Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
We had such gamey expectations for the 4 gram Apple TV that we have to acknowledge to being a little disappointed with it on launch mean solar day . However , many of our main complaints seemed gentle to right , and updates to tvOS and the Remote app have indeed resolved several meaning niggles . Things still are n’t perfect – there ’s far more likely here than is being fill at present – but as of the tvOS 10 , we ’re disposed to raise our review grade for the quaternary - gen Apple TV from 3 to 4 star out of 5 .
Best Prices Today: Apple TV HD (4th gen, 2015)
The fourth - generation Apple TV , launched in 2015 , includes an A8 processor ( a significant upgrade from the A5 in theolder Apple TV ) , aSiri - enabled remote control , a revamped substance abuser interface and a brand newApp Storefor third - party applicationsand games . It ’s an telling package and there are some great raw features , but there are also some infliction .
( If you ’re interested in the fifth - gen Apple TV , say all the hint here : Apple telecasting 2017 release date & new features rumours . )
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The things we like about the Apple TV…
When youfirst take off up the newfangled Apple TV , you ’ll detect some similarities to the old Apple TV in terms of interface , but some meaning differences . The older user interface was quite cluttered with ‘ channel ’ that chances are you would never have watch out ( such as KORTV , Wall Street Journal Live , or MLB.TV Premium ) .
The only channel most people paid attention to on the sure-enough Apple TV was Netflix and when you first turn on the quaternary generation Apple TV you might initially be concerned to see that Netflix is no longer one of the apps on the rest home screen , but fear not .
You populate your dwelling house screen with any apps you pick out to download from the App Store , and Netflix is there ( we do have some issue with this Netflix app , though , as you will see in the cons section ) .
Speaking of contentedness , there is some good news : along with the like of BBC iPlayer and Sky GO , Apple foretell that Amazon Prime Video will be coming to the Apple TV withtvOS 11due out later this year . However , the UK remains a prospicient room behind the US when it comes to idiot box and movie cyclosis on the Apple TV .
We emphatically opt this unexampled personalised layout . We always felt that the old nursing home covert was littered , and until Apple made it possible to hide channels that did n’t interest you it was packed full of ‘ channels ’ that mean nothing to us . ( listen you , there were considerably more groove available in the US equate to the UK . ) But that ’s all in the yesteryear .
Now there are more than 1,000 apps on the tvOS App Store for you to prefer from . Adding apps from the App Store is comparatively easy , as long as you know what you ’re looking for and do n’t mind adding your iCloud password ( more on that below ) .
Once you ’ve downloaded the apps you want it ’s well-situated to move app icons around on the TV port , include placing the ones you practice most frequently in the top course – previously Apple reserve this quarrel for its own apps .
Apps in the top quarrel also get to salute their wares in the content preview blank above . So if you select Netflix you ’ll see Netflix message in the preview box for a spry jump to what you require to watch .
We recall you ’ll savour the little touches that are typical of Apple interface design , like the agency the screen dim after a while , leave the app you ’ve selected play up , or the impressive ethereal survey slideshows .
The Siri Remote does more than respond to your vox . you’re able to now control your tv set book using the Apple Remote , feign you have a TV new enough to support HDMI - CEC ( and the chance are , you do ) .
If your TV supports this banner you ’ll be able-bodied to line up the volume and even turn your TV on and off . To turn on your TV you demand only to wake up your Apple telecasting .
This stand for there ’s no monkey around turn on the television , then switch to the HDMI stimulant that your Apple television is plug into . If your TV or receiver does n’t support HDMI - CRC , all is not lost : you may still teach the Siri Remote to intercommunicate via infrared radiation .
Siri works well , although it ’s not available worldwide . At time of writing , it ’s offer to the following : Australia ( English ) , Canada ( English , French ) , Germany ( German ) , France ( French ) , Mexico ( Spanish ) , Netherlands ( Dutch ) , Norway ( Norwegian Bokmål ) , Japan ( Japanese ) , Spain ( Spanish ) , Sweden ( Swedish ) , UK ( English ) and US ( English , Spanish ) .
obviously Apple is focusing on making sure Siri understands the different pronunciation of actor names in unlike part , so some countries are out of luck for now .
Yet there are some pretty nifty commands you may give to Siri such as statements like “ What did he say ? ” or “ skitter back 10 seconds ” .
