Reviews
Apple TV 4K (2024) and why I still will not switch to Roku
Six years of Apple TV in the lounge. The hardware is overpriced. The experience is the only one I would recommend.
October 20246 min read
The Apple TV 4K (2024) starts at £169. Roku Ultra starts at £100. Chromecast with Google TV is £55. Apple's pitch is "this one is faster". I do not buy that pitch. I still buy the box.
Why The absence of advertising. Roku homepage is now 70% advertising real estate. Google TV's recommendations are paid placements masked as suggestions. Apple TV opens to the apps I installed and nothing else.
Speed A15 Bionic with 4GB RAM. Yes, it is faster than every other set-top. No app load time over 1.5 seconds. But the speed gap stops mattering once you cross the 3-second threshold.
The Siri Remote The redesigned remote is better than the original glass touchpad horror. Still loseable. Still expensive to replace.
What works - AirPlay from any iPhone is instant - Picture-in-picture on tvOS - Privacy stance (nothing sold about you) - HomeKit hub is built in
What does not - Apple TV+ is fine, not a Netflix replacement - The remote app on iPhone is still buggy after years - HDMI-CEC works inconsistently with non-Apple amplifiers
Should you buy? If you are deep in the Apple ecosystem, yes. If you are not, get a Chromecast and pocket the £100.
S
Sarma
SarmaLinux
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