Apple TV 4K Review (2022) | Third gen's a charm! 

Hey everyone! Love the comments! Keep ‘em coming. The new ATV 4K is going to replace a Chromecast at home for a longer term eval. Anyone interested in a full-on flagship streamer battle? Also, for anyone wondering why get a streaming box when Smart TVs exist, maybe go check out my video on why I think Smart TVs are dumb. Or should be dumb!

No ads in the UI? I’m sold!

The combination of using your AirPods Pro/Max with transparency mode and head tracking is just UNREAL. It's like being in the room and using your surround sound speakers on full blast all while someone can sleep in silence right next to you. The way it follows your head as you stand up and move is next level.

Please do a comparison between most popular streaming devices. It will be much appreciated. Thanks ❤️

Thanks Caleb. Can you clone your 2nd gen AppleTV to the new one so you don’t have to reinstall all your apps?

Caleb since you are someone that regularly configures and optimizes TV pictures, how accurate is the Apple TV’s tool compared to what you normally change??

Just recently moved over Appletv from fire cube and I love Apple TV waaaay more especially because I’m in the Apple atmosphere with all other devices.

Please review the Samsung Q990B. I want your in depth review and comparison before purchasing.

I loved my chrome cast with GTV but recently it’s been ultra slow and it’s had some hdmi handshake issues that are not worth buying a new one just to have these issues in a year again.

I’m having issues with it not responding to remote input for seconds. It happens quite often???

Great review Caleb, I have the previous gen Apple 4K TV connected to my old Sony XBR5 and it works great and the picture is beautiful 💯

Is there any difference in picture quality or is it exactly the same?

Recently got a new tv and I’m picking this up so that I can set up a pair of OG HomePods to use with eArc for sound. Bass is 🤤 Hopefully they bring back an updated jumbo homepod soon.

I've used Firesticks, Rokus and now the Apple TV for the last 2 years and I'm definitely most impressed with the Apple TV. My main issue was the ads that are present in the first two and the thing that impresses me the most about the Apple TV is how it just works with my iPhone and the rest of my Apple products. Also, when getting more than one apple tv, the second or third ones are set up automatically the same way you already have the first one set up, which is a time saver. Any and all streaming apps are present, they don't block one because it's a competitor to their streaming platform and they all just seem to work like they should. The design is as simple as it can get. I get home, tell Siri to turn on my Apple Tv and play music and she does just that, it works great.

Can it do 2160p, 60Hz, 10 bit colour and 4:4:4 chroma at the same time?

is it better picture quality in movies / tv shows than the 2021 version?

So at this time of the year should I wait for the next Apple TV or buy this one?

I really love the HomeKit how I can see my cameras when someone is approaching is a game changer

I must say having a pair of AirPods Max with spacial audio connected to an Apple TV is seriously impressive. Living in an apartment I can't have a fancy surround sound system without getting some complaints. This is a perfect alternative that I don't think is talked about enough. thanks for bringing it up

Caledb, thanks for the explanation. I just watched CNET's video and they definitely did not go into detail regarding the mesh and tv integration you shared. I might have to get this to go along with my NVIDIA shield for the iPhone users in the house!

Hi Caleb. Does the box straight through Apple Music Hi-Res lossless?

Depends on what audio experience you want streaming home videos. Shield pro can do bitstream while ATV will do all transcoding and send out as PCM, so not native…

I would love a comparison to Shield Pro 2019. In terms of supported codecs and playing back high bitrate 4K content on Plex for example.

Only thing that apple tv misses for me is a tv guide built into the apple tv app. So when you connect apps to apple tv it auto shows what shows are available to stream currently in a tv guide.

How long until compression will no longer be an issue with streaming services?

I've used an Apple TV since the first iterations (the white boxes) that used old-school hard drives. Now have an old HD hooked up to our gaming TV (an older 4K LG), a 2nd gen 4K on our TCL 6 series, and another 2nd gen on our AWOL UST. I've also always bought them on sale as, yes, they've always been more than a bit overpriced. But they also just work. And I like the consistent UI between TVs. Will I upgrade to the new one? Probably. At least for the projector as it supports HDR10+. Then that 4K can migrate to the LG.

