I am not afraid to purchase a used Apple TV 4K, and also you should not be both

It is no shock that I believe the Apple TV 4K is the perfect streaming field available on the market. It does almost every thing I ask of it, and when it lastly gets audio passthrough, I will not have something to complain about. Nicely, there’ll nonetheless be one factor.

Worth is an enormous gatekeeper for the Apple TV 4K, and if I ever go to suggest a streaming field, I am extra prone to suggest one thing just like the Roku Streaming Stick to the typical particular person. For folks seeking to depart behind their sluggish good TV UI, a stick will likely be greater than as much as the duty. A 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K prices $130 or $150, relying on the mannequin, and the fact is you will get a streaming stick for a fraction of that value. You’ll be able to even get the flagship Roku Extremely for $100, so the Apple TV 4K is a tricky promote.

One thing that helped me recover from that hurdle is being open to purchasing a used mannequin. Whereas it is probably widespread data at this level, eBay is a good place to select up a variety of issues, together with streaming bins. I grabbed my first-gen Apple TV 4K with a second-gen distant from eBay again in 2023 for simply $51. It really works completely nice, and I saved fairly a bit of cash by taking that route. In reality, I would do it once more.

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The Apple TV 4K is nice, but it surely is not good.

Do not be afraid to purchase used

It is saved me cash, and it might prevent some too

Pocket-lint / Apple

I perceive that used electronics could be scary for a wide range of causes. The massive one is that you haven’t any thought what the earlier proprietor did with their machine or how lengthy it ran for. For instance, when crypto mining was big, folks would promote their outdated graphics playing cards that had 1000’s of hours of use working 24/7, and that set you up for failure if you happen to purchased one. These GPUs had far more put on and tear on them, and even if you happen to did get one for a lower cost than common, it was probably on its final legs by the point it arrived.

The Apple TV 4K I purchased may’ve very properly had the identical subject, however I made a decision to roll the cube. The factor I used to be extra fearful about was whether or not it got here from a house with a smoker, as electronics odor horrid once they’re uncovered to smoke. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, and I have been utilizing this Apple TV 4K for about two years now with out a difficulty. It hasn’t proven many indicators of slowing down, however contemplating it is a machine that dates again to 2017, the clock is ticking.

I have been holding out hope that Apple is on the verge of saying a 4th-gen Apple TV 4K, as a result of that is one thing I might soar on immediately. If that does not find yourself occurring, I would simply look to eBay for a used third-gen mannequin as that is the machine that is nonetheless receiving all of the updates. It doesn’t matter what, I am getting it at a less expensive value than what Apple’s promoting it for, and if I plug it in, and it really works, that is all that issues. On the time of this writing, I can choose up a third-gen mannequin for $105, and that is the model that comes with an Ethernet port, making it a financial savings of $45. That is no small chunk, however you run into the issue of not understanding how the earlier proprietor handled this machine or why they’re eliminating it.

To assist ease any fears you may need, simply know that I have been selecting up a great deal of electronics from eBay recently. I grabbed a Recreation Boy Advance and Recreation Boy Shade, and after doing shell swaps on every of them, each are in nice form. I suppose that is totally different from selecting up a used Apple TV 4K, as neither of those consoles can be found new anymore, but it surely reveals that if you happen to discover a dependable vendor, there’s nothing to be involved about. Fortunately, eBay has many protections in place as a purchaser in order that if you happen to get one thing damaged, you may simply get a refund.

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An Apple TV 4K of any gen is value it

Do not await too lengthy

Pocket-line / Apple

If Apple would not announce a brand new technology of Apple TV 4Ks on the horizon, I believe it is time to cease ready and simply chunk the bullet. Whether or not you get a used mannequin on eBay or seize a brand new one for $150, the third-gen Apple TV 4K continues to be fairly a powerhouse. Even my first-gen mannequin continues to be nice, and I exploit it in my lounge over my much-newer Roku Ultra from 2024. With that stated, I might say to go for no less than a second-gen mannequin if you happen to can, as a result of it is nonetheless getting a few of the cool tvOS options whereas the primary technology is caught with nothing. For those who do not care about Liquid Glass, then by all means go for the most affordable choice accessible.

There aren’t very many Apple TV 4K gross sales all year long, so your choices for getting one virtually at all times require you to pay the complete value. This can be a large motive why I made a decision to take the used route, particularly since I did some analysis into what I wanted from mine. On the time of buy, all three generations of the machine have been out, however I used to be searching for one thing that labored with Dolby Atmos on Apple Music. There have been many older Apple TV fashions on the market, however solely the 4K iteration supported that, so I picked up the most affordable one.

Rumors have been swirling all 12 months a few 4th-gen Apple TV 4K, and Apple is quickly working out of time to not solely announce, however launch one this 12 months. At this level, it appears like an announcement and launch are coming inside weeks of one another if there’s going to be a brand new one for the vacation season. With the primary and second technology fashions lacking out on a few of the newest tvOS options, it is sensible for a brand new technology to be on the horizon, until Apple simply plans on throwing all of the assist into the third-gen field. Solely time will inform, and I am protecting my fingers crossed {that a} new mannequin is coming.

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