The best programs for apple tv 4k. Review of the best apps and games for the new Apple TV
The world of Smart TV is divided into 3 categories: WEB OS (already built into TVs), Android TV and Apple TV. When choosing a set-top box for a TV, many people have a question: Android TV or Apple TV. In the first case, everything is clear in principle: classic Android, optimized for use with TVs. Movies, apps, open access on the Internet - a classic. But many people don’t have many arguments for Apple TV, especially for Apple TV 4K. Therefore, in this article we will tell you what Apple TV 4K is, what it is needed for and how to connect it to your TV.
Apple TV 4K is the 5th generation of TV set-top boxes from Apple. This set-top box connects to the TV via HDMI and allows you to access Internet services: a library of applications and films.
Apple TV 4K unlocks 4K HDR technology and adds Dolby Atmos surround sound. The main thing is that your equipment (TV or TV + soundbar) supports these technologies. Dolby Atmos creates a true-to-life sound experience that completely immerses you in the action of the film. HDR (High Dynamic Range) is responsible for a realistic image.
The set-top box comes with a convenient remote control made in a minimalist design. The remote control has a special touch panel. With its help, you can interact with the interface: manage selections, enter text. You can also use your iPhone for control. When you configure the set-top box using a smartphone in the panel iPhone control The Apple TV app appears. Through AirPlay you can quickly transfer any content from iOS devices to the TV. Also, if you have a system " Smart House", it can be controlled using a TV (Although it is more convenient to use an iPhone for this task).
What is Apple TV 4K for?
Apple TV 4K adds to regular TV Smart functions TV. However, you can purchase a set-top box even if you already have a built-in smart TV, but for some reason you are not satisfied with it.
Typically, Smart TV is purchased to gain access to services such as Amediateka, ivi, MEGOGO, Netflix. Users pay a monthly subscription and watch TV series, films or cartoons in high quality. You can also purchase films from iTunes Store, but the prices there are not the lowest. In addition to movies, Apple TV 4K provides access to a huge number of applications: from fitness, sports to dynamic games. The set-top box has a powerful A10X Fusion processor, which ensures smooth operation of any supported content.
WITH using Apple TV 4K you can display any media content from your iCloud library: photos, videos or music. This makes it convenient to display vacation photos or give presentations.
How to connect Apple TV to your TV
To connect the set-top box you will need Wifi (or Ethernet cable) And HDMI cable(preferably version 2.0 or higher). The cable is not included, so be sure to purchase it separately.
Connect the device to a power outlet and to the TV. On the remote control, press touchpad to pair it with your TV. Please specify your language.
Select setting: from using iOS device or manually. The first method is the most convenient for everyone who has an iPhone or iPad. The set-top box itself will download all the data from iCloud and perform a quick setup. In the second case, just follow the instructions on the screen.
You can read more detailed instructions for installing and configuring Apple TV at.
Do you need Apple TV 4K
The downside of the console is its limitations. The situation is similar to iOS: you have specific functionality that constrains you. On Apple TV 4K, you get access to a huge library of movies and apps, plus an iCloud library. This is where its functionality practically ends. In the same time advantage of Android TV is at least a browser. With a browser, you get access to all content: paid, free, licensed or pirated.
Even if you don’t have a 4K TV, but a Full HD one, you can buy a set-top box, it will work and be fun. Another question is the price: give 15,000 and not use it main function 4K... Here everyone decides for themselves. In principle, if you are planning to buy a 4K TV in the near future, then it is better to immediately buy Apple TV 4K.
Conclusion: Apple TV is for those who are willing to pay for content. If you are ready to buy movies and do not experience financial difficulties with it, take Apple TV. If you're not ready, grab Android TV.
Apple TV Specifications
In conclusion, we provide a table comparing the main characteristics of the 4th generation Apple TV set-top box, which is still available for sale, and Apple TV 4K.
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Apple talks about 4K and HDR as if it invented them literally today, and it’s quite funny: by the time the previous one came out Apple versions TV in 2015, 4K technology was already common, but the company decided to ignore it.
