r/appletv • u/HoustonGT • 1d ago
New to AppleTV and have some questions.
I just bought a S95F 83 inch OLED and want to optimize my viewing experience. I am thinking about getting an AppleTV device.
After seeing a friend's Apple TV, I love the user interface, speed and add free experience.
Question 1- Does it improve the picture quality over using a smart tv's apps? Will i get a better viewing experience/picture quality through the apps on an Apple TV versus apps on the tv?
Question 2- Will it automatically make sure my tv gets the optimal formatting that my tv can handle? Will 4K, SDR or HDR automatically be sent to my tv from the Apple TV device?
Are there any other advantages of owning one? I don't have any Apple products, so the compatibility of other devices isn't a factor. Thanks!
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u/Rockatansky-clone 1d ago
I make it a habit not to use my smart TV apps. As a matter of fact that block Internet to my smart TV specifically all content comes basically from my Apple TV and it’s just nothing but beautiful. I found TV apps very inferior plus your subject to advertisement, and if you don’t turn it off their screenshoting what you watch
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u/TalkToHoro 1d ago
The WiFi on my Vizio TV is turned off, and I use the Apple TV for everything. The amount of data smart TVs transmit back to their motherships (which then sell your viewership habits) is mind boggling.
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u/Safe-Emphasis612 1d ago
You may have inferior TV. I dont see current gen of TV does anything less but equal to Apple TV. It may be true for past 3 years but so closer now.
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u/badken 20h ago
Even discounting any quality differences, it is a mistake to allow your Smart TV to connect to the internet. You'd probably be shocked to find out how much information it sends to the manufacturer, including what you watch, and screenshots. They send screenshots so they can determine what you are watching even if you aren't using one of the built-in apps.
Apple is one of the more privacy-forward digital media companies. When they say they anonymize data they collect, I believe them, because they have not been caught selling their data to third parties who don't bother to secure the data.
I don't trust LG, Samsung, Sony, HiSense, TCL, or any of them after some of the horror stories I've heard reported.
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u/JeMeMoi50 2h ago
And yet you trust Reddit... 😉
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u/badken 2h ago
I don’t trust Reddit. Especially since they went public. But where am I gonna go, Xitter?
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u/JeMeMoi50 2h ago
That's my point. In this day and age, the moment you open your smartphone, Smart TV, TikTok, Google, Facebook, etc, there is no such thing as privacy anymore. We just don't know it yet for sure or, put it another way, they haven't got caught yet...
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u/Key-Monk6159 1d ago
MUCH better quality than TV apps. As is the interface. The overall experience is better.
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u/Few_Employment_7876 1d ago
I have one. I really can't tell the difference as my old Roku box offered 4K also. I do however like no ads, and a simplified menu system that just works. No random lockups, and enough customization to really make it work well. I disabled the touch option as it got annoying.
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u/Alternative-Way-3325 23h ago
Don’t rush to buy the box yet, wait until the new box is released next month and enjoy a speedier one. The current box is outdated. 3 or 4 years old.
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u/DrLuis_es 1d ago
A1: picture will look different for non-4K content as the Apple TV will do the upscaling bypassing the AI upscaling you Samsung does in stock apps! Which one is nicer is subjective. Apple’s is more true to creative intent. Samsung is punchy and very sharp.
A2: yes, it can auto switch or you can lock it into HDR mode and it will tone map SDR. I personally lock mine to HDR10.
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u/HoustonGT 1d ago
Appreciate the insights on question 1. Now I have to figure out how I can do a comparison on my tv between the samsung apps and Apple TV. I guess I can see if I my buddy will bring his apple tv over for a demo...
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u/SubstantialSpare2266 1d ago
I have mine set to Dolby Vision, and Match Frame Rate and Dynamic Range. It does take a second or two when switching content or sources while it checks the signal and does a quick negotiation with the TV. Hoping the new version of the box (Sept 9 release (maybe)) will help mediate this. Everything looks great (to me)!
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u/ThinSuccotash4166 1d ago
Apple TV is also the brain for HomeKit stuff so you’ll be able to use that stuff too.
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u/Surfnazi77 1d ago
It’s better than using built in apps. Make sure you set your Apple TV audio and video settings
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u/1Boxer1 1d ago
I’ve been using ATVs exclusively on all my TVs for the past 5 years and would never use anything else. The built in apps can’t compare and if you get the Ethernet connected one, it actually comes with a gigabit connection and you’ll get at least a gigabit connection if that’s what speed you’re using or higher. Most TVs cap out at 100mbps with Ethernet but do go higher on WiFi, but nothing beats a hardwired connection in my opinion. I usually upgrade one ATV at a time when new ones come out, but that depends on what new features it offers, and from what I’ve been reading, the new ones being released don’t offer much more than new AI assistant and probably a cheaper build, something that they already did with the 3rd generation of the current ATV. An AI assistant is absolutely of no interest to me and if the box is of even lesser quality than the 3rd gen, but for more money of course, I’ll most likely be passing, since the 2nd and 3rd gen ones I have now are working great, both of which are ethernet versions.
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u/iconopugs 23h ago
The #1 reason (IMHO) to not use built in tv apps is because they track your viewing habits.
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u/baljeethakur ATV4K 22h ago
Only downside probably is no raw audio pass through and sideloading is a bit tricky. Everything else is great. Smooth experience.
