You can't download 4K content on the new Apple TV, but rental times are up

[sincity]

Something to note if you're rushing out to buy a new Apple TV 4K this weekend: the box can only stream content in 4K rather than downloading it and playing it offline, as per an official support document published by Apple.

That's perhaps not a huge surprise considering the limited storage on the Apple TV and the huge size of 4K films and television shows, but it does mean you should double-check the speed of your internet connection to make sure it can cope with all those pixels. Apple recommends a minimum speed of 25 Mbps for 4K streaming.

In better news for fans of entertainment, Apple is extending its movie rental limit across all devices to 48 hours in the US, up from the rather measly 24 hours it offered previously - that means you've got twice as long to finish your film if you can't watch it all in one go. The limit was already 48 hours in most countries outside the US.

4K or not 4K

"You can download a local copy of an HD movie, and you might be able to download HDR and Dolby Vision versions, but you can't download a 4K version," explains Apple in its new support document, though the company hasn't said anything else publicly about 4K downloads on the new box.

It's not the only caveat that applies to the Apple TV 4K right now. The YouTube app can't stream in 4K yet, for example, and the Amazon Prime Video app and all of its high-quality 4K content still isn't available on any flavor of Apple TV box (earlier in 2017 Apple said it was arriving "later this year").

Still, we've been rather impressed with the capabilities of the new Apple TV 4K in our time with the device. If you've got the big screen to cope with a 4K resolution, then it's worth considering for your next gadget purchase.

• The best 4K HDR movies and shows to get the most out of the Apple TV 4K

Via MacRumors

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