But don’t dwell on the past and lose sight of the whole picture. Apple Support 4K and HDR formats are great news and a testament to their popularity. What's more, Apple TV 4K comes with a library of 4K HDR movies.
From a distance, Apple TV 4K is no different from previous version Apple TV, but turn the case over and you'll see small slits that weren't there before. They provide air cooling more powerful A10X chip. It gets quite hot during operation, but it is quiet even while gaming or streaming content in 4K.
The case has a hole to dissipate heat from the A10X Fusion chip. The model has a fairly large cooling cooler, but its noise is not noticeable even when running “heavy” games
The standard model costs RUB 13,490. only 32 GB of memory; the version for 14,990 rubles that we are testing has 64 GB. The numbers are not very impressive, besides the support external drives not provided; on the other hand, since Apple TV 4K streams movies, TV shows, and music without downloading, the only storage space required is for apps. They're small (Netflix, for example, is only 41.6 MB), so 32 GB will be enough for most users.
Apple TV 4K comes with 32GB or 64GB of built-in storage
The ease of use of the media player is not inferior to others Apple models. If you have an iPhone or other iOS device, you can read information about account And Wi-Fi settings. Having determined whether your TV supports 4K resolution, the player adjusts the output signal.
Apple TV 4K also checks for HDR support, and if available, all content will stream to your TV in 4K HDR, even if it was originally low resolution or standard dynamic range.
The menu system is convenient, well thought out and clear, as you would expect. A big plus of Apple TV 4K compared to competitors from Samsung and LG is the presence of voice control, which is quite useful at times. Press the microphone button on the remote control, say “Show me action movies,” and you will be taken to your iTunes library. Siri is now well versed in context: then say “Only in 4K,” and the list of action movies will be sharply reduced.
Apple TV 4K works great, but its main selling point is its library of 4K HDR movies
Content Provider
Siri not only performs an excellent search, but can also help the owner during the browsing process. Missed the point of fuzzy dialogue? Ask "What did he say?" - and this fragment will be repeated with subtitles turned on so that you understand everything exactly. To the question “What is the name of this actor?” you will receive a list of performers in the episode you are currently watching. All this is very convenient.
The Apple TV 4K interface is as user-friendly as you'd expect
However, the interface is not perfect in every way. Search results (voice or text) do not include items from iPlayer and Now TV, which reduces its usefulness somewhat, and the touchpad on the remote control is rather finicky.
In the US, unlike in Britain, Apple TV supports useful application under the strange name "TV". It brings together the content of all applications installed and available through a subscription, and allows you to return to the last viewed material.
It also generates recommendations for later viewing based on your list of favorite movies and recent activities. The idea is good, but it is spoiled by the lack of full integration with Netflix. Hopefully this service and the UK versions of iPlayer and Now TV will be supported at a later date.
It's worth noting that Amazon has yet to release a version of Prime Video for the tvOS platform. It should be released before the end of the year and will be fully integrated with the Apple TV app. ITV Player, All 4 and My5 are also missing, but some on-air content can be obtained from providers using the TV Player app.
It would be nice to have one device that organizes all the available content; However, it makes no sense for it to duplicate the applications that your TV is already equipped with - it is much more convenient if the media player can offer content that is difficult to find in other ways, and this is exactly what the Apple TV 4K can do.
Its main advantage is its library of 4K HDR films. It now includes about 70 films, including such recent blockbusters as “Wonder Woman,” “Alien: Covenant” and “Logan,” released only on 4K Blu-ray discs. The pay-as-you-go model is quite convenient, especially considering that you don’t have to pay for “extra” pixels. And if you already bought the movie on iTunes and then the 4K version became available in the store, you will automatically receive it at no additional cost. All this will please those who need a lot of affordable 4K content.
However, not all 4K content is created equal, and streaming with Apple TV 4K is not equivalent to a similar UHD disc in terms of image quality. In the movie “Deadpool” on the 4K Blu-ray disc, the anti-hero’s red suit is drawn more clearly and in detail. The dark parts of the picture turn out to be more energetic and detailed. These are all inevitable consequences of streaming. But the choice of this approach is obvious - otherwise the player would have to first download uncompressed 4K movies to the hard drive.
