Apple TV (2nd generation) vs Apple TV HD

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TV (2nd generation) compared with TV HD

	AppleTV (2nd generation)	AppleTV HD
Overview
Released
Released	September 2010	October 2015
Video and audio
Resolution
Resolution	720p	1080p (better)
HDR
HDR	None	None
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	No	No
Video
Video	H.264 up to 720p at 30 fps, Main Profile level 3.1; MPEG-4 up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 × 480 at 30 fps; Motion JPEG up to 35 Mbps, 1280 × 720 at 30 fps. Protected content requires HDCP	HEVC SDR up to 1080p, 30 fps, Main/Main 10 profile; H.264 up to 1080p, 60 fps, High or Main Profile level 4.2 or lower
Audio
Audio	HE-AAC (V1), AAC, protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV; Dolby Digital 5.1 pass-through	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
Performance
Software
Software	Apple TV Software	tvOS
Storage
Storage	–	32 GB
Chip details
Chip details	Apple A4 chip; Apple does not publish its clock speed on the model's spec sheet	A8 chip with 64-bit architecture
Memory
Memory	256 MB RAM (iFixit teardown, from the A4 package marking)	2 GB (9to5Mac, from Apple's developer documentation)
Storage
Storage	8GB NAND flash (iFixit teardown); used for streaming cache rather than a user-accessible library. Home Sharing replaced the original model's synchronised local media	32GB; a 64GB model was also sold at launch in 2015
Software and services
Software and services	Reviews describe historical services available at launch, including US-only Netflix and TV programme rentals. Netflix's current compatibility list requires Apple TV HD (4th generation) or later; this model is no longer supported	–
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11a/b/g/n	Wi-Fi 5
Ethernet
Ethernet	Yes	Yes
Voice remote
Voice remote	No	Yes
Ports
Ports	HDMI; optical audio; 10/100BASE-T Ethernet; IR receiver; Micro-USB for service and support	HDMI 1.4; 10/100BASE-T Ethernet; USB-C for service and support; IR receiver
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth	802.11a/b/g/n; wireless video streaming requires 802.11a, g or n. The maker sheet does not list Bluetooth support, although iFixit identified a combined Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chipset	802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO; Bluetooth 4.0
Remote
Remote	Included seven-button aluminium Apple Remote using infrared; Apple's iOS Remote app also supported control over the network	Siri Remote (1st generation) with touch surface, microphone, accelerometer and three-axis gyro, Bluetooth 4.0, IR transmitter and Lightning charging, 124 × 38 × 6.3 mm, 45 g; Siri Remote (2nd generation), with clickpad and Bluetooth 5.0, from May 2021
Design
Type
Type	Box	Box
Power
Power	Built-in 6 W universal power supply	Built-in power supply
Size
Size	98 × 98 × 23 mm (W × D × H); 0.6 lb, varying with configuration and manufacturing	35 × 98 × 98 mm (H × W × D); 425 g
In the box
In the box	Apple TV, aluminium Apple Remote, power cord and documentation; HDMI cable sold separately	Apple TV HD, Siri Remote, power cord, Lightning to USB cable, documentation