EntertainmentTVAnalysis of the Apple TV 4K 2022, an excellent...

Analysis of the Apple TV 4K 2022, an excellent multimedia player that could be a console

-

After several weeks using Apple’s ‘TV Box’, I will tell you about my experience in this review of Apple TV 4K 2022. Let’s see what versions it has, what’s new and, above all, if it’s worth it or not.

Apple has a fairly wide range of products, but I would say, without fear of being wrong, that the most undervalued is the Apple TV. 

It is that product that Cupertino renews from time to time and that usually maintains prices, adds interesting news… but hey, I think it continues to fly at a lower altitude than the Amazon Fire TV 4K or the Chromecast 4K with Google TV.

With the arrival of tvOS, it gained a little more importance in the ecosystem, but I think it needed a renewal like the current one because this new Apple TV 4K Gen 3 arrives at the right time.

And it is that, to a hardware that seems spectacular to me (it has the same SoC as the iPhone 13, without going any further) it is joined by a sweet moment of services. And, precisely there, where I think it stands out the most. After a few weeks as my entertainment (and training) center, I’ll tell you my opinion of Apple TV 4K 2022.

The review of the Apple TV 4K 2022: analysis, test and opinion of Computerhoy:

  • Characteristics and technical sheet of the Apple TV 4K 2022
  • Design and control: discreet and with the most premium control in its category
  • Performance and image quality: the Apple A15 is still a beast, even in games
  • User experience: there is life beyond the Apple ecosystem and each user has their session
  • Versions, offers and price of Apple TV 4K 2022
  • Review Is it worth buying the Apple TV 4K 3 Gen?

Discreet design with the most premium remote in its category

Given the features, let’s go to the design. We have analyzed the most complete Apple TV 4K, the one that has, among other things, an Ethernet port, but the size of the two models is exactly the same.

It is surprisingly compact, having a base of 9.3 x 9.3 cm and a height of 3.1 centimeters. It is more compact than other TV Boxes if we remove the Fire TV and the Chromecast from the equation and, in addition, this generation does not have a fan.

You may not have known it, but previous generations required, due to their components, active dissipation or air slots to work. So, as minimal as it was, they consumed more to power the fan and… they made some noise (with games).

Now it has passive dissipation, like that of mobile phones, wow, and I have to tell you that it has not heated up in our tests. I’m also at a temperature of 20 degrees at home, but hey.

The design is elegant and on the front we have a white LED that tells us that it is on . All connections are at the rear. It has the integrated power supply, so we only need one cable for power and we have both the HDMI 2.1 and the Ethernet port.

However, what I liked the most is the control. Look, it’s weird because it’s not something I usually look at, but the Apple TV remote is amazing. For starters, it’s made of aluminum and reminds me a lot of certain models of the iPod Nano.

Since Apple does not marry anyone, we do not have quick buttons to go to Disney +, Netflix, HBO Max or Prime Video, but just enough to control the device.

The feel is very premium (in fact, only the controller feels more premium than many devices on the market) and I love that it charges via USB-C just as much as the tactile clickpad.

It’s not really a control wheel like the iPods, but a pad that reads scroll gestures on both axes. If you don’t want to use this, which actually makes navigation more fluid, you can always click on the ends as if it were a conventional pad.

With the power button we also turn the TV on and off, it has a microphone and a button to activate Siri. In this sense, nothing revolutionary because we also see it in the latest Fire TV and in the Chromecast.

Este Siri Remote tiene transmisor de infrarrojos, pero no hace falta que este “mirando” al Apple TV porque se conecta por Bluetooth, que es algo de lo mas util. Creo que la unica “pega” que pongo al mando es que no hayan incluido un sistema de rastreo como el de los AirTag o el de los AirPods Pro.

Si eres una persona organizada, seguro que tienes los mandos encima de la mesa, pero yo los suelo dejar en el sofa, tengo animales que saltan encima y lo pueden tirar o meter en alguna ranura… y por el precio del Apple TV, no habria estado de mas. Pero bueno, no es un punto realmente negativo sino algo que me gustaria.

El Apple A15 sigue siendo una bestia, incluso en juegos

Del Apple TV 4K de 2021 con el A12 -SoC del iPhone XS de 2018-, pasamos a un corazon formado por el A15 Bionic. Considero que el A12 ya era suficiente para el tipo de contenido que se puede ejecutar en este tipo de dispositivo, pero el A15 abre una nueva dimension. 

LA CPU de esta generacion es un 50% mas rapida que la de la generacion anterior y la GPU es un 30% mas rapida. Esto sirve para aumentar la velocidad de apertura de aplicaciones y que todo se sienta mas fluido. 

A continuacion, te dejo un video en el que puedes ver como navego por aplicaciones, abriendo y cerrando al azar, pero tambien como inicio un juego y, en pocos segundos, estoy disfrutando de la partida:

And it is that, I think that Apple could directly promote this device as if it were its console. It is clear that it cannot replace an Xbox Series S, to say the closest new generation device in price, but for certain types of users, this power together with the Apple Arcade catalog is more than enough.

I am missing some AAA games on this device, but with The Pathless, NBA2K, Oceanhorn 2, Sonic Racing, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Dead Cells… you have fun for many, many hours and with excellent visual quality.

