The Apple TV has now gone from $129 -> $199 -> $299 this year.
Insane for minor upgrades to a streaming box.
this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2026
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Can it even do anything different?
The prices on these things is pretty insane but streaming box options are pretty terrible as they are either really expensive or run terribly.
The only difference in this one is a spec bump for the SoC (A19) and, you guessed it, AI. Totally necessary and worth the cost in a streaming box 👌
It has hardware AV1 decoding, which is great if you’re trying to watch 4K AV1 content.
But no audio pass through is a huge miss and I won’t be upgrading.
Maybe I can just get an old Samsung phone with does usb-c out video and use it as an Android tv box.
There has to be someone who’s done this.
Costs too much now. Should have either kept the same price or gone down in price with this update.
Is it just me, or are the new smarthome things just unappealing? The only things I want my home accessories to do is be unseen in the background and do things for me via voice. I have my phone or computer for everything else…
I think matter is awesome and I also think HomeKit is fantastic.
But I also think Apple should set up its own subsidiary to sell reliable, privacy-respecting home accessories that work with matter, rather than “partnering” with other companies.
And I think the home hub/HomeView will flop. It’s a product with a very niche audience. Most people are just going to use their phone, or their iPad, or their watch, rather than marching into a specific room to control their home or facetime someone. I do wonder how many home pods Apple has sold, because I’d be looking at those numbers before coming out with this new hub thingy. I think if anything, it’ll just cannibalize sales of the pods rather than bring in any new customers.
I also worry that these half hearted efforts from Apple this week will do more to damage HomeKit than make it thrive.
I agree with you on everything except voice. I think im just old though and never use it or think to use it. But yeah everything else is all i want as well.
I use voice commands while I’m cooking or when my hands are disposed. I don’t think I could live without them at this point.
Being able to toggle a light as I’m walking towards it, or if I’m hot I can turn on the fan with my eyes closed in bed, or I can ask if the garage was left open.
Ohh i was thinking even smaller scale like the voice button on the firestick remote haha. I do wish one day to dive into home automation, but im just not there yet sadly.
So, no reason to upgrade my existing Apple TV or Homepod. Thanks Apple. Try again next year.
The new Apple TV 4K features Siri AI, an entirely new version of Siri powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence, transforming how users search for, discover, and enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows through a full-screen Siri AI experience. With built-in far-field microphones, Apple TV 4K also lets users talk to Siri completely hands-free.
That sounds positively terrifying. Do not want. I guess if our current Apple TV box ever breaks, I'll have to search for something new.