Apple TV 4K and Remote Control
With Apple TV 4K, Apple is trying to do more than just provide you with a gadget that can stream Netflix or iTunes Store movies in 4K. The device is designed to solve a problem: The digital TV viewing experience is scattered and not good, especially if you want to use a variety of TV network applications, live broadcasts behind the door TV or TV provider.
Apple TV 4K combines an app store, single sign-on authentication with cable providers, Siri-driven search and centralized TV applications to unify your TV viewing experience, whether you are a computer cleaver or just looking for one over the top (OTT ) In addition to your cable subscription.
The previous Apple TV had similar goals, but the new model added faster CPUs, long-standing 4K and HDR support, and tvOS 11 (which was also the previous model). tvOS 11 is designed to make your life easier with features such as AirPod support and home screen synchronization. Apple TV 4K also plays games.
With Apple TV 4K, I can see and appreciate Apple's vision for a better TV experience. However, the reality of the entertainment industry has prevented the full realization of this vision - Apple TV 4K may also far exceed its time.
Trying to revamp the overall TV viewing and viewing experience, this device is still the best and most advanced TV streaming device on the market. In general, it succeeded, but its high cost and dependence on other Apple services made it just a substandard advice.
hardware
The new Apple TV is exactly the same in 2015 as the 2015 model, so we will focus on the difference and the big picture from the living room. If you want more background, be sure to read our previous review of the previous generation of Apple TV.
Outside, Apple TV 4K looks almost identical to its predecessor. This is a small, simple black box. The most significant physical change is a slightly elevated platform that provides ventilation for thermal management and removal of the rear USB-C port. This port is used for developer access to Xcode's Mac, but is now accessible via Wi-Fi, so the port has been removed. You will find Ethernet, HDMI and power line ports later. There is a tiny white-blue light in the front that indicates when the device is turned on.
Apple's A10X Fusion chip is the same chip used in the iPad Pro. This chip has introduced some beautiful games on the iPad Pro, and there is also such potential in this area.
Then there is a remote control. It is basically the tiny, touch-sensitive remote of the last Apple TV. Many people hate it. The remote controller may get lost. It is easy to accidentally press it. And, it is different from your standard remote control.
My previous Apple TV used a lot, and my remote lost several times on the couch. However, accidental investment is mainly resolved through software updates. I like to use touch-sensing surfaces, like I scroll through the app on the MacBook's touchpad, pages and pages of TV shows and movies, or browse through video to find the right scene. I found it faster than the arrow button on the Roku remote, although sometimes it was not very accurate.
The remote has five buttons: a menu button (usually working like a back button in the end), play/pause switching, Siri button, up and down volume control, and TV button. The TV button turns on Apple's TV application by default, but the application is not as useful as Apple hopes (more often in a short time). Fortunately, you can easily enter the settings so that the TV button takes you to the home page of Apple TV if the TV application is not at the heart of your needs.
The Apple TV 4K remote control maintains the same touch-oriented design with a white border around the menu button to help you stay ahead.
Apple TV 4K remote control on the back.
Apple TV 4K side.
Top Apple TV 4K remote control.
Apple TV bottom 4K remote control; it charges the cable that comes with it.
You can also use any supported iOS device to control the TV, which is especially popular for text. The Achilles' heel of Apple TV remote control re-enters the text; Siri is the best option for iOS devices and it works fine. But Siri is not always right. Whenever you bring your iPhone and text fields appear, iPhone will send you a push notification, giving you the opportunity to use the iPhone's on-screen keyboard to enter queries. This is the quickest and easiest way to reliably enter text.
Based on storage capacity, Apple TV 4K has two SKUs. The 32GB model is priced at $179/£179 and the 64GB is $199/$199. Most people do not need the 64GB version. I installed every application that I could imagine using, including several games, only to make it up to 12GB. This device does not support downloading media; all your videos will be streamed. Therefore, you only need no space. If there are more games with high quality assets on the platform, this specific use case will change in the future.