I just got the LG C2 which produces an amazing picture and a 10/10 gaming experience. However, I wish LG would make the user interface more like the Apple TV. I like the little clutter big tiles that are easy to scroll through on the Apple TV. I always find myself reaching for the Apple TV remote instead of using LG’s built in interface when I want to watch content. It isn’t a huge issue because when I turn on my Xbox or Apple TV the LG automatically opens those inputs, but when I have to scroll the LGs Home Screen it can be overwhelming and annoying to find what I want. Great video.

Can I use the new 4K AppleTV with a HD television?

Nice video. Would you use it in place of LG’s WebOS?

I have Apple 4K tv from a couple of years ago. I also have the shield. Both are very good for picture quality. I like you can watch the World Series in 4K UD H . For me I would pick apple 4 k tv.

What would I notice by using this over streaming through the apps built in to my Sony A8H OLED?

I have a lg c1 and the Apple TV 4K second gen. Will I notice an upgrade?

Can we please get a shoot out for the best streaming devices? (cube, ultra, shield & Apple) Each of these are the best in their respective categories and all have support for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.

The personal home theatre experience Caleb mentioned is really underrated. Especially for people like me whose family hates loud speakers/subs, getting that experience all to myself (and pretty impressive) is awesome!

Does this A15 chip make the apps load and act faster than the previous model?

Can Apple TV 4K start up in the Home Screen directly rather than in a recent location just before power off?

💯 agree on spacial audio, its fantastic. Late night when I switch to Airpod 3’s, the spacial audio is damn near same as the full home theater sound I have setup too. Its impressively good.

Excellent review as always, Caleb. I’m going to be upgrading from a 2017 4K Apple TV on Friday and couldn’t be more excited. The one thing that I’d love for the Apple TV to solve (and I know this is an HDMI and panel issue more than anything) is handshake between devices. From black screens when switching frame rates or HDR modes to just completely messed up sound, I would love for Apple to work on common standards so that when you plug in your top box…”it just works.” Can’t wait to see this new Apple TV in action!

Hi Caleb, love your videos. I have a novice question - what does it mean when you say that Apple TV supports HDR 10+ in addition to Dolby Vision? Isn't that just a property of the content video and if the TV itself supports it, whether you play it from the apps on the TV itself or from Apple TV (or Roku, etc.)?

I.just ordered one and should be here tomorrow. I'm excited! I've used the fire stick for the last 5 years and noticed recently it lags quite a bit so this should be a great upgrade for me.

My favourite stream device is definitely the Apple TV. The thing is so smooth and works so well with the Apple ecosystem. Even the 4th gen HD model still runs great for just streaming services tho I did find it didn’t work good for streaming from a PC using moonlight, going to the 1st gen 4K model fixed this (note the chrome cast is also no good for PC streaming). But I just love the UI and smoothness of the Apple TV, I’ve tried the chrome cast and there’s a bunch of things I don’t like including lag, ads and a worse UI in some areas imo.

I bought a TV with inbuilt Chromecast, as well as Android TV and although it worked good, I decided to get the Apple TV 4K (not the 2022 version, although I'll be getting one). I was shocked that it made a marked difference in pcture quality as it was able to use all the bells and whistles this new TV came with. I cannot overstate how much of a difference in terms of picture quality (I reckon something to do with scaling and compression), but more so with colours and the HDR.

Does the virtual surround with head tracking with AirPods Max work by Bluetooth or wifi? Really interested in investing in this for late night movie watching

If I use the Apple TV app on the Samsung, will it still play HDR10+? Or is there added benefit to the Apple TV device?

