Review of Apple TV 4K (2021) smart set-top box with Siri in the control panel

The new smart set-top box Apple TV 4K (2021) looks exactly the same as the previous model. The updated media player works faster, and the control panel now supports Siri. It is thicker, more convenient, so it is more difficult to lose the remote control.

Is Apple TV 4K worth buying for those new to it, given the many other cheaper alternatives? A difficult question that I will try to answer in my Apple TV 4K review.

Apple TV 4K Specifications (2021)

Media player features

Instead of an annoying touchpad, the Apple TV 4K (2021) remote has a panel with four directional buttons, while touch gestures remain.

The new remote control is so good that we can advise owners of the previous Apple TV to simply buy it instead of an entire media player. The world of video streaming has changed a lot since Apple released its latest set-top box in 2022.

Now Apple's app for viewing content is available on TVs, game consoles and even Roku devices with access to the iTunes library and Apple TV+. Why buy an Apple TV 4K for 17 thousand rubles when there are cheaper alternatives?

Deciding whether to buy the Apple TV 4K (2021) depends on how deeply connected you are to the Cupertino company's ecosystem of devices. If you have an iPhone, Apple's media player will probably be much more convenient than models from other companies.

Here you can quickly launch content via AirPlay, mirroring the screen. There is support for Dolby Vision technology, many will like the ability to relatively inexpensively upgrade iTunes purchases in HD to 4K. This is especially true after Disney moved all of its films to 4K last year.

Management: it couldn't be easier

With the exception of the white frame of the “Menu” button, Apple has not changed anything in the remote control.
As has become customary for Apple products, the initial setup is easy to understand and quickly carried out, as they say, “with one left.” There is nothing to criticize for the control via the included remote control. In particular, voice control via Siri worked great during testing and commands were executed without problems. But if you look at Siri from the perspective of the new Apple Watch or iPhone X, it's easy to see some potential for improvement. For example, the Apple TV completely lacks the “Hey Siri!” feature. The voice assistant begins to listen to you only after the corresponding button on the remote control is pressed. In addition, audio feedback from Siri would also be practical, for example, if you ask her about the age of the actor - so far in this case the voice assistant remains mute. There is a possibility that Apple will implement these functions only in tvOS 12.

Remote Control

Previously, the main problem with the Apple TV 4K was the remote control, which seemed very inconvenient to use. That's why the new remote control is especially impressive.

It’s like it’s come back from the past – the body is now large, and the touch panel with buttons is reminiscent of Apple remotes from the 2010s. The company rarely returns to its design roots, but in this case such a decision is justified.

The updated remote is also a sign that Apple is finally listening to users. Thanks to its larger dimensions and rounded aluminum body, it is more comfortable to hold in your hand. The previous accessory was very thin, with sharp sides and made of glass. Who even uses glass for a TV remote control?

The larger size makes the remote more difficult to lose, but the lack of AirTag or any search functionality is puzzling. But the touch panel turned out to be incredibly convenient. With its help, you can simply select movies from lists; familiar touch gestures are also supported. Moreover, using the external control ring it is easy to rewind or forward the video. The approach is reminiscent of the scroll wheel of old iPods, allowing for more precise rewinding.

The layout is also much simpler, with a back button replacing the poorly designed Menu key, and the pause/play, volume and home buttons also returning. There is also a microphone mute key when the Siri voice assistant is controlled through the button located on the right side. A TV power button has been added to the top, which also puts the smart set-top box into sleep mode.

Summary: First you need to find the perfect family

Of course, TV set-top boxes like Apple TV do not cause much excitement in Russia: unlike smartphones or laptops, which almost everyone needs, the need for the same functions, but on a big screen, is not obvious.

Apple TV can bring families together in front of the TV to do something more meaningful than just watching one channel's program guide. For example, a father can connect his account and buy apps for his children, his wife can show the family photos taken on vacation (and finally find a use for them), and when everyone gets together, you can watch some good movie from iTunes.

