Apple TV 4K Review | Trusted Reviews – AppleTV 4 Jailbreak (appletv4jailbreak.com)
Pros
- Slick and powerful
- Siri voice controls are great
- Growing app store
- Clever remote
- Seamless setup, if you own an iPhone
Cons
- Remote not great for gaming
- Automatic upscaling not always a benefit
- Some key apps missing
- Need to be an iPhone user to get the most out of it
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £179
- 64-bit A10X Fusion chip
- 32GB or 64GB storage
- Size: H35mm x W98mm x D98mm 425g
- HDR10 and Dolby Vision compatible
- High speed HDMI needed for 4K/HDR (sold separately)
- Bluetooth remote with touchpad, IR, gyroscope and accelerometer
- Connectivity: HDMI 2.0a, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0, IR receiver
What is the Apple TV 4K?
The Apple TV 4K is the latest of Apple’s streaming boxes. Apple TV releases are rarely updated, but we’ve now had two in as many years because of the advent of 4K Ultra HD and HDR (high dynamic range) TVs.
4K TVs have become the standard. It’s possible to get decent ultra-high-definition sets for well under £1000 now, and many also support HDR. Both these technologies make a huge difference to the viewing experience. 4K makes everything sharper than it was in the HD era, but it’s HDR that’s the truly exciting step forward.
In essence, HDR provides more vibrant colours, extra brightness and greater contrast, rendering the viewing experience gorgeously cinematic. Of course, this is simplifying things somewhat. If you want greater detail, then read our explainer articles linked below.
Related: What is 4K? | What is HDR?
Impressively, the Apple TV 4K supports not just the entry-level HDR10 HDR standard, but also the more impressive Dolby Vision platform. This adds extra scene-by-scene data to improve HDR playback.
The new Apple TV is faster, smoother and smarter than previous versions, too. It has a rich ecosystem of apps and is easy to use.
If you’ve recently bought a high-end smart TV from a top manufacturer you may question whether the 4K Apple TV is worth it. While Apple’s new box of tricks is a harder sell in such circumstances, it still has plenty going for it, especially now that recent firmware improvements have sorted out some initial problems.
But that’s not to say Apple isn’t up against some tough competition. The non-4K Now TV Smart Box is a user-friendly alternative, and the new 4K/HDR Amazon Fire TV is both a good performer and significantly cheaper.
Related: Best 4K TVs
Here’s a video of the 4K Apple TV launch:
Apple TV 4K – Design and specifications
The Apple TV is a neat little black box. It’s the same size as the previous model and even looks almost identical, bar a small circular vent at the bottom.
A vent often means a fan, and indeed the Apple TV 4K comes with a unit to keep it cool when it’s pushed. Don’t worry, though: no matter what I put the 4K Apple TV through, it remained whisper-quiet. I didn’t hear the faintest whirr or whistle.
It does mean that you should consider…
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