With the overview of all Apple TV models that have been released so far, we go on with our series of Apple devices which yet cannot be found in our database.
The first Apple TV was introduced in January 2007 and was designed purely as a playback device for iTunes content. A DVD drive or set-top box functions were deliberately omitted because Steve Jobs had the opinion that these devices were already in every living room.
How the history of the Apple TV has gone so far, you will learn in the further course of this article...
Apple TV - 1st Generation
The story of the Apple TV began in September 2006, when Steve Jobs presented a first version of the Apple TV, he called iTV. By the time it was released in January 2007, it was decided to change the name to AppleTV in order to avoid naming conflicts with the British broadcaster Independent Television (ITV). In addition, to the model that Steve Jobs presented in September, the Apple TV was equipped with an internal hard drive and got its own operating system based on MacOS.
Initially, you still had to have an iTunes server running within your network to copy the content from there to the internal hard drive or stream it directly. That changed pretty much exactly 1 year later in January 2008, when a software update of the operating system ensured that you could now access the iTunes Store directly via the Apple TV.
The first generation of the Apple TV was equipped with an Intel processor and a graphics chip from NVIDIA. All subsequent generations are equipped with an Apple system chip. The amount of RAM was 256 MB and you could choose between a 40 GB ($299) or 160 GB ($399) hard drive.
The Apple TV was equipped with several ports. In addition to an HDMI port, which transmits video and audio in a digital way, the video could also be transmitted via an analog component connection (cinch), also known as YCbCr. There were 2 additional ways to get sound from the Apple TV, it could be connected analog via 2 cinch ports or digitally through the optical port (Toslink). The device was also equipped with an USB port which can be used only as a service and support port.
The first Apple TV supported the playback of video files encoded with the H.264 or MPEG-4 codec. The maximum supported resolution was 720p, i.e. 1280 x 720 pixels, with a maximum of 24 fps.
The supported audio codes were the following:
AAC (16-320 kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16-320 kbps), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (pass-through )
Until today all Apple TVs are equipped with an infrared receiver and a remote control is also included. The first-generation remote control is made of white plastic and has only some rudimentar function. It is operated with a battery (CR2032) that you can easily change by yourself.
Specifications - 1st Generation
Processor
Intel Pentium M
Graphics processor
NVIDIA Geforce Go 7300 - 64MB
Internal Storage
40 GB, 160 GB
Memory
256 MB
Video Ports
HDMI, YCbCr
Video Output up to
720p - 24 fps
Supported Video Formats
H.264, MPEG-4
Audio Ports
HDMI, analog Cinch, Toslink (Optical Audio)
Supported Audio Formats
AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, Dolby Digital 5.1 (Pass-through)
USB Ports
1x USB 2.0 (Service and Support)
Network
1x 10/100 Ethernet
Wifi
802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth Version
-
Peer-to-Peer AirPlay
No
Infrared Receiver
Yes
Remote Control
3 buttons
Width
7.7 inches (19.7 cm)
Depth
7.7 inches (19.7 cm)
Height
1.1 inches (2.8 cm)
Weight
2.4 pounds (1.09 kg)
Power Supply
48 watts (internal)
Color
Silver
OS Version
Apple TV OS 1.0
Release Date
January 2007
Release Price
299 - 399 USD
Model Number
A1218
Order Number
MB189LL/A
Production Stopped
Yes
Apple TV - 2. Generation
The successor to the first Apple TV, released in September 2010, has been completely redesigned and is suddenly only a quarter the size and the weight has also shrunk to a quarter of its predecessor.
But there have not only been major changes on the outside, a lot has also happened inside the device. The CPU and GPU from the first generation have been replaced by Apple's own "Apple A4" system chip. Among other things, this chip allows the power supply unit to be reduced from 48 watts to just 6 watts, which has dramatically reduced the power consumption.
The operating system has also been completely renewed and is no longer based on macOS, but on iOS which were developed for iPhone/iPad. The software now makes it possible to consume content from the iTunes Store and gives the possibility to stream content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe on the second generation Apple TV.
In this case, a smaller housing also means a significant saving in the existing ports. The video signal can now only be output via HDMI and there is no analog audio output, but the optical digital output (Toslink) has been retained.
The 8 GB of internal memory is only available to the operating system, which makes the Apple TV a pure streaming device.
The video formats now also support Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) and the maximum resolution is still 720p, but with 30 fps. Support for HE-AAC was added to the audio formats, the rest is identical to the predecessor.