All needs should consist of applications (Jobs’s “There’s an app for that”): you need live news - you can turn on “Rain” or launch the Bloomberg application, you need games - downloaded in a few seconds and had fun. You can not even theoretically, but practically connect all the devices in the house to Apple TV - PCs, laptops, iPhones, iPads and an audio system with a TV, after which everyone can do their business on the big screen. But this is in an ideal situation.

In the real world, TV is primarily Russian-language terrestrial channels with their content, the appearance of which on Apple TV is useless: news, TV shows like “The Voice,” free series and films, albeit Russian, but understandable. Gathering a family in front of the TV is not an easy task: adults - okay, but those who are younger spend their time more actively and are more likely to consume content on the run. One quarrel or omission, and the common place in front of the TV ceases to be so desirable.

iPhones and PCs are considered personal devices because no one stops you from using them, and for the right to spend time watching the TV screen in a large family you have to stand in line. Well, and not the least important factor is the price: Apple TV is only two to three times cheaper than common Smart TV models, which already have their own application store. There's a lot to think about.

Interface and control

If you've never had an Apple TV, you'll probably appreciate the user-friendly interface of Apple's media player.

It's similar in functionality to Amazon or Roku set-top boxes, although don't expect much variety from smart devices that simply run apps and movies. But the Apple console is more pleasant to use than all its competitors.

The Apple TV 4K (2021) icons look nicer, and switching between movies and apps is easy. You can even enable picture-in-picture mode for videos while still using other apps.

The set-top box will be more convenient for iPhone and iPad owners. In addition to AirPlay and screen mirroring, you can fill out text fields on your TV from your smartphone, which is especially convenient if you have long passwords.

Organizing applications in a TV set-top box

Much attention was paid to improving the organization of the store itself at the time of the launch of the Apple console. As mentioned above, the main feature is that you can now search using your voice. Thanks to the huge number of applications, we can conclude that everything is more than in order with the store. At the top are all the main tabs, with which you can find the necessary applications that are not there, as well as view any of them.

1. The “main tab” mostly consists of TV applications. But completely different applications also appear from time to time. For example, you might see special programs aimed at children, games, or news. In addition, an interesting innovation is the presence of applications that the user likes and games that have intuitive controls.
2. Next is a tab with “Top Offers”. This tab contains the most important applications for the user, which are divided into three different categories - free and paid, as well as income-generating.
3. The next tab is “Categories”. It is a little reminiscent of the “Search” tab, which is present in the mobile version of the application store. All applications that are located in the “Categories” tab are also divided into three groups – “Education”, “Games”, “Entertainment programs”.
4. Next on the list is a tab containing purchased content. Here you can find absolutely all the applications that can be installed on any other gadget, but they must be compatible with AppleTV. You can only install applications one at a time. To do this, just select what you need, then select it. If the user has already purchased and installed the application on some other gadget, then he can easily use it on AppleTV completely free of charge. It is worth noting that only the publisher of an application can decide whether the content that was previously purchased can be used again.
5. The very last one on the list is the “Search” tab. In it you can see absolutely all the applications that have become popular lately. You can search for the desired program, game or TV show using keywords. They can be either printed or dictated.

Set-top box performance

Apart from the remote control, the Apple TV 4K (2021) is almost identical to the 2017 model. The A12 Bionic processor provides support for Dolby Vision and HDR up to 60 fps.

But most users won't even notice this - there is still too little content with high frame rates or Dolby Vision. And movies that support these technologies are often not available at maximum frequency on iTunes.

Applications launch faster, but this has not previously been an issue with Apple consoles. However, videos load at about the same speed as the previous model. Perhaps in the future the A12 Bionic processor will allow running games to run faster than the A10X Fusion, but for now it’s not relevant.

There is support for HDMI 2.1, so we will probably see a 120Hz refresh rate in the future. In general, the A12 Bionic chipset is a little outdated, since it debuted back in 2022 with the iPhone XS. Again, if you have a previous Apple TV 4K, there's not much point in buying a new one.

