NEW APPLE TV 4K A SPIFFY UPGRADE
A worthy upgrade, but it’s not the only 4K game in town
Apple TV is ready to take on
4K. The newest Apple TV devices, out Friday starting at $179, deliver 4K video for the first time.
Why is that important? 4K Ultra HD TV provides a better picture: four times the resolution of traditional HD.
When it comes to 4K, Apple is playing catch-up, as competitors such as Amazon and Roku have had 4K-compatible devices in the market for nearly two years now.
However, Apple is notable for the panache its products deliver, and Apple devotees who already have embraced 4K — or plan to do so — will certainly want to give the new Apple TV a look.
The new Apple TV 4K device looks like its predecessor: about 4 inches square and 11⁄ inches tall, weighing about 1 pound. But its
A10X Fusion chip promises twice the processing speed and four times the graphics performance — especially important if you plan to play games or are a frequent app user.
Apple TV already had an elegant user interface. Now it’s even spiffier with a higher-res sheen.
Within Apple’s iTunes Movie store there’s a growing selection of 4K movies available now, and some in high dynamic range (HDR) with improved contrast and a wider range of richer colors. Among them: Wonder Woman and Baby Driver, with SpiderMan: Homecoming and War of the The new Apple TV 4K device brings Ultra HD video with high dynamic range (HDR), and you can use Siri via the remote.
Apple devotees who already have embraced 4K — or plan to do so — will certainly want to give the new Apple TV a look.
Planet of the Apes coming.
Movies in 4K and HDR will cost the same to buy or rent as HD versions. New releases such as Wonder Woman, Baby Driver, The Big Sick and The Mummy cost $14.99 to $19.99 to buy (not available to rent yet), while Logan cost $5.99 to rent. And any HD movie you already have purchased will be automatically upgraded for free when the studio makes a 4K version available.
Revisiting Wonder Woman, playing on a 65-inch Samsung HDR-capable 4K TV, the video was, well, as wonderful as in the theater.
And Apple TV lets you stream
4K from apps that deliver highquality video, such as Netflix — its 4K series include Stranger Things and House of Cards — with content from Amazon Prime Video
( Transparent, The Man in the High Castle) coming soon.
Using the Apple TV’s minimalist remote, you can ask Siri to search for 4K movies or specific movies, genres, apps or games. And you can continue watching a show or movie on your iPad or iPhone using the Apple TV app.
The $179 Apple TV model comes with 32 gigabytes of storage; the $199 model has 64 GB (recommended for those who plan to use a lot of apps or play many games).
In addition to a 4K TV — not all support the various flavors of HDR — you will need a robust broadband connection. Apple and other providers recommend up to 25 megabits per second for 4K HDR movies.
For those who already have a
4K TV, are a regular in Apple’s iTunes store and do plenty of binge-viewing of streamed content, the new Apple TV 4K is a worthwhile upgrade.
But Apple TV is not the only option for 4K streaming video. The second-generation Amazon Fire TV device, released two years ago, handled 4K video, but that model is out of stock (you can find it on other sites such as Staples.com), leading to speculation Amazon has new Fire TV devices poised to launch soon.
Element and Westinghouse 4K TVs with built-in Amazon Fire TV began hitting the market in June. Fire TV devices make a good option for Amazon Prime members because you can watch Amazon’s original shows and movies such as Manchester by the Sea in 4K for free as part of your
$99 annual subscription. You can also watch YouTube 4K videos, something the new Apple TV boxes currently do not support.
Roku has kept up the 4K pace, too, with its first 4K-compatible model, the $129 Roku 4, launching about the same time two years ago as Amazon’s improved Fire TV. Since then, it has released many lower-priced 4Kready devices, starting at $59.99, with a special channel to help you find 4K content to watch.
Google Chromecast Ultra
($69), an upgraded dongle that plugs into your TV’s HDMI input, lets you watch 4K content on YouTube, Netflix and Vudu and supports HDR on many TVs.
OTHER 4K STREAMING DEVICES
uThe current Xbox One S (starts at $249) and the upcoming morepowerful Xbox One X ($499, due Nov. 7) deliver 4K video streaming and have built-in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players.
uSony’s PlayStation Pro
($399) streams 4K video — and like the latest Xboxes runs 4K games — and plays standard Blurays and DVDs but not Ultra HD
4K discs. uN►idia just announced a new Shield TV ($179, ships Oct. 18), which supports 4K and HDR and offers cloud gaming (you can add a controller or opt for pricier models starting at $199).