Apple TV 4K Reviews: Expensive But With Cheaper 4K Movies, Some Limitations Like 1080p YouTube

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Look at the alternatives in this price range of streaming gadgets. None of them support the complete Atmos, only the dumbed-down version (DD+ or whatever it's called this week). It takes serious processing power and serious $$ on the equipment side to implement Atmos. Not going to happen today at $199, maybe in a few more years.

Continue to make excuses for a corporation if you wish. Meanwhile guys selling cheaper tech will be spinning claims to ATMOS, whether it is the "complete" or "dumbed down" version, while Apple can spin DD7.1 at the very best.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I would think the limitations of YouTube, would be more on Google, than Apple.

So if it is "more on Google", it's not OK for Google to react slowly or not at all? Shall we count the number of Apple-only services that are only available on Apple devices and not on Google devices?

Sorry, I'll take an Amazon Fire TV (I already have 4 of them around the house) that support everything (except anything Apple, which I don't care to pay for and support anyways). Competition will kick in and the other streaming providers will offer 4K material at a competitive price. So I wind up saving $80. That pays for a lot of movies!

 

[TheTruth101]

I’m so glad I couldn’t care less about 4K.

I do not even watch TV. I just go on line and watch the movie for free, plenty of sites for that, been doing it for 7 years now. No problems at all.

 

[69Mustang]

Google has never updated the YouTube app on the ATV4. Ever.

Blame Google.

How is Google updating the app going to help? Apple would still have to support the VP9 codec for the videos to be seen.

 

[nebo1ss]

It’s amazing the ignorance of the reviewers about Youtube not being 4K for the Apple TV. It’s not apple’s fault, it’s googles for not updating it in well over a year. Especially Nilay of the verge will find any avenue possible to completely bash the hell out of Apple and all of their products, even if it’s a great product, if it has one derogatory mark, he will milk the hell out of it and try his best to base his review on that one part and not recommend the product.
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The Apple TV won’t play 4K through the app until google updates it. Like Netflix just did this week.

Actually the UTUBE app was update for the Shield, ROKU, and most Smart TV's in the last few months. The issue with 4K from UTUBE is that apple does not support VP9 and until they do UTUBE will not be 4K. This together with lack of mode switching and no Passthrough of Immersive Audio will be a deal breaker for anyone with a home theatre set up. Maybe the reviews are not so ignorant as you think.

 

[RickInHouston]

"I am very confident Apple is going to figure this TV thing out." - Patel

With the brainpower, influence and cash this company has, if they haven't figured it out by now, why on earth would you be so confident they will in the (reasonably near) future?

Somebody needs to hold these guys responsible for their shortcomings or explain/expose why they're holding back. Geez.

I agree 100%. You don't release a product and the reviewer says, "I'm sure it will eventually get figured out." You hold the product off until it has been figured out. This is all too common, now, and apple shouldn't do this.

 

[cawgijoe]

I'm not sure I get what people mean when they say that the future of TV is at arm's length and Apple is the closest to it.

Last year I bought my first 4K TV, and it was the first with built-in WiFi, a Samsung TV.

It has been amazing. It has cable/antenna of course, but all the other apps are built-in. I could instantly watch 4K HDR video from YouTube. The voice search on the remote is more accurate than Siri on my iPhone 7. It's a far better experience than using my old Apple TV (not the one with Siri Remote). The interface is very intuitive. I like it a lot.

When they were announcing the new Apple TV 4K, I saw the Apple evangelists like Horace Dediu tweeting live that 4K is the new big thing now. No, it's HDR! It's amazing. I thought he sounded like a Best Buy representative in 2007.

If you have a 4K TV, you already have almost everything that the Apple TV offers, with the exception of the iTunes Store. And what does the iTunes Store have that tons of other services don't?

The only thing I keep my old Apple TV connected for is mirroring my display on the TV.

Well, I also have a Samsung 4K TV, JS-8500 65" and it does what you say, but it also will have the issue especially on Youtube of "bouncing" you completely out of what you are watching and returning you to in my case Directv. It's not the TV. It's the App. If I get back in, it sometimes works fine and other times not. I have to wait till the next day. Maddening. I don't have this issue on my current Apple TV.

I find two issues with having the apps built into the TV:

1) As the set ages, the processor has a harder time keeping up with the requirements of new apps. Normal thing in this day and age of faster and faster processors. Hardware issue.
2) Either the app developers/owners or the TV manufacturer does not keep up with software/firmware updates to their apps to keep things running smoothly.

Having an outboard box that can eventually be replaced as technology moves forward for not much cost seems like a great idea to me. Just my .02.

 

[ipodlover77]

My question is, if you continue to buy $3 iTunes movie codes from Resellers, would those get upgraded to 4K for free or was this upgrade program only for movies that were bough prior to the release of Apple 4K

 

[Glassed Silver]

If I'm not mistaken, Google broadcasts Youtube 4K video in the VP9 codec. The ATV4K doesn't support that codec. Doesn't Apple decide which codecs it will support?

