Apple TV 4K 2021 32GB vs 64GB review – how to get best price?

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Should you invest $20 more for Apple TV 4K 2021 64GB or stick on Apple TV 4K 2021 32GB? Whether or not the price difference between the models is a consideration, understanding how Apple TV uses storage, caches content, and manages bandwidth should help inform your decision surrounding which model to purchase.  just deleting a few apps doesn’t automatically lead to freeing up space to download the app you want to get. Apple TV 4K 2021 64GB storage is good for if you need to download many apps or games. Get to know more about benefits in Apple TV 4K 2021 32GB vs 64GB comparison and review.

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Pros & Cons – Apple TV 4K 2021 32GB vs 64GB

Apple TV 4K 2021 32GB

Pros

  • Less expensive
  • Same features as the 64GB version

Cons

  • Not a lot of storage for larger apps and games

Apple TV 4K 2021 64GB

Pros

  • Twice the storage for apps and games

Cons

  • Expensive

Apple TV 4K 2021 32GB vs 64GB best price

Apple TV 4K is available in 32 GB and 64 GB capacities, and Apple TV HD is available in 32 GB. Both models are still available from and supported by Apple. So, which model should you choose?

The new Apple TV 4K (2021) costs £169 ($179, AU$249) with 32GB of built-in storage, and £189 ($199, $279) if you want the version with 64GB. If you’re expecting to primarily stream movies and TV shows, 32GB should be plenty, but those planning to do lots of gaming should probably consider spending the extra on the 64GB model.

If you can live without 4K, the Apple TV HD 32GB is available for £139 ($149, AU$209).

  • Apple TV 4K, 32 GB, $179
  • Apple TV 4K, 64 GB, $199
  • Apple TV HD, 32 GB, $149

All versions of the Apple TV are significantly more expensive than rival streaming devices. The dongle-like Google Chromecast with Google TV is £60 ($50, AU$99), while the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K costs £50 ($50, AU$99). Even the Amazon Fire TV Cube undercuts the Apple TV, coming in at £110 ($120).

Is Apple TV 4K 64GB worth it?

But if you like to download a lot of media, apps, and games, the 64GB model might be for you. Especially if you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber who wants to play games on your TV using a controller, then you’ll want to check out the larger model. Your choice will depend on how you plan to use your device.

Is Apple TV 4K 32GB worth it?

The Apple TV experience is mostly centered around media, be it from Apple Music, Apple TV+, or streaming apps like Netflix. Most of that media, no matter its origin, is streamed. Therefore, you don’t need a lot of storage on your Apple TV 4K if all you’re doing is streaming, and thus, you should probably stick with the less-expensive 32GB model.

What are other benefits – Apple TV 4K 2021 32GB vs 64GB

Games vs apps

If you are into simple games or even some 2D platformers, 32GB will be fine. If you like large games, such as open world and/or 3D games, this could eat up the 32GB quickly.

Video

If you are planning to download a lot of videos, then we recommend getting the 2021 64GB Apple TV 4K as it comes with more storage space. If you are going to use the media player mainly as a streaming device, then the 2021 32GB Apple TV 4K is the more affordable option.

Caches

Apple TV also lets you access your images and music collections in iCloud. Once again, Apple thought this through, and its streaming solution caches only your most recent and most frequently accessed content on the Apple TV. Older, less frequently used content is streamed to your device on demand.

Also, there are some other things that use a lot of data that people forget about. The Aerial Screensavers are about 1GB each, and new ones are downloaded weekly. Using a bunch of different streaming apps can fill up the cache, which is suppose to be emptied when more space is needed, but it doesn’t always work when downloading a new app.

64GB is good if low bandwidth

One way around this is to use the 64 GB model if you suffer bandwidth constraints because more of your content will be kept cached on your box, reducing the lag you might experience as new content is downloaded. If you have good bandwidth, that’s less of a problem, and the lower capacity model should deliver what you need.

Media server

Now if the ATV changes and we are allowed to download media, things would be different, but in its current form we need to remember that it is a mere client / streaming box, and not a media server.

Screensaver

The Aerial Screensavers are about 1GB each, and new ones are downloaded weekly. Using a bunch of different streaming apps can fill up the cache, which is suppose to be emptied when more space is needed, but it doesn’t always work when downloading a new app.

Smart home services

The company has transformed the Apple TV into a HomeKit hub and may have plans to implement Siri as a home assistant. These moves could impose more demands on the storage inside your Apple TV box.

Get ready for added feature

Apple has evolved and added to tvOS elsewhere in recent years with new features like multiuser support, Apple Fitness Plus, and HomePod home theater audio. Speaking of which, the new Apple TV 4K lets you play audio through any HDMI device through the original HomePod. If new apps are coming or Apple is adding new features, it is good to have 64GB storage.

