Since recently, we can enjoy Apple TV + in our country. This Internet television service is offered through the Smart device for televisions, Apple TV.
Thanks to this TV Box made by Apple, you can enjoy on-demand videos, apps and a wide range of series and movies that were filmed exclusively for this platform. You will have the option to choose different models, which differ in the image quality they transmit to the Smart, HD or 4K.
If you want to know what this technology is about, don't miss the following paragraphs in which we will show you their services and how you should correctly configure the device. We will also see the differences with a Chromecast and an Amazon Fire. Let us begin!
What is Apple TV and what is it for? The new Apple television
It is a device that allows decoding multimedia content through the Internet, with which you can stream and thus enjoy channels or video-on-demand platforms. It has a wide variety of services, including Apple TV +. This television service was launched in our country in November 2019 and has image quality 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos sound.
The 4K decoder, in its latest version, measures 98 × 98 × 23 mm and allows you to download apps so that you can enjoy other specific channels, such as Netflix, YouTube, FuboTV and Flix Olé among others.
In order to operate the decoder you will have to use a remote control, called Apple TV Remote. This has advanced technology, since it has a touch area with which you can access the commands more quickly. If you prefer, you can use the Siri voice assistant. There are 2 ways to configure Apple TV, but we'll see that later.
What are all Apple TV services?
As we told you before, Apple TV has different services with which you can enjoy the best streaming content on the big screen in your room. Next, we analyze each of these.
AppleTV HD
It is the 4th generation Apple TV and, logically, it has fewer functions than the 4K decoder. It is ideal to avoid investing in a SmartTV, since with this device you will be able to access different channels and platforms in HD quality, such as Netflix or others where you will be able to choose what you want to see with simple commands.
With this 32GB decoder You will have access to a broadcast in HD quality images. You will have a rechargeable battery in the "Apple TV Remote" that will allow you to transmit via Bluetooth or wireless technology.
Like the other Apple TV controls, it offers a touch surface and ports HDMI and Ethernet 10/1000. It has a processor 64-bit A8 chip and it is compatible with iTunes. If you want to have the Home Sharing feature, you will need an iTunes Store account. It is compatible with HD TV with HDMI ports and with Bluetooth keyboards. Video formats are up to 1080p and can be HEVC SDR, H.264, H.264 Baseline Profile or MPEG4. As for the audio, you can enjoy surround sound Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 or the "5.1".
AppleTV +
Apple TV + is the Internet television service offered by Apple. It is broadcast through your Apple TV device, but you can also watch it on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and on a Mac. If you have a Windows computer, don't worry because through iTunes you can also access this streaming content.
It has a good amount of series and movies that are original from this platform, in addition to having the possibility of including hundreds of films that you can rent or buy. If you want to see popular streaming channels, you will have the option of accessing them by downloading the app or searching directly for the channel on the home page.
You will have the possibility of viewing up to 6 devices at the same time, enjoying 4K HDR image quality and Dolby Atmos sound. You will have 7 days of free trial, and after that time, you must pay a monthly fee of € 4.99. If you buy an Apple TV, Mac or any Apple mobile device, you will have one year free subscription. And if you are an Apple Music Student client, you can benefit from accessing free movies and series with your own production.
In addition to all these benefits that we have named, you can also watch movies and series without an Internet connection. For this you must register with your Apple ID or use the user of iCloud and when you have found a title that you want to see you must click on "To download".
AppleTV 4k
This service offers a decoder that can transmit streaming content in 4K quality, being the best version provided by the Apple brand. Your images have a quality of up to 3840 x 2160 pixels, much higher than the 1920 x 1080 pixels of AppleTV HD. The speed with which it offers a much better user experience, especially when you want to change channels, since the time to transfer from one to another is much less than that of other devices.
On AppleTV 4K you can watch AppleTV +. You will also have the option to download almost all the apps you need and you will be able to enjoy the channels that transmit in this quality without any problems. That is, you will be able to see, on Netflix, for example, some of their series or movies with brighter colors and greater details. Delivers Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos 7.1 surround sound.
Your processor is a A10X High-performance 4-core, being 50% faster than its predecessor the A8 (which is used on Apple TV HD). Like all Apple TV devices, it has a smart controller that offers the voice dictation and touch zone function. The price is € 199 with a storage capacity of 32 GB, and if you want to have a device with twice the capacity, You will have to pay € 219.
Airplay
Apple gives you the possibility to use your Mac, iPhone or any other mobile devices of this brand and stream to an Apple TV or a Smart, provided that this function is supported, through AirPlay. This can be done as long as all the devices are connected to the same WiFi network and the sending devices have a version 10 or higher of iTunes, if you decide to watch on a device other than Apple TV.
Its icon is represented by a rectangle that has a triangle at the bottom base. It is usually located on the right margin of the screen and to activate it, you must click on it and then you will have to choose the name of the receiving device in which you want to see the content.
What can I watch on Apple TV? All VOD services in a single app
On an Apple TV you can enjoy 4K series and movies of own production or third parties. In addition, you can use different streaming platforms, such as Hulu, YouTube or Netflix. If you prefer, you can listen to podcasts, watch sports and live channels, as well as see photos on the big screen of your TV or access the music you have on your Mac or iPhone.
