Apple TV (1st generation) vs Apple TV 4K (1st generation)

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TV (1st generation) compared with TV 4K (1st generation)

	AppleTV (1st generation)	AppleTV 4K (1st generation)
Overview
Released
Released	March 2007	September 2017
Video and audio
Resolution
Resolution	720p	4K (better)
HDR
HDR	None	HDR10 and Dolby Vision (better)
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	Yes
Video
Video	H.264 up to 5 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC), 1280 × 720 at 24 fps or 960 × 540 at 30 fps; MPEG-4 up to 3 Mbps, 720 × 432 at 30 fps; .m4v, .mp4 and .mov files. Maker lists compatible TV timings up to 1080p/1080i, which are distinct from its maximum decoded video resolution	H.264/HEVC SDR up to 2160p at 60 fps, Main/Main 10 profile; HEVC Dolby Vision Profile 5 and HDR10 Main 10 up to 2160p; HD and UHD TVs supported through HDMI
HDR
HDR	–	Dolby Vision and HDR10; requires a compatible HDR television and content
Audio
Audio	AAC, protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV; Dolby Digital 5.1 pass-through on the retained maker sheet, reflecting software added after the launch reviews	Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 and Dolby Atmos; Atmos support added with tvOS 12 after launch; AAC, HE-AAC v1, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF and WAV playback
Performance
Software
Software	Apple TV Software	tvOS
Storage
Storage	160 GB	–
Chip details
Chip details	Intel processor (Apple); 1 GHz Pentium M with Dothan core and NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 graphics with 64 MB VRAM (Ars Technica teardown)	Apple A10X Fusion with 64-bit architecture
Memory
Memory	256 MB DDR2 (Ars Technica teardown)	–
Storage
Storage	40GB or 160GB hard drive; 160GB option first sold in the US on 31 May 2007 and in the UK on 1 June. Originally synchronised with one iTunes computer and streamed from up to five additional computers	32 or 64 GB internal storage
Software and services
Software and services	Apple withdrew iTunes Store access from 25 May 2018 (MacRumors, quoting Apple's notice); the retained spec sheet and launch reviews describe historical services	–
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11n (draft), 802.11b/g	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Ethernet
Ethernet	Yes	Yes
Smart home hub
Smart home hub	–	Yes
Voice remote
Voice remote	No	Yes
Ports
Ports	HDMI video and audio; component video; optical audio; analogue RCA stereo audio; 10/100BASE-T Ethernet; USB 2.0; IR receiver	HDMI 2.0a, Gigabit Ethernet and power inlet; HDMI cable sold separately; protected content requires HDCP
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth	IEEE 802.11n draft specification, compatible with 802.11b/g; wireless video streaming requires 802.11g or 802.11n	802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO and simultaneous 2.4/5 GHz operation; Bluetooth 5.0; IR receiver; AirPlay from compatible Apple devices
Smart home
Smart home	–	HomeKit home hub for remote access and automated accessory control
Remote
Remote	Included Apple Remote, using infrared	Siri Remote with touch surface, voice control, Bluetooth 4.0, IR transmitter, accelerometer and three-axis gyro; Lightning charging; 124 × 38 × 6.3 mm, 45 g; rechargeable battery rated for months of typical daily use
Design
Type
Type	Box	Box
Power
Power	Built-in 48 W universal power supply	Built-in mains power supply; remote charges by USB computer connection or a separate power adapter
Size
Size	197 × 197 × 28 mm (W × D × H); 1.09 kg, varying with configuration and manufacturing	35 × 98 × 98 mm; 425 g
In the box
In the box	Apple TV, Apple Remote, power cord and Quick Start guide; video and audio cables sold separately	TV 4K, Siri Remote, power cord, Lightning-to-USB cable and documentation