How to Setup your New Apple TV 4

Now that you have unwrapped your new Apple TV 4 unit, the basic setup is fairly easy and can be accomplished via the steps below. From a change perspective, You will need to get acquainted with the Siri Remote. It is pretty fun once you get used to the Voice features on this new remote. 

Step – 1. Basic Setup.

You can use an Ethernet cable or wireless connection to connect your new Apple TV. Easiest route is to use the wireless connection, so keep your wi-fi name and password handy as you move through the setup process. Plug in your Apple TV to the power outlet. Connect one end of an HDMI cable to the HDMI port on your Apple TV, then connect the other end to the HDMI port on your TV. This is the basic setting.

There are other ways to connect the TV especially if you are interested in using a high end receiver to deal with the 7.1 sound feature of this new unit. Select the HDMI input on your TV to point to your new device.

Step – 2 On Screen Setup

Once your TV is up and running, you will see a series of setup screens to assist you with your internet connection and other items. However, this might be a good place where you can call upon your new Sirimote to use Voiceover. Press the MENU button on your new Siri Remote three times.

Step – 3 Pairing your iOS device.

During the setup, you can also pair your iOS device to the new Apple tv. Please make sure that your phone or ipad is running iOS 9.1 or later. When the Apple TV setup screen appears, unlock your iOS device and make sure Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi are turned on. Touch your iOS device to Apple TV and follow the onscreen instructions on your iOS device and Apple TV.

Once paired, the AppleTV will find your phone or ipad quickly and will attempt to use the same wi-fi.

Step – 4 Set up your Apple Id

With your wi-fi settings updated, the next step on the setup is to associate your Appleid account details. A little painful step as you have to click on each letter via the Siri remote to enter the details. You will have to enter your itune accound id details if your itune is different than your apple id.

Step – 6 Enable Location Services

Although at times this can be a drag to the performance of the unit, but it provides you with beautiful screen savers that change based on the time of the day. Definitely recommend trying this feature out.

Step – 7 Opt in for Siri and Aerial Screensaver

Definitely opt in for Siri to take advantage of the voice search and command features. This is the one of the main new experience offering over your third generation Apple TV. Aerial Screensavers are beautiful but watch out as it can hog your broadband plan.

Step – 8 Agree to His Majesty’s Terms and Conditions and you are all set!! to explore all the cool Apps for your new Apple 4 TV. The unit comes preloaded with native apps and you can also add other apps using the App- Store. Siri Play <app name> will do the trick! Press and hold the Siri button(microphone button) and start talking. For example, “Find me some TV Shows that are good for kids” will bring about a list of recommendations on your screen.

Few Important Tips:

• Please remember that Automatic setup doesn’t transfer account information for third-party apps such as Netflix or Hulu, and doesn’t turn on iTunes Match or Home Sharing.
• A high-definition TV with HDMI capable of displaying 720p or 1080p video is required for this experience
• The Apple TV 4 does not have a dedicated optical audio out port like its previous generation. Please use HDMI. This seems to be a main issue for folks that are upgrading from ATV3 to ATV4.
• Go to Settings->Audio and Video->Surround Sound->Dolby Surround if you are trying to set up your surround system. Also try to use the “Auto” option to see which works better for you.
• Checkout the Plex app and the Fireplace App if you get a chance.

You can also check our past articles for some basic troubleshooting in the case you run into issues.

https://appletoolbox.com/forums/topic/airplay-problems-with-my-apple-tv/

SK( Managing Editor )

Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.

In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.