By the end of the year, an Apple TV that competes with Roku and Amazon might be available. Apple will release a new Apple TV “that improves cost structure” in the second half of 2022, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a tweet.
Apple now offers three Apple TV models. Apple’s 4K Apple TV is available in 32GB and 64GB capacities, with prices starting at $179 and $199, respectively. That’s a fantastic price for what the 4K Apple TV offers. Apart from Nvidia’s Shield family, no other set-top box can match the Apple TV 4K’s compatibility for a wide range of home theater standards and codecs. It’s the industry standard for expert home entertainment installers, and its EDID capabilities are highly recognized.
Extended Display Identification Data, or EDID, notifies your set-top box, Blu-Ray player, or other device what sort of display you’ve connected it to. Devices with weak EDID handshakes may try to play HDR material on your TV when it can’t or, worse, assume your TV isn’t capable of HDR and deprive you the wonderful dynamic range you paid for. Roku, Amazon, and many other set-top boxes are notoriously bad at handshakes and delivering the highest-quality signal from any streaming source to your TV. Apple does it right.
While the Apple TV HD has the same excellent EDID handling as the 4K, it misses all of the other features that make the 4K a must-have for home theater enthusiasts. It only supports 1080p resolution, and for $149, it’s a terrible deal. It’s the type of awful buy where you’d be better off saving your money.
