Apple TV

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Apple TV
Manufacturer Apple , Inc.
Paver Foxconn
category Software platform for set-top boxes
status Available since 2007

Apple TV is a set-top box from Apple . It is connected to a television set or to a screen and can use this to play back various media content that it receives via a local network or the Internet .

Apple introduced the second generation on September 1, 2010, the third on March 7, 2012, and the fourth generation on September 9, 2015.

The fifth generation was launched on September 12, 2017 under the name Apple TV 4K .

Project name iTV and concept idea

After the success of iTunes , Apple asked what the optimal device for iTunes in the living room could look like. A mobile device for iTunes already existed in the form of the iPod . Unlike usual, Steve Jobs announced a new product called iTV at the presentation on September 12, 2006, before completion. The fact that a set-top box does not contain a TV reception or a DVD player is unusual and was justified by Steve Jobs with the consideration that the typical household in the living room already has all devices for playing CD, DVD and recording Own videos. The only thing missing is an iTunes player with which you can get your digital media collection from your computer into your living room.

The iTV was therefore only presented as a WLAN receiver. Steve Jobs justified his argument with numerous illustrations of typical living rooms with many devices stacked on top of one another; an iTV was always on top.

In January 2007, the finished product was presented as Apple TV to avoid name conflicts with the British television broadcaster Independent Television (ITV).

Compared with the presentation of 12 September, the first generation of Apple TV had received a separate hard drive and a complete operating system based on Mac OS X . Even with the significantly increased hardware performance, the usage concept remained the same.

Since April 2009, German language films have also been offered on iTunes. Only since then have the IPTV functions (Internet TV) in Apple TV been able to be used to the same extent as announced when the product was launched in 2007.

operating system

Specially adapted versions of Mac OS X were used as the operating system for the first generation Apple TV . In the first version, originally called Apple TV software , an adapted version of the Front Row program, also available under Mac OS X Tiger (10.4, 2005), was used as the user interface. Up to version 3 Mac OS X made directly continue the base of the Apple TV software since the first Apple TV - as the computers of Apple from 2006 - an IA-32 - processor architecture (processors from Intel provides).

From version 4, the Apple TV software is based directly on iOS and therefore only indirectly on Mac OS X. Therefore, it is only based on the ARM architecture used in Apple TV from the second generation  - as it is also in mobile Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch is used - ready to run. Apple designs the ARM processors used in-house.

From the fourth generation of the Apple TV onwards, a new operating system called tvOS will be used, but it will still be based on iOS. The version number has been aligned with that of iOS, so that the first version of tvOS is version number 9.0. TvOS does not work on older generations of Apple TV. In addition to a completely redesigned user interface, it also offers a. an app store and Siri voice control .

service

Apple Remote 1st generation (left) and 2nd generation (right)

Originally, Apple TV could only be operated with the supplied Apple Remote , so content outside of Apple TV always required a second remote control. Apple later introduced further operating concepts:

  • From software version 2.3 onwards, any remote control can serve as a remote control for Apple TV because it has a built-in training program. If you use this program, the six buttons of Apple Remote appear on the screen one after the other, and Apple TV stores the infrared code of the other remote control.
  • Apple TV is also used to play music. For operation without the television switched on, Apple offers the free Remote app , which enables operation using a device running iOS . This allows the television to remain switched off. In addition, the operation with the Remote program is much smoother than with the Apple remote control and the remote television.
  • Via the AirPlay interface of the macOS and iOS operating systems, sound and screen can be transferred to Apple TV as a streaming interface without iTunes.
  • Bluetooth keyboards can also be connected to Apple TV from the third generation.

With the fourth generation of Apple TV, three additional input methods were added in December 2015:

  • Third party game controllers are supported by tvOS through an official interface .
  • The HDMI extension Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) is now supported by Apple TV. This means that the remote control of the television can be used immediately without training: The television forwards the received infrared signal via the HDMI cable to the Apple TV, so that there is no longer any visual contact. The buttons on the remote control are automatically context-sensitive correct via HDMI CEC, i. H. For example, if the classic TV program is running, the OK button does not react for Apple TV, for example, but only if the TV's HDMI input is also set to Apple TV. The same applies to the cursor and special keys such as play and pause and back.
  • The Apple Siri Remote control with touch controls, volume buttons and Siri controls : The Apple Siri Remote can also use the HDMI extension CEC to send a wake-up signal from the fourth generation Apple TV to the TV connected via HDMI, which then also sends the HDMI input switched to Apple TV. If the television is in standby mode with this wake-up signal, the television changes accordingly. For the first time, it can be operated without the remote control of the television.