The remote control has also been renewed, instead of plastic it is now made of high-quality aluminum and the design has been significantly modernized. Like its predecessor, it is powered by a user-replaceable CR2032 battery.
While the first-generation of the Apple TV was a slow seller (Apple has never published concrete sales figures here), the second generation was a real success. By the end of 2010, Apple had sold over a million devices.
Specifications - 2nd Generation
System Chip
Apple A4
Internal Storage
8 GB (OS Only)
Memory
256 MB
Video Connections
HDMI
Video Output up to
720p - 30fps
Supported Video Formats
H.264, MPEG-4, M-JPEG
Audio Connections
HDMI, Toslink (Optical Audio)
Supported Audio Formats
HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV,
Dolby Digital 5.1
USB Ports
1x Micro-USB (Service and Support)
Network
1x 10/100 Ethernet
Wifi
802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth Version
-
Peer-to-Peer AirPlay
No
Infrared Receiver
Yes
Remote Control
4 buttons (2nd generation)
Width
3.9 inches (9.8 cm)
Depth
3.9 inches (9.8 cm)
Height
0.9 inches (2.3 cm)
Weight
0.6 pounds (270 g)
Power Supply
6 watts (internal)
Color
Black
OS Version
Apple TV OS 4.0
Release Date
September 2010
Release Price from
99 USD
Model Number
A1378
Order Number
MC572FD/A
Production Stopped
Yes
Apple TV - 3rd Generation (Early 2012)
1.5 years later, in March 2012, the third generation of the Apple TV was released. The housing and remote control have not been changed and the connections have remained completely the same.
The changes from the previous generation can be found inside the new Apple TV. The Apple A4 system chip was replaced by the Apple A5 and the main memory was doubled from 256 MB to 512 MB.
Support for video and audio formats is also identical, but due to the new system chip, the third-generation Apple TV can now play video files with a resolution of up to 1080p with 30 fps.
A new feature of the third generation is that selected Bluetooth devices (mainly keyboards) can be connected from Apple TV OS Version 6.1 on.
Specifications - 3rd Generation (Early 2012)
System Chip
Apple A5
Internal Storage
8 GB (OS Only)
Memory
512 MB
Video Connections
HDMI
Video Output up to
1080p - 30fps
Supported Video formats
H.264, MPEG-4, M-JPEG
Audio Connections
HDMI, Toslink (Optical Audio)
Supported Audio Formats
HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV,
Dolby Digital 5.1
USB Ports
1x Micro-USB (Service and Support)
Network
1x 10/100 Ethernet
Wifi
802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth Version
4.0
Peer-to-Peer AirPlay
No
Infrared Receiver
Yes
Remote Control
4 buttons (2nd generation)
Width
3.9 inches (9.8 cm)
Depth
3.9 inches (9.8 cm)
Height
0.9 inches (2.3 cm)
Weight
0.6 pounds (270 g)
Power supply
6 watts (internal)
Color
Black
OS Version
Apple TV OS 5.0
Release Date
March 2012
Release Price from
99 USD
Model Number
A1427
Order Number
MD199FD/A
Stopped Production
Yes
Apple TV - 3rd Generation (Early 2013)
One year later, an update of the Apple TV was released, which only differs from its predecessor that peer-to-peer AirPlay is now supported.
Specifications - 3rd Generation (Early 2013)
System Chip
Apple A5
Internal Storage
8 GB (OS Only)
Memory
512 MB
Video Connections
HDMI
Video Output up to
1080p - 30fps
Supported Video formats
H.264, MPEG-4, M-JPEG
Audio Connections
HDMI, Toslink (Optical Audio)
Supported Audio Formats
HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV,
Dolby Digital 5.1
USB Ports
1x Micro-USB (Service and Support)
Network
1x 10/100 Ethernet
Wifi
802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth Version
4.0
Peer-to-Peer AirPlay
Yes
Infrared Receiver
Yes
Remote Control
4 buttons (2nd generation)
Width
3.9 inches (9.8 cm)
Depth
3.9 inches (9.8 cm)
Height
0.9 inches (2.3 cm)
Weight
0.6 pounds (270 g)
Power supply
6 watts (internal)
Color
Black
OS Version
Apple TV OS 6.1
Release Date
March 2013
Release Price from
99 USD
Model Number
A1469
Order Number
MD199LL/A
Production Stopped
Yes
Apple TV - 4th Generation (Apple TV HD)
In September 2015, the fourth generation of the Apple TV was introduced. The case has been slightly modified, it is now 10 mm higher and the weight has increased by 140 g. The connections have also been adjusted again. The HDMI connection (Vers. 1.4) has been retained, as has the Ethernet connection, but the optical digital audio input (Toslink) has been omitted and the micro-USB port has been replaced by a USB-C port.
