After a four-year wait, the new Apple TV 4K is finally here, and while the hefty price rise and overly familiar design are a little disappointing, the picture and sound performance are even better than before.
As we said in our Apple TV 4K (2026) review:
“Its upscaling of HD and SD content is particularly impressive, while the subtle gains with 4K and the more noticeable improvements to audio make it an even more accomplished all-round performer”.
The new Apple TV is brilliantly straightforward to set up, too, and it works almost perfectly right out of the box, thanks to excellent default settings.
Almost perfectly – there are just two settings that need to be changed to get the best out of the dinky streaming box, and they’re mercifully easy to find.
Head to the Settings menu, then the Video and Audio sub-menu, and find the Match Content option. Select this, and you’ll find two settings: Match Dynamic Range and Match Frame Rate. Both will be switched off by default.
This means the Apple TV will output everything using the dynamic range and frame rate selected during setup, most likely HDR and 50Hz.
So, if you play a non-HDR, 24fps movie from one of the streaming services, the box will convert it to HDR and 50Hz before sending it to your TV.
That might not sound like a big deal, but converting SDR content to HDR won't necessarily preserve the filmmaker's intended presentation. Meanwhile, converting 24fps content to 50Hz can introduce some rather nasty judder.
Switch both settings on, and the Apple TV will output everything in its intended SDR or HDR format and at the correct frame rate, resulting in a more accurate picture and smoother motion.
One thing to bear in mind is that these settings will introduce a brief black screen when you select content with a different dynamic range and/or frame rate from the Apple TV's current output. But if you care about AV, this is a small price to pay – at least to my mind.
So, as a reminder, head to Settings > Video and Audio > Match Content, and switch on both Match Dynamic Range and Match Frame Rate.
And that really is all there is to it. With those two settings changed, your Apple TV 4K is ready to deliver the best possible picture and sound quality. Enjoy!
MORE:
Check out our Apple TV 4K (2026) review
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