Apple TV Is Now Almost 20 Years Old

[MacRumors]

The Apple TV is now almost two decades old amid rumors of the announcement of a new model.

Today marks 19 years Apple launched the original Apple TV. Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple TV at Macworld Expo in January 2007 alongside the original iPhone, but it didn't launch until March.

The ‌Apple TV was initially previewed as the "iTV." The device allowed users to wirelessly stream movies, TV shows, music, and photos from their Mac or PC directly to their TV. Unlike today, there was no App Store or third-party app support, and the experience was centered almost entirely around iTunes-purchased or synced media.

The Apple TV was controlled with a simple Apple Remote and ran a Front Row-style interface designed for navigating iTunes libraries on a TV. It featured a 40GB hard drive for local content storage and supported 720p HD resolution, offering both HDMI and component video output, and was priced at $299.

Apple famously described the Apple TV as a "hobby," reflecting its niche and experimental status within the company at the time. Over subsequent years, Apple slowly repositioned the device over time from a Mac accessory to a standalone streaming device.

In 2010, it dropped the internal hard drive and shifted to a smaller, streaming-focused design. The introduction of tvOS and the App Store in 2015 marked a major turning point, enabling third-party apps and games. Apple later added 4K support in 2017 and continued to iterate with faster chips, culminating in the current model powered by the A15 Bionic chip.

Unlike the original Apple TV, which was primarily designed to stream iTunes content from a Mac or PC, the device now serves as a hub for Apple's services, with integrations for Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, AirPlay, and HomeKit. While competitors such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Google TV devices still dominate the lower end of the market, Apple has continued to position the Apple TV as a premium option with tighter ecosystem integration and more powerful hardware.

Today's Apple TV is the third-generation 4K model from November 2022. A new Apple TV is expected to be announced soon, featuring a faster chip and Apple's custom N1 wireless chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Article Link: Apple TV Is Now Almost 20 Years Old

 

[vatter69]

Imho the new ATV wont launch until they have sorted their "blonde" Siri. Same reason the homepod mini and that other new device hasn't launched yet.

Fingers crossed!

 

[HouseLannister]

AppleTV the service is now the hobby. AppleTV the device seems like an afterthought.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Thought this was referring to the current model tbh

 

[ignatius345]

Back in the day that little white remote in the picture above would also work with the IR port that many Macs had -- specifically to work with that old “Front Row” interface. This would be great to bring back, IMO, via Bluetooth instead of infrared.

 

[WU27f1xcCs]

Everyone in the UK knew at launch that name wouldn’t stick.

 

[awshucks]

I have one brand new in the (open) box from 2007. I enjoy looking at it and its accessories.

 

[kerr]

Has it been that long since the last model?

 

[wanha]

Thought this was referring to the current model tbh

for real, it's starting to feel that way

 

[Serrafemme]

The original version of AppleTV was primarily to stream iTunes content from a local Mac…wow! What a rumor!

 

[aperfectcircle]

So today marks 19 years since it was introduced yet the headline boldly proclaims its “almost 20 years”. That’s a bit of a stretch, come on MR. Obviously I have a different definition of almost in this context.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Which will happen first: an updated model or its 20-yr anniversary? 😜

 

[mdcmdcmdc]

Not really a rumor, that it’s been 19 years since 2007, but good clickbait since there’s a lot of anticipation for a new model.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

Apple TV is one of my favorite product lines

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

Not really a rumor, that it’s been 19 years since 2007, but good clickbait since there’s a lot of anticipation for a new model.

It’s just…… news…… not everything has to be a “rumor”…

 

[DocMultimedia]

Imho the new ATV wont launch until they have sorted their "blonde" Siri. Same reason the homepod mini and that other new device hasn't launched yet.

Fingers crossed!

Yep. And it seems like I've been waiting for ages! My 2017 ATV isn't very happy with os26. 🙏🏼

 

[jbachandouris]

I seem to recall hearing that Steve Jobs had cracked TV just before his passing. Clearly that hasn’t happened.

 

[rictus007]

Apologies, but I don’t mean to offend anyone. However, sometimes, the MR starts to resemble Reddit or 9gag. Almost everyone seems to be upset about everything. I also thought the title might be a bit misleading. Perhaps it was created solely to post something on a Saturday when there’s limited news or rumors. Nevertheless, it’s still interesting for those who are unfamiliar with this product. After all, not everyone was born in the 19XXs and remembers when Apple was founded (not me, by the way). Just enjoy the article, and if you don’t like it, feel free to scroll to the next one.

 

[Marzzz]

My question is why does anyone need this device? My “smart TV” seems to be able to access all of the AppleTV content.

