With Apple TV, you can binge your favorite movies, TV, and sports services, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, and ESPN+. If you’re looking for a bit of interactive fun, Apple TV also offers up a great collection of video games, as well as fitness options for getting in shape without leaving your home. Let’s take a deep dive into the Apple TV 4K as we review the latest model’s features and capabilities–and address its seemingly hefty price tag. If you have a television that isn’t 4K, don’t worry, as the Apple TV 4K still works fine with 1080p and 720p HD TVs. As long as your television has an HDMI input, you can plug in Apple TV 4K and enjoy it without issue. For those seeking the authentic home theater experience, Apple supports Dolby Vision so that compatible televisions can display the most accurate, vivid colors. If you don’t have a television with Dolby Vision, be sure to check out our guide on how to use your iPhone to calibrate your television’s color for a better viewing experience. Overall, Apple TV 4K delivers top-tier video quality thanks to its ability to display 4K HDR video with support for Dolby Vision. If you don’t require 4K support, consider checking out the Apple TV HD, a similar offering from Apple that is limited to a 1080p HD signal and allows you to save a few bucks. Apple does an impressive job, supporting Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround-Sound, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 Surround Sound, and Dolby Atmos, a perfect complement to any home theatre or serious movie watcher’s setup. Whether you are listening to your television’s built-in speakers, an attached soundbar, or a complex Dolby Atmos setup, Apple TV allows you to experience your content with the highest possible quality—it receives flying stars from us. We would like to take a moment to call out some of the accessibility features that Apple has included with their TV streaming product. Those who are hard of hearing can take advantage of Closed Caption and SDH Support, as well as Audio Descriptions. While the previous generation of Apple TV included a touch remote that many users found tedious, Apple has included a new remote with its 2021 Apple TVs, making navigating on-screen menus much more enjoyable. Buttons are tactile, and the directional pad has been redesigned to allow for more straightforward navigation by feel, which is great for when you can’t see the remote in the dark. Previous Apple TV users will also welcome the addition of a Mute button and Power button. Siri stays present on the Apple TV 4K remote, so you can easily hold down the Siri button, now on the side of the device, and search for content by voice. As always, the Apple TV remote is built well, crafted from metal, and can be recharged using a Lightning to USB charging cord. A single charge is promised to last for several months before needing to plug back in. We applaud Apple’s decision to update its remote, and the Cupertino-based company continues to deliver one of the smoothest and clutter-free interfaces we have ever seen. If you fancy yourself a casual gamer, you may enjoy knowing about Apple Arcade; a $4.99/mo. gaming experience available on Apple TV and other Apple devices. Apple Arcade gives you access to over 180+ premium games–everything from NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition to Fantasian, a new game from Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy. If you’d prefer to get up and move around, Apple TV 4K is also home to Apple’s fitness service known as Apple Fitness+. For $9.99/mo., you can access world-class workouts, everything from HIT to yoga, and use Apple Watch to track your progress. If you’re an Apple Music subscriber you can also access your entire music library from your Apple TV–want to listen to Taylor Swift? Just ask Siri and your wish is granted. One of our favorite features with Apple TV is the inclusion of AirPlay, which allows you to share your Mac, iPad, or iPhone’s screen to your television. AirPlay is great for sharing family photos and videos, as well as putting games on the big screen. Lastly, we can’t forget about HomeKit, Apple’s lineup of smart home devices. If you’re already invested in the HomeKit ecosystem, you can use Apple TV to control it all. If you have a HomeKit compatible video doorbell, a live video feed can even pop up on your television the next time someone is outside.
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We love that Apple TV 4K even allows you to wirelessly connect an Xbox or PlayStation controller via Bluetooth so that you can game in comfort. According to Apple, 100% of the aluminum in the Siri remote enclosure is recycled, as well as 100% of the tin used in the solder of the main logic board. Additionally, 35% or more of the plastics used are recycled. The Apple TV 4K has also received an ENERGY STAR certification and avoids the use of mercury, BFR, PVC, and beryllium in its manufacturing–great for the environment! Lastly, Apple is ensuring that all final assembly supplier sites are transitioning to 100% renewable energy, and 100% of the virgin wood fiber used to make the product’s packaging comes from responsibly managed forests. Apple TV 4K gets a green seal of approval. We will say it right away: Apple TV 4K is not cheap, and if you’re looking for a bargain deal or the best overall value—this isn’t it. Apple TV creates premium devices, but they do so at premium prices. When choosing between the two models of Apple TV, we recommend most individuals pick up the 32GB model, but those interested in gaming select the 64GB option. We recommend Apple TV for those who want the best experience on their big-screen television, without ads and bloat, or are already heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem with products such as Apple Arcade, Apple Music, and Apple Fitness+. Otherwise, yeah, you can probably find a cheaper device elsewhere if your only goal is to binge a few episodes of the latest shows on Netflix.