You can also use any supported iOS device to control the TV, which is especially popular for text. The Achilles' heel of Apple TV remote control re-enters the text; Siri is the best option for iOS devices and it works fine. But Siri is not always right. Whenever you bring your iPhone and text fields appear, iPhone will send you a push notification, giving you the opportunity to use the iPhone's on-screen keyboard to enter queries. This is the quickest and easiest way to reliably enter text.
Based on storage capacity, Apple TV 4K has two SKUs. The 32GB model is priced at $179/£179 and the 64GB is $199/$199. Most people don't need the 64GB version. I installed every application that I could imagine using, including a few games, and only allowed it to reach 12GB. This device does not support downloading media; all your videos will be streamed. Therefore, you only need no space. If there are more games with high quality assets on the platform, this specific use case will change in the future.
4K and HDR
Apple TV 4K finally brought HDR and 4K support to the platform. As picture quality is a major highlight here, we will spend the most time on 4K HDR images and available content.
Support standard
In the Ultra HD standard, 4K is a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels (2160p). This is equivalent to four times the 1080p standard. A clearer image is always nice to see, but as resolution increases, most people will receive diminishing returns.
However, HDR is a bigger deal. Ars explains HDR in detail, but the simplified explanation is that HDR increases the distance and accuracy between white and black in the image. This allows for a finer color and a finer, more defined contrast between the light and dark parts of the image. Apple TV 4K supports HDR HDR-10 and Dolby Vision at 4K and up to 60Hz.
Picture quality
In most cases, I was impressed with the image quality of 4K and HDR content on Apple TV. On the Pacific coast, the contrast between neon computer console lights and dark, rainy nights is as striking as the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc.
However, absolutely will not be detached HD HD Blu-ray connoisseurs. In order to deliver 4K HDR video to Apple TV, Apple said it uses a relatively new HEVC codec to pack as much visual information as possible into a limited bit rate. For most visual effects, it looks good; unfortunately, it is under pressure in other ways.
I watched Blade Runner's final editing from the 4K and Dolby Vision iTunes library. This is a film full of whirlpool smoke and flashing lights - it is precisely a variety of things that can solve the compression algorithm. Man-made objects are very obvious in this movie. To be fair, this can be expected from any streaming device.
In most cases, Apple TV offers 4K and HDR image quality, which is comparable to anything seen on other streaming devices. Apple's content and Netflix's appearance are excellent. The 1080p content is not the best I have seen, but it is good enough for most viewers.
The problem with 1080p is that Apple chooses to maintain a consistent experience, always outputting 4K and HDR if the TV supports it. I can see why Apple did it. This means that when you switch between content types, you won't have a pause or flicker, and the menu benefits from the same content as the movie - high resolution, excellent contrast, and lovely subtle colors.
Unfortunately, this also means that Apple TV 4K can provide you with upgrades from 1080p. In some cases, you may prefer the way of TV, especially if you are the type of home theater freaks, they have crafted an end-to-end system that allows full control of photos. You can force this problem by mining Apple TV 4K's settings application and output the entire content as 1080p and then switch back to 4K when needed, but this is a pain. Like me, you may put it on 4K and HDR, but you will give up some control.
Content availability
Apple TV 4K currently offers 4K HDR movies through iTunes digital stores. So far, the selection of all movies released by 4K and HDR is not comprehensive, but this is a solid beginning. Unfortunately, Apple's stores currently do not have 4K or HDR TV programs.
The Netflix app can now only see other options for 4K HDR content on this device, which works well. Apple has promised that Amazon Prime will launch Apple TV 4K before the end of the year, and will bring Amazon's 4K HDR original program. This hasn't happened yet, but it will expand the choice of HDR TV.
Apple TV 4K home screen in a dark theme.
The movie storefront app now has HDR movies.
You can browse your library through the genre of movie and TV storefront apps.
Search is a bug in the Apple TV 4K remote control; we recommend that you use an iOS device. Siri voice input is usually better than you expect.
Hulu does not support HDR on any platform, only 4K on PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One S consoles. YouTube has a huge 4K video library and is a good choice in HDR. Unfortunately, Apple neglected to support Google's publicly available VP9 video codec, so you won't be able to experience it here. This is disappointing. We are not optimistic and will be solved immediately because Apple has not yet announced any plans to support VP9.