The device also consumes very little, only 7 W playing Oceanhorn 2, which is one of the most powerful in Arcade and, in general, it works great, but there’s something I’ve noticed that I don’t fully understand.

And it is that, in certain games that are not the most demanding with the SoC, I have experienced some drops in frames. One of those games is Dead Cells, but in other more demanding games I have not had these problems. I don’t know what it is for.

It goes without saying that to play I used a Bluetooth controller like the Xbox Series one, but almost anything with that connectivity would do and, in addition to controls, you can connect up to two pairs of AirPods via Bluetooth.

Here everything works as you would expect, with automatic pairing, very good connection with low latency and, in addition, you will be able to manage certain HomeKit devices, such as a camera doorbell that shows signal directly on the TV when someone calls.

And, by the way, something that I recommend you do if you buy it is to go through the configuration menus, since there are very useful things and parameters and, above all, if you have an iPhone you can calibrate the color of the television, simply by focusing the front camera of the iPhone in the area indicated on the screen.

There is life beyond the Apple ecosystem and each user has their session

Apple’s app ecosystem works great on the 2022 Apple TV 4K. Apple TV+ opens instantly, you will be able to have background music from your Apple Music account, you have your photos synchronized with iCloud, podcasts, etc.

However, you will be able to install apps from the App Store such as Disney+, YouTube, HBO Max, etc. The opening speed of these applications is also very fast and the viewing quality is what we can expect both for the price and for being at the end of 2022.

Obviously it is 4K and, in addition, it supports HDR10 +, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, all up to 2,160p60. That it is compatible with so many high dynamic range formats is great because there are televisions that accept some and others that do not, but there are also companies that bet on HDR10+ -Prime Video- or Dolby Vision -Netflix- and not on other standards.

Overall, it’s a great player and there are no ads, but I think the interface is a bit bland. And it is that, it has its own apps at the top, something normal, but everything else that you install will be added in order at the bottom.

We do not have a division by categories such as games, entertainment, etc., but we do not have recommended content or a “continue watching” on Home, something that I really like about Google TV systems. If you long press on an app you can rearrange them, but in the end they are stacked in rows of 5.

We do have profiles with the session of each one of those profiles in the installed apps, something that is quite good, but I already said that I miss that the interface is somewhat richer in options.

And before I was talking about connecting a pair of AirPods and it is clear that the integration with the brand’s headphones is great, but you can connect other Bluetooth headphones. I have paired the Vivo true wireless that I am analyzing and everything is fine.

Versions, offers and price of Apple TV 4K 2022

Before moving on to the conclusions, let’s go with something important. And it is that, there are two versions of the Apple TV 4K 2022. We have analyzed the top of the range, the one with 128 GB of storage, Ethernet port and compatibility with Thread networks for home automation.

Apple TV 4K (2022)

The most powerful Apple TV to date, with the A15 Bionic chip and HDR10+, brings the best of Apple to the biggest screen in the house.

This version weighs 214 grams compared to the 208 grams of the version with 64 GB of storage, without Thread support and without the Ethernet port. In everything else (HDMI 2.1, resolution, HDR compatibility, control or SOC) everything is exactly the same.

The price obviously varies. The price of the Wi-Fi + 64 GB version is 169 euros while the version with Ethernet and 128 GB is 189 euros.

Apple TV 4K 3 Gen, Computerhoy’s opinion: is it worth it?

My recommendation is that if you are not going to stream Steam games, you are not going to play many video games and you have a good Wi-Fi connection, go for the cheapest version. Yes, the other one adds interesting things for only 20 euros more, but… are you really going to install so many games to fill 128 GB?

If your Wi-Fi connection is bad at the point where you want to place the Apple TV 4K, but you have an Ethernet connection, then you have no choice but to choose the 128 GB model. 

That said, whichever model you choose, I think it’s a very good media player that has the best of other devices (apps, image quality, Bluetooth for peripherals), but with more power and Apple’s app ecosystem.

In fact, in recent days I have subscribed to Fitness+ and it is another ‘pro’ that this device has, since one of my favorite routines lately is trying to do yoga or meditate with the mat in front of the television.

Now, if you have an older Apple TV 4K and you’re not going to get all the juice out of Apple Arcade, I’d stick with that model because yes, the new one is better, but I don’t think it’s worth the investment in that case.

Latest news

Virtual Reality Trends to Watch in 2025

Virtual reality (VR) has been one of the most exciting technologies of the last decade. It’s come a long...

Helpful tips for a sustainable and eco-friendly wardrobe

The fashion industry is constantly evolving, and sustainable fashion is increasingly becoming a point of interest for those who...

Best Spots to Meet Singles for Casual Fun

Meeting new people in Birmingham can be an exciting and enjoyable experience, especially if you’re interested in casual, no-pressure...

Everything You Need to Know Before Booking An Escort

Looking for Birmingham escorts? We get it – there's nothing quite like diving headfirst into some good ol' fun...

Four questions about the relationship between meat and cancer

The World Health Organization published a report last Monday warning that the consumption of processed meat may increase the...

Fast food | Professional Pharmacy

The characteristics of what has been commonly called "fast food" or fast food are reviewed below, from the point...

Must read

Virtual Reality Trends to Watch in 2025

Virtual reality (VR) has been one of the most...

Helpful tips for a sustainable and eco-friendly wardrobe

The fashion industry is constantly evolving, and sustainable fashion...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you