There's so much more to the Apple TV than just streaming apps. There's Share Play, which I think is an awesome idea, although I haven't used it as yet. The fact that AirPods are automatically detected and so seamless to connect, and now you can connect multiple pairs simultaneously is awesome. Also hooking up a game controller to play games is why you have that A15 in there. I just wish Apple Arcade got some actual triple-A titles, or if Apple did a deal with Nintendo to bring some of their games to the platform, which would be revolutionary. Right now I can't think of any feature I'd like to have other than more high quality gaming content. Oh and a better game controller API which knows which controller I have hooked up and shows the correct mappings. I have a PS5 controller, but there are so many games that show Xbox button mappings and then I need to try and remember which button maps to which on the PS controller. However, this is also something that developers need to be more cognisant about.

I currently have the AppleTV 4K (last version) and I am on the fence if I need to upgrade. I have an LG TV to HDR10+ is not a big deal

My 1st gen 4K Apple TV is still lighting fast, I did upgrade to the new remote.

Love the Apple TV 3rd gen for over a year now... BUT, I'm experiencing many remote control issues. On RU-vid/Netflix it suddenly starts scrolling right after one click and it is stuck like that even without you pressing anything on the remote. I disabled the sensitivity scrolling and made it work only on click but it still does that. Annoying as hell

I have pretty expensive TV from Sony. Am I really going to get a better picture with an Apple TV vs. TV native apps?

Great review and summarising why I don't need to upgrade from my current, old 4k Apple TV: - no HDR10 TV - got XsX and PS5 for gaming - still overpowered - still super fast

Does monthly fee is needed to watch appletv+?

What is the life of the apple tv remote as the batteries are non replaceable? will the TV be useless without the remote? Also will all features work with a monitor, specially volume control?

I just bought the new Roku Ultra which I love, but honestly the sound issues are really bugging me more than they should but besides that, pretty solid streaming box! Never owned an Apple TV I was thinking about get it before the Roku Ultra but the price was what ultimately drove me to Roku again (long time roku user)

Totally agree on the wonders of Spatial Audio. I recently purchased a gen 2 Apple TV 4K and AirPods Max, and I just packed up a bunch of my expensive audio gear because I'm just never going to use it again. It is truly the best audio experience I've had in my home, and it blows away my previous solution of running audio off the Roku app to my earbuds during late night listening.

Does the box support Hi-Res Audio via it’s HDMI output?

For the little change everything sounds good, always liked apple tv found if a bit pricey in the past so i defaulted to the fire stick whitch i think is one of the best.

Shield Pro is still a bit more versatile and can work as a Plex server, but Apple is now less intrusive with ads compared to the Google Discovery landing page. Mostly an ecosystem choice.

I've had an Apple Tv since gen 2 before they added 4k. I now own 3 Apple Tv's all over my house, I have always loved the interface the power and speed of the device. And I have been saying this forever.. The picture quality to me always seems to look better on Apple Tv than any other streaming device out there. I'm glad you have finally come to your senses @Digital Trends .. lol great vid buddy. I'm gonna go pick up the new 4K version

Does this improve sound coming out of RU-vid better than the other version?

Is there anyway you can get all your movies to start from the beginning each time or in the alternative can you clear all your play history so they all start from the begging again ? I stied clear play history and the movies still start in the middle. I can only restart everything from the being if I go to the computer and hit unwatched.

2 problems with this thing: 1: Quite often it doesn’t respond to remote input for a few seconds. 2: In settings you can choose a default and temporary audio output. Why can I only choose TV Speakers as the default audio output? I can choose others for the temporary audio output, but they keep switching off. I.e. it goes back to the TV Speakers.

I’m mad at apple for taking out plans to include hdr10 on second generation and that the new sing feature will not be available on the second generation either.

I have a qled samsung tv with apps like netflix running. What is the benefit if I will buy the apple tv 4k? Thanks.

Hi there, Does this latest version of Apple TV 4k support Atmos on Netflix,Prime video & Disney+?

