Buying Apple TV for old HDTV

[Apple Freak]

Hey Guys and Gals,

I'm looking to buy an ATV to connect up to a Sony Bravia TV that's about 13 years old. The TV is a 32" and the max resolution is 720P. I'm debating between the ATV HD or ATV 4K.

The easy answer would be the ATV HD but eventually this television will need to be replaced (I'm surprised its lasted this long but its still going strong) so I'm wondering if I should just go with the ATV 4K.

If I get the ATV 4K will it be compatible with my current television? The television does have HDMI ports but I believe it's 1.0 or something. I understand that I won't get 4K quality from the ATV with my current television but I just want to make sure it will work and there aren't any compatibility issues before I buy.

Thanks!

 

[-Gonzo-]

Yes the 4K model will work, it’ll just set itself to the maximum resolution your TV can handle.
Obviously the HD model would be the obvious cheaper option but if you’re wanting to future proof somewhat for that eventual brand new TV go for the 4K model.

 

[pmiles]

4K TVs run a couple hundred bucks these days. Even the cheapest newer TV will make that old TV look astonishingly sad. About the only thing that looks better on an old 720p TV is 720p content. You watch Hogan's Heroes or Beverly Hillbillies a lot?

If you're going to invest in a streaming box... aka join the 21st century... you might as well ditch the old TV at the same time.

Remember this... many streaming services apps require newer AppleTV devices. Sorry to tell you this but this is one case in which holding on to old technology won't get you very far.

 

[JBGoode]

4K. There is literally no reason to buy the HD model with slower processor that will not be able to handle the 4K TV that you will inevitably buy. I used my 4K with a 1080p TV for the first year of ownership.

 

[Beerstalker]

Unless you can find a good deal on a used AppleTV HD, I would not recommend buying one anymore. At MSRP pricing the extra $30 to bump up from the AppleTV HD to the 4K is definitely worth it.

If your old Sony TV does die there is a good chance you will end up replacing it with a 4K television, so you would likely regret buying the AppleTV HD now.

 

[The Oak]

Always get the new model is the general rule in electronics.

It is my understanding also that some apps do not work on the older AppleTV boxes where with the 4K they do; or, some apps are not updatable on older AppleTV boxes.

Hence, getting a 4K version would serve you best for the future, even if your TV does not support 4K.

Also keep in mind that if Apple releases a new AppleTV "thing" tomorrow it is not not like they are going to completely drop the current 4K.

 

[McScooby]

Yeah get the 4K. The chip's faster so not as much lag as on the standard 4. My bravia keeps on motorin'' at almost 12 years old & should I get a new tv it would be a 4K so nothing lost on the apple tv box.

 

[slotcarbob]

Also, the 4k handles Homekit, and has the better controller. Find a refurbed one at Apple, and almost the same price as the HD.

 

[getrealbro]

Unless the streaming service(s) you want is ONLY available on an Apple TV, I’d update my TV first. I’d chose a “Smart TV” that has apps for the streaming services I want (e.g. Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc.). And then wait until apple upgrades the ATV, to decide on which (if any) ATV best fits the new TV, etc.

FWIW we rarely use our Apple TV HD (running tvOS 13.4.8) these days, because the latest version of Netflix crashes on launch. And we got tired of using the minimalist ATV remote. So we are now using the apps on our Dish Hopper 3 to access our most used streaming services -- Amazon Prime and Netflix.

We haven't updated to tvOS 14 becasue we don't like how the picture in picture UI covers the close captions when paused.

GetRealBro

 

[chrfr]

Unless the streaming service(s) you want is ONLY available on an Apple TV, I’d update my TV first. I’d chose a “Smart TV” that has apps for the streaming services I want (e.g. Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc.). And then wait until apple upgrades the ATV, to decide on which (if any) ATV best fits the new TV, etc.

I definitely agree. The current Apple TV offerings are not price competitive in the market and many TVs include the Apple TV app, so that in conjunction with the other services included on the TV make the Apple TV hardware a poor value.

