It’s been four long years since the last Apple TV 4K was released, and in that time, many hopes and dreams have been created for the sequel’s features. A new chip, 4K/120Hz support, audio passthrough, remote locator, better home control integration: the Apple TV 4K 2022 is a great box, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. With the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K announced Tuesday, some of those hopes were fulfilled, while others were unfortunately left behind.
The color of the ad is the price of the device. Apple eliminated the cheaper 64GB, Wi-Fi only model, leaving only the 128GB, Wi-Fi and Ethernet model – and raised its price to $300. I repeat, $300 for a streaming device. This is a high price when all the other major streamers on the market are high at least half the cost.
There are some new features I like in this year’s Apple TV 4K. More processing power is great – although my third generation still runs very quickly – as is support for Find My when the remote inevitably gets lost in sofa cushions or tangled in blankets. The built-in far-field mics for talking to Siri are also very useful, provided you don’t place the box in a credenza like I do. The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K also adds a dedicated AV1 decoder, which allows for higher quality streaming from apps that support it, like Netflix, which is excellent. Any potential improvements to streaming content are welcome.
My main concern, however, is how the Apple TV 4K performs as an integral part of my home theater. Apple has added the ability to create a surround sound system using its HomePod 2 and HomePod Mini 2 smart speakers in matched pairs for fronts and surrounds. For fans of the Apple ecosystem looking to create a surround setup similar to Sonos or Bose, it’s an interesting idea (and I’m all for people being able to enjoy immersive sound in their home theater). But as I suspect is the same for many people interested in expensive streaming hardware, I already have a sound system – it’s an Atmos setup with a combination of SVS and Revel speakers. I don’t set up my two HomePod 2s in my living room and spend another $300 on a pair of HomePod Mini 2s to replace my existing speakers.
What I and many current users have been waiting for from the Apple TV 4K for years is the addition of audio passthrough. This would allow my more expensive, higher-performance audio/video receiver to decode the raw audio stream instead of the Apple TV using its continuous audio connection, which can cause playback issues.
Additionally, it would have been nice to see Apple support 120fps output, especially for those who use Moonlight to stream games to it. It’s a feature that would have set the Apple TV 4K apart from all other streamers, which peak at 60fps, and would have helped justify its high price. Apple could also have used it to move more into game shows. (For movies, however, the 60fps limit isn’t a big deal, as the box can be set to output 24fps, allowing a native 120Hz TV to use only the 5:5 pulldown.)
Other high-end features that would set Apple’s streaming box apart and entice home theater enthusiasts to spend their money on it include an HDMI input for HDMI passthrough or a digital optical output. I understand leaving them out if it meant raising the price further. This box is already quite expensive. But that leaves the Apple TV 4K in an awkward situation, combining a premium price with largely equivalent features elsewhere for much less.
Do these high-end omissions concern the majority of people? Not really. But these people are going to look at the $300 price of the Apple TV 4K and then look at streaming devices from Google, Roku or Amazon, all of which are half that price or less. The Apple TV 4K is considered the premium streaming option, but the now extra-premium price without some of the admittedly niche features gives me pause.
Maybe the new Apple TV 4K will surprise me. I’ve definitely been looking forward to it for a while while. I already like how Apple handles privacy, and if Apple adds features in the coming months, it might be worth it. But that $300 price tag? It might be better to spend it elsewhere in your home theater facility.
Gn tech