However, 4K movies themselves look very good from iTunes. They noticeably exceed the flow in Full format HD clarity and resolution, density and depth.
Detail is significantly higher, and the textures of clothing, including the fur and skin of Wonder Woman's gear, look more natural and expressive.
HDR adds even more impact to the image; it literally comes off the screen. White color- clean and bright, color palette- lively and colorful, black objects - deep and dense. The picture becomes even more exciting.
We've only talked about HDR10 content before, but Apple TV 4K offers several movies in Dolby Vision, an advanced version of HDR that processes every single frame and has even more potential.
By full program
If you haven't seen 4K HDR content from Netflix yet, you're in for a shock. If it happened, the quality will approximately correspond to the TV picture. It's interesting to look at films or programs that were not originally created in 4K or HDR, and evaluate the quality of upscaling and upscaling according to general settings Apple TV.
The result is not bad, although sometimes the picture turns out to be unnaturally sharp and bright. The problem could have been avoided if the Apple TV 4K had not changed the output format, but the company decided against this so that the TV does not have to constantly switch modes.
Apple's support for Dolby Vision along with HDR10 is very encouraging, but in this light the absence of Dolby Atmos looks even more strange. Why not include everything in full? Even Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio were not included in the list of features. In addition, Apple TV 4K performs decoding entirely itself, sending the receiver only a stream in PCM or Dolby Digital 5.1, depending on the settings.
Perhaps Apple considers image quality more important than sound - and in some ways it is right: Atmos systems are not yet widespread. However, Apple TV 4K delights with clear and weighty sound. When connected to a good system, the surround sound field is detailed and atmospheric, but support for the Dolby Digital Plus bitstream would have been nice.
Apple TV 4K is not as simple as it seems. On the one hand, it boasts one of the most comprehensive and accessible library of 4K HDR films. On the other hand, it does not have some popular applications.
It supports the most advanced HDR video format, but ignores modern audio formats. It's too expensive for a network player, but cheap for a 4K Blu-ray player. It is difficult to categorize him.
The library of 4K content alone would be enough for the four - however, the fifth star is currently unattainable for him. If the company builds support for Amazon and time-lapse services into the app, we might change our minds; but so far it's perfect new Apple falls short.
WHAT SHOULD YOU WATCH IN 4K HDR?
Blade Runner (Director's Cut 4K) / iTunes, 4K HDR
The new version of Blade Runner is very good, but the 4K special edition of the first film is no less spectacular. It's already available on iTunes.
Deadpool / iTunes, 4K HDR
One of best films Marvel for last years included in the first iTunes package. It's a shame that the Atmos audio included on the Blu-ray disc isn't supported on the Apple TV 4K.
Daredevil / Netflix, 4K HDR, Dolby Vision
The script is interesting, the characters are convincing, the picture is gorgeous. In 4K HDR, the dark and moody palette and bloody fight sequences make it impossible to look away for a moment.
Jessica Jones / Netflix, 4K HDR, Dolby Vision
Netflix's Daredevil spin-off combines bar brawls, mind control, relationships and violence just as effectively. The 4K picture is great.
Pros:
+ large library of content in 4K HDR;
+ image quality.
Minuses:
- no Amazon Prime Video;
- lack of audio formats.
Verdict
A great way to get your hands on new content in 4K HDR, but the Apple TV 4K failed to capture our imagination.
Price: RUB 14,990
Final score: 9 points out of 10!
Apple TV has always been associated with a top device. And now Apple's console has acquired support for 4K resolution. With such parameters, it is able to once again take a leading place in the sales rankings.
Conclusion
Finally, during testing, we received a UHD picture: what we were missing so much in the 4th generation of this device has nevertheless become a standard in Apple TV 4K. At the same time, not everyone will be able to enjoy 4K resolution - in particular, they will feel excluded from the holiday YouTube users and photographers. In terms of the breadth of content selection in App Store and the ease of control of Apple, as usual, and height. True, the same is true with cost - in the case of Apple, it is usually high.
