Apple TV review: Has the iPhone giant cracked the future of television?



The latest Apple TV is pricey but supremely impressive



APPLE has finally unveiled its new smart set-top box. And it promises to completely revolutionise your TV through the power of apps.

• Pros – Hassle-free Set-Up, Stellar Siri Multitouch Remote, Powerful Content Search
• Cons – Lack of Available Apps, Pricey Hardware, No 4K Future-Proofing

 

The future of a quiet night in-front of the television rides on apps.

Or at least, that’s what technology giant Apple believes. And they might be right.

We now rely on smartphone and tablet apps for everything from booking a train journey, reading a novel, posting on social media, editing and sharing our photos, replying to emails, checking the latest weather and headlines, paying at the check-out and more.

Apple now hopes it can bring the same second-to-none app experience it has created for its hugely successful iPhone and iPad to your television.

Unfortunately – its not quite there yet.

NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com has been sofa-bound with the new 2015 Apple TV box since it launched.

 



The multitouch Siri remote is without a doubt the best on the market



Out of the box, you’ll notice Apple has targeted simplicity.

The brand-new Apple TV is easy to use and even easier to set up – if you have an Apple iPhone to hand. Turn on the little set-top box and place an iPhone alongside and it’ll automatically connect to your home wifi network.

Once you’re up and running you’ll be presented with Apple’s new tvOS operating system which is clean, fresh and simple to navigate – with all of your content made accessible by the brilliant new remote.

No thicker than an iPod Touch and powered by voice assistant Siri, you can now speak to your TV to find everything you need.

Searching for a chosen show will reveal where it’s available to watch, including apps such as iTunes and Netflix. The search results also lists the prices, so you can quickly see whether you can watch for free, rent or purchase.

You can even look for movie genres, find films featuring your favourite Hollywood stars or simply say things such as “Show me funny movies from the ’80s”.

As long as you speak clearly, Siri search works well and certainly speeds things up.

 



Swiping around the remote navigates around tvOS and lets you scrub through video



Another nice feature of the Siri remote is being able to fast forward and rewind programmes by a simple voice command.

However, if you don’t fancy talking to your TV you can also use the touch sensitive pad at the top of the remote to whizz through menus.

As well as being able to watch content from a slew of new tvOS apps, the Apple TV also doubles-up as a surprisingly competent games console.

Nestled inside the device is Apple’s super-fast A8 processor which is powerful enough to load and blast through most games with PS4-style power.

After you have launched a game, you can turn the Siri remote landscape or use your Apple iPhone to take control of the on-screen action.

 



The remote control can be turned sideways and used as a video game controller



Apple TV is also compatible with many third-party console-style controllers, which is likely to appeal to serious button-mashers.

Nintendo Wii fans will also feel the warm glow of familiarity when using the Siri remote's motion sensors to wave your arms around to control the game.

Wafting the remote through the air allows you to game in more interactive way and again the experience is seamless.

The Apple TV has another couple of tricks up its sleeve, for those who are invested in the ever-growing Apple ecosystem, including the ability to easily beam content from your iPad, iPhone and Mac directly to the big screen.

 

Your iCloud Photo Library can also be viewed on the Apple TV so you can bore your relatives rigid with every one of your latest holiday snaps at the touch of a button.

With all of this functionality, there is no doubt that the Apple TV is a fine piece of technology – but before you rush-out and buy one be aware that its far from perfect.

The biggest weakness is content.

At launch, there is a definite lack of big names on the tvOS App Store.

 

Developers are hard at work trying to port more apps and games to the brand-new platform but, if you buy one today, you may be left disappointed.

Even BBC iPlayer isn’t ready just yet, although it should arrive in the coming months.

Apple has also left out support for Ultra HD 4K playback, saying that the majority of TV fans will be more than happy with standard High Definition for now.

Granted, most homes don’t yet have 4K UHD TVs, or fast enough broadband connections to stream the pin-sharp content – but the lack of 4K mean this new piece of tech could quickly become out-of-date.

 

Voice search is the fastest way to zip around the bright new operating system

Our final quibble with the Apple TV is the price.

The basic 32GB model clocks in at £129, which is almost twice the price of some of its main rivals – which also offer 4K UHD streaming.

Final Verdict

It’s not perfect. But you definitely shouldn’t ignore the new Apple TV.

This little box of tricks has plenty of features going for it and the touchscreen-enabled Siri remote is the best on the market now.

Voice control means you’ll soon be zipping through apps and you watching your favourite content – provided the video on-demand service is available on tvOS.

If you buy an Apple TV today, you are investing in Apple’s vision for the future of television through apps. The Cupertino firm has big plans for its new gadget and with the tvOS App Store growing every day – the Apple TV is only going to get better and better.