Three generations of Apple TV 4K are an important milestone for a device that for the Apple company, just a few years ago, was considered almost a pastime. From 2007, the year of introduction of the first Apple TV to today, the black “box” that brings the Apple ecosystem to TV screens has evolved a lot. To the point that this third generation of the 4K version is one of the most intriguing products and with a growth and expansion factor of use the most interesting among those presented in this last part of 2022. Let’s see why.
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First of all, the new Apple TV are two. One with 64 Gb internal memory and no Ethernet connection (wifi only) and the other, as you can imagine, with everything that the base model does not have: 128 Gb memory and support for the Threads home automation protocol. A significant difference between the two devices, in the face of an almost insignificant price difference. The basic version costs 169 euros and the top 189 and for those who really want to enjoy the third generation of 4K ATVs, the choice is basically only one, for twenty euros of difference the top model makes absolutely sense. On the side a detail that can only please: the prices of this new generation are lower than the previous one. Incredible but true.
However, both models have the A15 Bionic chip inside, a beautiful processor beast. Apple TV with this chip is now more powerful than the 10th generation iPad which has “only” an A14 inside. But what’s the use of all this power? It serves, it serves. It is useful because if before Apple TV was essentially an accessory to fully enjoy all streaming services, act as a control center for HomeKit home automation and occasionally enjoy a few games, here things change substantially. First of all from the video point of view, now there is support for HDR10 + as well as Dolby Vision and this for lovers of cinematic high fidelity even at home is a decisive point and not a detail. There is support for spatial audio, if you have AirPods that allow it to be used (move your head and the audio will “follow” you, in words it makes little but in operation it is an absolutely immersive feature). The streaming apps that we all know, from Tv + to Netflix to Prime Video and so on are snappy and respond immediately to Siri Remote, the power of the A15 makes a clear difference already from the navigation in the menus of the various services. In use, the Apple TV4K 2022 is agile and responsive, and going from streaming to playing is a matter of moments. Basic setup is simple, even faster through iPhone with instant data transfer, and the iPhone (or iPad) itself can be used as a remote control.
But this powerful processor has a meaning that can now be glimpsed but which will be revealed completely over time: Apple has decided to seriously expand into the video game sector. It will do so through its subscription platform, Apple Arcade, which will in all likelihood soon have “triple A” titles, ie those that distinguish video game consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox and that the A15 Bionic chip allows to achieve. We are talking about a quality of products comparable to that of a PS4 or an Xbox One, a generation behind then, but absolutely in line with the contemporary market that continues to produce triple A games even for these platforms. On Apple TV already today there are real “big games” such as the Oceanhorn saga, AG drive, Orizon Chase, Asphalt 8, Dungeon Hunter 5 to name but a few. Of course, Apple TV 4K supports controllers for consoles (PlayStation and Xbox) and basically every other compatible wireless controller. The new Siri Remote, the “smart” remote control of ATV4K is a pleasant evolution of the previous editions, and this time the charging input is no longer Lightning (like that of the iPhone) but USB-C. Here, however, there is a less pleasant surprise: there is no charging cable in the package, obviously any USB-C cable is fine.
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The top version also offers an extra feature: it is compatible with the new Threads demotic control standard, which works on the Matter protocol, a standard adopted by all the major technology producers in the world, including Google and Samsung and now also Apple. It is a type of connectivity that allows almost instant control over all connected home devices that support it, from lights to shutters to doors, gate actuators and more, and in short, it is the future of smart home connectivity.
And in our opinion this is precisely the most marked meaning of Apple TV 4K today: to become a complete hub for home entertainment, at a more than aggressive price, and to facilitate the adoption of the Apple ecosystem as a central pivot for digital activities. of individuals and families. In this sense, the possibilities of sharing content (to see them together even at a distance for example, or with two separate sets of wireless headphones in the same room) are at the top of the market.
In short, this black box from Apple is a highly technological strategic product, well made and at the right price, plus an advanced remote control and certainly the one that offers the best possible management of a TV box today. It is a product that takes full advantage – of course – of the best screen and sound system that can be matched. Support for HDR10 + and Dolby Vision and Atmos, HDR at 60 frames per second and (will arrive in a future update) Quick Media Switching without black “holes” on the screen makes it a device capable of technically satisfying for some time to come. . The future here too will be called Apple Silicon and therefore even more power. But Apple’s vision of what TV is today is already clear.