Apple TV 4K

Rotten product – Dreadful product, the remote works when it desires volume buttons constantly do not work. The video/audio is out of sync spent multiple hours talking to unhelpful Apple customer support. Despite being on auto update doesn't work. Quite frankly this a lemon worst streaming device i have ever used. The customer support is dreadful non existent nearly insulting staff. Show details

My Little Black Box – The Apple TV 4K 3rd gen is a game-changer in the realm of home entertainment. Boasting an impressive combination of power, innovation, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem, it delivers an unparalleled viewing experience. The A12 Bionic chip ensures swift navigation, quick app launches, and stunning graphics for both movies and games. … Read more

The 4K HDR with Dolby Vision support provides breathtaking visuals, while the high frame rate support makes fast-action scenes incredibly smooth. The inclusion of Apple's tvOS ensures a user-friendly interface with personalized content recommendations.

One standout feature is the redesigned Siri Remote, offering a touch-sensitive clickpad and intuitive voice control. Navigating through content has never been more effortless. The integration of Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade adds versatility, making it not just a streaming device but a hub for fitness routines and gaming adventures.

The Apple TV 4K 3rd gen epitomizes Apple's commitment to innovation, design, and a seamless user experience. Whether you're a cinephile, gamer, or fitness enthusiast, this device sets a new standard for what a streaming and entertainment platform can achieve.

Easy-to-use, reliable, quality media-streaming device – [March 2023 update] So much has changed since my mid-2021 review of our Apple TV 4K (1st generation) that I feel a rewrite is warranted. I initially claimed that this device was the simplest, most effective way into Disney+ Australia, but since then Telstra began offering Disney+ and likely other platforms are doing so as well. But we were… Read more

disappointed with the content at Disney+ which, like Netflix and Stan, proved to be too vulgar for our liking, and with money tightening-up all-round, it was an easy decision to cancel all our paid media subscriptions.

In 2023 this 2017 Apple TV (ATV) still provides everything we need in a media streaming device apart from the free movies we get through our ageing TelstraTV (Roku) device. Of course, the ATV opens access to Apple's extensive movie library but at additional cost for rental or purchase, whereas we have some free movie-watching included with our Telstra NBN contract. These devices stream media content via HDMI to our excellent ten-year-old Panasonic 39" 1080p TV, and considering the big question-marks over privacy with smart TVs, if our current TV dies we'll replace it with a large commercial display panel rather than a 'smart TV' and feed the panel media through the ATV and TelstraTV. We dispensed with free-to-air TV long ago, for the same reasons as our paid media subscriptions – to wit: their vulgarity – but we can access all the broadcast TV channels' streaming services with the ATV should there be something of interest, and at least be subjected to much less advertising. The Apple TV 4K platform offers a plethora of media channels (or apps) both paid and free. We mostly watch YouTube and Christian content, and we're excited to see that Barnabas+ is available on the Apple TV 4K as well, unlike TelstraTV to date. There is no web browser on this device but iPhones, iPads and Macs can readily pipe content to the ATV via Screen Mirroring, which also introduces the capability of displaying picture slide-shows and home videos on one's lounge-room TV for everyone to enjoy in comfort rather than vying for a glimpse, huddled around a small screen.

We're satisfied with our set-up to such an extent that I haven't bothered investigating what the competition is up to. Last I looked, users of cheap Chinese media streamers were complaining of limited support, playback problems like stuttering video and the like. Man, I'm getting too old and impatient to muck around with patches and fixes and hacks: I just want things to work, and yes, I'll pay a bit of a premium in order to get the good thing that will definitely do what it claims without any dramas or fuss ... and that's what the Apple TV delivers. I don't know about Google TV solutions because I don't trust Google and so I deliberately go out of my way to avoid them and their products as best I can.

Setting-up the 4th generation ATV (1st generation 4K) was dead easy, its operation has been flawless, and its interface looks great and is very intuitive to use. There is an overwhelming selection of apps available for it, including all the streaming 'broadcast' channels in Australia, which is a big improvement on the strictly curated, extremely limited offerings now available on the 3rd generation HD (1080p)-ATV, which should be completely avoided unless all you want is a Screen Mirroring device to display your Apple devices' content on a big screen. Apple Arcade – Apple's new subscription-based gaming platform – makes newer Apple TVs attractive as gaming devices too. Although it's hardly in the same league as X-Box or Playstation at this early stage, I suspect this feature will grow to rival the major players in the gaming sphere in the not-too-distant future. We clowned around with Apple Arcade using only the remote as a controller (in lieu of a proper bluetooth controller) as the ATV came with a month's free subscription to Apple Arcade but my son – the gamer in the family – already had more compelling options available to him.

