I’ll start this Apple TV 4K review with an anecdote giving an insight into some of its capabilities that you might not have considered – you’re about to buy something WAY more useful than a lowly streaming box.
My living room was drowning in tech— a streaming box, a gaming console, a TV, two smart speakers, and an iPad for workouts, all competing for coffee table dominance. Switching between them was a nightmare, turning chill time into a remote-juggling mess time.
I finally took the plunge toward techy salvation. Apple TV 4K stepped in to cut the chaos. Morning hit, and I was powering through a Zwift ride on the big screen—no more shaky iPad hacks. A tap later, Apple Fitness+ fired up, with Sam Sanchez’s voice driving my partner’s HIIT workout with Apple Watch heart rate stats synced seamlessly to the big screen.
In the afternoon, we used it as a social hub – FaceTime on steroids. My sister beamed onto the screen like she’d popped by in person; presumably, all was great with the picture quality at her end of the call as I used my iPhone 15’s continuity camera. Near the end of that call, the Nest Wired doorbell buzzed, and a pop-up on the TV showed other friends rolling up with pizza, waving as if they knew I was watching. Yummy.
That night, I melted into a Dolby Vision movie on the Apple TV+ app, chocolates in hand and colours so crisp I forgot I was at home, not the cinema – an experience made better by the free 3-month trial.
Later when everyone had gone, I grabbed a controller for a game of Sneaky Sasquatch on Apple Arcade, raiding digital campsites without blinking for an hour or so.
Even my existing smart home loved the new tech. With HomeKit, I adjusted the Nest thermostat and locked the front door from the couch before finally going to bed. This wasn’t just a streaming box—it was my fitness coach, gaming getaway, friend finder, and home command centre in one sleek shell.
Not bad for a little box at just over $100. A very smart TV but without a screen. How would that weekend of tech fun pan out over the months ahead?
I put the Apple TV4K to the test for this detailed review.
Let’s start with a summary review of those 24 pros and 15 cons promised in the title; scroll further down for detailed options and information about every aspect of Apple TV 4K, including if and when there will be a new model in 2025.
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Summary
This is the best Apple product, and most people only use a fraction of its features. It is far more than a simple streaming device offered by its competitors and adds far more to your existing smart TV than you would ever imagine. Of course, that assumes you are vested in the Apple ecosystem.
Using the Siri remote, you can search by voice within your favourite app, like Netflix. However, from the main TV 4K screen, you could search for “Play Severance”, and it would prompt you to open the TV+ app; if the program you wanted to watch was on more than one app/channel, you would be asked to choose and prompted to download any app you don’t already have. Then, of course, there is the pesky issue of creating an account with that app and paying if needed. But, like most successful companies, Apple makes parting with your money easy,
You can perform more vague searches like “Shown me Tom Cruise movies” or Show me sport on BBC iPlayer.” Most work.
Use the circular control on the physicalSiri Remote to
go up to reduce loud sounds or enable subtitles
go down to get more info on the current program
left/right to fast forward or rewind
picture-in-picture options are sometimes available here
Stream everything in one place.
Apple TV 4K uses an HDMI cable to plug into your existing TV, acting as a new ‘input’ or ‘source’. Keep using your TV as-is, use Apple TV 4K to take over your viewing experience entirely, or combine both.
Let’s assume you want to abandon terrestrial/broadcast channels and only use Apple TV 4K. Apple confusingly also gives you the Apple TV app and the chance to subscribe to Apple TV+. Three products that couldn’t have similar names if you tried. Here’s the difference
Apple TV 4K – it’s the hardware; it runs Apple’s tvOS software (like your iPhone runs iOS)
Apple TV+ – it’s a subscription service for Apple content like Netflix
Apple TV app – A free app that combines most other content streams like Disney, Apple TV+ and Netflix.
You can rely on the Apple TV app for all your viewing as it can act as an aggregated view of all your channels, such as Disney+, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, NOW, Paramount, MAX and more. Until a recent company mistake, Netflix could not integrate into the Apple TV app.
What I do: I prefer to access my subscription services separately. I have an icon/app for each rather than accessing through the Apple TV app. I arrange all my media apps into one on-screen folder.
Notes:
Apple TV 4K supports 4K quality video. However, your TV/monitor must also help it to get the best imagery; there’s also a trend for streaming services to charge more for 4K content, although the Apple TV+ subscription service supplies 4K content at the standard price.
