Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Apple TV 4K Reviews: Expensive But With Cheaper 4K Movies, Some Limitations Like 1080p YouTube
Apple TV 4K reviews are out, providing us with first impressions of one of the most expensive streaming media players on the market.
The Verge's editor-in-chief Nilay Patel said the Apple TV 4K is "by far the closest thing to being a fully realized vision for the future of TV that exists," but for now it has some limitations that hold it back.
Notably, the Apple TV 4K doesn't have Dolby Atmos sound and the YouTube app can only play videos in 1080p quality.
The new Apple TV automatically upscales all SDR video to either HDR or Dolby Vision, depending on which format your TV supports, but Patel and some other reviewers said the end result doesn't always look great.
However, the price difference could eventually be made up for with a cheaper selection of 4K movies available to purchase or rent in iTunes. Apple is also upgrading customers' existing iTunes libraries of HD videos to 4K at no cost.
Engadget's Devindra Hardawar:
The Verge's Nilay Patel:
The Verge's editor-in-chief Nilay Patel said the Apple TV 4K is "by far the closest thing to being a fully realized vision for the future of TV that exists," but for now it has some limitations that hold it back.
Notably, the Apple TV 4K doesn't have Dolby Atmos sound and the YouTube app can only play videos in 1080p quality.
But the new Apple TV doesn’t support Atmos. And it doesn’t support YouTube in 4K HDR. And it doesn’t have Disney or Marvel movies in 4K HDR. And it makes some 1080p content look less than great. […]Apple told Patel that the lack of Dolby Atmos sound isn't a hardware limitation, and said support is on the roadmap.
Apple doesn't support YouTube's VP9 video format, which means YouTube on the Apple TV 4K doesn't support 4K HDR playback. Apple doesn't have any timeline as to when or if that might happen; it's a problem that affects Safari on the Mac and iOS devices as well.
The new Apple TV automatically upscales all SDR video to either HDR or Dolby Vision, depending on which format your TV supports, but Patel and some other reviewers said the end result doesn't always look great.
…Apple's HDR video processing is hit or miss. It was great when I watched HD content from iTunes, but it fell down in other apps. I watched The Dark Knight in HD on HBO Go with our video team, and the Apple TV 4K HDR processing blew out all the contrast in the image, sharpened everything to hell, and turned the film grain into noise.Most reviews pointed out that the Apple TV 4K, priced from $179, is considerably more expensive than its competitors. Google's Chromecast Ultra is $69, Amazon's Fire TV starts at $90, and the Roku Premiere is $70.
However, the price difference could eventually be made up for with a cheaper selection of 4K movies available to purchase or rent in iTunes. Apple is also upgrading customers' existing iTunes libraries of HD videos to 4K at no cost.
Engadget's Devindra Hardawar:
You'll find Apple's first batch of 4K HDR films in their own section on the iTunes store. So far, the selection includes some major new releases like Wonder Woman, Baby Driver and Alien Covenant. Notably, they're mostly selling for $20, with a few older titles going for $15. Walmart-owned Vudu, which has been selling and renting 4K films for years, currently has those titles for $30. Even the rental prices for 4K are lower on iTunes -- $5 versus $10 on Vudu. And, just as Apple promised, several films I previously purchased on iTunes -- Star Trek Beyond, The Lego Movie and Kingsman were automatically upgraded to 4K HDR.CNET's David Katzmaier:
All HD and 4K titles on iTunes cost the same. On other services, 4K is typically more expensive. Take a new release like "Wonder Woman." On iTunes it costs $20 to buy and $6 to rent, regardless of whether you get the HD or 4K/Dolby Vision version. On Vudu and Google Play, the HD version costs the same but the 4K/HDR version costs $30 to buy and $10 to rent. It's a similar story with new-to-video movies "Kong: Skull Island," "Ghost in the Shell" and "Transformers: The Last Knight."