Speaking of the remote, its small touchpad is the only niggle I have with this recently discontinued but far from obsolete 4th generation Apple TV (1st generation "4K"). That touchpad is so sensitive that one has to be careful even with how one picks up the remote or holds it whilst watching something, lest one unintentionally pauses or exits a programme. It's also quite finicky as a selection device because the touchpad sits on the selection clicker: one pushes on the touchpad to activate a selection. All sorts of things happen if your finger should slide in the least on the touchpad while you're pressing the clicker. To compensate, Siri is good at understanding voice commands via the mic on the remote, but not always – especially with oddly named programme titles – and that's when one has no option but to key in the letters one-by-one with that touchpad. My son navigated the touchpad interface with aplomb, but I never got the hang of it. He eventually broke the remote, but I had two old Apple remotes lying around which worked with the ATV, although there was no voice input with them. One is now broken and the other is on the blink ... but we can use our iPads to control the ATV, and there are cheap Apple remotes on eBay as well as some universal remotes that will work with the device too.

Apple supply a redesigned, iPod-like click-wheel-operated remote with the latest Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and apparently it works just fine with the 1st generation ATV 4K, but at $90 a pop for the remote alone, I won't be rushing out to buy one. I wanted to take a star off my rating for the ATV 4K because of that remote, but that seemed a little too harsh. Half a star off then! I don't have a 4K television so I can't speak to the performance at that resolution but on our 1080p Full High Definition LED TV, the picture looks great. There's an ethernet slot on the back but we haven't used it as our WiFi connection has proved to be both fast and stable enough for the device. Apart from the touchy (and fragile) remote, the Apple TV 4K (1st generation) is an excellent, high-quality media streaming device and arguably the best way into streaming media in Australia ... other than a current, (2nd generation) Apple TV 4K which is only asking $219 brand new from Apple. That's $30 LESS than I paid for my older model and you get a better product in every regard. For the remote alone, a brand new 2nd gen Apple TV 4K is much to be preferred.

Previous models were much better quality – I bought the first generation Apple TV and it was great quality. It still works so bought the next version which still works fine. Then bought the 4K Gen version and it is a piece of rubbish. The operating system is great however the hardware is poor quality. I have had issues with signal not working to our TV and then it just stopped working. It… Read more

is out of warranty and so $209 to repair which is crazy when a new one is $249. I opened it up and checked the power supply. It is still fine and giving out 12volts. The only reason would then be software however you can not connect it to a computer using USB to restore it like older generations.

I have owned many Apple products which have worked very well. The Gen 5 - 4K Apple TV is a lemon. I phoned Apple and explained it was using the Beta software however has no help. The person at JB-HiFi said they last about 3 years. That is terrible. Not everyone wants to replace their Apple TV every 3 years.

Sadly this is a poorly made product with no support if it breaks. You should be able to get it fixed at a lot less than the $209

Not happy with Apple anymore.

User-Friendly – The Apple TV 4K elevates your entertainment with stunning picture quality and seamless integration into the Apple ecosystem. Its user-friendly interface, access to a wide range of apps and services, and the convenience of Siri voice control make it a fantastic addition to your home entertainment system. Show details

So easy to use with apps – The apple box is a great product so easy to use with my iTunes account and apps are easy to install and navigate , the Siri feature is amazingly helpful , I love that you can charge the remote with your apple cord elevating the need to replace batteries. My only annoyance is the remote touch screen is really sensitive and can sometimes be frustrating to use . Show details

The best TV for your home – On Saturday 11th June 2022 I purchased this so I can watch heaps of videos, view stacks of photos on my TV and use YouTube to view whatever videos I want to watch. Show details

Can noi unsubscribe after trial – After numerous tries can't stop a monthly chargeto my bank bedore trial finished. Tried to unscribe no luck Keeped asking for charge no. Sent them email they sent me saying ok trial on. Now not good enough. No good Apple TV sorry. You put it on, you take it off. Show details

How to watch? Pay more of course – Apple TV was easy to set up using an iPhone and existing Apple ID. Just point the phone at the tv. But Apple have never played nicely with their neighbours so your experience might be different. Once in I found the content mainly an excuse to gouge more money for very overpriced content. Ancient movies are still pay as you go, as for sports, who… Read more

needs an additional subscription to American soccer. As for original content, Ted Lasso is apparently about as good as it gets. Trial cancelled just about immediately.