 

[pmiles]

The negative about Smart TVs is that you are held hostage by the TV manufacturer as to what apps it chooses to support and for how long. The apps that run on them are strictly versions for their TV and as such, are not in-line with the latest versions that are developed for streaming boxes. Sony has been notorious for disabling apps or outright not updating them over time. All with the goal of forcing you to buy a newer TV to get such support back. All TV manufacturers do this.

Streaming boxes exist for one purpose... to run apps. They are always going to have a wider variety and better support than ANY TV ever will. Not saying AppleTV is all that, could easily use a Roku, or Firestick, what have you... these devices aren't there to make sure you are using a particular brand of TV.

The whole "smart TV" thing is just another selling point... much like 3D was back in the day. How many people have a 3D TV these days? In the end you want a TV with a good picture and the ports to connect your other devices to it. Having a TV with ethernet these days is a must. 4K is still a bit overkill for most since the content is either not in 4K to begin with (1080p) or too expensive data-wise to stream non-stop (watch 4K content 8 hours a day for a month and your wallet will remind you that 1080p is just fine 99% of the time).

I personally have had little issue with streaming boxes. I've used both Roku and AppleTV. I have however had numerous issues with TV manufacturer apps. In a nutshell, my TV today is just a screen and my streaming box is the brain. I rarely actually go to the TV for anything these days. True cord cutter here. Been a blessing too because I can completely shut myself off of the nonsense being pushed by local and national broadcast stations as a streamer.

 

[getrealbro]

The negative about Smart TVs is that you are held hostage by the TV manufacturer as to what apps it chooses to support and for how long. The apps that run on them are strictly versions for their TV and as such, are not in-line with the latest versions that are developed for streaming boxes. Sony has been notorious for disabling apps or outright not updating them over time. All with the goal of forcing you to buy a newer TV to get such support back. All TV manufacturers do this.
...

I agree. We haven't used the apps on our older Visio in years. But a new "Smart TV" with key apps can buy the OP some time while waiting for an ATV update and getting used to a new TV.

I also agree that the OP also needs to determine whether their internet bandwidth actually supports 4K streaming. Ours doesn't (at 4Mb/sec, yes bits, we are happy to get 1080p), so we have never even considered upgrading to the ATV 4K.

GetRealBro

 

[The Oak]

It comes down to your wallet.

A new TV is $500 to $4k depending on the quality your are after. A new TV is also NOT guaranteed to have all the streaming apps.

AppleTV 4K is $200 USD and keeps your current TV "modern" as far as access to the latest greatest streaming apps and their updates.

Personally, I am kind of in the same boat. I could purchase a new TV. I elected on the MUCH cheaper AppleTV 4K.

 

[Jimbo Limbo]

4K. There is literally no reason to buy the HD model with slower processor that will not be able to handle the 4K TV that you will inevitably buy. I used my 4K with a 1080p TV for the first year of ownership.

I also use the 4K model with a 1080P Sony Bravia TV. It is much more responsive than the previous apple tv model that I use at work.

FYI, Apple tv has been available from Apple's refurbished store in the last week. It is worth a check there. You get the same full warranty. The refurb products look perfect, just have an all white box. Good value.

 

[biker4mac]

Always get the new model is the general rule in electronics.

It is my understanding also that some apps do not work on the older AppleTV boxes where with the 4K they do; or, some apps are not updatable on older AppleTV boxes.

I actually came on here looking for any other information on AppleTVs due to this. Our Third Gen AppleTV is starting to lose options - History Channel, NBC, and a few others. They say they are no longer supported on this model.

However, even the AppleTV 4K is nearly 3.5 years old at this point so I'm waiting to see if the next gen comes out in the next few months. Hopefully it will still connect to 1080p TV which works just fine for me. Clearly I'm turning into an old fart because I'm getting tired of having to throw out about everything I use because it no longer "talks" to other things - computer, tablet, phone, TV, etc...

 

[Apple Freak]

I did end up getting the 4K ATV model, works beautifully with my existing TV and the picture quality is actually pretty good.

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[Yorkshire Lad]

Good to hear - I'm in the same position except my Bravia is a mere 26" set from 2006, and I had pretty much settled on the 4k version. That way, if/when the TV dies I still have a 4k Apple TV box to plug into the next set...