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For a number of years now, the Apple TV has been a go-to streaming machine for households seeking to unlock a bevy of apps and content material utilizing Apple’s seamless and user-friendly interface and highly effective community efficiency. And with the introduction of the Apple TV 4K in 2017, Apple added 4K decision to the peripheral’s listing of accolades.
Fast-forward 4 years to the discharge of the 2021 model of the Apple TV 4K, and we bought sooner body charge efficiency for 4K content material (60 fps), an amped up A12 Bionic chip, together with an improved Siri distant. How might life get any higher for Apple’s calling card streaming machine? Well buddies, true champions by no means relaxation.
In a shock mid-October 2022 press launch, Apple introduced the all-new Apple TV 4K (2022), out there in each 64GB and 128GB variations, and full of a slew of upgrades and a softer beginning value. This results in the large query on everybody’s thoughts: do you put money into the $130/$150 Apple TV 4K (2022) or the Apple TV 4K (2021), which might now be had for round $100? We in contrast each mannequin years that will help you determine.
Design and distant management
To the bare eye, each the 2022 and 2021 Apple TV 4K fashions look about the identical. In reality, you actually have to put each models side-by-side to see any form of dimensional variations.
Sharing the identical shiny black outer shell between mannequin years, the most recent Apple TV 4K measures 3.7-inches extensive, 3.7-inches from entrance to again, and 1.2-inches tall, making it just a bit bit smaller than the 2021 model (3.9 inches by 3.9 inches by1.4 inches).
Placed subsequent to one another, the 2022 and 2021 Siri remotes look about the identical too, with the one key distinction being a USB-C charging port for the 2022 model and an Apple-only Lightning port for the 2021 iteration. This isn’t an apples-to-apples changeup both, seeing as that USB-C port goes to cost your Siri distant sooner than the Lightning connection.
Thus, for its barely slimmer chassis and faster-charging distant, the Apple TV 4K (2022) wins this spherical.
Winner: Apple TV 4K (2022)
Connections and efficiency
Both the 2022 and 2021 variations of the Apple TV 4K are outfitted with HDMI 2.1 outputs, together with HDMI ARC/eARC help for these of us wiring right into a Dolby Atmos-ready AV receiver or soundbar. There’s additionally a Gigabit Ethernet port for hard-wiring the machine to your router, negating the necessity to hop onto your property Wi-Fi, though there’s a catch right here.
There are two variations of the Apple TV 4K (2022) hitting cabinets — a 64GB model and a 128GB model, and solely the latter consists of the wired Ethernet connection. This is probably not a giant deal for some, however in the event you’re seeking to take a few of the pressure off of your 2.4GHz or 5GHz community band, or just need the best possible general streaming expertise doable, you’ll must spend the additional $20 to get the 128GB 2022 unit, or go for the Apple TV 4K (2021), which incorporates an Ethernet port on each the 32GB and 64GB variations.
And for these involved with the way forward for sensible residence networking, solely the 128GB 2022 mannequin helps Thread, an important Internet-of-Things protocol that permits IoT requirements like Matter to stay and function in your Apple TV 4K. The 64GB 2022 mannequin helps Matter, however not Thread. With the discharge of tvOS 16.1, Thread is now included on each variations of the Apple TV 4K (2021). In phrases of Apple HomeKit help, each mannequin years are capable of act as sensible residence hubs in your HomeKit-powered sensible ecosystem.
In phrases of efficiency, the Apple TV 4K (2021) rocks Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, a robust processor that enables for buttery-smooth interface navigation, environment friendly app loading, seamless voice assistant responsiveness, and lightning-fast content material buffering. But alas, Apple has topped themselves but once more with the introduction of the A15 Bionic chip for each variations of the Apple TV 4K (2022).
Apple claims this all-new processor will ship as much as 50% sooner CPU efficiency and 30% sooner GPU efficiency, permitting the 2022 mannequin to navigate, animate, and cargo apps and streams even sooner than the 2021 mannequin.