No Cable to Charge Remote – The 3rd gen 4K has switched to USB -C which if you run apple devices you don't have as they are lighting. So you will pay top dollar for one of the most expensive media players but no way to charge the remote unless you spend more. None of this is disclosed on purchase and once you open the box there is a tiny note in the instructions ( not… Read more

included ). So your car doesnt have a steering wheel which you will figure out when you first try and use it. Called Apple support - it is all my/customers fault - why would you expect a cable and the thing to be usable? They also said it isn't cost saving to which i said ' ok,please send me a usbC cable' - no.

Great content poor tech – Excellent content but extremely poor streaming through TV. Apple doesnt plays well with non apple tech. Show details

a bit glitchy – I had the "France 24" app it goes overscan and Underscan and a number of different apps weren't functioning as they should all since I updated my Apple TV and purchased a the 4k hopefully the one they release in the future will be better

Poor app and website – My girlfriend has an iPhone 12 and used Apple TV to rent Saw VI for $4.99 which allows 30 days until you first start viewing it from which point it is only available for 48 hours. She rented this on her phone using the app however, there is no option to be able to Chromecast it to the TV. We then tried the website on my Windows 11 computer so we… Read more

could watch it on something other than a little phone screen, where after successfully logging into her account we found that searching Saw VI found no results, nor did any of the Saw movies even though we had been watching the last 5 over the last few days. How incompatible can a multi-billion dollar company be in 2022? Money grabbing, rich ***ts who can barely do their job properly.

Don't get your hopes up – I subscribed to Apple tv to watch a specific series. I was happy to log in and to pay, but the process was clunky and I had to double authenticate multiple times and enter my credit card details and sign up to an ongoing subscription to get my free trial. Then, thinking I had it sorted, I had to double authenticate yet again to watch the movie… Read more

(amazing given that Apple automatically deposited my credit card details to my phone wallet...). BUT it won't sync with Chrome cast, and my usual experience of casting to my TV from Netflix or the internet didn't work. Nuh. You have to buy their hardware which costs $250. Really? I really wanted to watch this show, and was happy to pay for it, but it is not possible to watch on TV without investing in special extra boxes for your TV. When other packages work seamlessly, why would you bother? (And be warned - opting out is not easy either).

Apple TV very glitchy – So Apple TV pixelates badly, stalls images and overlays next section. Regardless of using wifi6 or 1Gb LAN, 500Mbs fibre optic connection. It's just a terrible service. Regardless of using appt TV app built in to TV or using 4k amazon firestick. Show details

Great for updating older high end 4k TV's to atmos – If you're an android user but won't be using atmos I wouldn't bother with it. My wife is in the apple eco system so setup was easy for me. Great to use as a medium between your tv and atmos soundbars as all the streaming apps have atmos enabled if you pay for that tier. Only down side is you need to do a hdmi bandwidth test every now and then to avoid the dropping out. Show details

Keeps dropping out – I’ve had 3 Apple TV boxes and loved them. But this is so frustrating. It keeps freezing and dropping out, even when other streaming services are gone, so it’s not the internet. I only bought it to watch Apple TV+ but that’s really not good enough to merit the spend. If you don’t have a smart TV then perhaps but otherwise a waste of money. Show details

Android TV Set-up A Hugh Waste of Time – I took a look at what's on offer on Apple TV and liked what I saw. Already had the app on my Smart TV so I thought I would give it a try. Setting up is very difficult compared to other streaming services. Had to create Apple ID, so I did. I then had to create a payment method. Then tried to log in and was then advised that I also needed an ITunes… Read more

account. It's a wonder they didn't want me to buy an Apple Mac as well! Decided to give up and deleted my Apple ID. Then gave Paramount Plus a go. Extremely easy to set up and lots of good movies and shows. AVOID APPLE TV, IT IS AN ABSOLUTE JOKE!