In before Google should re-encode all material to HEVC just for poor Apple not playing ball on codecs... LUL

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[cawgijoe]

I agree 100%. You don't release a product and the reviewer says, "I'm sure it will eventually get figured out." You hold the product off until it has been figured out. This is all too common, now, and apple shouldn't do this.

Unfortunately technology does not stand still and a product will never be "perfect". If it's a firmware upgradable thing and the manufacturer is willing and able to add the item to the device when ready, and does so, I see no issue.

If it's hardware related, that's different.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Not one of the cheaper 4K streamers will play the tons of already purchased Apple content that I purchased already and already purchased Apple apps for Apple TV. So the price of a $100 dollars more really doesn't bother me and I like the ability to stream from my Macs and iOS devices and the future integration with Air Pods and the future Apple Speakers.

 

[Saipher]

Honest questions, why doesn't the new 4K Apple TV support YouTube 4K? What kind of content is available on YouTube in 4K? and are people really concerned about cat videos in 4K? (Ok, the last one wasn't a serious question)

 

[iReality85]

I would think the limitations of YouTube, would be more on Google, than Apple.

It is, and I'm sure Google does it on purpose. I've always found the YouTube app on ATV to be garbage. As such, I don't use it very much.

 

[mooeymoose]

Apple TV is 50$ more expensive than other solutions... While cheapest 4k tv is $2k or more.

I with you on this. If you have spend the money for a 4K Tv with HDR then this Apple TV would be chump change.

 

[coolfactor]

$180 is now called "expensive", simply because it's _more_ expensive than the competition?

 

[69Mustang]

Not one of the cheaper 4K streamers will play the tons of already purchased Apple content that I purchased already and already purchased Apple apps for Apple TV. So the price of a $100 dollars more really doesn't bother me and I like the ability to stream from my Macs and iOS devices and the future integration with Air Pods and the future Apple Speakers.

Then you should probably get the ATV4K. I'm gonna go out on ledge and state your personal use case may not match the use case of a lot of others.

 

[dannyyankou]

YouTube isn’t preloaded on it, right? So shouldn’t google update it?

 

[840quadra]

In before Google should re-encode all material to HEVC just for poor Apple not playing ball on codecs... LUL

Glassed Silver:mac

Or they could both grow up and play better together.

I understand your and @69Mustang , viewpoint better now. And have to say it makes sense.

Honestly I wish these two companies played better together. I don’t single handily blame Google. Apple could support VP9 since there is no royalty, but likely will not because it is mainly sponsored by Google (A competitor). Google may not support HVEC because it requires them to pay a royalty, and would support Apple (their competitor), and others.

Too much bad blood between these two companies. Sucks when I run devices and services from both gardens. .

 

[iReality85]

Apple TV is 50$ more expensive than other solutions... While cheapest 4k tv is $2k or more.

A good 4K TV is $2k or more. You can find many 4K TVs for under a grand. But if you want OLED, HDR, and Dolby Vision, then yeah you're going to spend north of $2k.

 

[Born Again]

The Verge in now completely in Google's pockets. On Apple stuff, they always have the worst takes, the lowest scores of all reviewers.

well maybe because they aren't superfanboys. They're about being fair to the consumers.

I am totally supportive of the Verge and their unbiased reviews.

Beats reading reviews on MacRumors where it's a love fest .

 

[Strozzascotte]

I would think the limitations of YouTube, would be more on Google, than Apple.

It's a déjà vu. It remembers me of what happened when Google Maps was the default map app in iOS and Google used to update the Android app with new features but not the iOS app.

 

[coolfactor]

They should be forced at gunpoint to write only positive reviews of anything Apple releases.

You know what he meant. In general, their takes are overly negative. It's a pattern.

 

[newdeal]

So basically when the price advantage for content goes away...and we all know that is going to happen very quickly...then there will be no reason to buy the Apple TV.

 

[tipoo]

Seems nuts that it doesn't switch modes, but just shoehorns all content into whatever mode you set, just to avoid some flicker before starting to play content.

Also that it prioritizes framerate over Dolby Vision, just to keep the UI smooth.

If it could interlace framerates (60 for the UI, 30 for the video) that would help, as would mode switching (play non-HDR in non-HDR, instead of trying to stretch it and ruining the video)

 

[cawgijoe]

Honest questions, why doesn't the new 4K Apple TV support YouTube 4K? What kind of content is available on YouTube in 4K? and are people really concerned about cat videos in 4K? (Ok, the last one wasn't a serious question)

I can view 4K content on YouTube via my Samsung TV. I mainly use it as demo material. There is some professional stuff on there, but it's mainly people uploading their 4K videos. There is some time lapse travel stuff that is cool. The picture does look fantastic though.

 

[coolfactor]

"I am very confident Apple is going to figure this TV thing out." - Patel

With the brainpower, influence and cash this company has, if they haven't figured it out by now, why on earth would you be so confident they will in the (reasonably near) future?

Somebody needs to hold these guys responsible for their shortcomings or explain/expose why they're holding back. Geez.

A lot of it is tied to industry that is anchored in old ways. Content licensing is a huge deal. Content managers and distributors want control over their goods, which is *not* always in the best favour of the consumer/experience.