The Apple TV has also been upgraded by a much more powerful system chip, the Apple A8. In addition, the main memory has been quadrupled to 2 GB and the internal flash memory is now 32 GB or optionally 64 GB. The WLAN has also received an update and now supports the fast AC WLAN protocol.
The larger internal memory was installed because the Apple TV was expanded in such a way that more and more apps are available for the Apple TV and it is even possible to play smaller iOS-based games. For this purpose, it is now possible to connect MFI-certified game controllers via Bluetooth.
However, all this could not be made possible without a larger power supply unit. The increase in performance was paid for with a power supply which, at 11W, is almost twice as large as the predecessors.
The Apple TV now additionally supports the video format HEVC (max. 1080p with 30 fps) and content with the video format H.264 can now be played with a resolution up to 1080p and 60 fps. The audio formats now also support FLAC and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1.
The fourth generation remote control has been completely redesigned and equipped with more functions. The name "Siri Remote" already shows that the remote control is now equipped with 2 microphones, which can be used to operate the Apple TV with Siri. There is also a touchpad on the top of the remote, instead of buttons, an acceleration sensor and a 3-axis gyro sensor.
The Siri Remote is connected to the Apple TV via Bluetooth 4.0, but it still has an infrared transmitter so that other devices such as a television or AV receiver can also be operated with the remote. The fourth generation remote control is no longer powered by a CR2032 battery, but is equipped with a rechargeable battery. This can be recharged via the Lightning port on the bottom of the remote.
Specifications - Apple TV - 4th Generation (Apple TV HD)
System Chip
Apple A8
Internal Storage
32GB / 64GB
Memory
2 GB
Video Connections
HDMI 1.4
Video Output up to
1080p - 60fps
Supported Video Formats
HEVC, H.264, MPEG-4
Audio Connectors
HDMI
Audio Formats Supported
HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, WAV,
AC-3 (Dolby Digital 5.1) E-AC-3 (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1)
USB Ports
1x USB-C (Service and Support)
Network
1x 10/100 Ethernet
Wifi
802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO
Bluetooth Version
4.0
Peer-to-Peer AirPlay
Yes
Infrared Receiver
Yes
Remote Control
Siri remote 1st gen. (From 05/21 2nd gen.)
Width
9.8 cm
Depth
9.8 cm
Height
3.3 cm
Weight
410 g
Power Supply
11 watts (internal)
Color
Black
OS Version
tvOS 9.0
Release Date
September 2015
Release Price from
149 / 199 USD (32GB / 64GB)
Model Number
A1625
Order Number
MGY52FD/A (32 GB) / MLNC2FD/A (64 GB)
Production stopped
No
Updates
With the appearance of the successor model Apple TV 4K in September 2017, the 64GB variant was discontinued.
In order to better distinguish between the two available models Apple TV 4th Gen. and Apple TV 4K, the fourth generation was renamed to Apple TV HD.
With the release of the second generation of the Apple TV 4K (April 2021), the scope of delivery now includes the 2nd generation of the Siri Remote.
Apple TV 4K - 1st Generation
In September 2017 the new Apple TV was released, but not as the 5th generation, but as Apple TV 4K. With this, Apple wanted to make it clear that the new Apple TV now supports 4K content and HDR.
Externally, there are no major changes to the Apple TV of the 4th Generation. The case is only 2 mm higher and 20 g heavier, but the design is almost identical to its predecessor.
The connectors have changed again, the version of the HDMI connector has been upgraded to 2.0a, which means that the port now supports 4K resolution, Dolby Vision and HDR10. The network connection has also received an update and now supports Gigabit Ethernet. The USB port that existed until the predecessor was deleted with the Apple TV 4K without replacement.
Of course, there were also a few updates inside the new Apple TV. The system chip is now the Apple A10X Fusion and the RAM has been increased again from 2 to 3 GB. As already mentioned, a gigabit network is now integrated in the network functions and Bluetooth is now available in version 5.0.