Even though Apple TV 4K has an onboard HDMI 2.1 port capable of 120 frames per second (fps), it only supports 60 fps for both Dolby Vision and HDR10(+). Your content may be 30fps, and your TV may support 120fps – it doesn’t matter; by default, everything is (probably) resolved at 60fps. You can tweak the Apple TV 4K to match the source’s frame rate or upscale it.
Any live TV channel may be supported by its associated app, such as BBC iPlayer.
Multi-channel TVOS apps like TVPlayer support several live channels; however, if you want to watch live channels on the Freeview app, you must use Airplay to stream it from your iPhone to the Apple TV.
TV 4K gives a flexible range of alternative ways of consuming your content. In reality, Apple TV is a well orgaised service that sits on the mess proliferated by the industry players following different standards. Not all content providers have TVOS apps that fully integrate with Apple’s TV app and its not possible to watch every terrestrial TV service with TV 4K.
Smart Home Hub and Future-Proofing
The ethernet version of Apple TV 4K adds future-proofing for Homekit with both THREAD and MATTER; that’s the one to buy if you plan to have a smart home.
In more technical terms
Thread is a low-power wireless network for smart home devices, while Matter is a universal language that allows these devices to communicate.
The Wi-Fi-only version of TV 4K only supports Matter over Wi-Fi and doesn’t act as a Thread network controller.
Your Apple TV 4K can control lights, thermostats, locks, plugs, sensors and cameras. When someone comes to my front door, human motion is detected from my 2nd Gen Nest Wired doorbell within a specific area of my drive, and a screen pops up on the TV to show me who it is, but 2-way audio is not supported – you have to go to the door or speak through your iPhone.
Apple Photos and Screen Savers
Apple includes some rather childish Snoopy screensavers and some beautiful natural imagery as screensavers. For both, I find the range of images repeats too repetitively; thus, I prefer to link the screensaver to the Apple Photos app, which shares my curated albums and favourite family pictures…all 800!
Even better than that, the Apple Photos app lets you browse and view your entire Apple Photos in all the glory of 4K resolution on a larger TV format. Remember those video photo frames from 15 years ago with USB sticks? It’s like that, but 100 times better.
Siri and Remote Integration
Apple is powering ahead with Apple Intelligence, yet Siri fails to work correctly.
I can press a button on the Apple remote to talk to Siri, but it isn’t smart enough to reliably interpret and act on what I say. Maybe you have better luck. It would be better still if it responded correctly to ‘Hey Siri’ or ‘Siri’, but Apple TV 4K doesn’t do that, and when you try, a cacophony of responses emits from various home hubs or iPhones. Well, either that happens or nothing at all. It’s a mess.
During playback, Siri does work much better at controlling the current media. There are some touches like “Jump to the 30-minute mark”, “Fast forward 10 minutes”, or “What did she say?” (rewinds and enables subtitles).
Siri integration is promising and will be nice when it’s finished.
What is pretty cool is that your iPhone or Watch can become a physical remote control for TV 4K. A simple turn of the Watch’s digital crown can lower the volume. Also, it is pretty cool that the Watch/iPhone details what is playing.
Navigate ALL of TV 4K
Also high on the cool stakes is that you can use your iPhone to find the Siri remote control. Of course, you don’t needto find it because an iPhone can do the controller’s job.
Finding…
There it is!
The controller can also show the program InSight when viewing rich video content. That works with Apple TV+ content and some other apps, too. Questions like “That’s what’s her name? What did she used to be in?” will no longer be left hanging, and the answer will be on screen.
Finally, the controller is USB-C chargeable and lasts at least 4 months on a full charge.
Sound Quality & Bluetooth Speaker Lag
To oversimplify, the digital TV audio in the source is of excellent quality. You lose fidelity sending it over Bluetooth and/or converting it to analogue on a poor-quality speaker.
I have a decent but not extravagant LG OLED48C45LA (2024) 48-inch OLED Evo UHD Smart TV (the best sub £1000 TV). Its built-in speakers sound better than audio through a paired Homepod speaker.
I had many Bluetooth audio problems over the years, typically involving audio lag. Apple TV 4K has a clever audio/video syncing tool on your iPhone. It kinda works. Most of the time, but not always. In the end, I used all hardwired connections and the TV speaker. I could get a Soundbar upgrade, but I am happy with the quality I have.
One of the new audio features I use is TV 4 K’s ability to enhance dialogue. Maybe it’s me, but most actors mumble these days, and most directors fail to turn the lights on before filming. Apple’s new features seem to help with the former!
It’s also possible to use AirPods for private audio.
If you try to connect to Apple TV using QuickTime Player on an iMac, it won’t work if you have Homepods paired with TV 4K using AirPlay. disconnect Airplay, and it works.
