Apple TV’s huge 4K library is the streamer’s top feature
Apple TV’s huge 4K library is the streamer’s top feature
Apple’s library keeps things mostly to original titles, and a vast majority of those shows and movies are in 4K.
It’s not all that hard to see why Apple TV might struggle to keep a consistent pool of loyal subscribers for the long haul. There’s no official data to confirm that the streamer suffers these troubles, as Apple keeps subscriber data for the service quite secretive. Nevertheless, the persistent image of Apple TV in the minds of analysts is that of a service with a mid-tier audience pool, size-wise.
One of the reasons I suspect that Apple TV does indeed suffer from a large rate of audience churn is that it doesn’t stock the same amount of licensed TV shows and movies that other services do. Apple TV prefers to provide nothing but original TV shows and movies it makes itself, a move that ensures quality control for the service, even if it may not give customers as much incentive to keep a subscription after watching a particular title.
But this philosophy of only providing originals has another advantage: it means that Apple sets the production standard for each title, and part of its high-quality requirements for most of its titles is that they are available in Ultra-High-Definition 4K. The result is that a huge percentage of the Apple TV library is offered in 4K resolution, which is my favorite feature of the streaming service.
Presenting TV shows and movies in 4K means that anyone with a 4K smart TV and/or streaming device can watch in the best resolution widely available in homes. The 3,840 x 2,160 pixels offered by 4K resolution means that colors are brighter, contrasts between colors deeper, and the action on the screen is as vibrant and pleasing to the eye as it can be.
Apple TV has done a great job of making titles in a multitude of genres in order to offer something for everyone, and there are some special-effects laden titles like “Masters of the Air” or “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” that deserve to be shown in at their explosive, action-packed best in 4K resolution.
There are plenty of quieter titles that pack intensity into every shot, like “Your Friends & Neighbors” or “Severance” on the platform as well, and these shows deserve no less of a high-quality viewing experience as they demand your attention from scene to scene. The ability to watch a huge selection of Apple TV titles in 4K sets it apart from many other streamers, who are either stingy with 4K content or make you pay extra to get it.
There’s no extra charge to watch in 4K on Apple TV, which is another extra benefit. While Apple TV may not have the largest library in the streaming world, it works hard to cultivate a premium reputation, and one way it definitely succeeds in doing that is by offering so many of its original shows and movies in 4K.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.