Performance boost for Apple TV
Visually fifth Apple generation The TV has remained virtually unchanged compared to the previous model: the black console is still designed in a minimalist style and fits comfortably in one hand. The changes affected only reverse side: now there is no previously available USB port Type-C. But since in Apple TV 4 it essentially only served as a service port for updates and developer needs, few users will notice its absence.
No more USB port: Apple TV 4K now has only three interfaces
The Apple TV 4K has undergone a complete renovation inside the case. To ensure UHD content can be displayed flawlessly, Apple has installed renowned iPad Pro A10X Fusion processor and 3 GB random access memory. The performance has become enough to broadcast video in 4K resolution from the iPhone camera to Apple TV. Also in the list of equipment are a WLAN module of the ac standard and a LAN port.
Finally 4K - in almost everything
Compared to the previous model, the jump to 4K resolution is clearly noticeable when used with the corresponding UHD TVs or 4K projectors. A very noticeable role is played by the new HDR-10 support, which provides natural color reproduction and high contrast. Thanks to this, the differences compared to UHD-Blu-ray are practically erased. Upscaled Full-HD content also looks decent.
In the case of photos that can be downloaded via AirPlay or from iCloud, things don't look so great, of course. Instead of simply displaying images at the highest resolution appropriately, Apple TV 4K reduces them by downscaling. This fact is especially sad because iPhone camera X (3840x2160 pixels) seems to be designed to work with Apple TV. Another disappointment: 4K is still not supported for YouTube.
Streaming features
4K is not available to everyone: YouTube users will not get UHD pleasure from Apple In terms of features related to streaming, very little has changed - but there was no particular need for it. You can still conveniently purchase or rent TV series and movies from the iTunes Store. At the same time, there are practically no annoying pauses for buffering: after the user selects the desired movie, in most cases it starts right after a few seconds. Alternatively, you will have the opportunity to use well-known streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Instant Video and stream content in 4K - provided you have a fast Internet connection.
During long breaks, you will benefit from the integrated AppStore, which offers numerous games that can, among other things, be controlled using the acceleration sensor built into the remote control or an optionally available controller. For an additional fee, sports fans get access to the content they need through apps for Sky, Eurosport and DAZN. For data storage and Apple applications TV 4K, depending on the configuration, offers built-in storage capacities of 32 or 64 GB.
Management: it couldn't be easier
With the exception of the white border around the Menu button, Apple hasn't changed anything about the remote control. As has already become customary for Apple products, initial setup is easy to understand and quickly implemented, as they say, “with one left hand.” There is nothing to criticize for the control via the included remote control. In particular, voice control via Siri worked great during testing and commands were executed without problems. But if you look at Siri from a new perspective Apple Watch or iPhone X, it's easy to see some potential for improvement. For example, the Apple TV completely lacks the “Hey Siri!” feature. The voice assistant begins to listen to you only after the corresponding button on the remote control is pressed. In addition, audio feedback from Siri would be practical, for example, if you ask her about the age of an actor - so far in this case the voice assistant remains mute. There is a possibility that Apple will implement these functions only in tvOS 12.
Alternative options
(2017)
The variety of games in the Apple store is good, but despite everything it still moves the Apple TV 4K away from its status game console. Things are somewhat different with NVidia Shield, which is focused specifically on gaming and streaming. The high-performance media player based on Android TV also boasts convincingly high performance, excellent 4K images (including YouTube) and many software functions. The NVidia Shield costs about the same as the Apple TV.
Amazon Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD and Alexa voice control
The fact that 4K does not have to be expensive for users is proven by the example of the current generation of Amazon Fire TV. By paying almost 70 euros, you get a constant 60 fps here with UHD resolution and HDR 10 support. Voice control Alexa can easily compare with Siri, and the variety of applications in the store, thanks to the Android-based operating system, is also significantly better than “average”.
Along with mobile devices (iPhone and Apple Watch), Apple also updated its Apple TV media player this year. Received the console Apple name TV 4K, and from this its main innovation is clear: support for 4K video. We decided to take a closer look at how this works in practice.
IN Apple history TV is the fourth update (respectively, the fifth generation), and compared to the one that was released two years ago and gave users the ability to install applications, and therefore significantly expanded the functionality of the device, the changes in Apple TV 4K are not so great and are associated with the ability to view 4K . But, as it turns out, there are many more nuances here than might seem at first glance.