The battery in the Siri Remote should last for months , according to Apple . When you desire to charge it you use the Lightning cable television provided ( or the one that come in with your iPhone or iPad ) and recover a spare USB time slot on your Mac or the power adaptor that come with your iOS gimmick . Apple say us a full charge will take a couple of hours .
Read next : New Apple TV Remote iPhone app reassessment
The things we hate about the new Apple TV
Apple ’s Remote app , which you probably already have install on your iPhone if you own an older Apple TV , was n’t supported by the 4 G Apple TV at launch , butversion 4.2.3 of Remoteadds support for the 4 G Apple TV .
This is large news . We ’re pleased to hear , too that tvOS ( see more on this below ) also lets you synchronize with a Bluetooth keyboards – another thing that was n’t possible at launching in 2015 . But a number of our gripes stay on .
The infrangible worst matter about the Apple TV 4 is suffer to enter any search term or password . The onscreen keyboard is no longer a grid scheme ; instead , the alphabet is lay out in one personal line of credit , with capitals , lowercase and identification number on different screens . You have to purloin left and right , inevitably over - swiping until you need to cry .
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Luckily there are a few shortcuts when using the onscreen keyboard , for example , you’re able to beseech and hold a lowercase missive to get the capital missive , and there is a elbow room to enter frequently used phrases , but it ’s still fabulously frustrative to use . We enquire what possess Apple to make this part of the experience so excruciating .
The only redeeming thing is that you may hopefully use Siri for most of the occasion where you would have typecast in a search term – assuming you live in one of the country for which Apple has liberate Siri for Apple TV .
Siri did n’t work with Apple Music at launch , but that ’s since been added , along with HomeKit accompaniment .
As we mentioned earlier , it ’s great that the Netflix app is available on the App Store , and we wish the fact that we can now pop out it in the top row and see various Netflix shows along the bar at the top of the Home Screen .
There are more disappointments with the new Apple TV . If you were hoping to grab a few controllers for multiplayer stake on the newfangled unexampled twist you ’ll be let down to learn that it only plump for two Bluetooth controllers at a time .
you may also only use one Siri Remote per Apple TV , so multiplayer gaming using two Siri Remotes is also impossible ( mind you , at £ 65 a pop you ’ll probably be looking for cheaper alternatives anyway – by demarcation the SteelSeries Nimbus Wireless Gaming Controller costs £ 39.95 ) .
verbalise of play … the Siri Remote is n’t great on that front . It ’s light and clumsy to apply and the trackpad is too small to be useful – it ’s a quarter of the size of the trace silver screen on the iPhone , after all . So we anticipate that serious gamers will invest in a joystick .
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The App Store is both a benefit and an annoyance of the raw Apple TV .
Want to find an app that is n’t presented in the furnish category ? You have to look for it typewrite its name on the frustrating - to - use keypad .
Now that the apps are a little more discoverable , you may be include to fill your Home Screen up with all sort of games and amusement . While Apple did n’t initially leave a elbow room for users to form installed apps , it introduced iOS - esque folders to the Apple TV with tvOS 9.2 .
What if your shopping escapades on the tvOS App Store fill up all the storage of your 32 sarin or 64 GB Apple TV ? Unfortunately it ’s not well-fixed to find out how much storage you have available . The only way to find out is to go to configurations > General > Manage Storage ( under usance ) an contribute it up yourself ( you’re able to delete thing pretty easily from this covert ) .
Finally , we have to mention the price here . At £ 139 for the 32 GB model and £ 179 for the 64 GB exemplar there is no get by the fact that this is an expensive twist in term of what is uncommitted from the competitor right now .
However , it depend on how you reckon at it : were you to compare the terms of the Apple TV with that of the PlayStation or Xbox , the Apple TV is significantly cheaper , and offer apps that you wo n’t find on those devices . And whereas the games on those devices are apparently more impressive , they are substantially more expensive too .
you may buy the Apple TV from theApple Store hereor fromJohn Lewis , Currysand more third - political party resellers .
tvOS
The Apple TV is based on the tvOS operating organisation . Like iOS and Mac OS , this can be updated for gratuitous whenever Apple releases a newfangled version , provided your hardware is rated as compatible .
In this way you ’ll advance access to additional features and port tweaks beyond what was offer when you first grease one’s palms the gimmick ; it will also patch bugs and exposure that have been chance on .
require some of that action ? Then readHow to update tvOS on your Apple television .
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