The video formats are identical to the predecessor, but a resolution of up to 2160p with 60 fps is now supported. In addition, material with HDR10 or Dolby Vision is now also supported.
The remote control has not been changed; Apple includes the first-generation Siri Remote here.
Specifications - Apple TV 4K - 1st Generation
System Chip
Apple A10X
Internal Storage
32GB / 64GB
Memory
3 GB
Video Connections
HDMI 2.0a
Video Output up to
2160p - 60fps
Supported Video Formats
HEVC, H.264, MPEG-4
Audio Ports
HDMI
Supported Audio Formats
HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, WAV,
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, Dolby Atmos
USB Ports
-
Network
1x Gigabit Ethernet
Wifi
802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO (dual band 2.4 + 5GHz)
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Peer-to-Peer AirPlay
Yes
Infrared Receiver
Yes
Remote
Siri Remote Gen 1
Width
9.8 cm
Depth
9.8 cm
Height
3.5 cm
Weight
425 g
Power Supply
13 watts (internal)
Color
Black
OS Version
tvOS 11.0
Release Date
September 2017
Release Price from
179 / 199 USD (32GB / 64GB)
Model Number
A1842
Order Number
MQD22FD/A (32 GB) / MP7P2FD/A (64 GB)
Production Stopped
Yes
Apple TV 4K - 2nd Generation
Until the release of the successor, Apple took a little more time. The second generation of the Apple TV 4K was released in April 2021. If you look at the changes, you can imagine why this generation has not been released earlier, since there are no major changes in equipment and function even after almost 3.5 years.
The case and the connections are completely identical, only the HDMI output has been updated to version 2.1.
The supported video formats are also almost identical, the only change is that HEVC material can now also be played in the HLG color space.
The system chip has of course been renewed, the Apple A12 Bionic is now used here, and the WLAN has been updated to the latest standard (802.11ax WLAN 6). There is also an innovation that could become interesting in the future: the second generation Apple TV 4K supports Thread. This is a standard that will be used in future home automation systems in order to be able to control devices from different manufacturers with one system (thread).
All in all, there weren't any major changes to the device, so the experts agreed that an update is only worthwhile if one of the small changes is very important to you.
But beside the Apple TV itself, there was also a big update, because the included remote control has been renewed. The 2nd generation of the Siri Remote has been completely redesigned and has eliminated many of the weaknesses of the first generation. The touchpad of the first generation was a cool idea at first glance and also looked stylish, but to navigate with it in the menu was not that good. In the second generation of the Siri remote, Apple simply installed buttons and touchpad in the upper area and called it a “touch-based clickpad”. In addition, the Siri button is now on the right side, freeing up a button on the remote. With this button you can now mute the sound.
The remote control is now a little larger and, above all, no longer black, but silver-colored. This is Apple's response to the criticism that the first generation of the Siri remote was not so good to find and fitted not that comfortable in the hand.
(Author's note: From my own experience, I can say that the second-generation Siri Remote is a significant improvement over the first-generation, which I believe makes it worth replacing even on older devices.)
The second-generation Siri Remote is sold separately by Apple and also works with the first-generation Apple TV 4K, which came with the first-generation Siri Remote.
Specifications - Apple TV 4K - 2nd Gen
System Chip
Apple A12 Bionic
Internal Storage
32GB / 64GB
Memory
3 GB
Video Connections
HDMI 2.1
Video Output up to
2160p - 60fps
Supported Video Formats
HEVC, H.264, MPEG-4
Audio Connectors
HDMI
SupportedAudio Formats
HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, WAV,
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, Dolby Atmos
USB Ports
-
Network
1x Gigabit Ethernet
Wifi
802.11ax WLAN 6 with MIMO (dual band 2.4 + 5GHz)
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Peer-to-Peer AirPlay
Yes
Infrared Receiver
Yes
Remote
Siri Remote 2nd Gen
Width
9.8 cm
Depth
9.8 cm
Height
3.5 cm
Weight
425 g
Power Supply
13 watts (internal)
Color
Black
OS Version
tvOS 14.5
Release Date
April 2021
Release Price from
179 / 199 USD (32GB / 64GB)
Model Number
A2169
Order Number
MXGY2FD/A (32 GB) / MXH02FD/A (64 GB)
Production Stopped
No
This article will be expanded as soon as there are changes to the previously released versions, or if a new device is released. Any rumors will be published in their own news.
posted by Dennis on 2022-08-21, last updated:
