Best Apple TV
- dec
- 20
The 64GB Apple TV 4K is the best you can buy today. It lets you watch 4K HDR content from iTunes, Netflix, and more, run apps and play games, and is small enough to fit almost anywhere.
Best overall
64GB Apple TV 4K
With the latest update, Apple TV has gone fully 4K HDR, supporting 2160p in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It still has an App Store, so you can still download apps and play games, but it also has support for iTunes, Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, and more. And with Movies Anywhere, you can watch anything you've bought on any participating service using any participating service. About damn time.
With 64GB of storage, and Apple's clever on-demand storage, there's also room for everything you throw at — or download onto — it.
Bottom line: If you have a 4K HDR TV with Dolby Vision, this is the box you want attached to it,
One more thing: Apple TV also supports game controllers for that full-on console feeling.
Why the 64GB Apple TV 4K is the best
When it comes to content, more isn't just more — it's better.
Apple went years without updating the Apple TV, then updated it twice in a row. The first time was all about apps. Just like iPhone and iPad, Apple TV has an App Store and that means you can download everything from exercise and shopping apps to the casual and hardcore games. Many are even bundled with their iPhone and iPad counterparts, so you get a single, continous experiences from on-the-go to across the room.
To understand why the 64GB version is the best, we need to look at how Apple TV 4K works. With tvOS, Apple introduced On-Demand Resources (ODR). If you go to watch a movie or get a game on your TV, the last thing you want to see is an error saying you're out of disk space and telling you to go delete something old before you can download something new.
So, ODR manages all that in the background. As you download new stuff, ODR deletes old, infrequently used stuff. That includes levels and cut scenes in games you've already completed, and content you watched a long time ago and haven't returned to since. Think of it as a super-smart, next-generation cache.
That might make it sound like you can get away with less storage and not need more. For some people, especially those with high-speed internet connections and no or very high data caps, that'll be true.
For most people, though, having more content available locally will still be the best experience. When you watch a movie this week, it might still be available immediately to show your friends next week. When you download a bunch of games, they'll all be ready to play, right away. Plus, you won't have to worry about wasting as much data on re-downloads.
And that makes the 64GB Apple TV 4K the best experience.
Best for streamers
32GB Apple TV 4K
If you are one of the lucky people who enjoy a very high-speed internet connection and no or effectively no data cap, or your simply don't watch or play a lot of content, then you can save yourself some money and get the cheaper 32GB Apple TV 4K. It's otherwise identical in every way, so you won't miss out on anything. You'll simply need to re-download more and more often than you would with the 64GB model.
Bottom-line: If you want to save some money and don't mind having to re-download content more often, the 32GB Apple TV 4K is for you.
Best on a budget
32GB Apple TV (2015)
If you don't have a 4K HDR television, you can save even more money by getting the 1080p version of Apple TV. It runs the same apps, plays the same games, and has access to the same iTunes, Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, and other content sources.
It doesn't have as powerful a processor but, if all you need or want is 1080p, you likely won't notice the difference.
Bottom-line: If you don't have a 4K HDR television and won't be getting one any time soon, save some cash and get the 1080p Apple TV.
One more thing: If you're using Apple TV for work presentations or home automation control, the older, less expensive version will serve you fine.
Conclusion
If you don't care about iTunes, you can look at alternatives like ChromeCast or FireTV. Otherwise, if you want the best set-top box Apple has to offer, you want the 64GB Apple TV 4K.
Best overall
64GB Apple TV 4K
With the latest update, Apple TV has gone fully 4K HDR, supporting 2160p in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It still has an App Store, so you can still download apps and play games, but it also has support for iTunes, Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, and more. And with Movies Anywhere, you can watch anything you've bought on any participating service using any participating service. About damn time.
With 64GB of storage, and Apple's clever on-demand storage, there's also room for everything you throw at — or download onto — it.
Bottom line: If you have a 4K HDR TV with Dolby Vision, this is the box you want attached to it,
One more thing: Apple TV also supports game controllers for that full-on console feeling.
Updated December 2017: Apple TV 4K 64GB is still the best Apple TV you can buy.
