Key Takeaways
- You need to use your HomePods as TV audio system seamlessly.
- Preserve your viewing historical past separate and get your individual Up Subsequent queue with tvOS profiles.
- Use your iPhone with Face ID for fast TV coloration calibration or fallback on handbook strategies for precision.
Like many tech corporations, Apple likes to think about its merchandise are straightforward to make use of, however you will have to determine many key options by yourself. There’s some believable hope for that with an Apple TV 4K — it’s, in any case, only a media streamer — however in observe, there’s loads you won’t concentrate on, particularly should you’re usually outdoors the Apple ecosystem. With issues like when to upgrade your Apple TV and how to use your iPhone as a remote amongst different options, the corporate does not offer you a lot steerage previous the preliminary setup.
Whether or not you’ve got owned an Apple TV for years otherwise you’re plugging one in for the primary time, we have a number of ideas right here which may be information to you. Possibly at some point Apple will present extra complete guides for newcomers. Till then, learn on.
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1 Utilizing HomePods for wi-fi audio and voice management
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Maybe not too surprisingly, Apple makes it useless easy to make use of HomePods as TV audio system if in case you have an Apple TV. As soon as you’ve got added your HomePod(s) to the identical room as your Apple TV in HomeKit, the latter gadget ought to ask if you wish to swap default audio outputs. Even when it does not, you possibly can later go into your Apple TV’s settings within the Apple Dwelling app in your iPhone or iPad, then faucet Default Audio Output.
Whereas you need to use a single HomePod if that is all you’ve got obtained, it is best to purchase a pair for stereo results. In reality, you possibly can’t use any greater than two, and in order for you simulated encompass sound (together with Dolby Atmos), you will have to purchase a pair of high-end 2nd-generation HomePods relatively than Minis.
I take advantage of instructions like “Siri, open YouTube,” “Siri, rewind 30 seconds,” or “Siri, flip off the TV” day by day.
This association is not at all times flawless — Wi-Fi router updates could drive you to power-cycle your HomePods, as an illustration — and strictly talking, you possibly can most likely get equal or higher soundbars for a similar worth. Nevertheless it makes for a slick setup, and you may generally avoid wasting problem by speaking to your HomePods as a substitute of choosing up the distant. In my own residence, I take advantage of instructions like “Siri, open YouTube,” “Siri, rewind 30 seconds,” or “Siri, flip off the TV” day by day.
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2 A number of consumer profiles
Make your historical past your individual
A number of tvOS profiles aren’t at all times mandatory, since a whole lot of {couples} and households are inclined to share the identical service logins. They’re generally required to entry separate Apple purchases and subscriptions, nevertheless, and if nothing else, it is usually good to get your individual Up Subsequent queue. Somebody who enjoys Aliens or Twin Peaks most likely does not wish to sift by their children’ Bluey episodes first.
To get began with profiles, maintain down the TV button in your Siri Distant, then choose the Profiles tab. In the event you’ve already arrange a number of Apple IDs in your family, you possibly can swap this fashion, or choose Add Consumer if an individual does not seem. In the event you’ve obtained voice recognition arrange on your Apple ID (by way of one other gadget), you possibly can say “Siri, swap to my profile” at any time.
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3 Utilizing an iPhone for coloration calibration
Fast and straightforward
Apple
To make sure colours look appropriate in your TV, significantly for HDR modes like Dolby Imaginative and prescient, it is smart to do some type of calibration. The simplest possibility includes an iPhone with Face ID — you will be requested to place your iPhone in entrance of your TV, and the remainder ought to occur mechanically. If you do not have a appropriate iPhone, otherwise you’re chasing most precision, you possibly can at all times fall again on coloration bars and your TV’s built-in menus, however that feels downright archaic. The iPhone-based calibration is triggered by going to Settings > Video and Audio > Calbration > Coloration Steadiness.
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4 Forcing body charges, resolutions, and HDR modes
Match a director’s intent
By default, tvOS makes an attempt to play video within the “greatest accessible” body fee, decision, and HDR mode, as dictated by your TV and the HDMI port your Apple TV is related to. This will generally result in unusual outcomes although, wherein case you possibly can drive a specific mixture by going to Settings > Video and Audio > Format. Even higher in most circumstances goes to Settings > Video and Audio > Match Content material and selecting Match Dynamic Vary and/or Match Body Charge, both of which is able to regulate associated settings on the fly based mostly on content material’s metadata.
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5 Utilizing an Xbox or PlayStation controller for video games
One other console residence
Microsoft / Pocket-lint
The Apple TV hasn’t fairly taken off as a recreation console the best way Apple would possibly’ve as soon as envisioned. However there are nonetheless video games value taking part in within the App Retailer, like Inside or Cozy Grove, and a few of these are greatest performed with a Bluetooth gamepad. You possibly can pair any recent Xbox or PlayStation controller — or an appropriate clone — by placing it into pairing mode, then navigating to Settings > Remotes and Units > Bluetooth and selecting your controller when it seems.
Remember that whilst you can usually join as much as 4 Bluetooth gamepads, the restrict shrinks to only one should you’ve additionally obtained Bluetooth audio going. Additionally, you will most likely wish to purchase controllers particularly on your Apple TV, since it is a ache to repeat the pairing course of each time you wish to swap to or from a console.
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FAQ
Q: Which Apple TV ought to I get?
Most individuals must be simply effective with the 64GB Wi-Fi mannequin. It will get the job performed, and it is arduous to get wherever close to the 64GB restrict should you’re simply streaming music and video.
The 128GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet mannequin is smart should you plan to play a whole lot of video games, otherwise you desire a wired Ethernet connection for optimum reliability. It is also the one mannequin with a Thread radio, which can assist join appropriate sensible residence equipment to HomeKit, equivalent to bulbs and plugs.
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