hardware

First generation

First generation Apple TV (rear)

The first generation of Apple TV was released on March 21, 2007. It contained a 40 GB hard drive, and on May 31, 2007 a 160 GB model was also released. While the 40 GB version was taken off the market on September 14, 2009, the 160 GB model remained available until the second generation appeared. Outwardly it is very similar to the original Mac mini , but it is flatter and wider and has the dimensions of the then current Time Capsule or Mac mini from Apple. Despite its resemblance to a Mac mini, Apple does not include the Apple TV in the Mac product line , but instead classified it on the Apple website in the iPod and iTunes or iTunes product line .

Media files (music, videos, photos) from the iTunes library of a Windows PC or Macintosh computer are synchronized to the Apple TV's hard drive via the WLAN or Ethernet interface and can then be viewed on a television or screen. Up to five other computers can stream their data to the Apple TV, which is only displayed immediately, but not saved. The Apple TV also plays cinema trailers from the QuickTime website and videos from YouTube . With the operating system version 2.0, both pieces of music and videos can be bought directly from Apple TV in the iTunes Store . They are also downloaded to the Apple TV's hard drive, which will be synchronized with iTunes the next time you synchronize. Even podcasts can be "streamed" directly from the Internet. Apart from the remote control, the device has no buttons. Switching off is not provided, there is only a standby mode that can be activated by remote control.

The device does not have a television receiver or digital video recorder function, so only content from an iTunes library can be played. However, it is possible to connect an external USB TV tuner and retrofit additional functions using alternative, unsupported operating systems (e.g. Linux ).

Second generation

Second generation Apple TV (rear). The third generation looks the same on the outside.

On September 1, 2010, Steve Jobs (then Apple CEO) presented a new generation of Apple TV at a press conference. Since November 11, 2010, Apple TV is also available in Switzerland, Austria and Italy; at the same time, the iTunes Store now also offered films there. With the second generation, the customer has the opportunity to watch films in HD quality ( 720p ) and stream photos and music directly from the computer. In addition, films and music can be transferred wirelessly from an iPod , iPhone or iPad to the device in the local network via AirPlay .

Used devices of this generation achieve significantly higher prices compared to the successor model, since with the help of the jailbreak from Apple, unintended software such as the XBMC Media Center or aTV Flash can be used. These enable u. a. also playback of media formats such as DivX , Xvid and Matroska ; there is also an HTML5 capable web browser.

Third generation

The third generation of the Apple TV was presented in March 2012. Externally, the device remained unchanged compared to the second generation, but the main memory was increased to 512 MB and the chipset (processor, graphics unit, WLAN hardware) was upgraded: The device uses the single-core version of the Apple A5 . This now also enables films to be played in full HD quality ( 1080p ).

In March 2013 the internal design was revised again; By changing the chip design, further electricity savings could be achieved. However, new functions were not implemented (with the exception of Peer-to-Peer AirPlay from Apple TV software 7.0). The revised model is called Apple TV (3rd generation) Rev A (A1469).

Fourth generation

On September 9, 2015, Apple presented the fourth generation of the Apple TV. The fourth generation of the Apple TV could be pre-ordered from October 26th; delivery began on October 29, 2015. The device has the same shape as the second and third generation, but is slightly higher. It uses a variant of the Apple A8 with 2 GB of main memory and, in addition to the wireless standards supported by the third generation, now also supports WLAN 802.11ac . The ethernet connection remained and the optical audio output was removed. The micro USB port on the previous model was USB Type C replaced. This USB connection is primarily used for maintenance and diagnostics, and software developers can also use it officially for recording screen videos. There is also an infrared receiver for remote controls from older televisions and older Apple remote controls . For apps for tvOS , the device was offered with 32 or 64 GB flash memory. The supplied remote control has been completely redesigned and is now called Siri Remote . This now offers a touchpad, an acceleration sensor and a gyroscope as well as two microphones for using Siri .

