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Trying to determine what generation apple tv is? Here’s a quick and easy guide to help you figure it out.
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Introduction
Since its introduction in 2007, Apple has released different generations apple tv If you’re not sure which model you have, this guide can help you identify it.
The first thing you need to do is find the model number. This can be found on the bottom of your Apple TV, as well as in settings app under General > About. Once you have your model number, refer to the chart below to see which generation it belongs to.
| Model Number | Generation | Year Introduced |
|————–|————|—————–|
| A1218 | 1st Gen | 2007 |
| A1378 | 2nd Gen | 2010 |
| A1427 | 3rd Gen | 2012 |
| A1600 | 4th Gen | 2015 |
The Different Generations of Apple TV
The first generation of Apple TV was released in 2007 and had a storage capacity of 160 GB. The second generation was released in 2010 and had a storage capacity of 250 GB. The third generation was released in 2012 and had a storage capacity of 500 GB. The fourth generation was released in 2015 and had a storage capacity of 1 TB. The fifth generation was released in 2017 and has a storage capacity of 32 GB or 64 GB.
The 1st Generation
The first generation Apple TV was unveiled on September 12, 2006, and went on sale October 23, 2006. It featured a 40 GB hard drive for storing media content, and ran the same software as ipod touch and iPhone at the time, offering a limited subset of applications from those devices. The unit connects to a television set or display, and plays digital content from any iTunes-compatible device using an 8 or 9-pin dock connector cable.
It also played content from computers running iTunes and processed digital audio and video output from these systems using either an HDMI cable or composite video (RCA) and stereo audio (3.5 mm minijack) cables. The device had access to the free songs, TV shows, music videos, podcasts, and audiobooks available on the iTunes Store, could stream photos from MobileMe or Flickr accounts or any computer with built-in UPnP Compliant Media Server software.
In addition to purchasing content directly from the iTunes Store using the device’s built-in 802.11 wireless networking capability from anywhere within range of an 802.11 wireless network zone (the 1st generation Apple TV could not connect to 5 GHz wireless networks), YouTube videos could be watched directly on 2nd generation and later units if YouTube accounts were maintained.. Software updates were handled automatically through Apple’s UPDATE service which was integrated with iTunes up until Version 7 where it became a separate application exclusively for the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad devices.The 1st Generation ATV required a wired connection to a computer or broadband Internet router in order to access streaming online content via 3rd party software such as Pandora Radio as well as Netflix instant watch movies that required Silverlight which thus eliminated any need for an Internet connection once initial set up is completed save for occasional firmware updates if any are released by Apple which can be done through either USB connectivity directly with a computer that has iTunes installed or via OTA (Over The Air) if it is connected wirelessly to the network that has an Internet connection..”
The 2nd Generation
The second generation of Apple TV was released in 2010. It featured a new UI and support for 1080p HD content. The second generation also included a new A4 processor and 8 GB of storage.
The third generation of Apple TV was released in 2012. It featured a new UI and support for 1080p HD content. The third generation also included a new A5 processor and 8 GB of storage.
The fourth generation of Apple TV was released in 2015. It featured a new UI, support for 4K HDR content, and a new A8 processor. The fourth generation also included 32 GB or 64 GB of storage.
The 3rd Generation
The 3rd generation was released in 2012 and 2015. It came in two different models, the A1469 and the A1625. They are both very similar, but the A1625 model had an updated processor and was slightly thinner. The 3rd generation was the first Apple TV to support 1080p resolution and came with a new interface that resembled iOS. It also included a new remote control that could be used as a motion controller for games.
The 4th Generation
The fourth generation of the Apple TV was announced on September 12, 2017 and released on October 30, 2017. The biggest change from previous generations is the addition of support for 4K HDR content from both traditional and streaming sources. The device is powered by the A10X Fusion chip and has 32 or 64GB of storage. It also has a new touch-sensitive remote control with Siri support.
The 5th Generation
The 5th generation of Apple TV was announced on September 12, 2017 and began shipping on October 30, 2017.
The 5th generation Apple TV features an A10X Fusion processor with 64-bit architecture and an M10 motion coprocessor. It also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
The 5th generation Apple TV has 32GB or 64GB of storage, doesn’t include a USB-C port, and only has Wi-Fi support.
How to Check Which Generation You Have
The easiest way to check which generation your Apple TV is, is to go to settings app then to General, and then to About. The model number will be listed here. If you see that you have an A1625 or an A1667, you have a 4th generation. If you have an A1842, you have a 5th generation.
Checking the Model Number
If you’re not sure which Apple TV model you have, you can use the model number to identify it. You can find the model number on the back of your Apple TV.
To identify your Apple TV model:
-Look on the back of your Apple TV for the model number.
-If you see “32GB” or “64GB” printed near the bottom of the back panel, you have an Apple TV (4th generation).
-If you see “Apple TV HD” or “Apple TV 4K” printed on the top of the back panel, you have apple tv hd or an Apple TV 4K.
Checking the Software Version
On your Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, go to Settings > System. Under Version, you should see what generation your Apple TV is.
Here’s what each generation of Apple TV can do:
Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD
You can set up your Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD to play sound in Dolby Atmos.1 You can also use the Siri Remote that came with your Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD to control volume and playback on your television or receiver. Just hold down the Menu button and then swipe up or down on the touch surface.2 You can also ask Siri to turn up the volume. Just hold down the microphone button on the Siri Remote and say something like, “Turn up the volume,” “Turn it up a little,” or “Turn it down.”
Apple TV (4th generation)
You can use the Siri Remote that came with your fourth-generation Apple TV to control volume and playback on your television or receiver. Just hold down the Menu button and then swipe up or down on the touch surface.2 You can also ask Siri to turn up the volume. Just hold down the microphone button on the Siri Remote and say something like, “Turn up the volume,” “Turn it up a little,” or “Turn it down.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, there really is no definitive answer as to what generation your particular Apple TV is. The only way to know for sure is to open up the settings menu and check the model number against the list of Apple TV models provided in this article.
