Apple TV (device)

Apple TV is a small device made by Apple that lets you watch videos, listen to music, and enjoy other content on your TV. It connects to your television through a cable and lets you stream shows and movies from the internet. You can use it with a special remote called the Siri Remote, or control it using an iPhone or iPad.

The first Apple TV came out in 2007 and was meant to play content from the iTunes Store. Later models, like the one released in 2015, got better and could run apps from an app store, making it more like a small computer for your TV.

Unlike some other devices, Apple TV does not have buttons on it. Instead, you need to use a remote to choose what you want to watch or listen to. This makes it easy to use and control from across the room.

Background

Before Apple created the Apple TV, they tried to make devices for TV several times. In 1993, they made the Macintosh TV, which had a small screen and a TV tuner, but it didn’t sell well. Later, they worked on another device with BT Group and Proximus Group, but it was never released. Their last try before the Apple TV was called the Apple Pippin, a mix of a game console and a computer, which also didn’t sell many copies.

Models

First generation

In September 2006, Apple announced the first Apple TV. It was called "iTV" at first but was renamed to "Apple TV" before it came out because of a trademark issue. It started shipping in March 2007. This model used a Pentium M processor and ran a version of Mac OS X. It had a 40 GB hard drive to store content and could show video up to 720p on high-definition TVs. At first, it needed a Mac or Windows computer with iTunes to send content to the Apple TV.

Later updates let it work without a computer and added support for controlling it with iPhones and iPod Touches.

Second generation

In September 2010, Apple released the second-generation Apple TV. This version used an Apple A4 chip and ran a version of iOS. It was much smaller than the first model and had 8 GB of storage instead of a hard drive. It could show video up to 720p but not on standard definition TVs.

Third generation

In March 2012, Apple announced the third-generation Apple TV. It looked the same as the second generation but had an A5 chip and could show 1080p video. It also could connect to HomeKit devices. This model was discontinued in October 2016.

HD (originally fourth generation)

On September 9, 2015, Apple announced the fourth-generation Apple TV. This model used a new operating system called tvOS and had an Apple A8 chip. It could support Dolby Digital Plus audio and had a new remote called the Siri Remote with a touchpad. It started shipping in October 2015. In March 2019, Apple renamed this model to Apple TV HD after releasing newer 4K versions.

4K (first generation)

On September 12, 2017, Apple announced the Apple TV 4K. This model could show 2160p video and support HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It used an Apple A10X chip and had a faster processor. The 64 GB version of the Apple TV HD was discontinued when this model was announced.

4K (second generation)

On April 20, 2021, Apple announced an updated Apple TV 4K with an A12 Bionic chip. It supported high frame rate HDR, HDMI 2.1, and Wi-Fi 6. The remote was redesigned with a circular touchpad but did not have an accelerometer or gyroscope. This model also added support for FaceTime and Continuity Camera when paired with an iPhone or iPad.

4K (third generation)

On October 18, 2022, Apple announced an updated Apple TV 4K with an A15 Bionic chip. It supported HDR10+, had a lighter design without a fan, and came in two versions: one with Wi-Fi only and one with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and a Thread radio. The Siri Remote for this model charges via USB-C instead of Lightning.

Features

Apple TV devices can play video, music, and podcasts. Starting with the fourth generation model, they can also download apps and games from the tvOS App Store. Earlier models had more limited content provided by Apple.

Features of Apple TV include:

• Video streaming: Users can rent or buy movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store or stream from various services available in the tvOS App Store. They can also stream live and on-demand content from apps that work with cable provider logins through a special app called Apple TV. A feature in tvOS 10.1 and later lets users log in to all these apps at once.

• Music and Podcasts streaming: Users can access music and podcasts they bought through iTunes using iCloud, or subscribe to music streaming services.

• Photos: The Photos app shows pictures stored in iCloud Photo Library on the TV. Users can also download apps like Adobe Lightroom to view, edit, and share photos.

• Apps and games: With the fourth generation Apple TV and later models, users can download apps and games from the tvOS App Store, similar to the store on the Apple iPhone and iPad. Examples include apps for ordering food like Papa John's and Grubhub, and searching for homes with Zillow. Games can use the touchpad on the Siri Remote for control, and external Bluetooth game controllers can also be connected.

• Casting and mirroring: Using AirPlay, users can stream or mirror content from an iOS device or Mac to the Apple TV. This includes casting video or audio, mirroring the Mac screen, or using the TV as a second monitor.

• Siri: Built into fourth generation and later Apple TVs, Siri allows voice commands for tasks like searching for content, controlling playback, and more.

• HomeKit: Third-generation Apple TV and later models can control HomeKit devices like locks and thermostats, either locally or over the Internet.

• General features: These include controlling other devices in a home theater setup, switching between apps, and displaying city views when the Apple TV is not in use.

App Store

With the fourth-generation Apple TV (Apple TV HD) and tvOS, Apple introduced the App Store, allowing developers to create apps specifically for TV. Since tvOS is based on iOS, developers can easily bring their iOS apps to Apple TV with some changes.