What remains unchanged

As mentioned above, the updates in the new Apple TV 4K are minor, although interesting, so we suggest briefly discussing what remains unchanged in the new generation of consoles.

• Name

And we'll start with the most obvious thing that remains unchanged - with the name of the device: Apple TV 4K. This stability is actually more important than it might seem at first glance. The persistence of the name indicates that Apple does not view the new model as something radically new, but rather considers it an update to an existing product. However, from a retail convenience perspective, the company could have at least called the new device New Apple TV 4K or Apple TV 4K 2, so the average consumer knows they're buying the latest model. In fact, there was a complete replacement of the product. Apple has discontinued the 2022 model, so very soon you won't see them on store shelves anymore.

• Design

The Apple TV body has not undergone any fundamental changes in terms of its appearance, which remained unchanged from the very first to the last iteration. The new Apple 4K TV looks exactly the same as the previous one, and even has the same dimensions (W: 98 mm, D: 98 mm, H: 435 mm) and weight (425 g).

• Price and storage capacity

The new Apple TV 4K model is available in two versions - Apple TV 4K 32GB with 32 GB of data storage and Apple TV 4K 64GB with 64 GB, similar to the 2022 model. The price of the device has not changed either.

• Similar support for video streaming, games and applications

It may seem obvious, but with all the things you can play and watch on the new Apple TV 4K, there's nothing that wasn't available on the 2017 version. It offers a similar video streaming app and supports the App Store and Apple Arcade. With that said, the new A12 Bionic Chip could make some of these games and apps run a little smoother on the new Apple TV 4K.

• 4K resolution, HDR, Dolby Vision/Atmos and Bluetooth

The new Apple TV 4K also has a lot in common with the previous model in terms of technical specifications and connectivity. Both devices support 4K HDR (high dynamic range), both devices support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technologies, and also have similar support for Bluetooth 5.0 technology.

Image quality

Streaming video quality on Apple TV 4K (2021) is virtually the same as any other 4K/HDR-ready media player.

But Apple has taken a unique approach to streaming high dynamic range content: the player forces your TV to always activate HDR. This reduces unpleasant flickering when transitioning between modes, although problems may arise when watching video in traditional SDR.

After the release of the 2022 console, Apple received many complaints from users about the operation of the mentioned technology. Over time, a setting was added in which high frame rates and HDR are enabled only when necessary. Unfortunately, this does not work in all applications.

What will the installation of the tvOS 14.5 update change?

Most of the updates (and there aren't that many) are exclusive to the Apple TV 4K (2021) model, but installing the latest tvOS 14.5 update changes a few things across all Apple TV models.

Color balance

The latest Apple TV update lets you use the front-facing camera on your iPhone (with iOS 14.5 or later and Face ID support) to adjust the Apple TV's color balance to best suit your TV. This function is available in the “Calibration” section of the “Settings” menu item. When you launch Color Balance, you will be prompted to point your iPhone at a line on the connected display, where it will run a series of tests to calibrate the color. This visual data is captured by the iPhone's camera and sent back to Apple TV, which uses the information to adjust output settings and ultimately produce an image that's best suited to your TV model.

PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X controller support

Another important update (for anyone lucky enough to get their hands on the new console) is the added support for PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X Wireless controllers. Apple TV has long supported PlayStation 4 and Xbox One controllers, but this latest update allows next-gen console owners to use their new controllers with supported games in Apple Arcade and the App Store.

Accessibility and Audio

Once you install the latest update, you'll find that all supported Apple TV devices now allow you to enter text for Siri. This accessibility feature has been available on other Apple devices for some time and essentially allows you to access everything Siri has to offer by manually entering commands instead of speaking them out loud. There are also additional frame rate options (29.97Hz and 59.94Hz) and the ability to set Other Wireless Speakers as the default audio option when playing audio from Apple TV.

Additional features of Apple TV 4K (2021)

While other smart boxes have a variety of video settings, the Apple TV 4K has another major advantage: Siri.