With the presentation of the successor model, the price of the 32 GB model of the 4th generation was reduced and the 64 GB version was discontinued.

As part of the Apple Special Event on March 25, 2019, Apple announced a name change in order to more clearly differentiate the range of functions from the Apple TV 4K, which is available at the same time. Since then, the 4th generation has been sold under the name Apple TV HD .

Fifth generation

With the Apple TV 4K , the fifth generation of the Apple TV was presented on September 12, 2017. It is named after the ability to play 4K and HDR content. Outwardly, it resembles the fourth generation, the housing dimensions are identical. With the Apple A10X Fusion , the SoC of the second generation iPad Pro is used, but with 3 GB of RAM in the Apple TV . Because of the high performance, a fan is installed for cooling, unlike the previous model. For the first time, the Apple TV supports Gigabit Ethernet , simultaneous dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 . The USB -C connection is omitted for maintenance and diagnostics. Like the previous generation, the device is available with 32 or 64 GB of flash memory and comes with Siri Remote.

Technical data in comparison

model 1st generation 2nd generation 3rd generation Apple TV HD

(4th generation)

Apple TV 4K

(5th generation)

Model number A1218 (MB189LL / A) A1378 (MC572FD / A) A1427 / A1469 (MD199FD / A) MGY52FD / A (32 GB) MLNC2FD / A (64 GB) MQD22FD / A (32 GB)
MP7P2FD / A (64 GB)
Appointment September 12, 2006 September 1, 2010 March 7, 2012 September 9, 2015 12th September 2017
Price USA $ 229 $ 99 $ 69 $ 149 (32GB), $ 199 (64GB) $ 179 (32GB), $ 199 (64GB)
Price DA-CH € 269 119 €
129 CHF 		79 € (starting 109 €)
79 CHF 		159 € (32 GB, beginning 179 €), 229 € (64 GB) 199 € / 198.45 CHF (32 GB)
219 € / 228.36 CHF (64 GB)
processor 1 GHz Intel Pentium M " Crofton " Apple A4 ( ARM Cortex-A8 ) Apple A5 (Single Core ARM-Cortex-A9 ) Apple A8 Apple A10X Fusion
Graphics processor Nvidia GeForce Go 7300 with 64 MB VRAM Apple A4 ( PowerVR SGX535 ) Apple A5 ( PowerVR SGX543MP2 ) Apple A8 ( PowerVR GX6450)
random access memory 256 MB , 400 MHz DDR2-SDRAM 256 MB 512 MB 2 GB 3 GB
Internal memory 40 or 160 GB hard drive 8 GB Flash (only for the operating system and as a buffer ) 32 or 64 GB flash 32 or 64 GB flash
connections Component video , HDMI , optical audio output , infrared receiver, USB 2.0 (officially only for diagnostic purposes, hard drives, mice and keyboards can be connected after a jailbreak ) Micro-USB , HDMI, optical audio output, infrared receiver USB-C , HDMI, infrared receiver HDMI, infrared receiver
network WLAN ( 802.11b / g / n ), 10/100 Ethernet WLAN ( 802.11a / b / g / n ), 10/100 Ethernet WLAN (802.11a / b / g / n), 10/100 Ethernet, Peer-to-Peer AirPlay (initially only A1469) WLAN ( 802.11a / b / g / n / ac ), 10/100 Ethernet, peer-to-peer AirPlay WLAN (802.11a / b / g / n / ac), Gigabit Ethernet , Peer-to-Peer AirPlay
Bluetooth - 2.1 (only with jailbreak) 4.0 (from iOS 5.2 support for keyboards) 4.0 ( MFi -certified game controller , keyboard (planned from tvOS 9.2)) 5.0
output 720p 60/50 Hz, 576p / 576i 50 Hz ( PAL ), 480p / 480i (480i is unofficially supported) 60 Hz 720p, 480p 1080p , 720p, 480p 4K , 1080p, 720p, 480p
Audio connections S / PDIF Optical audio output , HDMI , audio cinch S / PDIF Optical audio output (48 kHz fixed sampling rate), HDMI HDMI
Power supply Built-in 48 W power supply Built-in 6 W power supply Built-in 11 W power supply Built-in 13 W power supply
Dimensions 197 mm (D), 197 mm (W), 28 mm (H) 98 mm (D), 98 mm (W), 23 mm (H) 98 mm (D), 98 mm (W), 33 mm (H) 98 mm (D), 98 mm (W), 35 mm (H)
Weight 1.1 kg 0.27 kg 0.41 kg 0.43 kg
Original operating system Apple TV Software 1.0
(Based on Mac OS X 10.4 ) 		Apple TV software 4.0
(based on iOS 4.1) 		Apple TV Software 5.00
(Based on iOS 5.1) 		tvOS 9.00
(Based on iOS 9.0) 		tvOS 11.0
Current operating system Apple TV Software 3.0.2
(Based on Mac OS X 10.4) 		Apple TV Software 6.2.1
(Based on iOS 7.1.2) 		Apple TV Software 7.5
(Based on iOS 8.3) 		tvOS 13.4.6 tvOS 13.4.6

