Apple TV (1st generation) vs Apple TV 4K (2nd generation)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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TV (1st generation) compared with TV 4K (2nd generation)

	AppleTV (1st generation)	AppleTV 4K (2nd generation)
Overview
Released
Released	March 2007	May 2021
Video and audio
Resolution
Resolution	720p	4K (better)
HDR
HDR	None	Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG (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 video up to 2160p, 60 fps, Main/Main 10 profile
HDR
HDR	–	HEVC Dolby Vision (Profile 5), HDR10 (Main 10 profile) and HLG up to 2160p, 60 fps
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 Atmos; AC-3 (Dolby Digital 5.1) and E-AC-3 (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1); Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, AAC, HE-AAC and MP3; ARC or eARC over HDMI
Performance
Software
Software	Apple TV Software	tvOS
Storage
Storage	160 GB (better)	32 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)	A12 Bionic with 64-bit architecture
Memory
Memory	256 MB DDR2 (Ars Technica teardown)	3 GB LPDDR4 (iFixit 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	32GB or 64GB
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 6
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 2.1 (up to 4K 60 fps HDR output, ARC or eARC); Gigabit Ethernet; IR receiver
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	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 with MIMO, simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz); Bluetooth 5.0
Smart home
Smart home	–	Home hub; Thread, for HomeKit or Matter Thread accessories
Remote
Remote	Included Apple Remote, using infrared	Siri Remote (2nd generation) with clickpad, microphone for Siri, Bluetooth 5.0 and IR transmitter; controls the TV or receiver by IR or CEC; rechargeable over Lightning; 136 × 35 × 9.25 mm, 63 g
Design
Type
Type	Box	Box
Power
Power	Built-in 48 W universal power supply	Built-in power supply
Size
Size	197 × 197 × 28 mm (W × D × H); 1.09 kg, varying with configuration and manufacturing	35 × 98 × 98 mm (H × W × D); 425 g
In the box
In the box	Apple TV, Apple Remote, power cord and Quick Start guide; video and audio cables sold separately	Apple TV 4K, Siri Remote, power cord, Lightning to USB cable, documentation