Vudu has been providing 4K HDR movies for a while, and its library has some titles that are not available at Apple's own store. Unfortunately, the Vudu Apple TV application still only supports 1080p and SDR when I tested this review.
There are some changes that are basically the same when you try to dive into 4K HDR on any platform; the technology is great, but the content library is new. We expect that there will be a lot of movement in 4K HDR content in the next two years, so you will invest here instead of now. Although picture quality is a big improvement, it is worth it if you can afford the hardware.
Content pricing is also worth noting; Apple chose to price its 4K and HDR movies at exactly the same price as existing HD content. Most services previously provided 4K and HDR movies, but Apple seems to have forced the industry's hands. Since Apple's launch, both Amazon and Google have lowered prices.
Another welcome move, if these movies can use the new format, Apple will automatically update the user’s existing purchases to 4K and HDR. As a person who has purchased “Fifth Elements†for VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray for many years at least four times - usually at high prices for early adopters - I'm very happy to see that with the status quo.
Audio frequency
The audio aspect of the matter has not changed. It's still good, but there are some formats you may want unsupported. Apple reports support the following audio formats:
HE-AAC (V1), AAC (up to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (iTunes Store), MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF and WAV; AC-3 (Dolby Digital 5.1 ) and E-AC-3 (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound).
Please note that Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 are covered, but Dolby Atmos is not currently supported. Since Apple TV 4K is positioned and priced as a top streaming device, it is fair to expect it to support the latest and best audio formats, making the list disappointing. Apple has promised that Atmos support will come soon, but the company has not expressed any opinion on DTS:X.
TV application
The TV application is the most promising idea for Apple TV. When the stars are aligned, this is just what we need.
Apple TV's app store has many major TV networks and channel applications. Some offer free content (PBS), others need a special subscription (HBO Now), while others need to authenticate with a supported cable provider (ESPN). In general, you can track which applications can use which programs, and then navigate to the application to check for new episodes. Each application has a different interface, an account management system, and tracking of favorite or most recently watched programs. These are all significantly different, not just the user experience but the quality of execution.
The idea behind the TV application is that all of these shows will be gathered in an application center that can keep track of what you've been watching, what you might want to watch, shows new episodes today, and more. This is a good idea, and I like it to be better than Roku's smart guides and similar ideas from competitors.
Apple said that "Apple TV applications put everything you see in one place," but for many people, this is not actually the case. Netflix does not apply to TV applications. This is a very significant omission. Whether Netflix's mistakes or Apple's mistakes are irrelevant, because either way, users will lose.
My cable provider is Hulu's live TV streaming service. The Hulu Apple TV app allows me to watch all my channels. Several of the personal channel applications also support live TV broadcasts such as Freeform. Unfortunately, these live TV streams do not appear in Apple's TV application; it only shows on-demand distribution of most applications, so if you want to watch live broadcasts in most cases, you must leave.
However, once again later this year, there will be a small number of live channels in TV applications. If you have already authenticated with the cable provider, the ESPN application will add live games to the TV home page. You can even choose to show the score in the preview. In the applications that CNN and Bloomberg have already promised, site-specific news on specific networks will also appear. But today, none of this has been achieved.
Apple released a supporting document that noted the applications supported by the TV application. This is an impressive list. Having previously worked in this industry, I know what kind of effort must be taken to get rid of all these networks. I believe that Apple is doing what it takes to make the user use the TV experience better. Only Apple or a company like this could pull the industry out of the quagmire. However, in order to fully realize this vision, all this is nothing. Almost all now - but not exactly the same.
sign in
Part of Apple's attempt to simplify OTT streaming is to make it easier to log in to all these dozens of applications. Typically, you must enter a password for each phone provider. Apple has attempted to correct this situation by allowing you to log in to your provider once from the Settings application. Then it opens access to these credentials for each new application, so you don't have to enter them again and again.
Further reading
Beer loses university market share... iPods?
