Some Apple devices seem to be a profit, but in fact they are a loss, and they are really delicious to use.
This is true for the Mac mini, which requires a bunch of accessories to use, and even more so for the Apple TV 4K, which requires a bunch of accessories.
As an old user of the second generation of AppleTV, when I started using the 2022 AppleTV 4K (hereinafter referred to as: Apple TV), I thought I had it at my fingertips, but I didn’t expect that “the clown was actually me.” The threshold for using Apple TV is much higher than initially thought.
Therefore, for friends who want to or have already bought it, you might as well experience it with me or relive the struggles in the past to see if this is your future or past self.
1. Purchase channels/versions
Apple TVs through the generations
Compared with when it was first launched, the latest generation of Apple TV is now available everywhere.
Compared with the previous generation, at the same price, the performance is doubled, the capacity is doubled, and the price/performance ratio is incredible...
However, there are still a few points to note when purchasing:
1. Version
Try not to choose the Hong Kong version, otherwise you will need a socket converted to the national standard. Sometimes merchants won’t mark it, so be sure to ask.
Comparison of two versions of Apple TV
2. 64G/128G
In addition to capacity, the difference is that the latter has an additional Gigabit network port.
Since the difference between the two versions is only 100+ yuan, and considering that Apple "sells hard drives and gives away hardware", buying the 128G version is a huge profit.
3. The 2022 model is the 7th generation
The latest generation of Apple TV is the 2022 model, which is the 7th generation of Apple TV, or the 3rd generation of Apple TV 4K.
Buy new or old, don’t buy the wrong one.
2. HDMI data cable 2.0
Apple TV HDMI2.0 data cable
Although Apple TV's HDMI is marked as 2.1, it actually only supports 4K 60Hz, so if you don't have 2.1, you can just connect a 2.0 cable. Currently, when you buy a TV/monitor/TV box/speaker, etc., HDMI is usually given as a gift. Please note that it is 2.0 and above.
I use the cable that comes with a mobile TV box.
The TV at home only has three HDMI interfaces, and after connecting speakers/Switch/Apple TV, I had to give up the TV box.
3. TV
I have a SONY 65X8588G at home, which I bought nearly three years ago. Fortunately, it runs on Apple TV’s 4K Dolby Vision.
By "Checking HDMI Connection", Apple TV will automatically match the corresponding format according to the TV/HDMI cable.
Apple TV screenshot
If the TV does not support Dolby Vision, you can also use the iPhone to automatically compare colors through "color balance" calibration. Just follow the prompts.
Apple TV screenshot
No one will replace a large appliance like a TV easily. Therefore, if it is not supported, you can only downgrade it.
Just like I won't change to OLED or miniLED screen TV for this reason.
4. Speakers
Apple TV screenshot
Need speakers?
Maybe...need it...
In terms of audio, Apple TV can support Dolby Atmos. If you later need to subscribe to streaming media services such as Apple TV+ or Netflix, most of the resources in these apps will support it.
Speaking of which, HomePod (mini) is naturally the best pairing with Apple TV. But it is just like the SONY HT-G700 soundbar I am using now, it is a model of high price and low configuration.
Even so, if your TV is not the flagship of the flagship and you are not in the habit of adding speakers to your TV, you may want to consider buying a speaker that costs even a few hundred yuan after buying an Apple TV.
Whether the speakers are suitable or not is the same as the difference between the headphones that come with your phone and those that cost more than a thousand yuan.
5. NAS
No one will buy a separate NAS for Apple TV; but with NAS, Apple TV will indeed be very useful.
Using Apple TV to watch videos is nothing more than online streaming and local area network resources.
The TV supports 4K, and Apple supports 4K Dolby Vision. The videos you watch cannot be 720P or 1080P.
As a result, the downloaded movie capacity will change from 1 to 2G to 10 to 50G.
Therefore, from now on you must have at least a few 4T to 16T hard drives.
Of course, if you just watch videos, you can get a similar experience by using the combination of "Network Disk + WebDav + Alist". Just considering the cost, the cost will be even lower. However, this relies too much on software and network environment.
