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Apple TV Q&A
Published May 26, 2021
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What are all the differences between the current Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models? Which should I buy?
As you would expect for any two devices introduced several years apart, the still current Apple TV HD, introduced in its original incarnation in 2015, and the Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen), introduced in 2021, have many differences.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Apple TV 4K 2nd Gen & Remote)
Originally, the Apple TV HD shipped with a black "Siri Remote" (A1962, EMC 3186) with a Glass Touch surface, dual microphones for Siri, an accelerometer and three-axis gyroscope. It was widely criticized for being difficult to use, though.
When the Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen), was introduced on April 20, 2021, it shipped by default with a new silver-colored "Siri Remote" (A2540, EMC 3732, MJFM3LL/A) with a touch-enabled "clickpad control that offers five-way navigation" and an outer ring that works as a "jog control" for quick scene selection. Apple updated the Apple TV HD at the same time to ship with the same remote by default (MHY93LL/A). This remote can be purchased separately for US$59, too.
External & Connectivity Differences
There are notable connectivity differences between the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen).
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Apple TV HD - Ports)
The Apple TV HD (above) and the newer Apple TV 4K 2nd Gen (below) have substantially different connectivity. They both have a built-in power supply and an IR receiver for the remote, but otherwise differ.
The Apple TV HD has an HDMI 1.4 port, a 10/100Base-T Ethernet port, and a USB-C port formally "for service and support" only. It also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO capability and Bluetooth 4.0 support.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Apple TV 4K 2nd Gen - Ports)
The Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen), loses the USB-C port, but otherwise has more advanced connectivity. It has an HDMI 2.1 port, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 with MIMO, and Bluetooth 5.0 as well as "Thread" networking.
Identification Differences
Just compared to one another, the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) models can be differentiated by ports, but because so many Apple TV models look practically identical to one another, visual identification is not a good method.
These models can be quickly identified by Model Number and EMC Number, both of which are provided in tiny type toward the bottom of the underside of each device:
Apple TV |
Subfamily |
Model No. |
EMC No. |
HD |
|||
4K (2nd Gen) |
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Lookup feature also can uniquely identify both of these Apple TV models by their Order Numbers, and this is another method that can be used to find the precise one.
Internal Differences
Although the Apple TV HD also once was available with 32 GB or 64 GB of internal flash storage -- like the Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) -- when the newer model was introduced, Apple only sold the Apple TV HD with 32 GB of storage.
The Apple TV HD model has a 1.4 GHz Apple A8 processor whereas the Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) has a much newer and faster 2.49 GHz Apple A12 Bionic processor.
As you can guess from its name, the Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) supports 4K (2160p). The Apple TV HD, by contrast, only supports 1080p video.
Software Differences
Both the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) run the "tvOS" with support for an app store and full fledged apps and games.
For now, both devices support the current version of the operating system, but the newer, faster Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) is likely to support the current version for much longer.
Comparison Chart
The major differences are summarized below:
 Apple TV HD |
Apple TV 4K 2 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Processor Type: | Apple A8 | Apple A12 Bionic |
| Processor Speed: | 1.4 GHz (Variable) | 2.49 GHz (Variable) |
| Storage Options: | 32 GB | 32, 64 GB |
| Video Support: | 1080p | 4K (2160p) |
| Dolby Vision: | No | Yes |
| HDR10: | No | Yes |
| HLG: | No | Yes (60 fps) |
| USB Ports: | 1 (USB-C) | None |
| Display Port: | HDMI 1.4 | HDMI 2.1 |
| Ethernet: | 10/100Base-T | Gigabit |
| Thread: | No | Yes |
| Dolby 7.1: | Yes | Yes |
| Dolby Atmos: | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi: | 802.11ac | 802.11ax |
| Bluetooth: | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Original OS: | tvOS 9.0 | tvOS 14.5 |
| Maximum OS: | Current | Current |
| Apple Order No: | MHY93LL/A | MXGY2LL/A MXH02LL/A |
| Apple Model No: | A1625 | A2169 |
| EMC No: | 2907 | 3111 |
| Original Price: | US$149, US$199 | US$179, US$199 |
| Current Price: | US$149 | US$179, US$199 |
So, should I buy an Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K (2021, 2nd Gen)?
You should buy the Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen). It is substantially faster and more capable than the Apple TV HD and yet only costs US$30 more.
The Apple TV HD really only is worth considering if you don't have a 4K television and do not plan to buy one soon.
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