Equipment
The Apple TV 4K box and its contents are not much different from the previous (fourth) generation model.
Inside we see the device itself, network cable, user manuals, branded remote control and Lightning cable.
The Lightning cable is needed to charge the remote control and nothing else (although, of course, if you use any Apple mobile devices, it will be quite useful).
But what is missing, as before, is an HDMI cable. Moreover, in the case of Apple TV 4K, users need to be especially careful when choosing it, since an inappropriate cable (with an HDMI standard version older than 1.4) simply will not allow transmitting 4K video. On the other hand, if you have a 4K TV (and if you don't, why would you need an Apple TV 4K?), then you most likely have a compatible cable.
Design
The appearance of the console has remained virtually unchanged compared to the previous generation. It's still a hefty, thick black block with rounded edges and a rubberized bottom that has slots for active cooling.
There is no particular difference in materials: as before, plastic is used for the main part of the body.
And here is the second key difference: Ethernet is now gigabit. Which, in general, is logical: for streaming 4K video, a 100-megabit Internet may not be enough.
As before, all connectors are located on the back of the device, and there is an operation indicator on the front.
The appearance of the remote control as a whole also remains the same, except that a white border has appeared around the Menu button - for easier visual (for example, in the dark) and tactile detection. Well, the surface of the other buttons has changed a little: before they were slightly concave, but now they are flat.
So, the design of the set-top box and remote control remained virtually unchanged, with the exception of the disappearance USB-C port(but it wasn’t particularly needed before) and the advent of gigabit Ethernet.
Setup and connection
To fully use Apple TV 4K, you need a 4K-capable TV and a high-speed HDMI cable (standard 1.4).
If everything is connected correctly, there will be an image, and in the Settings → Video and Audio section you will see “4K HDR” next to the word Format. Going there, we will see 4K HDR 60 Hz. You can also look at the color. At this point we were 4:2:0.
In addition to connecting to a TV, the set-top box can also be paired with iOS devices and Mac computers. The first is needed in order to use a smartphone or tablet as a remote control, and the second is needed to take screenshots.
Connecting to an iOS device is quite simple: select the appropriate item in the settings, bring your smartphone or tablet to the Apple TV, enter a four-digit code - and you're done. With a computer it’s more difficult.
In order to connect your Mac to Apple TV and take screenshots, you need to install it on your computer running High Sierra Xcode development kit, then connect the Mac to the same Wi-Fi network as the Apple TV, open the Window / Devices and Simulators tab in Xcode, select from the available ones Apple devices TV and click Pair.
After connecting, we will see the Take Screenshot button (it is used to take screenshots) and information about Apple TV. As you can see, the model we tested has an actual storage capacity of 57.36 GB.
But let's get back to taking screenshots, since this is a key tool for testing 4K. The resulting screenshot is saved in its original resolution on the computer desktop. And it is precisely this that will be a visual representation of what we will actually see on the TV screen when using Apple TV. Note that all screenshots, without exception - regardless of the type of content being played - had a resolution of 3840x2160, that is, 4K. In particular, the entire tvOS interface is rendered in 4K.
But this in itself does not mean that the video content is truly displayed in 4K. We decided to look into this.
4K viewing
As we already noted in the introduction to the article, the functionality of the Apple TV 4K is similar to the previous generation, with the exception of 4K support. We talked in detail about the fourth generation Apple TV in, so we recommend that you familiarize yourself with it. We will not repeat ourselves here and will focus on the issue related specifically to 4K support. What types of content is it available on? How accessible is 4K content? normal use Apple TV?
First of all, let's describe the methodology we used. In addition to trying to simply determine the quality of the picture by eye, we decided to display different ways to 40-inch Samsung TV UE40KU6000 connected with a high-speed HDMI cable to an Apple TV 4K, special 4K test videos containing areas with pixel-by-pixel alternating black and white lines. Such videos can be found on YouTube (for example,), we also have them - encoded with H.264 and H.265 codecs (download and respectively).
