Reviews for the new Apple TV 4K are out today. While most of the articles focus on the new Siri Remote, which is a “must buy,” many pointed out that Apple’s set-top-box price is still prohibitive. Today, CNN interviewed Apple’s VP of Product Marketing for Home and Audio Tim Twedahl about the new Apple TV 4K.
For quite a while, users have been asking for a new Apple TV – myself included – with a redesigned Siri Remote, a faster processor, and a cheaper version of the set-top-box. Apple delivered two of three things users wanted, but prices remain the same.
“We want to deliver the best experience for customers for all the stuff they love to watch and we want to make it really rich for folks who are engaged with the Apple ecosystem,” says Tim Twerdahl.
In the interview, Twerdahl focuses on the “cinematic experience” he expects users to enjoy with this new Apple TV. With HDMI 2.1 and A12 Bionic chip support, the 2021 Apple TV 4K delivers up to 4K HDR content with 60fps.
“Delivering that best viewing experience at the TV is really what Apple TV is all about,” says Twerdahl. “We want to make sure that whatever specs you care about, to get the absolute best picture quality to have that most cinematic experience to really enjoy all the amazing content that’s out there.”
Apple VP says gaming on Apple TV is another “great value for customers” with a “tremendous amount of content in there.” With tvOS 14.5, the set-top-box now fully supports PlayStation and Xbox gaming controllers. But, as the Apple vs. Epic Games trial continues, he said this new Apple TV is “probably not designed to compete directly with the Xboxes and PlayStations of the world.”
On the price of the new Apple TV, Tim Twedahl thinks “there’s a tremendous amount of value in this $179.” He enumerates three reasons: best quality experience with hardware specs, having all the content people want, and the ecosystem within the Apple TV with other Apple devices.
“That’s what I think really sets Apple TV 4K apart from everybody else is this power that allows us to have the best viewing experience, and the deepest and richest ecosystem integration you can get,” Twerdahl explains.
In the interview, he praises Apple Fitness+ and the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini as hubs for connecting homes. If Apple will ever release another set-top-box at a cheap price point, he ends:
“To us, we want to make sure that we are always thinking about the value side of the equation, not just the price point, right? And if we continue to bring outsized value, as I believe we do, that’s what’s most important for us.”
The new Apple TV 4K launches tomorrow, starting at $179.
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