I just got a 77” Sony A80K, paired with the HT-A7000. Do you think I would get any improvement on picture or audio quality by using a new ATV 4K?

Shield Pro has my vote especially for home theaters. I have it connected to my OLED in the livingroom. My other tv's in the house all have Rokus. As I understand AppleTv doesn't support Dolby Atmos, DTS, True-HD lossless codecs.

Can the new 4K support ATMOS tho?

One question if your tv doesn't support Dolby vision and if we play Dolby vision video using apple tv box then what happens

I was all about google. I had a chromecast with google tv. When the Apple TV 4K came out last year I decided to grab one and return it if I was no update. It was so damn good I ditched my cc. Apple TV picture quality is second to none! Also the front page curation actually works as it should. I hated that ccwgtv front page was trash.

I love the Nvidia Shield Pro more than any player since it not only my player for my streaming apps but it also doubles up as my Plex media server with 40TB of storage attached to it.

Hello, dude! In Settings is it possible to change the sample rate on this new model to more than 48 kHz?

Does this upscale content like the shield ?

I have an Apple TV in every room. We use them more than anything else. The interface is fantastic and the universal search feature using Siri is super helpful.

But does it support Dolby Atmos now?

Does HDR 10+ allow use of PCM? Want to change to HDR 10+ on the current version of Apple TV box it did not allow uncompressed audio feeds. The settings was very confused in this area. Does this thing make it any better?

Can the LG C1 utilize the Apple TVs 4K said features?

My Shield Pro still works just fine but I wish Nvidia would update it.

My only complaint on the new box is that it didn't include Wifi 6e like they did on the new iPad Pro's. Other than that, it looks great and definitely picking it up!

Can this one pass 4:4:4 in hdr 60fps ? Or is “hdmi 2.1” on this one still gimped ?

Is HDR10+ the same as Dolby Vision? I have a projector that supports Dolby Vision, so I am wondering if I should get the Shield, since I do a lot of gaming. If a show supports HDR10+, does it also support Dolby Vision? Just wondering if I will regret not getting the Apple TV and miss out on the HDR10+, or if the Shield will be fine since my projector has Dolby Vision support.

The Shield Pro is the best streaming box because of codec support, something that reviews don't talk about enough. If you want to run your own Plex server you can direct stream everything without transcoding on the Shield Pro. Plus at the time it supported all the most popular hi-res audio and video formats out of the box (looking at you Roku). The only downside now is the lack of HDR RU-vid support or next gen AV1 codec support, and no HDR10+ IF you have a Samsung TV. They don't just leave it out in the cold after a year or 2 either. They've been constantly updating it, fixing bugs, and improving it which is nice. The AI upscaling is great. Not to mention the backlit remote is great since I like to watch movies and shows in a very dark room. It's still very fast with everything, but it's due for a hardware refresh with increased codec support, HDR10+, and an even more powerful processor. If they offered a hardware refresh I'd buy it today.

I really don't get what goals Apple is trying to accomplish here. They're basically charging a $20 dollar difference between wi-fi and ethernet. Plus HDR-10+? Not ever 4K TV has HDR-10+. Also, they added gigabit support I get that, but not every consumer has gigabit as its not available in all areas yet. I get gigabit speeds on my current Apple TV 4K. The Apple TV is the only product Apple adds minimal upgrades to.