Bottom Lines
The Verge's Nilay Patel:
I am very confident Apple is going to figure this TV thing out. It's the only company that has the combination of power and care to actually do it. But the Apple TV 4K's unrealized potential just makes it obvious that the future of TV is still pretty far away, and it's simply too expensive to gamble on in the meantime.CNET's David Katzmaier:
But let's say you're OK spending $179 to get a high-performance streamer. If you're an "Apple person" with a nice TV and a yen for improved image quality, the Apple TV 4K is definitely worth getting -- and if you already own the non-4K one and you have cash to spare, it's a good excuse to kick that box to a secondary room. The same goes for movie buffs who regularly rent or buy new releases in 4K, thanks to iTunes' price advantage and promise to upgrade to the 4K versions.TechRadar's Garis Beavis:
If you’re already in the Apple-sphere and want a streaming box, the Apple TV 4K makes the most sense. It’s costly, yes, and there are cheaper options on the market if you just want to get high-quality images beamed into your eyeballs.Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles:
But if you also want the wider app ecosystem, and the ability to connect sensors and use it as a workout trainer, play games with kids or control your smart home, then the Apple TV 4K is an easy choice.
The new Apple TV 4K is the movie fan's champion set-top box and the place to buy 4K movies without breaking the bank, with the knowledge that if you own other Apple devices that you'll be able to easily watch them on the go too.More Reviews: Mashable, BuzzFeed News, iMore, Financial Post, TIME
Tags: reviews, Apple TV Guide
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
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25 months ago
I would think the limitations of YouTube, would be more on Google, than Apple.
25 months ago
"I am very confident Apple is going to figure this TV thing out." - Patel
With the brainpower, influence and cash this company has, if they haven't figured it out by now, why on earth would you be so confident they will in the (reasonably near) future?
Somebody needs to hold these guys responsible for their shortcomings or explain/expose why they're holding back. Geez.
With the brainpower, influence and cash this company has, if they haven't figured it out by now, why on earth would you be so confident they will in the (reasonably near) future?
Somebody needs to hold these guys responsible for their shortcomings or explain/expose why they're holding back. Geez.
25 months ago
The Verge in now completely in Google's pockets. On Apple stuff, they always have the worst takes, the lowest scores of all reviewers.
They should be forced at gunpoint to write only positive reviews of anything Apple releases.
25 months ago
I would think the limitations of YouTube, would be more on Google, than Apple.
If I'm not mistaken, Google broadcasts Youtube 4K video in the VP9 codec. The ATV4K doesn't support that codec. Doesn't Apple decide which codecs it will support?
25 months ago
YouTube app on Apple TV is like a timeback machine to the year of 2007.
I wish Google and Apple whould get their **** together.
I wish Google and Apple whould get their **** together.
25 months ago
Just a quick word of warning to anyone "picky" about their video-quality: Avoid any piece of equipment that automatically processes anything and lacks the ability to turn that processing off. That bit about the ATV4K "automatically upscaling all SDR content..." is something to worry about. Make sure you can turn that OFF before you buy an ATV4K. (There are a plethora of other things to watch-out for when purchasing modern AV equipment - like the so-called "dynamic contrast" that usually just means throbbing the backlighting up and down depending on the scene (try watching Alien on a set that does that, it's torture) - but the golden rule is simply to make sure that each device in your chain has the ability to completely disable every single video (or audio) processing "feature.")
25 months ago
The Verge in now completely in Google's pockets. On Apple stuff, they always have the worst takes, the lowest scores of all reviewers.
25 months ago
..Apple's HDR video processing is hit or miss. It was great when I watched HD content from iTunes, but it fell down in other apps. I watched The Dark Knight in HD on HBO Go with our video team, and the Apple TV 4K HDR processing blew out all the contrast in the image, sharpened everything to hell, and turned the film grain into noise.
This would drive me nuts and a no sell. Seriously....pick up a cheap $50 bluray player and pop in the Dark Knight. It will blow the doors off the HBO Go app trying to play the same movie.
Ultimately the issue is that we are far from one solution for watching content.
25 months ago
I'm happy that Apple's put out a new generation apple TV with a nice processor, and now 4k and HDR.
But what happened to the idea that Apples usually comes late to the game, but when they do, they come with a machine that soundly trumps the competition?
A serious Apple TV is very late to the game, and now that it's arguably here, it certainly doesn't look like it's head and shoulders above competing devices, many of which cost a fraction of what the apple TV does.
Why would apple not have wanted to get into nearly every living room? They did it with mp3 players, touch screen based smart phones, etc...
But what happened to the idea that Apples usually comes late to the game, but when they do, they come with a machine that soundly trumps the competition?
A serious Apple TV is very late to the game, and now that it's arguably here, it certainly doesn't look like it's head and shoulders above competing devices, many of which cost a fraction of what the apple TV does.
Why would apple not have wanted to get into nearly every living room? They did it with mp3 players, touch screen based smart phones, etc...
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