Great Streaming Box. Not a big upgrade on previous version – Great for streaming. The remote gas been improved from previous versions. It has a comprehensive app store to install apps from. Very little is free most you pay for. The sound output is true surround. Build quality great. Best suited for iPhone users. I had an older 2nd gen version and this is a big upgrade. Show details

Android based users save yourself some pain...avoid – It is not enough to create an AppleID to use the AppleTV app. You need to navigate their two step authentication. A very unfruitful process. Even Apple's phone support were unable to resolve that issue. So create a new AppleID and try with that. Nope. That's not enough you need an Itunes account as well. Apple couldn't make it harder for a non-Apple ecosystem user. Not worth the effort. Give AppleTV app a miss. Show details

buy if cheap – hardware is ok - software is apple which means lots of apple ecosystem issues. When it locks up its very poor at correcting itself by apple software design. Product support is poor despite advertised claims. Essentially you will end up fixing it yourself or not because the software is so poorly designed. Shield you unplug and restart when it locks… Read more

up. Apple may require power cycling, hdmi cycling and network cycling. support don't ring back at agreed times and are not very knowledgeable. Android shield is easier to maintain. For a big company its at best average even when cheap. And remote is very limited and needs minimum sensitivity

Terrible user experience via Android..Very limited free content – Signed up for 7 day trial..FYI, need to cancel on day 6 so sucked in for 1 month, read t and c. Content: Limited, probably 1 to 2 months worth based on my viewing habits. Some decent tv shows. Will be on my subscribe for 1 month, switch off for 3 as shows seem weekly, then binge at once. Android: Terrible, no app as far as I am aware or can find… Read more

on Play...webpage crashes/freezes a lot.. for some reason works fine via Xbox but Android poor, expect better from an company like Apple, probably some crap trying to force you to migrate to their rip off products in my opinion.

Overall: 2, only for content, not sure how quick they update, wait and see.

Works well – Upgraded from an early version and this is a step up. Voice activation works well- just wish their were more apps but overall quite happy with the product. The iTunes on this version works much better. Show details

I prefer this to any smart TV – I bought this to use on an a TV without smart functionality that was cumbersome to use. The Apple TV made it really easy to use and I love the sharp 4k image.  Show details

All in one streaming box – Although smart tv’s come with most apps preinstalled these days. I still like the idea of them all in one place which was my main reason for purchasing the Apple TV 4K. This box has excellent streaming capabilities and the picture quality is superior to other products in the same category. It also works extremely well with mirroring and airplay… Read more

from other Apple devices and allows you to link libraries of media from those other devices to the unit, which makes it handy to play music and movies through your TV and any surround system attached to my television set.

As you can expect from apple – I have used all previous versions of Apple TV starting from 3rd Gen then 4th Gen HD followed by 4K first Gen…This is as good as previous variants…remote is better…apart from that no major changes in user experience…do not recommend upgrade from 4K 1st Gen… Show details

Easy to use and works flawlessly – Simple, easy to use interface with a remote that is workable once you get used to it. Served me well for this long and don't intending on switching anytime soon. Call me an Apple Sheep, I don't care. Show details

Don't like new remote – Apple tv is great as per previous models but don't like the functionality of the new remote. A few other features not working properly but sure they will come right with updates but mostly issue is with remote.  Show details

The new Apple 4K TV remote control – I have always been a big fan of Apple TV and I recently took the plunge to buy the latest 4K Apple TV. However I am very disappointed with their remote control. The new remote control is just terrible! It’s hard to use, not user friendly at all and just frustrating and I just wish they used the older Apple TV remote control which was so much easier to use. I won’t buy another Apple TV unless they fix their remote control issue. Show details

Lazy cheap technology User UNFRIENDLY! – We have had an Apple TV for many years and use it to watch videos from our computer and to watch Youtube. They are great and we have upgraded as needed throughout the years. Just recently you have to upgrade to watch Youtube as the old tech is not supported. Ok, this we did. The new version 5? is a mess. The old remote was clever, intuitive. Great… Read more

design. I can't compliment it enough. Now we have some lazy, half-hearted attempt at an AppleTV. I would love to list the things wrong with it, but there are so many, it would have to be a novel. My favourite: everytime I go to 'search' it pings my phone, letting me know that I can use my phone as a keyboard. This is because the screen 'keyboard' they have given you is so awful. The new remote is so hard to use. You can't even guess which buttons do what or why. They have added buttons to adjust the sound. So you can barely use Youtube with it, but they added buttons to adjust sound? They also gave you Siri, hopeless. Why bother if it doesn't work? The other thing is the old remote works better on the NEW Apple TV, much better than the new remote! My other favourite is the video that the cursor is on moves like Harry Potter photos. Why? But to find you cursor, you have to wait for the movement to happen to find the cursor. They used to have a white box around the video that the cursor was on - nicely visual. No, obviously too simple for Apple. Fix that. The new Apple TV is a torture test of guesswork and things that don't work very well.