My 2017 Apple TV 4K would slow down tremendously when I had 4-5 apps open. E.g., Hulu, Movies, HBO, Netflix, Etc... It would stutter and take a while to shutdown apps. The storage was barely half full and we were not playing any games. Not sure what was up. But with the 2021 Apple TV 4K, it's been extremely speedy.

Maybe I was the only one seeing a real slowdown with just day-to-day activities on the 2017 Apple TV 4K?

 

[Realityck]

I am geek, so newer = better. However, in this case it's not always better. The A12 is not faster than A10X. CPUs yes, but the GPU in the A10X is better/faster than the one in the A12. So if you want to play Arcade games on AppleTV, it's not an improvement I would say.

Most of your ATV usage revolves around SoC's hardware decoding of video/audio codecs and CPU speed, not GPU. The A12 added VP9-2 support that we know about, it still is faster for its intended usage.

 

[harrypham]

I bought the 85” Sony x90ch as well (Costco model) and I have been pleased with the built in apps including the Apple TV app so much that I did not upgrade my Apple TV 4. In fact my kids use the Apple TV 4 to play an occasional game. All the built in apps in the Sony support 4K HDR including HBO max, Disney plus, Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, etc. I don’t see the point of buying the box. Do you use the Apple TV box for a particular use.

I don’t like Android TV because it is slow and that Google collects users’ viewing data. Also, storage is very limited, so I could not install many apps. The UI is not user friendly, and the AirPlay 2 didn’t work when I tried to watch some videos from websites.
Apple TV 4K is far superior to Android TV based smart TV.

 

[AirunJae]

I was interested in the 4k one for several years, but kept holding off due to price and it seemed like it needed to be upgraded. Well, with this spec bump I went ahead and bit the bullet. I have a Chromecast Google TV, which is sufficient for the most part, but anytime I pause something for more than a couple of minutes it kicks out of what I was watching. The Apple TV doesn't have this issue and I think I like the remote a bit better. Might not totally be "worth" the price difference, but it is nice to not have to deal with that annoyance.

 

[Bluetoot-]

I literally asked this question this morning and decided on the 1 gen 4K; got an open-box deal at Best Buy.

 

[Chompineer]

It’s a shame Apple has no solution similar to Nvidia’s AI upscaling on the Shield. That alone is enough for me to never look at an ATV, given how well it works on older media.

It does upscale, but only 1080P content AFAIK, and not nearly as well. The Shield upscales all content and has tuning abilities to change the degree/aggressiveness of the upscaler.

An M1 ATV would have been perfect for that, with its ML cores and GPU.

 

[AirunJae]

Truly insane that they didn't add webcam/Facetime support ??‍♂️

Maybe we'll find something out from Dub-Dub? ?‍♀️

 

[Tovenaar]

I have the 2015 Apple TV HD (A1625), and I’ve always found that it struggles to stream from the iPhone or iPad, especially video. I used to think it was my network but I recently upgraded the WIFI and it still struggles. Does anyone know if upgrading would help with streaming from another device?