Next, after the picture was displayed on the TV screen via Apple TV 4K in one of the ways (there are several of them, and we will talk about this in detail), we took a screenshot by pressing pause or right while the video was playing (given that it is static , no difference).
To begin with, we tried to launch one of the videos on YouTube. However, the screenshot showed that the resolution is HD, not 4K.
By clicking on the screenshot, you can see the original image. So, although the image itself has a resolution of 3840x2160, the 1-pixel thick circles are solid gray. Whereas if the picture were truly 4K, then black and white stripes would be visible in them, like in circles 2 pixels thick.
We click on Info and see that our suspicions were justified: the HD icon next to the video duration indicates that it is indeed not 4K, otherwise the icon would indicate 4K.
As an experiment, we tried to run the same video on the TV through its own YouTube app, that is, without Apple TV. And there the video stream was 4K, which could be understood both by the circles with visible stripes and by the Info. Therefore, the problem is with the YouTube app for tvOS. Apple confirmed to us that the YouTube app for tvOS does not yet support 4K resolution.
At the same time, 4K films are about the same price as HD ones. The only problem is finding them, because many very notable and very recent blockbusters are currently only available in HD. Take Alien: Covenant, for example. It would seem that the film is large, and the price is rather high (399 rubles), but - only HD.
And, for example, “Mad Max: Road Fury” - in 4K and at a lower price (349 rubles). Why is that? Unclear.
We decided to try to buy and reproduce Mad Max. And everything would be fine, and it seems that even the picture there is quite 4K (although it’s impossible to say for sure), but it was not possible to confirm this with a screenshot: when playing movies from the iTunes Store, taking screenshots is blocked - you’ll just get a black screen.
The situation is similar with Netflix, where, however, the selection of 4K content is wider. However, there we encountered another problem: in a number of series, even if UltraHD 4K is specified, the apparent picture quality is clearly lower. That is, hypothetically, the video stream could indeed be 4K, but, as you understand, you can even convert VHS to 4K, but you will not experience the delight of the clarity and saturation of the image. We watched one episode of Mindhunter and saw that the image there was very imperfect. Alas, we cannot confirm this with a screenshot for the same reasons as in the case of iTunes.
It is obvious that video services will gradually place more emphasis on 4K content and at the same time will begin to monitor quality more closely, but for now we have to admit that the 4K sign itself does not mean anything.
And we return to our attempts to display a 4K test video on a TV screen via Apple TV. And we try one more way: using the Plex application. In an article about the last generation of Apple TV, we talked about several applications that allow you to play custom videos on Apple TV. The essence of the work is the same everywhere: video from a computer is uploaded to the cloud, from where it is taken by the application on Apple TV and played (since it is its own file manager and there is no option to download files to Apple TV).
One of the most successful options is Plex. We tried loading two versions of the test video into it, playing it through Apple TV and taking a screenshot. And this is what happened. First up is a 4K H.264 file.
The image quality is not bad (although you can notice small artifacts), but the main thing is that it’s still not 4K. Gray squares around the edges central block should just be represented by black and white lines one pixel thick. Now look at the 4K H.265 file.
And here we are extremely an unpleasant surprise. I think there is no need to even comment on anything - everything is clear without words. Thus, Plex does not work correctly with the most promising 4K video format and cannot yet play 4K video in its original quality.
It is possible that you can find an application that is more optimized for these tasks. But you need to look for them, and not expect that everything will work by default.
The most impatient readers have probably been wanting to exclaim for a long time: “So you still managed to reproduce 4K so that it was truly full-fledged 4K?” And so as not to bore them any longer with descriptions of attempts of varying degrees of success, let’s say: yes, it was possible. And surprisingly in a simple way: Via AirPlay when playing videos in the browser on iPhone.
Simply put, we opened the link to the H.264 and H.265 videos, then clicked on the icon that sent playback to the Apple TV, and then took a screenshot from the Apple TV. The result is the image you see above this paragraph. This is exactly how it should be ideally.
Of course, you can also see 4K in some video applications that specifically collect beautiful videos in this resolution. For example, Sunlapse 4K is views of the sun. You can watch and meditate, or you can use it as a background screensaver. It is obvious that there will be more and more such applications.