Picture Quality
Again, the quality of the digital source and the quality of your TV will be the limiting factors for most people. If you watch the latest 4K movie on your excellent 4K OLED screen, the picture is great when you use Apple TV 4K.
I’ll add the specs in later. It’s enough to know that apple TV 4K supports HDR10/10+ and Dolby Vision, but not 120fps content. I suspect 120fps content might eventually become more prevalent, which will, for example, improve watching sports with fast panning or fast-moving objects (balls). But then your TV also needs to support 120fps.
Apple TV 4K will switch display modes to adapt to the technical vagaries of your chosen source. You shouldn’t have to tinker with those settings; perhaps the only thing that will make a difference in niche scenarios is to match the frame rate of the original.
Older TVs might benefit from you calibrating the image. Apple TV 4K has a nice feature that allows your iPhone’s camera to be used during screen calibration. I tried this on my old TV, and it was very hard to get to the end of the calibration process – i.e. calibration failed. With my newer OLED TV, calibration was disabled by TV 4K and not needed.
Similarly, older TVs might not crop the picture correctly. You have some control over that. I did a lot of fiddling here with an old TV and getting the display precisely right wasn’t straightforward. I eventually managed it, but my new OLED TV didn’t need any adjustment, and the image was always correctly sized.
You would typically enhance image settings to match your preference on TV rather than TV 4K. My TV even has settings that precisely adhere to what the director originally intended, but I prefer brighter, sharper images that I can see. 🙂
Music
I have my Spotify account on Apple TV 4K, but I don’t use it much on that device. Apple Music will work as well.
Apple TV 4K supports lossless music, but to enjoy it anywhere near its full potential, you will need a lossless streaming source, as little Bluetooth as possible, a high-quality DAC, and incredible speakers. You don’t need lossless music if you don’t know what a DAC is!
I don’t see any unique benefit in controlling music on your TV. If it so happens that your TV is associated with your best speakers in a room that you are most often in, then…fill your boots.
Fitness, Apple Fitness+ and Zwift
My partner does some fitness classes via Zoom. Handily, there’s a Zoom app for the TV, and you can set up your iPhone as a continuity camera to send images of you to the group and have the group members and instructor displayed on the TV in full glory. It works well, especially if you have the ethernet version or a reliable household Wi-Fi – there may be dropouts in the Zoom session, but you won’t be causing them!
Image: Apple
It’s the same principle using the Apple Fitness+ app and subscription service. The instructors and content are high quality, though perhaps there’s not much content geared toward higher-end athletes. There’s a Peloton app; I’m guessing that will work pretty well too.
It’s mostly only your heart rate data, activity ring status and calories that are broadcast from your Apple Watch and shown overlaid on the TV.
MyWhoosh OLD
Zwift
Zwift is another interesting fitness app to mention, mainly because apple TV 4K is an excellent choice as the Zwift game player – an M4 mini or gaming PC is going to produce a better quality Zwift experience, but, in my case, I’m happy with lower quality than what TV 4K delivers – meaning that TV 4K is widely accepted as a sensible choice for anyone on Zwift. It is limited to two direct Bluetooth device connections, but you can add your iPhone to the mix to solve that quickly enough.
Apple TV 4K will never replace a high-end gaming device for Elden Ring or COD. But it’s a competent platform and probably as good for gaming as an iPhone 14/15. A casual game of Angry Birds on the big screen? What’s not to like?
PlayStation controllers, Xbox controllers, and four local multi-players are supported.
Group video conferencing – Facetime
I’ve already mentioned that Zoom is supported, as is using an iPhone as a continuity camera. Apple’s FaceTime works similarly – thus, family chats work better on the big screen when you don’t have to hold an iPhone.
Only one continuity camera is used at a time, but it’s easy to swap to another person’s iPhone for subsequent usage. Apple uses clever proximity pairing to simplify the process to its bare minimum. One thing to point out is that when an iPhone is used as a continuity camera, the high-quality cameras on the rear are used rather than the lower-quality selfie camera on the front.
I didn’t need a stand; there seemed to be intelligence within the iPhone/TV 4K that found my head and placed it appropriately on the screen using Center Stage capabilities, and there was zero fiddling with the precise orientation of the iPhone.
I would be intrigued if any reader knows how to use a spare iPhone that is permanently charged and set as the TV 4 K’s continuity camera. There are issues around which account the iPhone is registered to and, thus, how it behaves.
