2021 Apple TV 4K with 32GB Storage (2nd Generation)

There has been much debate within the Apple community as to whether or not this upgrade to the previous Apple TV is "good enough". The answer really depends on what you wanted this new version to be and to do. For me, the answer is an easy yes. It is exactly what I was hoping for. (I'm coming from the 2015 full HD Apple TV rather than the more recent 4K version.) I use my three Apple TVs primarily for media consumption: YouTube, Plex, Amazon Prime, and Spotify.What I wanted more than anything was an upgrade to the previous remote design. Mission accomplished. This remote design is awesome, much better than the previous design which frustrated me every single time I used it. It is larger, heavier, and better looking. The button action is more defined. Most important, its design makes it easy to move around an app's interface with precision—something the previous remote was never good at. Want to move forward or backward in a video? No longer are you fighting a menu pop up or an information screen that prevents you from doing what you intended.Beyond the new remote, which is available separately for older Apple TVs, is upgraded video capabilities. 4K 60p playback is now possible, and h.265 [HEVC] and HDR video is now supported. (HEVC and HDR were supported in the previous 4K model as well.) This is a great thing as 4K60, h.265, and HDR video is becoming increasingly common.Two other upgrades are worth mentioning: Wifi 6 [AX] offers the fastest wireless connectivity currently available, assuming you have a Wifi 6 router. Also, Thread. Thread is a relatively new protocol for allowing Thread-enabled devices to communicate faster and more reliably in a smart home. The 2021 Apple TV is the second Apple device to support the protocol after the HomePod Mini.What is missing? For me, nothing. Some gamers hoped the next Apple TV would be a device that competed with a PlayStation or XBox for gaming. That device may still be coming but this isn't it.The bottom line is this: I love everything about this Apple TV. It is an easy recommend for anyone with the 2015 Full HD Apple TV. 2017 4K Apple TV owners have a tougher decision between simply buying the new remote or replacing the entire Apple TV. If you need 4K60 playback, Wifi 6, or Thread, pay the extra money and get the 2021 Apple TV. But if you're budget limited or just don't see the value in any of the other new features, simply replacing the old remote with the new one will leave you very happy.

16 month Update - I just got the latest Fire stick and it's harder than ever to navigate. I had to watch videos to try to get this new one to work like the last one and I still haven't gotten the screensaver to work right nor have I gotten it to work as well with my LG remote. So I'm upping the Apple review to 5 stars.12 Month Update - Ended up subscribing to an Apple Family Plan so have access to their shows all the time. This device is still working well on the guest room TV and is easy for the grandkids (and old people) to use. No complaints.4 Month Update: Updating the software took about 15 minutes on a wireless network with 400 Mbps download. I was going to test the download speed but discovered that there is no web browser for Apple TV. There is an app you can get that will allow you to access other apps but I wasn't in the mood to bother. The Apple TV box, however, has an Ethernet port so I could connect it directly to the router for faster speeds.Works as advertised. Easy to setup. I laid my iPhone next to it and it got what it needed in less than a minute. It worked out of the box with my LG control but doesn't work with the generic control the spouse uses.The quality of the image and sound (on a new high end LG TV) is the same on Firestick and Apple. I did watch a video that showed me how to improve the vidio and audio on the Apple interface but I couldn't see any difference after making suggested changes.I'm a long time Amazon Fire Stick user (upgrade each time a new stick comes out) but that darned stick fails almost daily and I have to go to the TV to manually restart it. I still have it running but stuck the Apple TV on another HDMI plug. After spending some time setting the Apple TV up to suit me, I still use the Fire Stick interface as my first choice but switch to Apple when the Fire Stick fails. Setting up the Apple interface also led me to make some useful changes on the Fire Stick interface.Probably because I'm familiar with Fire's busy screen and have it organized to suit me, I find the Apple screen too simplistic. If I was choosing one to buy for someone less tech savvy, I'd get the Apple. If I have guests, I'll set the Apple up on their TV. If the Apple TV wasn't so expensive, I'd buy one now for my brother.I do not like the remote. It has a hair trigger that causes it to move the cursor if you look at it sideways. But my LG remote works fine so I put the Apple remote away.I was very surprised the Apple TV didn't come with more than a 7 day free trial of Apple+. However, I got a 3 month free trial for no cost from Best Buy. Apple+ gets you free access to their proprietary programs, nothing more. Because I have most of the movies I want to view in file format, I'm unlikely to benefit from having access to Apple+. I got a one year free subscription when I bought my Macbook and never used it.Bottom line - Better choice for new streamers, nothing better for experienced Fire Stick users.Addendum: I like Apple+ better than I thought I would. I will still let it expire after the three free months but we have binge watched a half dozen series.Addendum: The new Apple TV 4K is out and has a good introductory price and great reviews. Try that one instead of this one.