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

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

Worth is a giant gatekeeper for the Apple TV 4K, and if I ever go to advocate a streaming field, I am extra more likely to advocate one thing just like the Roku Streaming Stick to the common individual. For folks seeking to go away behind their sluggish good TV UI, a stick will probably be greater than as much as the duty. A 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K prices $130 or $150, relying on the mannequin, and the truth is you may get a streaming stick for a fraction of that value. You may 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 superb place to choose up a variety of issues, together with streaming packing containers. 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 high quality, and I saved fairly a bit of cash by taking that route. In actual fact, I would do it once more.

Associated

4 things Apple TV needs to add before I unplug it for good

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

Do not be afraid to purchase used

It is saved me cash, and it may well prevent some too

Pocket-lint / Apple

I perceive that used electronics will be scary for quite a lot of causes. The massive one is that you haven’t any concept what the earlier proprietor did with their system or how lengthy it ran for. For instance, when crypto mining was enormous, folks would promote their outdated graphics playing cards that had hundreds of hours of use operating 24/7, and that set you up for failure in the event you purchased one. These GPUs had far more put on and tear on them, and even in the event you did get one for a cheaper price than normal, it was probably on its final legs by the point it arrived.

The Apple TV 4K I purchased may’ve very effectively had the identical problem, however I made a decision to roll the cube. The factor I used to be extra frightened 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 system 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 bounce 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 system 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 decide 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 realizing how the earlier proprietor handled this system 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 Sport Boy Advance and Sport Boy Shade, and after doing shell swaps on every of them, each are in nice form. I suppose that is completely different from selecting up a used Apple TV 4K, as neither of those consoles can be found new anymore, however it reveals that in the event you discover a dependable vendor, there’s nothing to be involved about. Fortunately, eBay has many protections in place as a purchaser in order that in the event you get one thing damaged, you may simply get a refund.

Associated

Apple TV could win the streaming battle — if it weren’t for this ridiculous problem

It could be over for everybody if Apple made a streaming stick.

An Apple TV 4K of any gen is value it

Do not look ahead to too lengthy

Pocket-line / Apple

If Apple would not announce a brand new era of Apple TV 4Ks on the horizon, I feel 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 mentioned, I would say to go for no less than a second-gen mannequin in the event you can, as a result of it is nonetheless getting among the cool tvOS options whereas the primary era is caught with nothing. When you do not care about Liquid Glass, then by all means go for the most cost effective possibility accessible.

There aren’t very many Apple TV 4K gross sales all year long, so your choices for getting one nearly at all times require you to pay the total value. This can be a huge purpose 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 system 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 cost effective one.

Rumors have been swirling all 12 months a few 4th-gen Apple TV 4K, and Apple is quickly operating out of time to not solely announce, however launch one this 12 months. At this level, it seems 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 era fashions lacking out on among the newest tvOS options, it is smart for a brand new era to be on the horizon, until Apple simply plans on throwing all of the help into the third-gen field. Solely time will inform, and I am maintaining my fingers crossed {that a} new mannequin is coming.

Associated

Apple can’t ignore this trend with the next-gen Apple TV 4K

I am frightened about Apple.