Apple Control Centre and Settings App
The control centre and settings app broadly mimic the comparable settings on your iPhone. That might not help you find a specific setting; even with years of Apple use, I’m not entirely sure how Apple squirrels away various settings.
The control centre is always available in the top right of the screen. Here, you can look at your Home devices, change speakers, change Wi-Fi/ethernet access and connect devices like game controllers. It’s worth it for each adult in your house to have their profile, and you can switch between profiles here – that’s one way to avoid getting your partner’s viewing recommendations.
The Settings app tends to be intended for less frequently made changes you might make to security, video, screensavers and audio.
Apple TV and TV 4K History
A key device to unify Apple’s services, such as FaceTime, Apple Music, Homekit, Fitness+, Arcade, and the Apple TV+ subscription service.
Initially introduced as a media player, Apple TV quickly evolved into a smart 4K streaming box with enhanced audio-visual capabilities.
Apple TV
1st Generation, 2007 – 720p HD – Digital media player synced with iTunes, streaming from computers to TVs. Built-in hard drive and external cable connections
2nd Generation, 2010 – 720p HD – The hard drive was removed, making this a streaming device linking to services like Netflix and iTunes
3rd Generation, 2012 – 1080p HD – Added services like Hulu and YouTube. Wireless “AirPlay” capability to stream from Apple devices.
3rd Generation Rev A, 2013 – Minor improvements plus HomeKit support
4th Generation, 2015 – 1080p video streaming – AKA Apple TV HD, added App Store and game support and a more advanced Siri Remote with voice control.
Apple TV 4K
1st Generation, 2017 – 4K Ultra HD, HDR (including Dolby Vision and HDR10) and Dolby Atmos.
2nd Generation, 2021 – Added A12 Bionic chip for higher frame rate (smoother) 4K HDR content. Redesigned Siri Remote and clickpad. Improved color balance calibration using iPhone.
3rd Generation, 2022 – Added superior A15 Bionic chip, Two versions: Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Ethernet (with Thread. Added supports for HDR10+ and USB-C charging on the Siri Remote
4th Generation? Expected 2025. Possibly with an A18 bionic chip (minimum A17), Apple Intelligence, Matter/Thread in the Wi-Fi version, and doubled storage.
Apple TV 4K Competitors – the best alternative
Apple TV 4K is perfect for iPhone users, non-gamers, and those vested in Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem, but it doesn’t come cheap. Future smart home ecosystems willbe interoperable and use Matter (Thread); make sure you buy something compatible with both those standards.
1. Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Generation) – Ideal for households invested in Amazon Prime Video and Alexa
Supports: 4K Ultra HD, HDR10+ (enable: Match Dynamic Range), Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos.
Strengths: Alexa integrates with smart home devices.
Weaknesses: Ad-heavy, less polished than Apple’s tvOS.
2. Roku Ultra (2022) – Ideal for affordability and first-time buyers
Supports: 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos.
Strengths: Simple, many apps. Google Assistant/Alexa
Weaknesses: Lacks deep smart home integration.
3. Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K) – Ideal for affordability and those with Android phones
Strengths: Affordable, many apps, integration with Google ecosystem, including Google Assistant.
Weaknesses: Limited storage, sometimes laggy
4. NVIDIA Shield TV Pro – Ideal for gamers
Supports: 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Dolby Atmos. GeForce NOW cloud gaming has high frame rates.
Strengths: Gaming, high-end performance, versatile for media and smart home controls.
Weaknesses: Expensive
5. TiVo Stream 4K – Ideal for affordability and first-time buyers
Supports 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Dolby Atmos.
Strengths: Affordable, unified interface for broadcast TV/streaming
Weaknesses: Less polished
Apple TV 4K Setup
Setup is augmented with your iPhone and is VERY easy. You don’t need to read any instructions.
I initially bought Apple TV 4K to spice up a 10-year-old smart TV. You plug in the power and take an HDMI cable from the Apple TV 4K to a spare slot on the rear of your TV. If you have the ethernet version, plug it into a network cable. Do not plug your ethernet cable from TV 4K into your TV!
You could easily use a PC monitor, either a dedicated one or one with two inputs that you use alongside a computer. The HDMI cable would take sound and video to the monitor, but you need to consider how you play audio; if your monitor can do that, everything should be good. If not, you could use Bluetooth speakers, but as I mentioned above, I had occasional audio lag issues to the point where I gave in and resorted to a cable.
You can get a cheap mount and attach Apple TV 4K out-of-sight to the rear of the TV. Bluetooth control signals from the remote or your iPhones should bounce off the wall to TV 4K easily enough, but if you have the TV 4K Wi-Fi version, you might give it line of sight to your Wi-Fi point for uninterrupted content viewing.
