It’s simple to be underwhelmed by the brand new Apple TV 4K. It appears similar to Apple’s first 4K streaming field launched again in 2017, and the day-to-day expertise of utilizing it doesn’t really feel dramatically higher when in comparison with that system. The greatest enchancment is undoubtedly the redesigned second-generation Siri Remote that comes bundled with the brand new Apple TV 4K — however you should buy that individually for $59.

Those who’ve lengthy sung the Apple TV’s praises will discover extra to love with this up to date {hardware}. It now has Wi-Fi 6 for speedier, extra strong wi-fi efficiency. (A gigabit ethernet jack stays on the again for wired connectivity.) Apple has additionally inbuilt assist for Thread, the sensible dwelling networking protocol that can ultimately be extensively supported throughout the business — even when it’s good for comparatively little proper now. The greatest inner change within the newest mannequin is an upgraded chipset: Apple has moved on from the A10X Fusion to the A12 Bionic. But the A12 is much from Apple’s newest and best silicon; it first appeared within the iPhone XS line in 2018 and remains to be at present used within the entry-level iPad and iPad Mini. It’s an enchancment, however not some game-changer for Apple’s set-top field.

On the skin, the Apple TV 4K is not possible to differentiate from its predecessor. It’s nonetheless the identical nondescript black field that calls little consideration to itself on a TV stand. I want Apple would have performed away with the shiny, dust-magnet sides, however we’re not so fortunate. The firm is sticking with the standard set-top field kind issue at the same time as many rivals have moved to extra discreet HDMI dongles which might be normally hidden from view behind the TV.

There have additionally been extra delicate technical enhancements that aren’t being marketed, however it’s the kind of stuff video nerds will discover. Apple has largely resolved a problem with raised blacks in Dolby Vision content, based on HDTVTest’s Vincent Teoh. However, the 2021 Apple TV 4K nonetheless doesn’t assist bitstream audio passthrough, so the corporate hasn’t addressed all of the desires of dwelling theater fanatics. But it’s nonetheless checking off the necessities like Dolby Vision, Atmos, and HDR10.

The tvOS software program expertise is similar between this Apple TV 4K and its predecessor. Navigating by means of menus and Siri voice searches each include an additional sprint of pace, and apps appear to load quicker than earlier than. But the variations are sometimes marginal; the 2017 Apple TV 4K nonetheless holds up nicely immediately by way of efficiency. That’s largely as a result of tvOS may be very polished at this level, and it doesn’t cheapen the viewing expertise with in-your-face advertisements or sponsored content material.

The Apple TV’s dwelling display remains to be the identical previous static grid of apps, and Apple does what it could possibly to steer you into utilizing its Apple TV app, which aggregates TV exhibits and films from quite a few providers and can also be the place you’ll discover Apple TV Plus originals. Ted Lasso is coming again quickly, in case Apple hasn’t hammered that message into your mind sufficient already. The Apple TV app is ok and greater than competent at suggestions (supplied you aren’t on the lookout for something from Netflix), however except for the Apple TV Plus part, it hasn’t modified a complete lot and feels caught in place.

Thankfully, Apple has advanced and added to tvOS elsewhere in recent times with new options like multiuser assist, Apple Fitness Plus, and HomePod dwelling theater audio. Speaking of which, the brand new Apple TV 4K permits you to play audio by means of any HDMI system by means of the unique HomePod. I don’t have Apple’s audio system round to do that myself, however early experiences counsel that ARC audio works tremendous for video content material. However, latency is perhaps a dealbreaker if you happen to try gaming with HomePods as audio system.

Another new trick of tvOS that’s additionally obtainable on older Apple TV gadgets is an computerized calibration characteristic that makes use of your iPhone’s digital camera to course of colour patterns on-screen and modify the picture to make it look pretty much as good as attainable. This doesn’t truly alter any of your TV’s settings; the Apple TV is optimizing its personal image settings, and you may toggle between this calibrated “balanced” outcome and the default to see the distinction. The consensus appears to be that Apple’s characteristic can result in enhancements — usually producing a hotter picture — although most higher-end TVs include correct settings out of the field, particularly in cinema or calibrated mode. If you’re severe about image high quality, it’s price doing a professional calibration to get the very best final result throughout all your TV’s varied inputs.

As earlier than, the second-gen Apple TV 4K can function a hub for your HomeKit accessories; having a hub permits you to management these gadgets remotely once you’re out of the home. When you are dwelling, you possibly can rapidly entry sensible dwelling devices or pull up digital camera feeds on-screen with a voice command on the Apple TV 4K. Apple has additionally included Thread, a wi-fi communication commonplace developed particularly for sensible dwelling functions, within the new Apple TV 4K, permitting it to be a hub for Thread gadgets to hook up with and entry the web by means of. Thread ought to result in extra dependable connections and quicker response instances between gadgets that support the protocol; Apple additionally constructed it into the HomePod Mini, and it’s the premise of the forthcoming multiplatform Matter standard. But different methods that have been as soon as promoting factors of the Apple TV, like AirPlay, can now be discovered on many sensible TVs and even Roku gadgets.