To quickly and easily search for movies, the Siri voice assistant works almost perfectly. The process takes a few seconds and the voice recognition is flawless. Siri helps you find new movies or instantly launch the next episode of the series you were watching.

The Apple TV 4K (2021) set-top box can also be used as a control center for the HomeKit smart home. It is unlikely that you will use this, however, the function is convenient: you can watch video from surveillance cameras or turn off the lights with a voice command.

Apple's new media player also supports the Thread smart home standard, allowing you to create an IoT mesh network with other smart devices. True, there are not very many products with Thread support on the market yet.

Applications and system

For me, as a person who has only used Tricolor and Google Chromecast among TV set-top boxes, the ability to install applications on the TV seems unusual and exciting. Broadcasting from a smartphone or computer to a big screen (AirPlay) will not surprise anyone today, but the biggest pain for Smart TV owners, as I see it, is the meager application stores and lack of data synchronization.

With Apple, everything is fine with synchronization: in a normal situation, you don’t even have to separately configure the Wi-Fi connection, playback from your home library works properly, and there are no problems with Apple Music. Everything that has already been connected once works “out of the box”, sometimes even too well: this is especially noticeable when friends with iPhones come to visit and try to play their music via AirPlay on the audio system connected to the Apple TV.

But with applications it’s still difficult. Most of those already released for the new tvOS system are direct ports from iOS. This applies to popular casual games like Badland, Cross the Road, Alto and Asphalt racing: I already bought them all for the iPhone and iPad, so all that remains is to quickly download them for the “big screen”.

Apple has put forward an unusual requirement for third-party applications for Apple TV: their maximum size is limited to 200 megabytes. Everything else the program will have to be stored in iCloud if necessary, which can result in constant downloads of additional content - as, for example, happens in Asphalt.

Among the new products is Periscope, which in the TV version does not yet allow you to broadcast, or even log in using your Twitter account to watch one of your friends, or write a nasty message to someone in a chat. There is only watching popular broadcasts - without feedback from the presenter, the activity is almost meaningless, and given the quality of the video, it is also not the most pleasant.

One of the first applications for Apple TV was released by the Dozhd TV channel. As a promo, he offers a free subscription for 30 days. It was not possible to test Netflix, HBO and Hulu on an American account: the hope that they would be able to “feed” the American location in the same way as in the case of Siri turned to dust. Obviously, I want to wait for the Amediateki application so that I can watch TV series without using Google Chromecast (there were a lot of problems with it).

Although the tvOS interface is simple to the point of primitiveness and aesthetically convenient, technically you often have to enter an email or password. The system can remember your email, but not your password.

It’s a particular pain when you have a 15-character Apple ID password consisting of letters, numbers and special characters. Entering it on a horizontal keyboard using swipes is not an inspiring activity, and Apple TV forces you to do this often.

Otherwise, original Apple TV apps are still scarce. Perhaps the most interesting thing that can happen in front of the general TV screen is multiplayer competitions with unusual use of the advantages of the remote control or third-party controllers, but we still have to wait until their possible appearance. Now they are represented, perhaps, by only two games - Beat Sports and Asphalt.

With Asphalt racing, everything is clear: they allow you to fight with your opponents, even when they are not nearby. After completing a course, Asphalt retains the player's so-called "spirit" - the way he moves during the race - and his friends could fight the "spirit" on their device at any time convenient for them. The only problem: using the narrow remote control as a steering wheel is not very convenient, which can be seen in the example of the game Beach Buggy Racing.

The concept of Beat Sports is immediately reminiscent of the basic idea of ​​Nintendo's Wii game console: it uses the remote control as a racket, allowing you to simulate sports movements. However, you don’t have to swing much - the device understands the fact of “impact” even with a very small swing, and if you overdo it, you can drop the remote control.

As a demonstration of the remote control's capabilities, Beat Sports may be interesting, but for adults it is completely unplayable. What is the cost of the process itself (you can’t lose here, it’s so uninteresting), the characters and the price (599 rubles).