by Mike Connelly
The third-generation Apple TV 4K ships with Apple’s A15 Bionic chip, the same processor found in the iPhone 13 lineup, at a lower price than its predecessor. Our seven-unit household deployment showcases the 2022 model’s real-world performance across video codecs, audio formats, networking, and tvOS software. Continue reading Review: Apple TV 4K (3d gen, 2022)
Apple’s second-generation Apple TV 4K shipped in May 2021 with an A12 Bionic chip, the same processor found in 2018 iPhones. Up for examination: the hardware upgrades, the limitations of its HDMI 2.1 implementation, and whether the redesigned Siri remote justifies the purchase. Continue reading Review: Apple TV 4K (2d gen, 2021)
In our home, seven Apple TV 4K set top boxes handle everything from live TV and gaming to security cameras and music streaming. But, all of it runs on hardware Apple has not refreshed in two years. Here, we present what we would include in the next Apple TV version: 120 Hz output, better audio codec support, a faster chip, and critical tvOS fixes.
Continue reading My Wish List for the Next Apple TV & tvOS
According to InterNACHI, 34 percent of residential burglars enter through the front door and 81 percent through the first floor. Planning, sizing, and deploying Ubiquiti’s Unifi Protect camera system for whole-home coverage including hardware selection, local versus cloud storage trade-offs, and network configuration are the focuses here. Continue reading How To: Ubiquiti Unifi Protect Video Security System Review
Plex’s latest iOS and tvOS apps replace Apple’s native AVPlayer with an engine built on the open source MPV player, expanding codec support beyond AVPlayer’s stream-focused limitations. At issue: what changed, why AVPlayer’s codec coverage was constrained by Apple TV’s design priorities, and which formats the MPV-based engine now handles. Continue reading Plex’s New Video Player for iOS and tvOS
This article covers the current recommended graphics stack for MPV across Windows, Linux, Android, and Apple platforms, with specific configuration settings for 4K upscaling. MPV has no native Metal backend, so Apple devices running macOS, iOS, and tvOS have historically been limited to OpenGL, a graphics API Apple deprecated long ago. However, Mac users can now route Vulkan calls through MoltenVK via Homebrew, yielding measurable performance gains over the deprecated OpenGL path. Continue reading How To: Configuring MPV for Best Video Quality Including 4K Upscaling
The Shield TV continues to be an anomaly: in 2017, it is by far the most powerful media streamer and a capable gaming platform though not as advanced as the Xbox One or Playstation 4, but costing nearly as much. While Google focuses on stripped down Chromecast devices and Chromecast-enabled TVs, Nvidia singularly showcases the advanced functionality of Android TV including DVR, media serving, gaming, and now smart home capabilities. Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV: 2017 Hardware & Shield Experience 5.1 Review
I upgraded to the Nikon D500, which carries the D5’s 153-point Multi-CAM 20K autofocus system in an APS-C body at roughly 30 percent of the flagship’s price. This review covers image quality, burst speed, video capabilities, and comparisons to the D7100, D7200, and D5. The resolution-versus-high-ISO trade-off relative to the D7200 is where the D500 either earns its cost premium or doesn’t. Continue reading Nikon D500 Camera: Review & Comparison to the Nikon D5, D7500, D7200 & D7100
The Nvidia Shield Android TV, released in May 2015, holds the title of the best Android TV set-top box and outperforms the Apple TV Gen 4, Amazon Fire TV 2, and the latest Roku in raw processing power. This article examines how the Shield stacks up against its main competitors across ecosystems, content libraries, and gaming performance. The Shield’s hardware advantage does not translate into a clear win for every buyer, and the case of who should actually purchase it hinges on a single practical distinction.
Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV Review