Accessibility

Because tvOS and watchOS are based on iOS, they share many accessibility features with iOS and macOS. These include VoiceOver, Zoom, and Siri to help people who are blind or have low vision. Pairing a Wireless keyboard with the Apple TV adds another accessibility feature where VoiceOver reads each key pressed.

Apple TV supports closed captioning for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Compatible shows and movies show a CC or SDH icon in the iTunes Store. Viewers can also change caption styles and fonts to suit their needs. The Apple Remote app on iOS devices lets users control the Apple TV from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

Restrictions

Apple has made some changes to the content available on Apple TV. Instead of showing the most viewed charts for movies and podcasts, they now show "Top Movies", "Top Podcasts", and "Editor's Picks". Parents can set restrictions to limit access to certain Internet media services. These settings let parents choose to show, hide, or ask for a password before accessing different types of content like Internet Photos, YouTube, Podcasts, and purchases or rentals. Movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts can also be limited by rating.

Local sources

Apple TV lets users on a computer with iTunes sync or stream photos, music, and videos. Users can connect a computer on a local network to keep a central home media library of music, photos, and videos. They can also play Internet radio or preload content on Apple TV for use without an internet connection.

Apple TV can also stream content from iTunes libraries on different computers on the same network, as long as they share the same Apple ID and use the "Home Sharing" feature.

Connectivity

Apple TV connects to a TV using an HDMI cable. It can get content through Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Earlier models had different ways to connect, like component video or RCA audio, but newer models use HDMI and Wi-Fi.

AirPlay

Main article: AirPlay

AirPlay lets iOS devices or certain computers send music to Apple TV or AirPlay-enabled speakers. It works with Apple's special protocol for streaming audio.

Remote control

Apple TV can be controlled with infrared remotes or the included Apple Remote. The Apple Wireless Keyboard works with newer models. There is also an iTunes Remote app for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad to control Apple TV. The Siri Remote for fourth-generation and later models has a touchpad, microphones for Siri, and buttons for controlling the TV.

Siri

Starting with the Apple TV HD, the remote has microphones and a button to use Siri. Siri can search for TV shows and movies across different sources, control playback, and more.

Software

For the media player application, see Apple TV app.

The first Apple TV used a special version of an older computer system. It showed content like movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, photos, and settings in a simple menu.

Later models used a system similar to the one on iPads and iPhones. These updates changed the look of the menu and added new features. For example, a new way to organize apps and better voice control were added. The newest Apple TVs also let you watch shows from services like Amazon Video directly on the screen.

End of life

First generation

The first generation Apple TV lost access to YouTube in May 2015. In September 2018, Apple stopped supporting the iTunes Store for this model because of old security standards.

Second and third generation

When iOS 10 came out in 2016, the third generation Apple TV could no longer control Apple Home automations, though it still worked for remote access. With iOS 16 in 2022, Apple Home changed its design, and the third generation Apple TV could no longer help with remote access in updated homes. Support for the old Apple Home system was removed in iOS 26 in 2025.

iOS 16 also stopped most AirPlay features for the second and third generation Apple TVs, including playing special DRM content.

YouTube was removed from the second generation model in May 2015 and from the third generation model in March 2021. HBO stopped working on both models in 2020. Hulu stopped supporting both models in October 2022, and Netflix stopped supporting them in June 2024.

Technical specifications

Limitations

Apple TV is a small device that plays videos and music on your TV, but it has some limits. It does not have a built-in TV tuner or a way to record shows like a DVR. You can use other devices to add these features.

The Apple TV screen does not have all the features of iTunes, such as rating shows or checking your account. It also cannot search for movies saved on your computer or network, only those from the iTunes Store. Movies rented on Apple TV must be watched there, while movies bought can be moved to other Apple devices using iTunes.

Older Apple TV models before the 4th generation do not support a special connection standard called HDMI CEC. Also, on the second generation Apple TV, music audio is changed to a higher frequency, which some people think is not the best way to send audio.

personal video recorder HDHomeRun Front Row Internet radio HDMI CEC lossless 44.1 kHz

Sales

1st generation

In January 2007, when people could pre-order the Apple TV, it was the most popular item at the Apple Store. By the end of January, more than 100,000 people had ordered it, and Apple planned to sell over a million before the holidays that year. Some experts thought it might replace DVD players. It was also sold at stores like Best Buy, Target, and Costco.

Some experts thought people might not buy as many because they liked free content better than paying for it. Later, Apple added YouTube, and the creator said it was like a DVD player for the Internet. But some still thought it might not be as important as Apple's other products.

2nd generation

The second version sold 250,000 units in its first two weeks. By December 2010, Apple had sold 1 million of these. By early 2011, sales had reached 2 million units.

3rd generation

In 2012, Apple said they sold 2.7 million of the third version that year. By early 2013, they had sold about 6 million of these units. In 2013, Apple made 1 billion dollars from Apple TV sales. By March 2015, Apple had sold 25 million Apple TVs in total.

HD, 4K and later

In 2016, Apple said they had their best sales ever for Apple TV, but did not give exact numbers. By 2019, it was estimated that 53 million Apple TVs of all kinds were being used around the world. Some experts thought Apple was not making much money from each Apple TV sold.