I initially tried this with my Hulu account, only to find that Hulu was not supported. Verifying all my applications one by one with Hulu is time consuming. So to test the single sign-on feature, I started the PlayStation Vue subscription. With this, it works fine all I have to do is start an application after installing it and click on the application's login button. After one to five seconds, it passes the authentication and I can access all my content. If you can authorize multiple applications in a single click, or if all of this happens automatically and without user input, the implementation will be better.
The TV provider menu in the application provides a single login list of all web applications used with the provider.
When you browse the TV provider settings, you can see a list of applications that the auto-populated TV provider can verify. The list is categorized into installed and logged-in applications that are good, applications that have been installed but have not yet been verified, and applications that have not yet been installed. You can install applications directly from this list, but you must open them before you can log in.
This makes things much easier than before, but the stars must adjust them to the best experience. Currently, both application and cable providers must support this feature and must support each other. In some cases, your cable provider may not provide authentication for digital applications for specific networks - even if the network is on the list of live channels.
The new Apple TV 4K game looks great, although most libraries haven't been updated to use hardware. The controller is basic, but it does have the motion control of the Nintendo Wii. Most games can be played, although it is usually not as enjoyable as the perfect multi-touch experience in the same game on iOS.
Some games require a traditional gamepad. Apple TV 4K does not have a game pack. Apple didn't even make it, but it depended on other companies to make them. This is too bad because there is a lot of potential here. Apple TV 4K is definitely not the Xbox One X or PlayStation 4 Pro, but the available hardware and software make it feel like it can fill the casual home console role of the Nintendo Wii for years.
There are adventure games, space flight games, golf games, yes, it plays Minecraft. It's much better than what you would normally see on a box that is not primarily for games. Apple doesn't bundle controllers too bad. The Apple TV 4K game has so many promises, but you have this feeling that Apple did not give it all the power it deserves.
in conclusion
A total of 45% of broadband households already have smart TVs, and a similar number of gaming machines already have video streaming applications, some of which are 4K and HDR. Not everyone needs a new streaming media player this year, but Apple TV can provide a better interface and a wider range of applications than you can get on most smart TVs or game consoles. (Of course, there are some notable exceptions - for example TCL's Roku TV is great.)
Try to make the OTT, cable provider certified viewing experience easier and admirable, and we want to see them succeed. The full potential of Apple TV can be realized. Apple needs to make more progress in the industry. I do not envy that Apple is trying to negotiate with an industry that insists on competing goals and seldom agreed standards. What is actually surprising is that a company that is known for its demanding end-to-end control has even played this. fighting. But I'm glad that Apple is using its influence to try to realize the vision that TV may have.
If you already rely on Apple to understand most of the other entertainment needs, Apple TV 4K is a simple recommendation. You can get existing content with higher quality and have powerful and interesting game content. If you are not in the ecosystem, the current lack of third-party applications that support HDR on this device make it a more difficult recommendation. A lot of what makes this box great - iPhone control, AirPlay, cross-buying with the iOS App Store in some games and applications, iTunes movie library, etc. - related to the interaction with other Apple devices. If you don't have other Apple devices, it's mostly just another streaming box and it's expensive.
Ultimately, you need to ask yourself, how much of your future is still hypothetical about what Apple is trying to create, and how much you want to invest.
Ok
Superior 4K and HDR image quality, including support for Dolby Vision standards, is not supported on some competing devices.
Practical, elegant and intuitive interface, especially if you have an iOS device to increase it.
An affordable 4K HDR movie and an automatic upgrade of your existing library.
Amazing powerful library cute game.
broken
Apple TV is built around ambitious TV applications, but due to the lack of support from Netflix and web applications, the functionality of the app is still incomplete.
Currently, HDR content is limited to Netflix and Apple's own stores. Importantly, YouTube 4K HDR content is not supported.
No Dolby Atmos support yet.
ugly
More expensive than direct competitors.
Smart TV/box information can focus on smart TV information network sofa butler (http://), China's influential TV box and smart TV website, providing information, communication, TV boxes, smart TVs, smart TV software, etc. Answering questions.
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