There are also various collections of documentaries and videos focused on 4K content - usually dedicated to nature. For example, Love Nature.
But the question still arises to what extent original quality content corresponds to 4K, that is, whether there is initially appropriate picture quality. Here, for example, are screenshots of one video from Love Nature (video from the UltraHD 4K section). If you don’t enlarge it, it seems to look great, but when you enlarge it to the original size, it’s not so happy.
Gaming applications evoke similar emotions. It is clear that no one will redraw them specifically for 4K, and this is hardly possible, but in the end it turns out that the same Asphalt 8 looks no better in 4K than in HD. And if you take a screenshot and view it in its original size, the impression will be completely depressing.
conclusions
Before we give our verdict on the Apple TV 4K, let's go back 10 years. Then, in 2007, Full HD video had just become widespread. In particular, there was complete confusion with disc formats: the war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD was in full swing. The first players, which had just entered the Russian market, seemed slow, noisy and glitchy, there were very few disks (and their prices were prohibitive), and alternative ways getting Full HD video was not so much. DVD seemed to be the de facto standard, and all these experiments with HD and Full HD were the lot of enthusiasts.
Today, the situation with 4K penetration is similar, but in some ways progress is faster: at least today, millions of smartphone users can already shoot 4K video themselves. And finding 4K content on the Internet is not so difficult, although, of course, not everything is available in this resolution. But there are also plenty of problems: first of all, not all companies whose products are in one way or another related to video content are ready to switch to 4K. These are the creators of films/series/videos themselves, application developers, and equipment manufacturers.
The second problem is the painful search for common formats and standards. Some support H.264, others support H.265, and this is just one example. This situation is inevitable, and it will be so for the near future, until 4K begins to gradually become dominant, and the entire industry begins to focus on it first.
Actually, new Apple console TV 4K just demonstrates the heap of problems that exist with 4K. Someone “forgot” to add support, someone added it “for show” without doing any optimization, someone transferred content that was only suitable for HD to 4K, and so on. It turns out that having bought an Apple TV 4K, we can’t just go and enjoy the flawless image in ultra-high definition. We still need to find that “honest” 4K and manage to reproduce it.
And today the best way To do this, simply broadcast video from a smartphone or tablet. We post the video on some cloud service, stream it via AirPlay to Apple TV 4K and enjoy. Another option is to buy films with a 4K icon on iTunes, but the choice here is still small, and most films (even relatively recent and big-budget ones) are presented only in Full HD. At the same time, there is no doubt that the list of 4K releases will expand - after all, Apple is directly interested in this.
As for tvOS applications, there is still a complete lottery with 4K support.
And yet it should be noted: the appearance of Apple TV 4K - important point for the entire industry. Bet on HEVC (H.265) format in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11 are a signal to everyone: guys, it's time! The future has arrived! And we can hope that after some time (most likely, a year and a half) 4K will really become the basic option, and those who buy an Apple TV 4K today will no longer have to think about where to get a real 4K image.
Perfect for watching movies, TV shows and viral videos, as well as playing video games in 1080p quality and 60fps, this device also has a full-fledged application market, of which there are more and more. Due to the specifics of the device, they are all somehow related to video and visual effects, but many of these programs are very original and non-standard.
We invite you to look at several very interesting, in our opinion, applications for the new set-top box from Apple. Since the device doesn't have a browser, we can't provide links to them in the App Store, but you can always find them by name.
1. Zova
Zova says the app's mission is to “guide and help people consistently be active and healthy image life." They recently launched a version of their fitness app on Apple TV. If in applications for iPhone and iPad it was necessary to manage to position the screen so that you could see something on it during a workout, then a large TV screen will clearly benefit the popularity of the program. All instructors are women, although the training programs are quite varied.
In addition to Siri Remote, the app works with an optional MFi gaming controller, and if you're wearing an Apple Watch on your wrist, your heart rate will be displayed on the TV screen. The solution is excellent, we hope to see this kind of integration in more applications in the future.
You can download Zova in the App Store, additional content purchased within the application.
