Apple TV 4K brings Ultra HD streaming

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Apple TV 4K
New Apple TV offers a major overhaul to video quality.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple’s fifth generation Apple TV, a.k.a. Apple TV 4K, will start shipping to customers on September 22.

As suggested by previous reports, the new set-top box boasts impressive 4K video support — representing a major advance in terms of video quality, and providing what Tim Cook calls “cinematic quality [for] everything you watch.” And that’s not all!

4K video is a go-go!

The 4K video means not just four times the number of pixels as current HD, but the set-top box’s High Dynamic Range also allows for richer color and more detailed images. The entire Apple TV interface (including its screensavers) has been reconfigured for 4K, and it supports both industry standard HDR10 and Dolby Vision profiles.

Best of all? Apple has brokered deals with Hollywood studios to include 4K movies in the iTunes Store, which will priced at the same level as present HD movies. (In a neat touch, Apple will let you upgrade existing HD purchases to 4K free of charge.)

It also includes 4K content from Netflix and, later this year, Amazon Prime Video too. All of this puts Apple on at least the same level as Roku, Amazon, and Chrome, which already offer 4K streaming.

Under the hood

To handle all this awesomeness, the Apple TV 4K packs the same A10X Fusion processor found in the newest iPad Pro, along with 3GB of RAM. This is an upgrade on the A8 chip and 2 GB RAM found in the previous Apple TV. It allows for 4K content to be played at 60 fps — thereby helping make the Apple TV 4K a better gaming machine.

Interestingly, no mention was made of the Siri remote, which has been rumored to include new haptic feedback technology to help differentiate the touchpad area of the remote from the rest of it. Whether this is because Apple’s got a ton of stuff to pack into this keynote, and therefore left it out, or if the rumors were wrong, remains to be seen.

Take our money now

The latest Apple TV will be available on September 22, priced at $179 with 32GB of internal storage or $199 with 64GB. Preorders will open on September 15.

Will you be buying one? Leave your comments below.

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