 

[spartan1967]

Not dissing anyone who owns this hardware & asking because of interest of future purchase. Apple TV gets an A+ from me for content.

Why would I buy this hardware when Roku Ultra is half the cost & has the Apple TV app. & all my other streaming apps. I am subscribed to already?

 

[Duncan-UK]

My question is why does anyone need this device? My “smart TV” seems to be able to access all of the AppleTV content.

The smart TV apps won't allow you to access iTunes Extras content nor your music library.

Also the Apple TV offers a good platform for some useful apps, which you might not necessarily be able to get on a more limited smart TV.

 

[Abazigal]

My question is why does anyone need this device? My “smart TV” seems to be able to access all of the AppleTV content.

It's one way of providing "smart TV" functionality to a television without allowing it to connect to the internet. So you are able to prevent your smart TV from sending user data back to the manufacturer. That's what I am doing for the two televisions I have at home. They are just screens for my 2 Apple TVs.

Apple TVs also extend the apple ecosystem to your rooms. You have the TV app (together with any iTunes content you have purchased), Apple Music, podcasts, photos, airplay mirroring, games (via Apple Arcade), as well as apps such as Infuse, Play, Lookup, Fitness workouts, and even video conferencing apps such as FaceTime and Zoom. Certain more niche streaming services like CuriosityStream and Nebula may not be available either.

There was also a time many years back when one of my earlier TVs came with only the YouTube and Netflix apps preinstalled. An Apple TV was a cheap and easy way of accessing other streaming apps such as Disney+, Twitch, TV+ and HBO until the time came to upgrade to a newer model.

Why would I buy this hardware when Roku Ultra is half the cost & has the Apple TV app. & all my other streaming apps. I am subscribed to already?

I have heard that Roku serves ads now. I feel that you don't really save much by not going with the Apple TV, and they can easily last 5-6 years each.

I am still holding on to 3 of the 2013 models. These are installed in my classrooms purely for airplay mirroring (which no longer requires a wifi connection to work). Have been using them to mirror my iPads flawlessly for well over a decade, and I am thankful that they remain backwards compatible even after all this time. 😀

 

[QuarterSwede]

My question is why does anyone need this device? My “smart TV” seems to be able to access all of the AppleTV content.

Not dissing anyone who owns this hardware & asking because of interest of future purchase. Apple TV gets an A+ from me for content.

Why would I buy this hardware when Roku Ultra is half the cost & has the Apple TV app. & all my other streaming apps. I am subscribed to already?

Lack of ads.

 

[jwolf6589]

The Apple TV is now almost two decades old amid rumors of the announcement of a new model.

Today marks 19 years Apple launched the original Apple TV. Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple TV at Macworld Expo in January 2007 alongside the original iPhone, but it didn't launch until March.

The ‌Apple TV was initially previewed as the "iTV." The device allowed users to wirelessly stream movies, TV shows, music, and photos from their Mac or PC directly to their TV. Unlike today, there was no App Store or third-party app support, and the experience was centered almost entirely around iTunes-purchased or synced media.

The Apple TV was controlled with a simple Apple Remote and ran a Front Row-style interface designed for navigating iTunes libraries on a TV. It featured a 40GB hard drive for local content storage and supported 720p HD resolution, offering both HDMI and component video output, and was priced at $299.

Apple famously described the Apple TV as a "hobby," reflecting its niche and experimental status within the company at the time. Over subsequent years, Apple slowly repositioned the device over time from a Mac accessory to a standalone streaming device.

In 2010, it dropped the internal hard drive and shifted to a smaller, streaming-focused design. The introduction of tvOS and the App Store in 2015 marked a major turning point, enabling third-party apps and games. Apple later added 4K support in 2017 and continued to iterate with faster chips, culminating in the current model powered by the A15 Bionic chip.

Unlike the original Apple TV, which was primarily designed to stream iTunes content from a Mac or PC, the device now serves as a hub for Apple's services, with integrations for Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, AirPlay, and HomeKit. While competitors such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Google TV devices still dominate the lower end of the market, Apple has continued to position the Apple TV as a premium option with tighter ecosystem integration and more powerful hardware.

Today's Apple TV is the third-generation 4K model from November 2022. A new Apple TV is expected to be announced soon, featuring a faster chip and Apple's custom N1 wireless chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Article Link: Apple TV Is Now Almost 20 Years Old

That’s what you said last year and it never happened. Reliable leakers???? I think not.

 

[jwolf6589]

My question is why does anyone need this device? My “smart TV” seems to be able to access all of the AppleTV content.

Smart TV’s are garbage. Apple TV is much faster and more polished.