EDID, or Extended Display Identification Data, notifies your set-top box, Blu-Ray player, or another device to what type of display you’ve connected it to. Devices that perform poor EDID handshakes may attempt to play HDR content when your TV cannot or, worse, believe your TV is incapable of HDR and deprive you of the lovely dynamic range you most likely paid for. Roku, Amazon, and many other set-top boxes can be terrible at those handshakes and providing your TV with the greatest quality signal it can handle from any given streaming source. Apple does it right.
While the Apple TV HD has the same excellent EDID handling as the 4K, it misses all of the other features that make the 4K a must-have for home theatre enthusiasts. It only supports 1080p, and at $149, it’s a terrible deal. You’d be better off conserving your money instead of making such a terrible purchase.