is it worth the upgrade if I already have a 3rd gen one

How does this 4k box compare to the apple app on the Amazon 4k fire stick

I think I have or had all of the various streaming boxes except the Shield. Among the ones I've used, the Apple TV is easily the nicest streaming box, and it is well worth the premium. It is an appliance you use every day and never want to think much about, which is exactly the kind of thing Apple does really well. Honestly, it is not so much that the AppleTV is some amazing thing, it is more that the competition is so terrible/weak. Amazon's FireTV is basically a deal where you pay less for the hardware in exchange for being constantly marketed to and pushed into the Amazon ecosystem. It works, but the UI is about marketing first and user experience last. My Fire stick lives in the TV in the guest room, where I essentially never have to use it. Chromecast is Google's version of the Fire stick, with similar drawbacks coupled with slightly less polished and stable software, so it is basically hot garbage. If you are going for the cheapest possible streamer, at least the Fire stick rarely crashes. Roku is a noticeable step up from both of those options. It is not a complete Trojan horse of advertising, the interface is stable and simple, and it isn't going to constantly annoy you day-to-day. Less advertising doesn't mean none and Roku is still a bit too ad-heavy, particularly the junky screen saver, but it is probably the best choice if you are on a budget. I upgraded from a Roku to the Apple TV when I bought a 4k/Dolby Vision capable TV, and I was worried at the time that I was spending too much to get trivial upgrades vs. the Roku. If you are on the fence, pull the trigger, you won't regret the upgrade.

I have the original Apple TV 4K - while I do love it, I find the TV OS software kinda glitchy. Screensavers that won’t load, black screens when opening apps at times & slow response times on button clicks. It sounds like i don’t like it, but I actually do love it. This new update has me thinking about an upgrade (if they release any decent Apple Arcade games)

I've ordered one of these for my A80J. I don't know what benefit it will offer over the Series S or whether either has any benefit over the TV itself (as far as streaming goes).

Can you make a video on what picture settings you’d use for an LG oled with this Apple tv?

Two favorites are Apple TV 4K and Chromecast with Google TV. Apple TV has a lot of bells and whistles that are better for the movie watching experience. The Chromecast with Google TV is better for the sports enthusiast. Google device offers more apps that are actually useful in the sports department while the Apple TV 4K is better with streaming especially if you have your own home media server.

I have the last gen Apple TV 4K, as well as the one without 4K on one of our older TVs. They both work superbly well after a few years of usage, which also means I probably won’t upgrade right now. However, I agree with you on every point… and having a girlfriend that likes to sleep early, the AirPods functionality is just amazing. It makes me feel like I am watching a TV with a hifi system, instead of just regular headphones. It also syncs perfectly, so no lag in the audio either.

Would like to get your thoughts on the VRR enhancements to the new model.

Does the appletv see a external drive or network drives ?

I have the 1st Gen AppleTV 4K hooked up to a LG C1, the video is gorgeous and the sound out of the Sonos Beam plus Play 1 surrounds is quite nice. At night I use AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Max and the person al audio is beautiful as well. Will probably swap out the Gen 1 on my family room TV for a Gen 2 and repurpose that one for my personal office system

I'd buy an Apply TV tomorrow if it supported TrueHD passthrough. Because it doesn't I have to go with the Shield even though I think in general it's otherwise a strictly inferior product

Hey Caleb! Love your content, diligently watching your videos as I narrow down choices for my next TV. When it comes to Apple TV 4k, is there a particular brand of TV that works best with the Apple TV 4k?

I finally got the Apple TV 4K a month agoe and I love it I can’t believe how much I was missing out on before on my LG C1 Tv

Best streaming device is tricky, but I've got 3 categories. Shield TV Pro for absolute best with the AI upscaling that makes older content look much higher res than it is. Apple TV for simplicity, and those in the Apple ecosystem that want a seamless experience. Chromecast with Google TV for budget device that still does most of what you want. I am going to get a new Apple TV 4K to try it out, but I have a feeling I'll be continuing to use my Shield TV Pro and upgrading a friend or family member's streaming experience with the Apple TV if the upscaling experience isn't as good since I watch a lot of Anime and short of a hand full of movies and some Netflix series most Anime is 1080P or lower resolution.

Appletv far surpasses any other streaming boxes and operating systems on any tv. I had so many issues with my Samsung not opening apps I went out and bought the new 4k Appletv. So fast and responsive and everything streams in 4k. I had issues with the Samsung os having issues processing the incoming feed and it often results in low quality streams.

Is there any chance to playback mkv from external hard drive on the same?

Whats the difference between hdr plus and dolby v?