Considering the improved chipset, we’re going to award some extent to the most recent Apple TV 4K for this class.
Winner: Apple TV 4K (2022)
Picture and sound high quality
One of the standout upgrades for the Apple TV 4K (2021) was the power to output a 4K HDR sign at 60 fps, making it a great streaming hub for avid gamers, sports activities followers, and motion film diehards. But there was one obtrusive miss within the HDR division, which is the exclusion of HDR10+, an ordinary supported by aggressive streaming gadgets just like the Fire TV Cube and Roku Express 4K Plus. Thankfully, Apple took observe of this, however as of proper now, the one method to get HDR10+ on an Apple TV 4K is to improve to both model of the 2022 mannequin.
HDR10+ is a fairly integral HDR format, too, particularly for Samsung TV homeowners, permitting for increased most brightness output (when in comparison with HDR10), with peak metrics near 4,000 nits, together with a extra dynamic technique of adjusting image brightness, colours, and distinction. And whereas HDR10+ continues to be considerably of a Samsung TV unique, that doesn’t imply we received’t be seeing the image commonplace on different TVs a number of months down the road.
One also needs to think about the truth that the Apple TV 4K (2022) rocks that A15 Bionic chip, which goes to have some influence on how effectively the {hardware} can unpack varied HDR and sound codecs, and if you buy the top-shelf 128GB 2022 mannequin and also you’re plugged in for an Ethernet expertise, all of this decoding will run even smoother.
But does the Apple TV 4K (2021) pale as compared? Not an opportunity. Sans HDR10+ and the A15 chip, the 2021 mannequin helps all the opposite HDR codecs because the 2022 mannequin, together with Dolby Atmos and 4K/60fps. Considering all of this although, we’re going to award some extent to the Apple TV 4K (2022) for its HDR10+ help and bumped-up chipset.
Winner: Apple TV 4K (2022)
Price and availability
Even although Apple eliminated the Ethernet port on the 64GB model of the Apple TV 4K (2022), and there’s no Thread help, this helped to decrease the beginning value of the 2022 {hardware}. As of this writing, you possibly can preorder the 64GB model of the Apple TV 4K (2022) for under $130, with in-store and on-line availability beginning November 4. And for under $20 extra, you possibly can go for the 128GB model, which additionally nets you that Gigabit Ethernet connection and Thread/Matter help.
Seeing the above written out, from a value standpoint alone, it actually doesn’t make sense to go for the 2021 mannequin. Yes, even the 32GB model consists of an Ethernet port and is Thread/Matter-ready, and whilst you can at present buy the 32GB 2021 mannequin for $100 and the 64GB model for $115, dropping an additional $35 will get you the upgraded A15 Bionic chip and double the space for storing of the 64GB 2021 mannequin.
And so if it’s all about cash, sure, it can save you some dough by choosing both model of the Apple TV 4K (2021), however in the event you’re in search of upgraded storage, a greater processor, and HDR10+ help, spend the additional $15 or $35 for the 2022 mannequin.
Winner: Tie
The verdict
Apple doesn’t ship a brand new Apple TV on an annual foundation, which made the shock announcement of the Apple TV 4K (2022) all of the extra shocking. That being stated, in the event you’re looking for a robust and intuitive streaming machine that you just received’t have to fret about upgrading for a lot of years, we might extremely advocate investing in both model of the all-new Apple TV 4K (2022), with an emphasis positioned on the 128GB unit (in any case, it’s solely $20 extra).
And for these of us which can be questioning whether or not or not we ought to be upgrading the Apple TV 4K (2021) that’s already wired as much as our AV system, or shopping for one new whereas they’re nonetheless out there via third-party retailers, relaxation assured that the 2021 mannequin continues to be an outstanding streaming peripheral, full with HDR help, quick efficiency, and Gigabit Ethernet help for each the 32GB and 64GB variations.
Winner: Apple TV 4K (2022)
Editors’ Recommendations
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