Apple TV

[MacRumors]

Should You Buy the Apple TV 4K?


The Apple TV is Apple's set-top box. The latest Apple TV 4K features the A15 Bionic chip, support for HDR10+, and a Siri Remote with a USB-C port for charging. Apple typically updates the Apple TV infrequently, releasing a new model around every three years.

Announced in October 2022, the third-generation Apple TV 4K is the newest and only Apple TV in the company's lineup and is near the start of its product cycle, meaning that now is a good time to buy it.

Apple TV 4K Feature Overview



{roundup_toc_detail}
Apple in October 2022 introduced an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, with the A15 Bionic chip and support for HDR10+. It comes alongside a revised Siri Remote with a USB-C port for charging.

Design wise, the third-generation Apple TV 4K continues to look like the prior-generation version, with a simple black box design that plugs into a television set over HDMI. It is thinner and lighter than the previous version, and no longer requires an internal fan for cooling.

The Apple TV 4K, as the name suggests, offers 4K resolution with support for high frame rate HDR content, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. To get the complete experience, it must be paired with a 4K TV and 4K content is also required.

There's a faster A15 Bionic chip inside the new Apple TV 4K that delivers up to 50 percent better CPU performance and 30 percent better GPU performance than the previous Apple TV 4K. The efficiency improvements of the chip also mean that the Apple TV uses up to 30 percent less power.

The Siri Remote was overhauled last year, adding a new design with a one-piece aluminum body. There's a clickpad control wheel with five-way navigation, with the clickpad also supporting touch gestures. The clickpad's outer ring supports a circular gesture that lets you jog through TV and movie content. The Siri Remote is larger than the prior version and it includes a dedicated power button that controls a TV's power. It also includes volume buttons, a mute button, an option for pausing and fast-forwarding, and a menu button. There's a side button for activating Siri. With the 2022 model, the remote now charges via USB-C instead of Lightning.

The Apple TV 4K is priced starting at $129 for the 64GB model with Wi-Fi only. For $149, customers can buy a 128GB model that adds a gigabit Ethernet port and support for the Thread mesh networking protocol to connect even more smart home accessories. The Siri Remote with USB-C is available separately for $59.

The Apple TV runs tvOS, an operating system designed specifically for televisions. tvOS 17 is the current publicly available version of tvOS. tvOS 17 brings a number of new features, including FaceTime for the Apple TV, a revamped Control Center, camera functionality for Apple Music Sing, new screen savers, VPN support, and more.

Note: See an error in this roundup or want to offer feedback? Send us an email here.



How to Buy



The Apple TV 4K can be ordered from the online Apple Store, Apple retail stores, and third-party retailers. The Apple TV 4K is priced at $129 for 64GB storage, or $149 for 128GB storage, an Ethernet port, and Thread support. Apple offers refurbished versions of the Apple TV at a $20 discount. The 2022 Siri Remote can also be purchased on a standalone basis for $59.



Reviews



Initial reviews of the third-generation Apple TV 4K were mixed to positive, with most reviews noting that the latest version's improvements make for a small upgrade in day-to-day use.

The Apple TV 4K's performance improvements were somewhat noticeable to reviewers, particularly when switching apps, but they noted that there is little that can practically take advantage of it other than games. TechCrunch's Darrell Etherington:

If you have a 2021 Apple TV 4K, which I do, you probably aren't feeling the pinch in terms of performance. In fact, I still have a first-generation Apple TV 4K in active use, and despite it now being six years old, I'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and my 2021 Apple TV in a blind test.

That said, the 2022 Apple TV 4K does seem to generally make things snappier when it comes to navigating between the Home Screen and apps, and even potentially within apps as well. It also definitely offers a boost when it comes to using the Apple TV as a gaming device, helping it keep up with the most graphically-demanding Arcade and App Store titles available. With expanded controller support via the most recent tvOS update, the Apple TV is a better gaming console than ever combined with the A15's performance prowess.

On the other hand, CNET's Eli Blumenthal found gaming on the Apple TV 4K underwhelming and noted that the A15 Bionic chip still does not help the Apple TV rival games consoles:NBA 2K23 loaded quickly, and the game finally has commentary which brings some console-like quality that was lacking in earlier editions, but that's where the similarity ends. In my few games, the title looks and feels a bit slower than the console version. Even with an Xbox controller paired to the Apple TV 4K, there is no direct passing and animations lack the fluidity and sharpness of the game on Xbox One, let alone Xbox Series S/X.

Face models are fine, but lack detail in players' tattoos like D'Angelo Russell and Marcus Smart. Standard basketball game staples like instant replays and quick or batch substitutions also remain absent as do 2K23 game modes like The City.

Gameloft's Asphalt 8 Plus similarly loaded quickly and played fine using the Apple TV's inclu... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Apple TV

 

[Juicy Box]

It is thinner and lighter than the previous version, and no longer requires an internal fan for cooling.

There's a faster A15 Bionic chip inside the new Apple TV 4K that delivers up to 50 percent better CPU performance and 30 percent better GPU performance than the previous Apple TV 4K.

The Apple TV 4K's performance improvements were somewhat noticeable to reviewers, particularly when switching apps, but they noted that there is little that can practically take advantage of it other than games.

But, the newest ATV thermal throttles on a lot of games.

The A12 in the 2021 ATV4K2 can actually out-perform the A15 in the 2022 ATV4K3 in some games due to the lack of a fan.

 

[Macbudinc]

Im thinking of buying one or two Apple TV boxes for my home. Looking to cut costs on cable/Sat TV. Since im on Dish Network and i pay $180 a month, ive been looking for cheaper alternatives, also based on what i and my dad actually watch, also taking dvd into account as well. So far ive narrowed search down to Youtube TV for best value and support for 2or 3 streams(sets) in house. I have You Tube app on my Sony TV, and I have Playstation 5 with apps on their as well incluning apple + and Youtube etc. My dad has a samsung smart tv i do believe with my free apps already installed. I was wondering if there is any better experience using the tv or console app for You Tube or should i buy two appletv boxes for the home? Are they worth the $$ ? Do they make fa better experience that the smart tv, console apps already available? What about compared to existing roku bopxes? And whats with the different memory sizes on the Apple Boxes 64, 128 gig etc? What do these boxes need the different memory for? Do they dvr stuff to the boxes?? Do Apps really take up that much space on the AppleTV boxes?? any buying advice for or against would be helpful.