Streaming is increasingly at the center of attention, even
in Italy. In the beginning there was Netflix, but many other services have been
added to this, from Disney + to TIMVision, passing through Infinity. From this
year onwards, sport has also found fertile ground, the arrival of Serie A on
DAZN has ousted Sky from the throne after years of honorable service, and the
Champions League is also visible on Mediaset Infinity + and on Amazon Prime
Video. In short, the streaming revolution is entering the heart of its
evolutionary path .
So many contents, but how to look at them? Today the
alternatives are endless, if you do not have particular claims a Fire TV Stick
4K can meet the needs of a large slice of the public, while gamers can point to
an NVIDIA Shield TV, not counting the operating systems of televisions, more
and more. rich in applications.
In this context, the Apple TV 4K, renewed with this 2021
version, is an interesting alternative especially for those who are already
part of the Apple ecosystem . Integration with iPhone is an important push to
buy an Apple TV, the same thing goes for services, from iCloud to Apple Music,
passing through Apple TV +. In short, valid alternatives are not lacking, but
it is clear that Apple TV 4K is tailor-made for apple users.
The revolution is all in the remote control
The remote control of the Apple TV 2017 had its advantages
but also its defects, especially in terms of ergonomics. In the new model, the
remote control represents the only difference from the past , at least
visually, since the design has remained unchanged. The most obvious change
concerns the body, now entirely in aluminum, and with a greater thickness that
facilitates grip.
The changes did not end there, as the touch-sensitive glass
surface has disappeared, replaced by a circular control system that works both
by pressure and through touch controls.
If previously tactile feedback was reserved for pressure in
the touch-sensitive area, now with the new ring you can also click up, down,
left and right. This completely changes the way you navigate the menus, from
the swipes of the past to a more traditional directional cross. As anticipated,
this circular element is also sensitive to touch, Apple has chosen a new path
but that refers to the past, to the time of the iPod. For example, watching a
video you can rewind it by drawing a crescent backwards. This is an extra
option but in truth it is more precise and comfortable to manage everything
through the physical buttons.
Looking at the buttons, you can see three additions, the
"Mute" button to mute the sound, a back button, a function previously
associated with the "Menu" button, and a power button. The control
possibilities have increased, as well as the weight and autonomy: recharging
takes place via the Lightning port and allows months of use, it all depends on
the number of activations of the remote control.
On the right side then an additional button is inserted to
recall Siri, a pity that in Italy it is not available on Apple TV. This lack
could be felt, especially for those used to using Google services, which have
been offering Google Assistant on TVs and set top boxes for some time. The last
element to consider is the removal of the accelerometers and the gyroscope from
the remote control, which were used in some games for direct control without
using the pad. Given the compatibility of Apple TV 4K with console pads this is
not a problem in reality, Apple has simply decided to push a more advanced
control system.
A new engine under the body
On the outside, changes are absent, but on the inside, Apple
has updated pretty much everything, starting with the processor. The A10X has
been replaced by a more recent A12 , the same SoC installed on the iPhone Xs.
Why not focus on a more powerful model?
First of all, in order not to increase the selling cost too
much, which has remained unchanged compared to the past and € 199 for the 32 GB
model, while the 64 GB model costs € 219 (both have 3 GB of RAM). A chip like
the M1 then, being made at 5nm, could have created supply problems given the
current situation in the chip market.
A final reason not to use a more powerful SoC is to be found
in the ecosystem of applications that run on Apple TV, which still works well
today on the 2017 model. In short, there is no valid reasons to further
increase the power of Apple TV . at least not beyond the threshold guaranteed
by the A12 chip.
The performance improvement can be seen above all in the
menus and applications, more fluid and reactive in the new model, while in
gaming the difference is not even noticeable. In the future, however, with the
expansion of the Apple Arcade catalog, a greater distance between the A10 and
A12 could come out.
The Apple TV hardware renewal stands out above all in
connectivity. The network port has finally been updated and supports up to 1
Gbps, against the 100 Mbps of the previous model, which had disappointed on
this front.
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 also arrive, but above all, HDMI
2.1 makes their debut . In reality, the only available port uses only the eARC.
No VRR and no support for 4K at 120Hz, but these are elements that could be
added in the next tvOS releases and basically we don't feel the need for them for
now. Gaming on Apple TV 4K doesn't require such high specs, but things may
change in the future.
Despite the update to the new SoC, compatibility with
audio-video standards has remained unchanged, we find Dolby Vision and HDR10,
no HDR10 +. Dolby Vision is now very popular, but it should be remembered that
today the largest television manufacturer in the world is Samsung, which has
long married HDR10 +.
Owners of a Samsung TV may prefer to use TizenOS, installed
directly on the TV, which will allow them to makes the most of it with
compatible content.
On the audio front, fans will notice the lack of passthrough
on loseless formats. Software such as Infuse help to overcome the problem, but
those who have advanced audio systems will find an important obstacle in this
lack.
The best set top box for Apple users
The limitations in the audio field concern only a small
niche now, it is difficult to find advanced systems in homes that go beyond a
simple soundbar, a different speech must instead be made with HDR. This
standard is now very widespread and on Apple TV 4K its optimal use is not
exactly immediate.
At first glance it all seem very simple, once you have
activated HDR from the settings you are immediately ready to go, too bad that
in this way tvOS converts any signal in this format automatically . In
practice, the contents are shown in HDR even when they are not, thus modifying
the rendering compared to the source.
Fortunately, Apple has included the ability to adapt the
content to the color space and frame rate, in this way the original contents
are reproduced as they were designed. The system works, except with the YouTube
application. A bug that we hope will be fixeds in the next updates.
Having clarified the limits encountered in the audio-video
field, and which mostly concern a small slice of the public, we cannot fail to
mention the many positive aspects of the new Apple TV. Let's start with the
applications, where essentially nothing is missing after the recent arrival of
TIMVision.
The most used streaming services are all there, the only one
missing is Infinty, which with the arrival of the Champions League could become
an important absence for football fans. Thanks to Apple Arcade, access to games
allows hours of entertainment for gamers who are not looking for too demanding
titles.
Programs like Plex or better still Infuse allow excellent
management of your video catalog, but the most important element remains the
deep integration with the Apple ecosystem. The iPhone can be used as a keyboard
to type texts, with AirPlay you can send content directly from the phone, while
through iCloud the photos on the iPhone can be easily viewed on the big screen.
The interface, very clean and rational, offers elements of
the right size for the big screen, the attention paid by Apple in this field is
almost maniacal, difficult to find a better designed interface, just enter
Apple TV + to realize that in Cupertino they are a step ahead of their
competitors. tvOS is within the reach of young and old, for a simplicity that
turns into a real strength, accentuated by the excellent reactivity of the
entire operating system. All with a disarming simplicity in the configuration
if you are using an iPhone or an iPad.
Less experienced users in possession of an apple device will
find the Apple TV ready to use in minutes, the more vain ones can bypass many
of the limitations we have described above, although not all. In short,
regardless of the new functions available, the user experience offered by Apple
TV remains of the highest level, especially if you are already within the
ecosystem of Apple products.
