Apple TV 4K is the latest iteration of the Apple TV digital media receiver device that can play movies from sources like Netflix, TV shows, YouTube and other videos, live sports, and more on a widescreen TV.
Apple TV 4K improves upon earlier Apple TV releases that offered a max of 1920×1080 pixels of detail (high definition) by supporting the ultra-high-definition 3840×2160 picture format. Apple TV 4K adds high dynamic range (4K HDR) support as well as the premium quality Dolby Vision format.
Apple TV 4K is powered by Apple’s tvOS, an operating system originally developed for the Apple TV 4th generation (not to be confused with the Apple TV 4K) and announced on September 9, 2015. tvOS includes support for Siri, which can be accessed by a button on the Siri Remote that comes with the Apple TV 4K to help users quickly and easily find content from a variety of multimedia sources.
Pricing and Competition for the Apple TV 4K
The higher quality and other improvements offered by AppleTV 4K do come at an increased cost. While the original Apple TV device retailed for $99 and the 32GB fourth generation Apple TV remains available for $149, the AppleTV 4K costs $179 with 32GB of storage and $199 with 64GB of storage.
Apple TV 4K is priced considerably higher than competing models like the Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast Ultra and Roku Streaming Stick+, all of which offer 4K HDR support and do so for at least $100 less than the Apple TV 4K.