Apple TV 4K 2021 32GB 64GB review

Design

The 2021 Apple TV 4K has the same black puck design as earlier models, with a matte finish on top and a glossy finish along its rounded sides. at 3.5cm (1.4in) tall and 10cm (4in) square, it’s compact enough to fit into almost any space. The remote control’s Bluetooth 5.0 functionality means you don’t need to place the box within sight of your seating position.

It comes with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio. The Apple TV 4K also supports Bluetooth for connecting external headphones and AirPlay 2 for sending media from other devices around the house or mirroring the content on your iPhone on your TV.

Connectors

On the back are the power socket, a HDMI 2.1 port and an Ethernet socket, although it does also have Wi-Fi. However, unlike some of the best streaming devices, it doesn’t come bundled with a HDMI cable – you’ll need to provide this yourself.

Siri Remote

This new version is a thick slab of aluminium. It’s longer, weightier and now has a slightly curved back. The remote itself is also longer, taller, and heavier than its predecessor, so it’s less likely to slip between couch cushions, and it’s covered back-to-front in aluminum instead of having shatter-prone glass on the surface. The buttons feel a little nicer as well thanks to a soft-touch coating, and the remote now has both a power button and a mute button where voice control used to be.

Content search

Siri also shines on the Apple TV, especially for detailed genre searches. You can ask for things like “indie sci-fi movies” or “crime dramas from the 90s,” and you can filter down the results with commands like “just the most popular ones” or “just the ones on Netflix.” A long list of apps also let you launch videos directly by voice, with no further interaction needed. The only downside is that you can’t execute these commands hands-free with a HomePod speaker.

HDR content

When it comes to playing high-frame-rate HDR, there’s currently a limited amount of compatible content available, but we were able to see a clear difference when watching Red Bull TV on the Apple TV 4K (2021) compared to the Apple TV 4K (2017). On the newest Apple TV, Red Bull Straight Rhythm – a fast-paced motorbike supercross event – looked smooth and clear, while was slightly jittery and not as detailed when viewed on the previous iteration. 

Color balance

We found the color balance feature simple to use – after holding our iPhone close to our TV screen with the camera pointed towards it, with the on-screen image cycling through a range of colors, we were presented with a new color profile that was less vivid and slightly more subdued. It’s easy to switch between your original color settings and the new balanced look using the on-screen options. 

Audio

An Apple TV is still no match for a proper bit of hi-fi kit when it comes to music, particularly in terms of rhythmic precision and detail, but the Apple TV 4K is a much more musical performer than most of its ilk. The same is true when listening to music, whether delivered in stereo or Dolby Atmos. There’s no loss in terms of focus or directness, but just a marginal increase in spaciousness and fullness.

tvOS

tvOS was already one of the more forward-thinking TV platforms, offering not just a grid of apps, but a unified content guide that lets you browse across streaming services.

This guide—confusingly called the Apple TV app—comes up whenever you press the home button, displaying the latest movies or shows you’ve been watching along with recommendations on what to watch next. It’s a delightful way to make sense of streaming TV, though the guide’s lack of Netflix integration remains a profound bummer.

Apple content hub

This is Apple’s content hub, pulling together shows from multiple streaming services and an iTunes film and TV library. You’ve got a watch list, plus rows upon rows of recommended shows. Clicking on something to watch takes you right into it, even if it’s from another app. Big streaming services like Disney Plus, Now, Prime, iPlayer and more are available so if you play things right you’ll spend most of your time in this TV app. Netflix, however, does not.

Supported Photo, Video, and Audio Formats

The Apple TV 4K supports H.264, HEVC (H.265), HEVC Dolby Vision, and MPEG-4. As for photos, it can display images in the following formats: HEIF, JPEG, GIF, and TIFF.

Supported audio formats include HE-AAC (V1), AAC (up to 320 Kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, and WAV; AC-3 (Dolby Digital 5.1), E-AC-3 (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound), and Dolby Atmos

The Apple TV supports Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and standard lossless audio, ranging from 16-bit at 44.1 kHz to 24-bit at 48 kHz. Apple says that the Apple TV 4K “currently doesn’t support Hi-Res Lossless,” leaving the door open to the possibility of a future software update with Hi-Res Lossless support for the device in the future.

The Apple TV 4k 2021 supports Dolby Atmos and adds eARC, which means your TV or game console sound can play through HomePod speakers. Of the Apple TV’s competitors, only the Chromecast features Dolby Atmos, while the Roku and Fire TV sticks support pass-through audio.

Easy setup

Like most Apple devices, the Apple TV 4K proved extremely easy to set up, and it was recognized by our iPhone as soon as we plugged it in. The iPhone took care of transferring our Apple ID and password to the Apple TV 4K automatically, and we were also impressed by the One Home Screen feature, which mirrors the apps and layout of any existing Apple TV devices in your home.

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Abu Saleh Rizvee
Abu Saleh Rizvee

I love to write content and contribute for my society. I invest my days in creating content for products those I love and brands who need online presence

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