Apple's fourth-gen Apple TV 4K lands at $300, still missing features home theater fans wanted

Apple dropped the 64GB, Wi-Fi-only version, leaving only a 128GB model with Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and raised its price to $300. The Verge notes that every other major streamer on the market costs at least half that amount.

The reviewer welcomed several additions. The new box offers more processing power, Find My support for the remote, and built-in far-field microphones for talking to Siri. It also adds a dedicated AV1 decoder, which allows higher-quality streaming from apps that support the format, including Netflix. The Verge describes any improvement to streamed content as welcome.

The Apple TV 4K can also build a surround sound system by pairing HomePod 2 and HomePod Mini 2 smart speakers in matching pairs for fronts and surrounds. The Verge calls this an interesting option for Apple ecosystem fans who want a setup similar to Sonos or Bose, but its reviewer already owns an Atmos system combining SVS and Revel speakers and says he would not replace it with two HomePod 2s plus another $300 for a pair of HomePod Mini 2s.

The bigger complaint concerns what Apple left out. The Verge says it and many current users have wanted audio passthrough for years, which would let a more expensive audio/video receiver decode the raw audio stream instead of the Apple TV using its Continuous Audio Connection, a setup the review says can cause playback issues. The reviewer also wanted 120fps output, particularly for users who stream games through Moonlight, a feature that would have separated the Apple TV 4K from rival streamers capped at 60fps and helped justify the price. Other premium options that would appeal to enthusiasts, such as an HDMI input for passthrough or a digital optical output, are absent as well, which The Verge accepts may have been necessary to avoid raising the price further.

For movies, the review says, the 60fps limit is not a major problem, because the box can be set to output 24fps, allowing a native 120Hz television to use 5:5 pulldown.

The Verge argues the omissions leave the Apple TV 4K in an awkward position, pairing a high-end price with features that are largely matched elsewhere for much less. It says most buyers are unlikely to care about these high-end gaps, but they will compare the $300 price tag with Google, Roku and Amazon streaming devices that cost half as much or less. The review concludes that the box may prove worth it if Apple adds features in the coming months, and that it already appreciates how Apple handles privacy, but that the $300 might be better spent elsewhere in a home theater setup.

The previous Apple TV 4K was released four years before this model.

Editor's Summary

Apple's fourth-generation Apple TV 4K arrives at $300 with more processing power, Find My remote support, built-in Siri microphones and an AV1 decoder, plus the option to build a surround system from HomePods. The Verge's review says the box still omits audio passthrough, 120fps output and HDMI or optical inputs, leaving a premium price tag attached to features largely matched by cheaper rivals.