After using cable, digital satellite, and an LG TV for years, I finally bought my first smart TV in 2020. My first impression was nothing but positive, thanks to the familiar Android experience that I was used to on my phone. There was no lack of apps, and the performance was fine, but the cracks began to show within a year.

But the TV also struggled to perform basic navigation, and launching and switching between apps became a major snoozefest. Resetting the TV helped a few times, but I soon realized the hardware and software were just too limited. It was time to make a change, and I finally bought the Apple TV 4K in mid-2024. Arguably the best streaming box on the market, it transformed my TV-watching experience. The responsive UI, reliable functionality, and privacy-focused package fit right in with my other Apple devices.

I was sick of the Android TV "experience"

It quickly turned sour

Within a year, the TV retreated into a state of near-constant slumber. It remained unusable for nearly a minute after a reboot, and even at "peak" performance, it crawled through app launching and switching. It often froze for a few seconds for no apparent reason, and a few apps, such as Prime Video, always ran slower than the others. The interface was cluttered, to say the least, with the home screen a steady stream of content and app recommendations. I put up with these issues for years because I didn't want to give in to the temptation to throw money at the problem.

Buying a new TV or a streaming device was always on my mind, but the former was premature, and the latter wasn't a simple decision. The streaming devices on the market are either too expensive or too underpowered to be a worthwhile improvement over the TV's native capabilities. Using the factory reset option, I managed to put off the inevitable for a few years, but it became clear that something had to be done soon. The TV was operating at its limit, and without outsourcing the job, I would be stuck with the same frustrating experience forever.

The Apple TV 4K isn't cheap, but it's worth it

I should have upgraded sooner

I mentioned how the best streaming devices on the market were expensive, and the Apple TV 4K is certainly at the top of that list. After delaying buying one for years, I finally bit the bullet in 2024. Even after a discount, it cost me around $170, which wasn't exactly cheap, considering the TV itself cost me around $425 back in 2020. That said, it was easily one of the best upgrades I had ever made. The biggest difference between Android TV and tvOS was the sheer fluidity of the UI. I was flying through the apps and settings, and even the same apps on Apple TV were better optimized. All my frustrations with the underpowered hardware of my Hisense TV had disappeared.

Apple knows its UX, and that shows in tvOS, too. The home screen, settings, and in-app interfaces are simple and uncluttered, offering a peaceful TV experience. The universal search feature lets me search for any movie or show across all apps. Granted, it isn't perfect, but it works most of the time and is certainly better than whatever I had on Android TV. Even apps like Steam Link and Plex, which I had never used before due to subpar hardware, worked smoothly on Apple TV. I was finally playing my Steam games on the TV using my gaming PC.

Another advantage of choosing the Apple TV 4K over other streaming devices was that it fit seamlessly into our Apple ecosystem. Sharing the screen from my phone to the TV used to be a nightmare on Android TV, but AirPlay works like a charm every single time. My partner frequently uses her iPhone and MacBook to cast her screen on the TV when we need to browse photos and videos or go through our finances.

Apple's privacy-first approach is welcome

Who would have thought how important that is

I'm not the most privacy-obsessed guy around, but when I got fed up with Android TV's shenanigans, I kept finding more reasons to hate it. I added data tracking and targeted advertising to my list of complaints. The sluggish, cluttered UI was the most prominent issue on the TV, but data tracking contributed to it as well. The "recommendations" and "suggestions" that kept cluttering the home screen were a direct result of background data sharing. I would have preferred a clean interface with only the apps I wanted on the screen — no fluff, no ads. However, that was where the manufacturer and OS disagreed with me.

Apple's tvOS, on the other hand, takes user privacy seriously. There are absolutely no ads, and besides content suggestions that don't clutter the screen at all, there are no extra recommendations trying to vie for my attention. Whether it's the Apple TV 4K or any other Apple device, you can set apps not to track your data, and it actually works. After switching from Android TV, I realized the importance of a privacy-focused OS that keeps your data away from advertisers. Whatever you say about Apple as a company, they do a few things better than everyone else.

Apple TV 4K is great for the right user

It might be more expensive than the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K or Roku Streaming Stick Plus, but it does a few things better. It's arguably the most seamless option for Apple households, has the most polished and responsive OS, and takes user privacy seriously. Switching from Android TV to tvOS has been largely positive. It's not like the Apple TV 4K never experiences the occasional stutter, but it's been a massive upgrade over what I was dealing with earlier.