It's starting to feel like 2022 was the year of the streaming device, with quite a list of newly upgraded options now available to be plugged into an available HDMI port on your telly.

The main point of difference for most of these devices over their respective predecessors is picture quality; a bump up from HD to 4K or perhaps an upgrade to HDR10+ and/or Dolby Vision. Without getting too bogged-down in technicalities, these enhanced image technologies basically mean brighter, more vivid, clearer video - which is definitely noticeable, particularly on screens 55-inches and above.

It must be pointed out, that bump in picture quality is only available if your TV is capable of it too - no device you plug into your telly is going to magically upgrade its display performance. However, believe it or not, many of these external boxes and dongles can actually make your TV smarter.

Perhaps the best example of this is the new Apple TV 4K.

 

Let me admit right from the outset, this is my first time using Apple TV and I realise many people are old hands - although perhaps not right back to the first generation device in 2007. (I don’t recall that being widely available in New Zealand) As a newbie, please excuse me if I’m covering old ground in this review, although you might be a newbie too, so it’s worth highlighting all the main features, even if some are not 2022 additions.

While this year’s model is the smallest yet, less than 10cm square, it’s still a box - not a stick, so it still connects via a separate HDMI cable, rather than plugging directly into your TV. That’s fine, except Apple doesn’t include an HDMI cable in the box - something to consider if you don’t happen to have a spare one lying around. Given both the 64GB Wi-Fi-only and 128GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet versions are two of the most expensive streaming devices on offer (the 128GB version I’m reviewing here sells for NZ$319.00) it seems a bit stingy not to include all the hardware to make it work. There’s no ethernet cable either - but at least there’s a power lead.

And that might be my only complaint about the new Apple TV 4K. Because once you plug it in and turn it on, it’s good. Really good.

I’ve set up many devices like these over the years but in Apple’s usual style, initialising the Apple TV is so easy and intuitive, it’s very nearly automatic - assuming you have an iPhone and an existing Apple ID anyway. I’d be surprised if many non-iPhoners have considered using this device but they’re definitely allowed - you just have to do the setup manually instead.

For those of us lucky enough to have iPhone access, entering logins and passwords can be done via your handset, rather than having to navigate around the on-screen keyboard using the remote control.

Ah, the Siri Remote - what an absolute pleasure to hold and use. To be honest, I’m no fan of controlling your TV via virtual assistant - especially if there are other people in the room, rather awkward. But the side-mounted Siri button is only one great thing about the remote.

For starters, like all things Apple, it’s an exquisite piece of engineering; a compact, one-piece aluminium body that almost feels like an iPhone when you’re holding it. The buttons are large and clicky and all within easy reach of your thumb. There’s a very welcome dedicated play/pause button and the click-wheel isn’t just a click-wheel; it’s a click-pad too. This allows for more sensitive, gesture-based navigation which means extra controls, like a circular gesture to jog video streams forward and back.

The Siri remote requires no batteries; just a very occasional charge via USB-C.

Did I mention you can use your iPhone as a remote too? Of course you can. This is Apple after all - it’s an ecosystem.

That means subscriptions to services like Apple TV+ and Apple Music are instantly accessible but more importantly, you can quickly pair with other devices like AirPods and Apple Watch - the later comes in very useful should you decide to make the most of the comprehensive Apple Fitness+ suite of home workouts. I’ve tried these and they’re way better than I thought they’d be. I assumed it’d just be a fairly generic library of pre-recorded exercise classes but the app experience feels much more intuitive and immersive than that.

In my case I was quickly able to pair my watch then choose a whole programme centred around back strengthening - that means a combination of several different routines from a variety of instructors to form each workout; from weights to Pilates to yoga, all with the option of adding in the latest hit music. The subscription is expensive - but nowhere near as expensive as joining a gym.

Apple Fitness+ is just one of the icons you’re presented with on the very stripped-down Apple TV home page. Of all the smart TV and streaming device operating systems I’ve encountered, there’s no question this is the most streamlined. No bloat. No ads. No unnecessary suggestions from apps and services you don’t own or aren’t subscribed to.

Just a very iPhone-like grid of icons, although you can group several apps together in one folder if you like. There’s a row of five favourites at the top and depending on the app, you’ll see a content preview when you hover over each one, although exactly what that preview contains varies from app to app. Apple TV+ and TVNZ+ show featured new releases, while Plex and Netflix bring up thumbnails of what you’re currently watching.

Thanks to the awesome power of the new Apple TV’s A15 Bionic chip, apps load instantly. In fact everything is so fluid and smooth I can’t imagine ever going back to the somewhat stilted and clunky operation of my smart TV’s own native user interface.

So you have one of the most powerful processors around, combined with 128GB of internal storage… sounds like a good excuse to build up a gaming library to me.

Apple Arcade offers hundreds of games for easy download and for a reasonable subscription you can take your pick, effectively converting your Apple TV 4K into quite a slick gaming console, just by pairing a bluetooth controller.

I’ve been wasting quite a bit of time “researching” some of these games - Lego Brawls and Lego Star Wars Castaways are just damn funny. Sonic Racing and SpongeBob SquarePants Patty Pursuit provide some welcome cartoonish mindlessness, while the Pathless is a more challenging RPG that’s also more time-consuming. (I probably would have published this review last week if I hadn’t got so sidetracked playing games like these)

As I’ve mentioned several times already, like any Apple device, perhaps the TV’s greatest strength is its ability to play well with others - be that mirroring content seamlessly from iPhone, iPad or Mac or accessing your paired HomeKit devices - speakers, cameras, lights, whatever.

I feel like I haven’t talked much about the most important thing of all; picture and sound. Well they’re great. Of course they’re great. Even the choice of screensavers are ultra-high-res works of art. Everything absolutely pops, both visually and aurally. This truly is the ultimate AV experience - wrapped up in a very small box.

 

Click here for more information and pricing on Apple TV 4K (2022).