Apple TV is a small box that connects to any HDMI capable TV and allows you to view content up to 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos sound. As it runs a special operating system designed purely for it's hardware you get the legendary Apple ease of use with powerful features that make using your TV effortless. Read on to find out about some of the key features.
Apps
Apple TV ships with several default apps, just like the Mac or iPhone, but it also has an App Store which allows other developers to expand the capabilities of the system. These include apps from the big streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime and NowTV to games, work outs, cookery, social media and utilities. There is a large and ever expanding set of titles available as the TV becomes more of a central hub in the home.
iCloud
The Apple TV allows you to sign into your iCloud account making your relevant purchases instantly available, from movies, tv shows and music to your photo library.
Airplay
Airplay is a central component to the Apple TV and as such it allows you to send the content from any Apple Device direct to the TV. Whether these are YouTube videos that you started to watch on your phone but finish watching on the big screen, your friends photo albums when they visit or a desktop extension to your MacBook. It also allows you to send the Audio to airplay compatible speakers or receive an audio feed from one of your devices to play on the TV's sound system.
Siri
The Apple TV remote includes Siri integration so you can use it to navigate the system or ask for recommendations:
- "Play the latest episode of Discovery"
- "Open Netflix"
- "Show me the best shows for children"
- "Play Lady Antebellum"
- "Open Minecraft"
- "Show me movies with Harrison Ford"
- "I want to watch natural history"
Using an iPhone as an Apple TV Remote
You can use your iPhone or iPad as an Apple TV remote. You can access it from control centre and it gives you full functionality. It also gives you a traditional keyboard for when you need to type in passwords, user names or search queries making it quicker to get to the content you want.
The TV App
The TV App aggregates the content of participating apps so that you can pick up watching "Treadstone" on Amazon Prime, watch the next episode of Dracula on BBC iPlayer or check out the news from ITV. It will also make recommendations for you based on what you have already been watching.
Multi User
Isn't it annoying when automated algorithms suggest that you should be watching the next episode of Hey Duggee or that Horror Movie that your spouse is into? Wouldn't it be nice to make sure that the kids only had access to content that was relevant to them. In the latest version of TVOS it's possible with multi-user support. Everyone in the family can now have their own account which they can quickly switch to from the control centre. It has full support for Up Next lists, Video and Music collections and recommendations, so each person will only see what they want to watch.
Apple TV+
Apple have now stepped into the realm of content creation, and Apple TV+ is where you can find it. It's a subscription based service but each purchase of a new Apple product gives you a years access for free. The new content is getting good reviews and is expanding all the time. It ranges from drama to comedy to documentary.
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is another new subscription service that gives you access to 100 new games exclusive to the service. Apple teamed up with the world's best game developers to explore new and different gaming worlds. The Apple TV also supports a wide range of controllers so that you can get the full gaming experience.
Computers
With home sharing enabled on your computers you can directly access their content via the Apple TV. So for instance if you have a large video or music library you can share it with the TV over your network.
What is 4K HDR?
4K HDR is the terminology that is being used to describe the new display technologies that are emerging. The term can be split into two parts: 4K relates to the resolution of the image. 4K content has a four times the resolution of HD for more clarity, detail and smoothness. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and allows for a higher peak brightness to images. That means that the highlights in an image will be brighter giving a greater sense of realism to the images, it also allows for a more detailed expression of colour and tone.