Key Features of Apple TV 4K (2022 Model – 3rd Gen)
A15 Bionic Chip – Faster performance and improved efficiency
4K HDR Support – Supports HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG
Features: Bluetooth 5.0, IR transmitter, USB-C port for charging, Rechargeable battery providing months of usage per charge with typical daily use
In the Box
You get an Apple TV 4K, Siri Remote, and a Power cord.
You’ll need a USB-C cable to charge the remote, an HDMI cable to link to the TV, an ethernet cable for the ethernet version, and an optional mount—no tools or batteries required.
Compatibility
Bluetooth keyboards (not tested)
Apple Wireless Keyboard (not tested)
Third-party MFi (Made for iOS) game controllers (not tested)
Apple TV 4K – recent software additions with TVOS17.x
These new features were added to the operating system software between 2024-25 and are significant additions demonstrating that Apple actively updates the product. Some features work on older Apple TV models.
FaceTime on Apple TV 4K: Make FaceTime calls directly from Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later), utilizing the iPhone or iPad as a Continuity Camera for video and audio input. Features like Center Stage keep you framed during calls, and Split View with SharePlay allows simultaneous media viewing and video chatting.
Redesigned Control Center – displays system status, active profiles, and quick access to settings such as audio controls and accessibility options.
Siri Remote Enhancements – Use Find My Remote to locate a misplaced Siri Remote (2nd generation or later) using an iPhone.
Enhanced Dialogue: When paired with a HomePod, Apple TV 4K offers an “Enhanced Dialogue” feature that amplifies spoken content, ensuring clearer audio during playback.
Dolby Vision 8.1 Support
Memories as Screensavers: set personal photo memories as screensavers,
Improved Apple Music Sing Enhancements (karaoke with real-time lyrics)
Third-Party VPN Support: tvOS 17 introduces support for third-party VPN applications, enhancing privacy and security options for users.
Video Conferencing Apps: Integrate Continuity Camera APIs, enabling apps like Webex by Cisco and Zoom to offer video conferencing on Apple TV 4K.
Apple TV 4K Review – Takeout
I have a lot of Apple products and subscribe to a few streaming services, so Apple TV 4K is an obvious choice for me.
The layout and usability of the screen and its remote are not perfect, but they are vastly superior to the ridiculous complexity introduced by TV interfaces and remote controls over the decades. If you hate juggling three remotes, get an Apple TV 4K and simplify your life. Plus, there are no ads, just a clean interface.
The Siri remote is reasonably powerful but annoyingly sensitive at times – you can adjust the sensitivity, but I found that made the overall experience worse. It is a relatively good way to navigate around TV 4K and doesn’t take too much getting used to. I feel a little let down by it as I want to use voice control for my home devices without pressing the remote button, and I want voice control to always work, which it doesn’t.
What blew me away was the breadth of capability of the features on Apple TV 4K…it did WAY more than I expected and did it pretty well. I loved the continuity camera on Zoom/FaceTime calls, and when using fitness tools like Zwift and Fitness+, the experience FAR exceeded my expectations – Apple TV 4K is probably the optimum value piece of kit for Zwift – a small & simple, $100ish piece of powerful hardware to be your Zwift game player make a lot of sense. You can even default to listening to Apple Music while not Zwifting and doing some free weights if the TV 4K is in your home gym. If it’s in your lounge, the kids can play Angry Birds without sneaking off to their room and doing it secretly for 3 hours.
Oh. TV programs! Yes, it does that too 🙂 If you want 4K 60 fps glory, this is for you. This is not for you if you have a wall-sized 8K screen running at 120Hz.
Perhaps the only cautionary note is that TV 4K needs a refresh. Whilst it’s relatively awesome at 2023-2025 tech and media, it isn’t future-proofed. It will probably be outdated in a few years and unable to properly leverage 8K video, 120fps content, AI, lightning-fast Wi-Fi 7, and multiple Bluetooth fitness connections. But for a hundred or so bucks, the Apple TV 4K has almost become disposable, and its replacement will be a no-brainer upgrade whenever it arrives.
Best Featured TV Streaming Box
Price - 90%
90%
Build Quality, Design & Usability - 95%
95%
Features, Including App - 80%
80%
Openness & Compatability - 80%
80%
86%
Summary
This is the best Apple product, and most people only use a fraction of its features. It is far more than a simple streaming device offered by its competitors and adds far more to your existing smart TV than you would ever imagine. Of course, that assumes you are vested in the Apple ecosystem.
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