The Hidden Benefits of Apple TV 4K Nobody Tells You About

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1. I have my own A/V server (an ancient 2012 Mac Mini) which works perfectly fine with this ATV 4K. One thing I didn't hear mentioned was support for AV1. Many blu-rays are distributed with that codec, which doesn't work on other (cheaper) streaming devices. But without AV1 support, I can't store many blu-rays on my server and watch them. Some people complain the ATV doesn't have an AV1 chip, and it doesn't. But it doesn't need one. It decodes flawlessly in software. I don't do gaming, so if you're waiting for the next ATV to get better gaming, sure. On the other hand, you might be able to get a deal on the current ATV when the new model comes out.

   Full Disclosure…
   I own a whole lot of Apple stuff, but I've come to despise the Apple corporation and their executives. Their greed and BS seem to know no bounds. So I absolutely hated the idea of handing Apple any more of my money. But like this guy, I now have an ATV 4K for every TV in my home, and never looked back. Now all my TVs work exactly the same. Having the same model of ATV remote makes everything sooo easy! They're each the same, so all my TVs now work exactly the same. Woohoo!

   One final tidbit: Using the software built into a TV itself is a bad idea. If you don't want an ATV, at least get yourself some streaming device to use. DO NOT USE THE BUILT-IN SOFTWARE! There is so little SSD storage in most modern TVs, that it wears out, and your TV won't work when that happens. It's dead! The repair cost? Hundreds!!!

2. As an Apple TV 4K user (I have a stereo setup with my HomePod minis) I absolutely love it, and with iOS26 (Dev Beta for all of my Apple devices, phone, watch, AirPods, HomePod minis, and the Apple TV) it looks much better, and while watching anime and I need the control center and the new design language “Liquid Glass”, it makes the control center look like it always should have lol.
   And if I’m on FaceTime with someone, I love the ability to use Continuity with my Apple TV although with how old my phone is, I need to have a charger nearby so it doesn’t die while on call lo

3. What generation 4K is this?

4. Shoot, I’ve been using Apple TVs since the first gen 4K one and that one from was first released in 2017 and it still is just as snappy as when I first got it in 2020. It’s currently on one of my roommates’ bedroom television because they’re across the house from the router and it’s the only streaming device that didn’t lose Wi-Fi signal. The only thing it hasn’t gotten is the snoopy screensavers which isn’t much of a difference.

   When Apple releases a new ATV I will 100% upgrade and move the eithernet ATV 4K third gen to my room and the Wi-Fi 3rd gen from my room to my roommates’ room.

5. A sony TV has a google tv as operating system, so it has 0 issues with apps being availalbe lol. What a bad faith argument

6. raspberry pi. If you know you know

7. Does AppleTV allow audio passthrough? I recall it not able to do so, if you have a decent home theatre setup this is a must have.

8. I have an LG OLED TV and I hate the U.I. It's super clunky and old. I was never really a fan of chrome cast, as to me personally it always felt much of the same. I've had a few FireTV's from Amazon over the years. While it was better than my TV's OS, it too felt clunky and outdated. Over the past year or so, I've been slowly working my way back into the Apple ecosystem, with my job giving me a MacStudio and MBP to use. Lately I've been thinking about getting an Apple TV 4k, I've had the TV boxes in the past, but it's been probably about 10 years (or more) since I've actually owned one. The Apple TV OS looks a lot nice and more modern.

9. whast the little pixel frame next to your pacman stuff
   can you put anything on there?

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