Also, you will have the option to incorporate your subscriptions from specific platforms such as Apple TV Flix Olé or FuboTV, where you can enjoy movies from our cinema or watch sporting events from all over the world. You can also access games and enjoy this online entertainment.
How to use Apple TV? Set up, sync and enjoy your content on all your screens and devices
So you can learn how you should use your Apple TV, the first thing you should do is connect it to the TV. For that, you will have to place it near your TV and a socket. You have to take into account that it is advisable not to locate the TvBox device on other electronic equipment, or on other objects that have magnets that could damage the operation of the internal circuits of the Apple TV.
When you already know all the accessories that your TV Box has, you must connect it through an HDMI cable to a port that is on the back of the Smart or TV. Now you will have to insert the cable Ethernet in the port for this connection, which is also on the back of your device.
Remember that you will have to do this if you don't want to connect it to a WiFi network. To finish the wiring installation, you will need to connect the power cord to the electrical outlet so that it can power your Apple TV.
It's time to turn on your TV and Apple TV. You will see a menu on the big screen so you can choose the WiFi or LAN network with your remote or Apple TV Remote, then you will have to write the login password so you have internet access. When you are already in the home network, you will have to activate the function "Sharing at home". This will allow you to access your computer using Apple TV and thus be able to watch videos and listen to music from an iPhone or Mac on the TV.
In order to configure this tool, you will have to go to "Settings" and then to the option "Sharing at home". Once you have pressed it, you will have to enter your Apple ID and password and then pair the different devices by entering the Apple ID and password you used on Apple TV.
Once you have done all these steps, you will be able to see the streaming content using the remote. In case you want to play a video from your iPhone, you will have to use the function AirPlay pressing on the screen of your mobile and then choose the icon to stream the video. If what you are looking for is to use "Sharing at home" To view photos using the iPhoto function from your computer, you will have to drag the images you want to share on your Apple TV into a folder. You can do the same with your music.
To use a Hulu or Netflix subscription, you must press the main menu on your remote and look for one of these platforms there. Now you can start enjoying Apple TV + series or movies and when you want to continue watching them on your mobile, you will have to turn off the television to pause the content and then you can continue from your phone.
So far, we have made progress on how you should use Apple TV, but this device has an important ally, remote control. With this you will have much faster access to all the functions and so you can improve your user experience.
Next we will do an analysis of Apple TV Remote:
- The BoxTV remote control has a Touch zone so you can move the cursor in different directions. It also has a button called Select, which will serve to select menu options.
- In order to open the menu, you must press the key "Menu". With this function you can return to the previous screen, but if you hold it tight for a few seconds, you will return to the main menu. When you are watching a movie or series, you can access the subtitles by holding down this key as well.
- When you want to reset your Apple TV device and return to the factory settings, you will need to press and hold "Menu and the down arrow" until the Apple light appears for a few seconds.
- In case you need any remote control to control AppleTV, you will have to press the key "Menu and the arrow to the right" for a few seconds. This way you will avoid and cancel all the other remote controls.
- If you want, you can access functions of a remote control on your iPhone or iPad. To do this, you must download the app from the App Store "Remote". This will allow you to control Apple TV from your mobile.
AppleTV 4K vs Chromecast vs Amazon Fire Which is the best box to watch streaming TV?
Next, we will carry out an analysis of these types of Box for TV devices that will help you choose the best one according to your needs:
With Apple TV 4K You will have the possibility to download apps from your smart controller or through the Siri voice assistant. The maximum resolution of images that you can see is 3840 x 2160 pixels and its surround sound will be Dolby Atmos. The TV box has a memory capacity of up to 64 GB so you can store all your content and preferences in apps.
You can enjoy Apple TV +, with which you will have recent series and films with own production. You will also have the alternative of downloading apps to watch free channels. And if you are a fan of football or classic cinema, you will also have the option to download the platforms dedicated to this content.
As if this were not enough, you can use the device to play and see photos that you have stored on your mobile or computer. When you want to listen to music, you can do it without any problem, since you will have the option of accessing these contents through the Airplay.
Chromecast is a Google device that allows you to stream videos live from your smartphone or desktop computer to the big screen of the television. You can enjoy quality content 4K Ultra HD and 4K HDR, as long as you have an Internet connection via WiFi or Ethernet and the TV supports this type of format. In order for you to see without cuts, you will need a minimum browsing speed of 20 Mbps.
You will have the possibility to download all the apps you want, as long as they are compatible with this device. To be able to work with the mobile you must download "Google Home" on your smartphone or use the Google assistant. Its price is much lower than Apple TV, since it will cost you a little more than € 60. The installation is very simple.
Amazon Fire is a Box device made by Amazon with which you will have 8 GB storage and you can connect to the Internet via WiFi or Bluetooth. Your Android operating system supports 1080px video formats and Dolby Digital Plus sound. Thanks to this TV Box, you can enjoy platforms like Netflix, Spotify or YouTube.
In addition to having the option to download thousands of games, you will also be able to watch channels that are classified by category. For example, cooking, entertainment, news and others. It has a virtual assistant, Alexa, that will help you execute the controls faster from your command. Its price is around € 40 and to be able to install it you will have to connect it through an HDMI port on your television with simple steps.
With this we want to establish the benefits that each one provides to its users, but will depend on you. In other words, the money you want to spend and also the benefits you want to achieve so you can enjoy streaming content.