Apple TV HD, formerly known as Apple TV 4th Gen, has been discontinued 7 years after the introduction in September 2015, leaving Apple TV 4K as the cheapest option.
Apple TV HD with the A8 chip was the first device with tvOS, Apple's TV operating system. It was followed by Apple TV 4K in September 2017, Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) in May 2021, and Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) this week (available from November).
Also read: Apple launches new cheaper Apple TV 4K with A15 Bionic, HDR10+, up to 128GB storage
It supports up to 1080p but not any form of HDR or Dolby Atmos. It started on tvOS 9 in 2015, was recently updated to tvOS 16, and is expected to also get subsequent tvOS 16.x updates. What happens after that is unclear now that it is officially discontinued.
Apple TV 4th Gen originally came with the 1st Gen Siri Remote. Photo: FlatpanelsHD
In 2015, the price for Apple TV 4th Gen was $149 for a 32GB and $199 for a 64GB version so Apple TV hardware has actually become cheaper over the years, now starting at $129 for a 64GB version.
The discontinuation of Apple TV HD seems to imply that Apple has changed its TV strategy to focus on premium devices. The company has reportedly abandoned plans to launch an Apple TV dongle which we believe is the right decision.
Apple TV HD is no longer available from Apple's online stores but you may still be able to find it in physical Apple and partner stores until stocks are depleted.
