32GB Apple TV 4K Streaming Media Player (2021) Expired

I'm an Apple hater. Was forced into this solution because the built in Roku interface on my "smart" tv was borderline unusable. This device is ******* phenomenal and I will never go back. My second tv is an X900H and works pretty well… I don't NEED a second Apple TV, but I'm getting one anyway.

How anyone could knock this thing is beyond me… especially if they've used one before.

If you already have a HomePod, you can speak to the HomePod and it will process the command on behalf of the Apple TV, so long as the Apple TV is part of your HomeKit network (which it ought to be, as it is also considered a hub for HomeKit). Obviously this requires a HomePod, but just wanted to clarify this point to anyone who is already in the Apple ecosystem that deep and is considering this.

I had an Apple TV HD (previous 1080p model) and upgraded to this model. The controller is much thicker and slightly heavier than the previous controller, which is clearly a response to the fact that the previous controller is incredibly slippery, and difficult to pick up without touching the huge trackpad surface. The trackpad functionality is reduced to the surface of the clickable navigation wheel, which is both a good and bad thing. The previous touch surface was difficult not to touch on accident, but it also worked great when you intended to use it. This is harder to get momentum with, so I dont use the touch controls as much as a result.

Beyond that, the OS is significantly faster, and it plays high-bitrate 4K HDR movies - even 60fps ones, like Gemini Man - with zero trouble or delay, played natively off of my media server through Infuse [firecore.com] (which is easily the absolute best HTPC software I've EVER used and is THE reason to have an Apple TV if you watch media at home, holy hell it's incredible).

Apple TV TV+ app is pretty cool too if you use the common streaming services. It collects the shows you're watching (except for Netflix, who must not give them API access) onto a single screen and directs you to the next episode, or tells you when a new episode is out.

On the other hand, Siri implementation is not perfect. It doesn't search as deeply or as specifically as I'd like most of the time when I say something like "Play Great British Bake-Off". For example, it'll find the show on a service at which I can buy it, but not on Netflix. And I haven't been able open apps with Siri (yet, I guess). This seems like something they are actively improving, but just keep that in mind.

I love my Apple TV, and think it's a significantly more pleasant experience than the other OSes I've used elsewhere. I also like that it's integrated with my Apple stuff so easily.

Oh, and if you have Airpods Pro, Spatial Audio is phenomenal. I swore it was playing through my home theater, and had to take out my headphones multiple times to check. It applies spatial audio to non-natively-tuned media (movies, shows, music) on its own, and IMO the performance is outstanding. I'm a particularly picky purist audiophile who doesn't like fancy tricks that reduce audio quality for the sake of a magic trick, but spatial audio is awesome.

Have you ever used it? I tried different things and pick the ones that I like. I like fire stick as you can side load a lot of apps.. but .. but .. it's slow.. painfully slow at times especially after getting used to Apple TV. Apple TV is fast. Makes your TV experience better. If it's in your affordability range, go for it. I still use fire stick for things I side load. Buy Apple TV is my primary. AirPlay .. better than chrome cast. You can AirPlay a video, then control with remote unlike chrome cast. Fast forwarding on Apple TV is very smooth!