For some time, if someone was to ask me how to get the best image and sound quality when watching the best streaming services, I would direct them to the Apple TV 4K without hesitation. I’m not saying that the streaming box has built-in speakers, but listening and watching the same content via the built-in apps on my LG C4 OLED TV – one of the best TVs – connected to a home theater system revealed some serious differences. Before I go on, though, let me give you some context.
The Apple TV 4K has been the media streaming device of choice in my household for a long while thanks to its clutter-free home screen and Siri integration, which makes voice search as easy can be (and still to this day the voice search feature I’m willing to use). I had it connected to my LG TV and a Sonos setup, comprising an Arc soundbar, Era 300 rear speakers and a Sub Gen 3. Everything worked as expected and my home cinema nights were taken care of with gusto.
That was until I moved the Apple TV into the second room at home to use for my XGIMI Aura 2 review. Whilst it was set up in the secondary room, my partner and I had to resort to using the built-in streaming apps on the TV. Until this moment, I can’t remember having ever really used native TV apps as I assumed they wouldn’t be able to match the picture and sound quality of a dedicated media streamer. It turns out I was wrong, as we both immediately noticed a difference in sound quality coming out of our home theater system, one that was positive and which took me by surprise.
Loud and clear
The most immediate difference we noticed was how naturally louder the sound was. Because all audio was coming via our Sonos system, the actual indicated volume level within the Sonos app remained the same. But, when watching content via built-in Netflix, Disney+, Stan and Binge (two streaming services available only in Australia where I’m based), it all came through with seemingly greater impact and scale as compared to what we experienced via Apple’s streaming box.
We also agreed that some of the movies we watched had clearer dialogue when listening via the LG TV’s built-in streaming applications. Challengers on Prime Video is a good example of this. The opening sequence at the tennis match brings in Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor’s excellent soundtrack, pulsing synth beats and all. With the volume set the same for both versions of the app, the soundtrack had much deeper bass and a more spacious soundfield when playing via the TV.
The calls from the umpire of the match were also clearer. Their voice sounds a little subdued naturally, but the LG’s Prime Video app was able to convey it with clearer definition. A short while later, one of the main characters, Art, is walking down a hallway while an announcement is being made. When watching on the Apple streaming box, I could only just about hear this announcement but couldn’t discern the words, yet when switching to the LG’s app, it was much more audible and clear.
Not always the last word
While my TV won out in terms of the sound output, the ball was definitely in Apple’s court when it came to picture quality. I switched between both the LG’s Netflix app and the version on the Apple TV 4K while watching the recently released action thriller Carry-on. I skipped ahead to the scene where Elena Cole is traveling down a freeway in a car with who she believed to be Agent Alcott, only to receive news that the man she’s actually with is an imposter. What follows is a sensational, high-octane fight in the car’s cockpit.
When I switched between the two apps, the image delivered via the Apple TV 4K was clearly the better of the two. It was naturally brighter and exhibited greater color and contrast. Soon after the two start grappling with each other, a truck in front of their car has its tyre shot out causing it to flip. The rear lights of the truck have greater pop and the green/blue color of the truck bed is more visible when viewed on the Apple TV. The LG’s Netflix app, by contrast, is dimmer.
It was the same with the aforementioned Challengers. The Apple TV 4K picked up that the movie was available in HDR10+, whereas the native LG app didn’t as LG TVs don’t support the format. Interestingly, the LG displayed ‘Dolby Vision’ in the top right corner (which I can only assume means it picked up the HDR data but outputted it in Dolby Vision because it knew the LG TV didn’t support it). I was also able to access Dolby Vision picture modes within the LG’s picture settings, options that weren’t there when watching via the native TV app. These picture settings had the positive effect of delivering a more natural-looking picture compared to the ‘standard’ Filmmaker Mode on the LG TV.
Without having the opportunity to check for any differences, I would have said LG’s reproduction was perfectly fine and in many ways, it is. But having the ability to easily compare the two devices does indeed reveal there are differences to be found.
I don’t have access to other external media streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K or Google Chromecast 4K, so I can’t personally comment on their audio and visual qualities compared to the LG’s built-in streaming apps. I would ultimately expect them to at least deliver better image quality, as they’re built with a single purpose in mind: to stream video content. Media streaming devices have a dedicated function to focus on and so should be more accomplished when faced with the same task.
While TVs have built-in streaming apps, they’ve got a plethora of other functions to carry out all at the same time and so can’t focus all of their efforts on reproducing the absolute best quality available.
Eye opener
Having been someone who automatically discarded the idea of using a TV’s applications, and using the Apple TV 4K for a couple of years, this realization was certainly surprising.
The differences in audio aren’t so great as to be able to say Apple’s media streamer is ‘bad’, not by any stretch. But I think the comparison does at least imply we shouldn’t immediately put our faith in a dedicated streamer and assume whatever our TV is able to muster isn’t worth the light of day.
And considering my tests revealed one to be better with sound, while the other performed better with regards to picture, then I need to decide which is most important to me. My initial reaction would be to side with better sound quality, as that’s what I deem to deliver a more immersive home cinema experience.
If you’re able to attempt the same test, then I encourage you to do so. You may well think there isn’t much difference, if any at all. Conversely, you may be surprised to find out the oft-forgotten native TV apps deserve to be given a chance. Ultimately, if you like the sound of something rather than the look, then that’s all that matters. Or vice versa as the case may be.
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