I spend a lot of time with my Apple TV, whether I’ve got YouTube on in the background while I work, or I’m checking out the home release of the latest Marvel movie in 4K Dolby Vision. It’s how I know which Apple TV will be a great addition to your home theater.
Whether you’re interested in picking one up to watch Apple TV+ or Disney+ on a big screen or you want an Apple-built TV experience, Black Friday is a great time to get an Apple TV. Apple’s streaming box is generally a little more expensive than comparable products in this field, so as the Black Friday discounts get rolling, expect to see discounts for different models at Amazon and other retailers. We’ll keep updating our buyer’s guides to reflect any great deals that we see, and you can find them right here.
Latest Black Friday Apple TV Deals
Best Overall: Apple TV 4K (32GB)
The Apple TV 4K is the best streaming box Apple makes. As the name suggests, it supports 4K content, but it also supports HDR and Dolby Vision, which offer outstandingly vibrant colors on supported content. Dolby Atmos support also allows for an immersive audio experience with supported movies.
Coming in 32GB and 64GB models, you might wonder why the smaller storage size was chosen. Honestly, it’s mostly about price. As a streaming box, the Apple TV doesn’t need to download a lot of video content directly onto the box itself. True, if you want to use a lot of apps, especially games, you might want more storage, but if you mostly use the Apple TV as a video streaming box, save yourself some money and get the 32GB model.
Pros:
- 4K HDR/Dolby Vision support
- Dolby Atmos support
- Large 4K content library
Cons:
- Pricey
- Siri Remote can be frustrating
Best Overall
Apple TV 4K (32GB)
A balance storage space and price.
Apple’s 4K streaming box is the best version of this product you can get right now. For most, 32GB of storage should be enough, especially if you’re streaming most of your content.
Best Alternative: Apple TV 4K (64GB)
The 64GB version of the Apple TV 4K has exactly the same features as the 32GB version, just with double the storage. This is useful if you download a lot of apps, particularly games. If you like playing games on your Apple TV, you might just want the additional storage.
There are a lot of great-looking iOS games that have made the jump to the TV, with even more expected in the fall of 2019 with the release of Apple Arcade, the company’s new game subscription service. Part of Apple’s push for Arcade is the idea that games will be available across its various devices, as well as games being playable offline. For offline play, you’ll need more storage, so the 64GB Apple TV 4K is going to come in handy.
Pros:
- 4K HDR/Dolby Vision support
- Dolby Atmos support
- Large 4K content library
- A lot of storage for apps and games
Cons:
- Expensive compared to similar streaming boxes
- Siri Remote can be frustrating
Best Alternative
Apple TV 4K (64GB)
A lot of room for apps and games.
Featuring the same 4K HDR support as the 32GB model, the 64GB Apple TV 4K is just as good a streaming box, with more storage for your apps and games. But to get that, you’ll need to be willing to shell out some cash.
Best on a Budget: Apple TV HD
Though 4K is becoming more widespread, a lot of people still only have HD TVs, and for them, the Apple TV HD, also known as the fourth-generation Apple TV, is really the best option. It supports the same apps as the 4K models, but it uses less bandwidth on your home network and costs less. It doesn’t support features like Dolby Atmos, but it should work great with a non-Atmos surround sound system when you use your Apple TV with an A/V receiver. Standard surround sound might not be as immersive as Dolby Atmos, but people have been using it to their great enjoyment for years without missing Atmos.
For many, the biggest issue is going to be storage. The Apple TV HD only comes in a 32GB model, so if you do download a lot of apps and games, and you don’t want to shell out for an Apple TV 4K when you won’t really be able to take advantage of it’s biggest features, then you’re out of luck.
Pros:
- Less expensive than Apple TV 4K
- Almost everything is in HD
- Uses less bandwidth
- USB-C port, if you need that
Cons:
- Still pricey for an HD streaming box
- Same frustrating Siri Remote as Apple TV 4K
- No Dolby Atmos support
- Only comes in a 32GB model
Best on a Budget
Apple TV HD
Apple’s basic streaming box.
If you have no need of a 4K streaming device, or you just want to save some money and don’t care about things like HDR or Dolby Atmos, then the Apple TV HD is still a good, if expensive, streaming box.
Bottom line
The Apple TV 4K is the best Apple TV to get at this point in 2019, and most people should get the 32GB model. As primarily a streaming device, you probably won’t need that much storage, but if you do need space for more apps and games, you can always pick up the 64GB Apple TV 4K.
What really makes the Apple TV 4K better than the Apple TV HD, which features the same user interface and apps, can be summed up by four features: 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos. While it’s debatable whether 4K alone is worth the upgrade, HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos are the true upgrades over the Apple TV HD. HDR and Dolby Vision enable more vivid and beautiful colors on compatible content, with Dolby Vision producing the best results. And while the Apple TV 4K may be pricey, there are still several streaming boxes out there that only support HDR10, instead of both it and Dolby Vision, and in my experience, Dolby Vision is noticeably better. Meanwhile, Dolby Atmos immerses you in the sounds of the movie you’re watching, projecting noises realistically using a dome of sound.
If you have a 4K HDR TV and a Dolby Atmos-compatible sound system, you’re definitely going to notice the difference between the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, and it’s well worth it to pick up the 4K model.
Finding the best Black Friday discounts on an Apple TV
The Apple TV is perhaps the most limited of all non-accessory Apple products when it comes to configurations and options when buying it. There are three possible models to choose from, and that’s it. Really, you need to decide up to two things: do you want or need 4K/HDR picture, and if so, do you want 32GB or 64GB of storage. If you just need a 1080p streaming box, get the Apple TV HD. It only comes in one storage size. If you want 4K/HDR video, that’s what the Apple TV 4K is for, and you should get the 32GB model unless you know you’ll need the extra storage for things like games. There aren’t a lot of considerations like personal preference or style. It’s a small black box that’ll sit in your entertainment center.
While Apple itself rarely discounts items, this Black Friday, expect to see deals on the Apple TV from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. There hasn’t been an update to the box since 2017, so it’s not uncommon to see it discounted during the holidays. Our deals team is going to stay on the lookout for any sales they find on Apple TVs and related accessories, so be sure to keep coming back to iMore so you can get the best deal around.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Joseph Keller is a senior editor at iMore. An Apple user for more than a decade and a half, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Rene Ritchie has been covering the personal technology industry for a decade. An outspoken analyst and critic, he writes at iMore.com/vector, podcasts at applepodcasts.com/vector, and you can find his show at youtube.com/vector. Follow him @reneritchie on Twitter and Instagram.
Source of the article – iMore