Web links

Commons : Apple TV  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Apple TV 4K brings the magic of cinema into the home with 4K & HDR . In: Apple Newsroom . ( apple.com [accessed October 12, 2017]).
  2. ↑ News about iTV. mac-tv.de, September 20, 2006 (what is the concept of iTV; 19 minutes video)
  3. ^ Name dispute: lawsuit against Apple's iCloud. ( Memento from June 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) ftd.de, June 11, 2011 (with historical cases before)
  4. ↑ heise.de: - Apple starts offering films in the German iTunes Store (update) from April 16, 2009.
  5. ↑ Use a third-party remote control with Apple TV. Retrieved December 8, 2015 .
  6. ↑ Remote. Retrieved December 8, 2015 .
  7. ↑ Gone into the net . In: Stereo , 2009, issue 4, pp. 36–38.
  8. ↑ atv.wikidot.com
  9. ↑ Apple Liveticker for Apple TV and iTunes ( Areamobile.de )
  10. ↑ aTV Flash (black) 2.2 is compatible with firmware 5.2. Retrieved December 8, 2015 .
  11. ↑ Apple TV 2013 (A1469) Short Review: Analysis of a New A5. Retrieved December 8, 2015 .
  12. ↑ Apple TV: Peer-to-peer AirPlay for streaming outside a shared network limited to March 2013 models. Retrieved December 8, 2015 .
  13. ↑ Determine the Apple TV model. Retrieved December 8, 2015 .
  14. ↑ Instructions for creating screen videos for tvOS developers. developer.apple.com; Retrieved February 19, 2016
  15. ↑ "Apple TV HD" - New name for the small Apple streaming box. March 26, 2019, accessed on May 16, 2019 (German).
  16. ↑ Apple TV on Apple Store D / Apple TV on Apple Store A : 119 EUR
    Apple TV on Apple Store CH : 129 CHF (97 EUR, price on November 11, 2010)
  17. ↑ What's inside an Apple TV: Tear-down reveals (almost) all . AppleInsider. March 28, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
  18. ↑ Pentium M-based Intel chip at the heart of Apple TV . AppleInsider. January 15, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  19. ↑ Anand Lal Shimpi: Apple TV . AnandTech. March 22, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
  20. ↑ See Apple TV 2nd Generation Teardown . ifixit.com. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  21. ↑ a b Eric Slivka: Teardown of New Apple TV Reveals Same 8 GB Flash Storage, Bump to 512 MB RAM. In: macrumors.com. March 17, 2012, accessed March 18, 2012 .
  22. ↑ New Apple TV has 2 GB RAM, included 802.11ac WiFi is faster than its Ethernet port. In: 9to5mac.com. September 9, 2015, accessed September 16, 2015 .
  23. ^ Jacqui Cheng: ARS at Macworld: Questions about the Apple TV . Ars Technica. January 9, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
  24. ↑ Support of external keyboard planned with tvOS 9.2. heise.de; accessed February 21, 2015
  25. ↑ Apple TV 4th Generation Teardown. Retrieved December 8, 2015 .
  26. ↑ Apple TV 4K teardown . In: iFixit . September 25, 2017 ( ifixit.com [accessed October 12, 2017]).
  27. ↑ About Apple TV 4K and Apple TV (4th generation) software updates. Apple Inc., accessed September 29, 2017 .
  28. ↑ Apple security updates. Accessed April 28, 2020 (English).
  29. ↑ a b About Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD software updates. Accessed February 2, 2020 .