Video streams on the Apple TV 4K nonetheless ship distinctive high quality, however among the frustrations we talked about nearly four years ago nonetheless stay current in tvOS immediately. Apple has lengthy enabled the field to match the dynamic vary and body price of taking part in content material, however not all apps have taken benefit of this characteristic. So in case your choice in video settings is Dolby Vision with dynamic vary matching enabled, you’ll nonetheless encounter some conditions the place SDR content material appears unappealing attributable to pressured HDR processing. (There’s additionally an odd bug on the brand new Apple TV 4K the place some movies are being labeled as “HD” — even when it’s very clear {that a} 4K file is being streamed.) Setting tvOS to SDR by default with matching enabled results in the very best final result, although YouTube annoyingly doesn’t flip over to HDR if you happen to do that.

Live TV integration with Siri stays limited to a frustratingly small list of providers and apps, although at the very least ESPN is there. I’d like to see tvOS supply deeper assist for stay TV apps like Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu with Live TV past together with them in single sign-in.

One argument that Apple TV house owners steadily make in assist of the {hardware}’s premium price is that they admire Apple’s stringent privateness insurance policies. The new App Tracking Transparency characteristic lately launched on iOS can also be current in tvOS. And let me inform you, the variety of apps that ask for monitoring privileges is kind of eye-opening. It looks like on this platform greater than another, I’ve been bombarded with the pop-up asking me whether or not an app has permission to trace me throughout different apps and web sites.

Here’s only a sampling of streaming apps which have proven it up to now:

• ABC
• AT&T TV
• CNN Go
• Comedy Central
• Discovery Plus
• ESPN
• Fox Now
• FX Now
• Hulu
• Nat Geo TV
• Paramount Plus
• Sling TV
• TBS
• TNT

In my expertise, Apple doesn’t sync up your chosen choice between iOS and tvOS in relation to ATT. I’m getting the prompts once more for all these streaming apps after already having seen them on my iPhone. It’s nearly like Apple desires to emphasise how widespread monitoring and knowledge sharing has turn into amongst in style streaming providers.

The new Apple TV 4K has been outfitted with an HDMI 2.1 port, however it’s truthful to say that Apple isn’t leveraging the complete potential of that improve. If you’ve been following the next-gen console hype over the past 12 months, that the most recent Xbox consoles and PlayStation 5 are able to excessive body charges as much as 120fps. The Apple TV 4K, in the meantime, tops out at 60fps HDR. Apple nonetheless considers this “high frame rate,” and it does lend a noticeable fluidity to sports activities, nature documentaries, and different movies that have been initially shot at larger body charges. (YouTube now helps 60fps on Apple TV 4K as nicely.)

However, that 60fps ceiling is a bummer for video games on the platform. No one’s realistically anticipating the Apple TV 4K to sq. off towards the most recent dwelling consoles or come wherever shut, however 120Hz can nonetheless make a distinction in responsiveness for titles with easier graphics. On the topic of video games, it’s price noting that the brand new Siri Remote can’t be used as a controller just like the earlier one might; you’ve bought to make use of a third-party gamepad now. The newest Xbox and PlayStation controllers are supported (with haptics included), and tvOS additionally works with a large mixture of others. It’s total an enchancment if you happen to actually wish to play video games on an Apple TV.

I lined the brand new Siri Remote in its personal assessment, however because it comes bundled with the Apple TV 4K, right here’s a abstract: it’s very, excellent. The bigger, thicker design is simpler to deal with (and tougher to lose), and the round D-pad will show extra intuitive for lots of the individuals who have been perplexed by the trackpad on the previous distant. The heart button nonetheless permits you to navigate in the identical means by nudging your thumb round, however if you happen to favored the big gesture space on the unique Siri Remote, this one may really feel extra limiting. On the entire, I feel Apple completely made the correct transfer in altering up the design. It’s dramatically easier to make use of.

One characteristic I proceed to want the Apple TV 4K provided is spatial audio for AirPods house owners. Being capable of have a personal bubble of encompass sound when watching the largest display in your house looks like it could possibly be a visceral expertise. I do know there are technical challenges and the Apple TV doesn’t have the identical sensors as an iPhone or iPad, however I’m hopeful Apple will deliver spatial audio to the platform in some unspecified time in the future.

If you’ve the unique Apple TV 4K, there’s actually no wise cause to improve to the brand new one. Wi-Fi 6 is good to have, and Thread may show essential to the sensible dwelling sometime, however that point isn’t now. Otherwise, you’re getting a barely quicker expertise than what the previous field is able to. Just purchase the Siri Remote, and name it a day.

But if you happen to’re coming from one thing older or the wildly overpriced Apple TV HD, the proposition is identical as all the time: you will get an excellent 4K streaming gadget for a fraction of the Apple TV 4K’s value. But it’s unlikely to supply the identical consumer expertise or dependable efficiency. Or possibly some apps gained’t assist Dolby Vision or Atmos to the identical diploma they do on Apple TV. The Apple TV 4K remains to be overpriced, however it’s additionally nonetheless arguably the very best streaming expertise you’ll discover in a single field — particularly if you happen to’re entrenched in Apple’s ecosystem. Does this new {hardware} really feel like a real improve or huge leap from the 2017 Apple TV 4K? No, probably not. But at the very least they bought the distant proper.

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge