Apple's new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K includes three built-in far-field microphones, allowing users to find something to watch and control playback without picking up the Siri Remote.
Users can activate the voice assistant by saying "Hey Siri" or "Siri," including while a movie or TV show is playing. Apple says advanced echo cancellation separates the user's voice from background sound, helping the device recognize requests over the TV's audio.
The microphones also enable hands-free control of compatible smart home accessories and scenes. With Siri AI, users can search for entertainment conversationally and ask follow-up questions about what they are watching, with answers appearing in a compact overlay over the video.
Apple says the new Apple TV 4K and its A19 chip include Secure Exclaves, which are protected processing environments that handle microphone data separately from the rest of the system. According to Apple, data processed and analyzed inside these environments cannot be accessed by tvOS, apps, users, or Apple itself.
Far-field Siri support varies by region and language. The feature is supported when the primary tvOS language is set to English, Mandarin Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, or Swedish.
The new Apple TV 4K is available to preorder today for $299 in the United States, with availability beginning November 13.