2.Madefire
Madefire's goal is to “revolutionize the way comics are read and distributed.” This app turns plain text and pictures into something dynamic, interactive, and perfect for your TV screen.
We've seen all sorts of motion comics and books many times before, but Madefire does its job simply... the highest level. The application contains comics from the DC universe (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman), as well as from a bunch of other manufacturers: DW, Dark Horse, Valiant, Titan, Boom, Oni Press, Top Cow, the list goes on for a long time. There are Transformers and even My Little Pony. And more original titles.
Madefire is distributed free of charge, as is some of its content. The rest of the content can be purchased in the app and you can easily read comics on your TV with a full panorama, music, sound effects and all sorts of other things.
3. Artsy Shows
Previously, to see the world, you had to board a ship or plane and go somewhere. Now is the 21st century, and we can finally see the natural and human world in all its diversity on the wall of our living room or on our phone screen. In almost everything. The impressions of a walk through a museum or gallery are still quite difficult to accurately convey.
With Artsy Shows, you can capture that same feeling of moving through space, time, culture and art without leaving your living room. More than 1000 exhibits are available in the application, the list is updated every day. And no ships.
4. Kitchen Stories
The Kitchen Stories app was designed to give you a “unique cooking experience in your home kitchen.” These impressions are created through colorful video recipes with step by step instructions. Anyone who thinks this cookbook format is perfect for the Apple TV is absolutely right, and that's why Kitchen Stores is finally coming to the big screen. The benefits of the app are doubled if you can watch TV from the kitchen.
The app publishes special tricks to improve your cooking skills and, of course, recipes: from classic to original, vegetarian and quick-cooking. And finally, the application is completely free.
5.Mixcloud
Mixcloud intends to win over its listeners with mixes from the hottest DJs and collaborations with cool radio hosts. But why do developers think you will like their product? Perhaps it's aimed at those who don't like it Apple Music, or for those who want something fresh, not constant mixes or radio programs, but somewhere in the middle. Or perhaps for those who just need good radio on Apple TV (and this niche is now almost completely unoccupied).
The obvious advantage of Apple TV is that it connects to the TV's audio system and, due to this, can create the ideal sound background for an evening with friends, or cooking, or working, when the music does not sound from somewhere, but is everywhere.
6. Star Walk Kids
The award-winning app for iOS and iPad comes to Apple TV. Here, however, you cannot raise the device to the sky and get all the information about the stars you are looking at in an augmented reality manner.
The app knows and can tell you about the Moon and planets of the solar system (Pluto, of course, counts), constellations, 700 brightest stars, the International Space Station and the Hubble Telescope. In a very bright and accessible form for children of all ages.
7.Touchpress
Touchpress offers “an unusual way to listen classical music at home” using music visualization technologies such as BeatMap and NoteFall.
Stylistically, the application is reminiscent of indie games in which you need to rhythmically press the keys when notes appear, but in essence it is more of an educational application in a playful way, quite original and smart. The video above shows the app in all its glory.
8. Sing!
Smule has been “connecting the world through music” since the launch of the App Store for iPhone back in 2008. Since then, whenever Apple expanded the range of devices and platforms on which this store is available, Smule immediately came there. Now, with the launch of Apple TV, Smule is releasing a version of its karaoke app Sing for the new set-top box. Oh yes, HDTV karaoke is either very cool or extremely disgusting, for some reason there is no third!
Happy Sing! you don't just sing along to the lines on the screen, you perform, says the developer. You can record yourself on camera and apply effects, sing along with popular artists, search for and follow friends, and even become a real star thanks to the ability to “be discovered”. There are already more than 100 thousand tracks, and there will be even more.
9. Carrot Weather
Carrot is rude. Brian Mueller, the app's creator, is likely a rather caustic person himself, but his creation is much worse.
Carrot for Apple TV brings you Dark Sky-based weather forecasts just like the iOS, watchOS, and Mac apps, with the same funny, cynical commentary. And just like other apps for other platforms, Carrot has an eye-catching design that turns trivial and boring things into unusual and exciting ones.
Applications for new platform are appearing very quickly and we will try to keep you updated. Feel free to share your finds in the comments!