five of th e best

Apple TV is not just about channel surfing

Apple HomePod £349 (TBC) apple.com/homepod

It’s not here yet, but the new HomePod speaker shares the Apple TV’s support for both HomeKit and AirPlay 2, so they’ll make a great combination for handling music and video, as well as controlling lights and other smart devices.

Netflix £8.99/month netflix.com

Netflix started 4K streaming back in 2014 with HouseOfCards, and its current range of 4K films and TV programmes is perfect for the new Apple TV. It’s good value too, as the 4K subscription only costs £8.99 per month.

Philips Hue From £80 meethue.com

Apple is going gung-ho on home automation at the moment. Philips pretty much owns the smart lighting market with its Hue range, and the new Apple TV will let you fire up a 4K film and just say “Siri, turn down the lights…”

Samsung UE40MU6400U £500 samsung.com/uk

Samsung makes some pretty smart 4K TVs (it tends to use the term ‘Ultra HD’ – UHD). This 40-inch model is affordable, but also includes HDR for enhanced brightness and colour.

TP-Link Archer VR2600 £150 uk.tp-link.com

You’re going to need fast broadband and a fast router to handle 4K video streaming and downloads, and the VR2600 is one of the more affordable ‘Wave 2’ routers around at the moment. It also includes a modem for Internet access.