Apple TV: Is Apple’s multimedia receiver worth it?
You probably already have a smart TV at home. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, your provider’s TV app… by now the most important streaming providers even have their own button on the remote control. So why do you still need a TV stick or a TV box? We’ll enlighten you using the Apple TV as an example.
Smart TV vs. Smart TV boxes and sticks
Sony, Samsung, Philips, Panasonic, LG, Xiaomi – the television market is overwhelming. 4K, HDR, OLED, LCD… Quite a few are overwhelmed by the many models, the abbreviations and the possible technologies. On top of that: every user interface is different – even within one model family, the user interface can look vastly different. Only rarely are the user interfaces really adapted to the needs of the users – often the sheer weight of apps, settings, offers and more overwhelms one. Even experienced people have to find their way around.
On the one hand, the many possibilities are great – but the potential of a Smart TV is rarely used by users because of this complexity.
This is where the streaming boxes and sticks from Apple, Amazon, Google and Co. come in. They offer an interface familiar from the smartphone, a familiar user interface and can also easily withstand a change of TV set. If you use an iPhone, for example, you will quickly find your way around the Apple TV interface. Settings are explained, extra apps like Netflix and Co. have to be downloaded and installed first and do not take up valuable real estate on the start screen, as is usual with smart TVs – after all, not everyone has a Netflix subscription.
No tracking and no advertising
Unfortunately, smart features have led manufacturers to play advertisements through their own user interface – and hiding these advertisements is becoming increasingly difficult for the user. Advertising also means tracking. Manufacturers track which app you use and for how long, how long you watch content and what content you watch. Often, a variety of different trackers are used, which means that your data ends up with some company or other (so-called third-party providers).
Long-term OS and app support
Unlike smartphones, televisions are not usually a product that you change every few years. It is not uncommon for televisions to be in our homes for 10 years or more. For many app providers, it is not worth keeping their apps up to date for that long – there are too many different operating systems, TV models and versions for that – and often too few users who still use the apps after 10 years.
This is where the TV boxes and sticks from Apple, Roku, Google and Amazon come in. Instead of thousands of different TV models in different sizes, there are only a few models, which makes app maintenance much easier. Moreover, new sticks and boxes do not appear every year, but only every few years.
Make dumb TVs smart
The truth is also that millions of households have “dumb” TVs, i.e. TVs without internet capabilities or former smart TVs whose support ended years ago. With external devices, you can make them “intelligent” again and watch Netflix, Disney+ and co. on the TV again.
What speaks for the Apple TV
Only very few people know that the Apple TV is even older than the iPhone. While the first generation of the Apple TV was already released in March 2007, fans of the Apple smartphone had to wait until the end of the year. But it was only 8 years later, in September 2015, that Apple gave the media box a profound update. It got a new operating system, called tvOS, new apps (also from third-party providers such as Netflix, CNN and Co.), and a revised remote control that, unlike conventional remote controls, relies on touch gestures. If you want to buy the latest Apple TV box, you have to go for the Apple TV 4K. This costs CHF 199, which is significantly higher than the price of a Google Chromecast or Fire TV stick. But if you are already in the Apple universe, you should definitely take a look at Apple’s media box. The following points speak in favour of an Apple TV:
Cheaper than a new TV
Whether it’s a new or an old TV: you don’t always have to buy a new TV to enjoy the latest technical innovations like AirPlay 2. Although the Apple TV functionality is being built into more and more televisions (so an external Apple TV is becoming increasingly unnecessary), this technology is still only reserved for high-priced top models. With a cheaper TV and an external Apple TV, you often save more.
Simple set up
Apple devices are now characterised by an extremely simple set-up. The Apple TV is no different. Simply connect it and hold the iPhone to the box. Settings, passwords and more are shared between the devices. It couldn’t be simpler!
AirPlay 2
AirPlay is Apple’s Bluetooth alternative. With AirPlay, you can share content such as photos, videos or songs between your Apple devices. Perfect for sharing your holiday photos on the big screen, for example. Find out how to play your iPhone content on Apple TV here.
Apps on the big screen
Alternatively, you can have apps on Apple TV to access your photos, music or videos. You can download other apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ to the device via the App Store. Even if these app providers have stopped supporting your TV, you can be sure that they will provide regular updates to their Apple TV apps.
Long-term support and regular updates
Because therein lies the strength: Apple, Amazon and Co. have an incentive to keep their multimedia boxes and sticks up-to-date and equip them with new functions. For example, the Apple TV from 2015 is still being sold. Counter question: Which TV from 2015 still receives regular updates today?
TV App and Apple TV+
Admittedly, the difference between Apple TV and Apple TV+ is somewhat confusing for newcomers. While Apple TV describes the multimedia box, Apple TV+ is Apple’s streaming service. Unlike Netflix and Amazon Prime, Apple TV+ focuses less on quantity and more on quality. You can find out more about Apple TV+ in our article about it.
The TV app is a mixture of the iTunes Store and the streaming apps. The TV app remembers when you watch a series on a supported streaming provider (Netflix is unfortunately not one of them). This is especially handy if you have subscribed to many streaming providers – instead of opening the respective streaming app on the Apple TV each time, you only need to go to the TV app and can continue watching from there.
Apple Music
If you like to party at home, you can also access your Apple Music library and play songs on your Apple TV. You can read more about Apple Music in this article.
Apple Arcade
Those who find ordinary game consoles too expensive can subscribe to Apple Arcade for CHF 5 per month and access a large but selected selection of games and play them on the big screen. The games are all free of microtransactions and free of charge. You can read more about Apple Arcade here.
Apple Fitness+
Apple Fitness+ is Apple’s fitness service that lets you do various sports in front of your TV. Expensive gym contracts are a thing of the past. The highlight: During the workout you get the data of your Apple Watch displayed on the screen. We have already published an article about Apple Fitness+.
Siri Remote & iPhone Control
The Siri Remote lets you control your Apple TV with your voice. “Show Marvel series”, “Turn on subtitles”, “Rewind 30 seconds” are just a few commands you can speak into your remote.
And if the Siri Remote is broken or has disappeared, you can also control it via your iPhone. To do this, either download the “iTunes Remote” app from the iPhone App Store or start the iPhone remote control via the Control Centre.
HomeKit & Smart Home Centre
HomeKit is Apple’s smart home architecture. The Apple TV (or a HomePod Mini) is where the commands for your smart home devices come together, even if you trigger them from another Apple device or from outside the home. You can also watch streams from your security cameras on Apple TV.
Conclusion: Apple TV: Not a must-have, but an incredibly helpful extension for iPhone owners
Compared to the Fire TV stick from Amazon or the Google Chromecast, the Apple TV has a higher price. However, in view of the functionalities it offers and the long service life, the price is put into perspective. An Apple TV is not a product that you replace every few years like an iPhone. Especially those who own an older TV without smart functions will benefit from Apple’s Mediabox. For Android owners, however, an Apple TV is less worthwhile – they should take a look at Google’s Chromecast.
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This article was published on 22 October 2022 and was updated on 20 November 2024.