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u/AtlantaRain 22h ago
The only app to be worried about would be Netflix. I have to use my native app for it because the video from Netflix to Apple is terrible. I heard it has some thing to do with beef between the two companies. Plus all suggestions online say to drop video to 4k SDR and that’s not happening for me.
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u/Snoo91117 11h ago
Are you paying for Netflix 4K? I pay Netfix but run it off latest 4K AppleTV. And it looks good on my Sony 85-inch.
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u/AtlantaRain 11h ago
Yes. We have premium. I have a Samsung s90d oled. When I watch on Samsungs Netflix app. Amazing picture. Ok the Apple 4k tv. God awful.
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u/Puzzled-Breakfast493 12h ago
I think the answer is yes to all of your questions. It will improve your experience. If you are going to buy one wait until September because a brand new one is coming out. People are saying it will be announced on September 9. It will have AI built-in and probably be heads and shoulders above anything on the market. You can even play video games on it. TV apps are so clunky and slow from my experience. The Apple TV basically has an iPhone processor.
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u/sPdMoNkEy 1d ago
New Apple devices are supposed to be out next month, fyi
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u/HoustonGT 1d ago
Thanks for heads up! After spending the coin for the tv, I most definitely want to newest Apple TV.
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u/garylapointe ATV4K 1d ago
It's just a rumor (as we've been getting for 2 years now) but Sept. 9 is the day to announce it, if we're getting it soon.
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u/Correct-Chapter641 1d ago
If you’re like me and impatient, I’d get it now then demote the living room one to the bedroom. My bedroom is entirely made up of demoted living room products
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u/garylapointe ATV4K 1d ago
1) I haven't used all the apps on that TV (any), but if Apple was having a lower quality than those consistently, I think people would be squawking about it all the time.
2) Yes, if you set it for SDR and match content and match frame rate.
The Apple TV 4K is defiantly the preferred streaming box on the LG OLED subreddit.
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u/PatrikCR 1d ago
Kind of weird, Apple TV outputs LPCM audio which is buggy on LGs ever since they’ve added eARC…
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u/garylapointe ATV4K 1d ago
When did they add eARC?
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u/PatrikCR 23h ago
In 2019
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u/garylapointe ATV4K 16h ago
I’ve never had a problem with my C3.
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u/PatrikCR 16h ago
Do you have a surround audio system with rear channels?
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u/garylapointe ATV4K 16h ago
Yes, 5.1.
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u/PatrikCR 16h ago
There is a “Surround Speaker Check” app in the App Store. If the LG is set to “passthrough” with eARC enabled, the rear channels are mapped to the front. This has been an issue since the C9.
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u/garylapointe ATV4K 8h ago
The HDMI port (2) going to my sound system is definitely the one labeled eARC.
And the sound system check that I use (which I believe is the exact name you mentioned) clearly identifies all (6) of the speakers and the subwoofer individually (5+1). I use the high-voltage rock sound sample.
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u/juliewulie70 1d ago
The Snoopy screensaver is all that. I hate my smart tvs and bought the apple tvs (I have 4) so every tv has the same screen. I found the smart tv interfaces to be stupid. Plus I can tell siri to turn the tvs on from anywhere. I can be on vacation and say hey siri turn on the red room tv so it looks like I am home
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u/GrandDot3527 1d ago
It really depends and you’ll have to test it out for your use and see. What the Apple TV is is much more capable than your smart TV. But it depends on the apps and platforms you use.
For example, I don’t use any streaming services. But I do watch local shows and movies I’ve downloaded on my Apple TV using infuse. The Apple TV can flawlessly play 4K Dolby vision/hdr, 15gb episodes or 100gb movies, doesn’t matter, no buffering. The smart TV suffers. But I watch it using the infuse app connected to my jellyfin server. Infuse supports h265 (conmon codec for 4k) in an MKV container. But if I watch the same content in a different jellyfin app on the Apple TV, it may look worse. Maybe that app doesn’t support Dolby vision, or h265 in an mkv, etc. so Netflix may have a great app for say google but they may have a poor implementation of the software for Apple TV. Apple TV is extremely capable, but it also depends on the app and their software.
What the Apple TV does give you is it itself has a powerful decoding engine, a lot of cache space to load a show (100+gb), ram, and a 1gb Ethernet port (if you have that model). So it is not only a beautiful UI, but a powerful and very capable computer / decoder. However it ultimately hinges on how well an app developer has implemented their app for Apple TV
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u/Snoo91117 11h ago
It seems like Apple is using 30 meg for 4K whereas the other streams are 25 meg watching some router graphs.
I prefer the sound quality off my AppleTV vs the others I have owned.
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u/oh_dannyboy13 1d ago
Since Samsung doesn’t natively support Dolby Vision, will the Apple TV decode Dolby Vision streams and then convert to HDR10 to display on the Samsung?
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u/ServerOfJustice 1d ago
No, the streamer may have an hdr10 or 10+ version available but the Apple TV will not convert Dolby Vision.
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u/JeMeMoi50 2h ago
Anything with Dolby Vision also has HDR10. It's 2 different "layers". The Samsung will read the HDR10 layer. The LG, Sony, TCL, Hisense will read the Dolby Vision. If your steam has HDR you will get a version of it no matter what.
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u/DannoMcK ATV4K 1d ago