Test: It’s almost kind of Apple – Apple TV 4K

Apple has finally cleaned up the stable of its TV boxes.

an introduction

They’re now only offering Apple TV 4K with upgraded internals in the form of the A15 chip that was first introduced in the iPhone 13 series and that’s used in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

Now that you can’t choose a less expensive model, what do you have to pay for the new one? 1790 NOK for 64GB of storage. For NOK 2,090 you not only get 128GB of storage, but also Ethernet if you’ll see the need, which I didn’t, but beware you don’t lose Thread without Ethernet. This technology creates an IP-based mesh network for smart home products, so it doesn’t depend on your home internet or router.

I no longer consider the Apple TV HD at NOK 1449 a good buy because it hits the limit with 1080p and an A8 chip from 2014.

Apple on the new streaming box:

“Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) brings you the best TV there is to offer, working seamlessly with the Apple devices and services you love most. With 4K Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos, you get a truly cinematic experience in the living room.

The USB-C Siri Remote (3rd generation) makes it easy to control your Apple TV 4K using the Touchpad, or with your voice. Apple TV 4K also acts as a hub for your smart home, allowing you to connect and control all of your smart home accessories.

The Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi) comes with 64GB of storage, while the Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi + Ethernet) comes with 128GB of storage and support for Thread networks.

Determine

• A 15
• HDR10+
• HDMI port
• Ethernet (128GB model)
• Siri Remote (66g)
• Apple TV: 208g – 214g with Ethernet
• HDMI 2.1
• Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2 x 2 MIMO technology
• Bluetooth 5.0 technology for wireless connectivity

design

Look, there’s a black block! As in all years, the Apple TV is a … black plastic gadget that weighs more than you think necessary. Maybe a “luxury” trick from Apple? But again: How often do you wear or pick them up? It never happens after the first time you take it out of the box.

The best thing about opening the box is finding the new Apple Remote that’s much larger and thicker, surrounded by aluminum and large black buttons with plenty of clicking sound.

I can’t quite remember what Apple has done with the tvOS interface in the past five years, because they really haven’t done much? Am I completely wrong? So it’s the same card interface as usual, but the content you watched earlier is still the first thing you see in the app overview and in the Apple TV app.

I appreciate the shortcuts, but at the same time I’m wondering if larger improvements couldn’t be possible? How about a screensaver like the one in iOS 16 by connecting the Apple TV to the owner’s iPhone? How about a picture-in-picture – how about two apps at the same time? Apple hasn’t done much, no improvements are rumored, and the future generally looks dull.

At least it’s easy to use. No one will be confused.

Performance and HDR 10+

You will notice an improvement in performance from the first click. Menus are much faster. For me, coming from the 2017 Apple TV 4K 1st generation (the A10X launched the same year as the iPad Pro), the difference is huge and it’s never been less delicious.

In any case, it’s something you’ll appreciate, especially when you plug it in for faster content playback and app switching.

There are no major improvements and that the vast majority use about 5 percent of the power is fairly typical for Apple.

I didn’t realize that with HDR10+ this was a “big deal”, but is it true? Samsung and Amazon are behind the benchmark, which is The very expensive Sony TV I just tested, A95K at more than NOK 40,000 does not even support this, but it is betting on Dolby Vision. I also have LG OLED TVs, and they don’t support the Samsung standard either, so you get “only” HDR10 instead.

conclusion

Although I think it is iPad 10 Who should have got the A15, not a TV box, it’s nice to have a quick slice in a sub-NOK 2,000 product.

It was necessary to make this change to compete as others offer streaming via much less expensive hardware not to mention that all modern TVs have streaming built in. Then you have to expect a little extra.

The fact that the remote control does not have support for “Where to?” It’s dumb, but at least it’s not as black as a leather sofa.

I appreciate a faster interface and faster gameplay, while gamers would love to have a streaming box and game library with the fastest chip in the segment. Then you’re at least guaranteed several years into the future if Apple chooses to make significant improvements with tvOS.

With the latest remote control and great performance, Apple TV 4K is a great experience, just don’t let yourself buy for HDR10+ only if you have a Sony or LG TV.