Apple TV 4K Review (3rd Generation): Why Paying More Is Worth It

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When I’m watching TV, I don’t want gimmicks. Experimental design may be entertaining on smartphones, intriguing on laptops, and often downright fun in sports cars, but a box like the Apple TV 4K can’t afford to get too avant-garde. After all, we’re meant to be getting worked up over the movie or the sports game, not because the remote isn’t working properly.

That’s not to say new features aren’t welcome, but our patience for misbehaving set-top boxes is rightly low. Now in its third generation, the Apple TV 4K (2022) has had plenty of time to mature — and to evolve from its original form, back when streaming media was in its infancy.

The living room has become a complicated place — our content is more commonly sourced from a collection of apps rather than an antenna or a cable company. At the same time, video and audio technology have themselves swollen into a confusing array of standards and branding. Question is, even if cheaper than it was before, can the newest Apple TV 4K justify a price tag that by streaming dongle standards is still high?