Last year, I was lucky enough to get the 128GB Apple TV 4K third generation with Ethernet during Apple’s Black Friday sales promotion.
Although I did post a quick review of it later in the year, this did not include any sort of comments or feedback regarding 4K content since I did not have a 4K TV at the time. However, since I did purchase a 4K TV last month, I can now finally give some feedback regarding that.
When it comes to the design of the newest version of the Apple TV 4K, I do like that it has its smaller design than the last generation. What I do not like about it is that it got rid of the “TV” on top of the box and now it just has a simple Apple logo on it.
I believe this is fine for products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but since you could argue that the Apple TV 4K is not as common of a product as an iPhone or iPad, there needs to be the full “ TV” logo on the product’s top.
Where this product shines the most is through tvOS. I have previously used products like the Roku and Amazon Fire TV, and if there is one aspect about the Apple TV 4K that it has over the Roku and Fire TV, it’s that tvOS does not lag much and is not cluttered with ads everywhere.
Another part that I like about the Apple TV 4K is the Siri Remote that has USB-C on it. It’s a major convenience for me since my iPhone 15 Plus and iPad Air fifth generation have USB-C support too. It has made it much easier to transition to full-blown USB-C in my apartment.
You can even move your thumb around the click wheel of the Siri Remote and have the app it is on do this cool circle animation that I have not seen any lag on when dong that.
On top of that, the design of the remote is amazing. It’s like Apple took the best features of the original Apple TV remote and previous Siri Remote, and combined them into the current version.
But the question you might be wondering is “what’s the 4K content like on it?”
To see this for myself, I tested out watching a live sporting event, which was the most recent Super Bowl last month between the San Francisco 49ers against the Kansas City Chiefs since CBS broadcast the game live in 4K, which I was able to stream through the CBS 4K channel on fuboTV.
In my opinion, the 4K video quality was great (even though it was technically an upscale version of the 1080p HDR broadcast) and the Apple TV 4K had no issues playing it.
The 2023 “Doctor Who” 60th anniversary specials that were shot in 4K were also pieces of 4K content I was able to stream on my Apple TV 4K. The resolution alone made it a much more enjoyable experience, especially when seeing some of the special effects and CGI. The colors were clearer and more vibrant.
Another piece of 4K content I streamed was “Fantastic Beasts and the Secrets of Dumbledore” on Peacock. Believe it or not, it was nominated for a Video Effects Society (VES) Award back in 2022.
I found the special effects to be more enjoyable and natural. Now, whether or not that is specifically tied to the Apple TV 4K alone is up for discussion. However, it is good that it does have that 4K support.
The only issue I have been able to find with the Apple TV 4K third generation is the fact that…well…Apple charges more just for an Ethernet port. We’re not talking about $5-10, we’re talking about $20 extra just to have an Ethernet port. Granted, you do get 128GB of storage on top of having the Ethernet port, but Apple did previously have that port on the 32GB second generation model when it was released in April 2021.
While it’s not technically an issue with the product itself, I don’t like having to pay more for a product that essentially has the same look and design as the lower-storage model in the Apple TV 4K third generation lineup but with just an added Ethernet port that the company could have easily added to the 64GB model. As it stands right now, the 64GB Apple TV 4K third generation is a Wi-Fi-only model.
All in all, I’d the 128GB Apple TV 4K third generation with Ethernet gets 3.5/4 stars from me when it comes to its functionality. The design leaves a little to be desired, specifically with only having the Apple logo there and not the “ TV” logo like it was previously, as well as the whole Ethernet port debacle.
Still, the device will enable you to enjoy your content and then some for many years to come, as Apple is known to support the Apple TV several years after it has been initially released.
Rating: 3.5/4 stars