Click the link to learn about 5 ways to play alist
Think about it, when a family or friends want to watch a movie at home to pass the time, either Alibaba Cloud Disk blocks Alist again, the network is unstable, or the video is turned into an 8-second educational film by Baidu, are you still in the mood? see?
After all, local files are more reliable to use.
6. Network/Router
It has to be said that Apple TV is really a shortcomings validator for home equipment.
If anything goes wrong, expose it immediately.
We simply divide the network into three categories: intranet (local area network), domestic network, and external network, and look at the usage conditions respectively.
1. Intranet
Mainly watch LAN videos.
Taking a 4K video of about 2 hours and 50G as an example, the bit rate is about 40Mbps. This will test the performance of the router.
Generally speaking, the performance of optical modems given by broadband operators (China Mobile/China Unicom/Telecom) is relatively weak. It is strongly recommended to discuss with the broadband installation master to change to bridge mode and use your own router to dial up the Internet.
2. Domestic network
Mainly look at domestic streaming media, such as screencasting, Bilibili or network disk videos.
Generally speaking, there is no difficulty in watching Youaiteng's 1080P videos in China with 100M broadband. But if we also take a 4K video of about 2 hours and 50G as an example, the bit rate is about 40Mbps. If you want to watch it, and the player does not optimize decoding according to the network environment, it will be difficult without a broadband of more than 300M, and it will definitely freeze. of.
There is a conversion method that can be simply calculated: multiply the code rate by 8, which is the required theoretical bandwidth. Of course, considering transmission loss and sharing with other equipment, you may have to multiply by 10.
youtube screenshot
3. External network
Many people who buy Apple TV probably have the urge or habit of watching foreign streaming media such as YouTube, Netflix, and Disney+.
For novices, you need to consider your network:
(1) Is the internet speed stable at night and on holidays?
Although it works well in normal times, the quality of network service is tested during peak periods. Large service providers will be given special attention, while small service providers have limited capabilities and have not tried it beforehand to make sure they know what they are doing.
I remember watching the second season of "Dark Glory" on Netflix some time ago, and I felt that the video quality had dropped to 480P, and it was still stuck. So in the eyes of my wife with disgust and contempt, I decisively found the 1080P version from the Internet and put it into the Alibaba cloud disk, and then used infuse to watch it happily. The whole process took less than 5 minutes.
(2) Are the nodes/traffic enough?
Partitioning and unlocking are unavoidable topics when watching foreign streaming media.
Node quality: Some service providers’ nodes have no problem accessing the Internet, but when watching TV dramas, their IPs are blocked.
Number of nodes: Many streaming media recommend content based on node location. If you want to watch Japanese dramas, you need a Japanese node, and if you want to watch Korean dramas, you need a Korean node.
Internet traffic: Cheap ones are unstable and have few stable nodes. Those with many nodes and stable nodes are definitely expensive. It's good in every aspect, but maybe it's time to take the money and run away. Use it and cherish it.
In addition, if you want to seamlessly switch between internal and external networks, you must have a good knowledge reserve about what main route/bypass route, what small rocket/kitten kitten, what policy group/rule set...
7. iPhone/iPad/Mac computer
It is said that friends who buy Apple TV should always have one or two other pieces of Apple hardware, but there are some special issues that cannot be guaranteed, so let’s briefly talk about them.
(1) iPhone/iPad
Mainly used as an input device, easy to use as a keyboard. If you really don’t have one, a Bluetooth keyboard or the built-in remote control won’t work, but it’s just inconvenient or slow.
(2) Mac computer
This should be emphasized.
If your router cannot access the Internet scientifically, a relatively simple method is to flash the http proxy description file for Apple TV. This operation requires Configurator, and the macOS version needs to be 12.5 or above.
If your macOS does not support 12.5 and above, congratulations, you have another reason to change your computer.
8. A big house/sofa/Apple headphones/smart home
Just like the title, just like that, it slipped away^_^
Apple TV screenshot
Okay, if you see this and find it useful, just follow it.
In the next issue, I will talk about my feelings about the Apple TV software. In one word: money burning!
Only when you have money and time can you have leisure.
