Apple TV

Technical Specifications

Size and weight

Footprint:
7.7 by 7.7 inches (197 by 197 mm)
Height:
1.1 inches (28 mm)
Weight:
2.4 pounds (1.09 kg)1

In the box

Remote
  • Apple TV
  • Apple Remote
  • Power cord
  • Quick Start guide

Power

  • Built-in 48-watt universal power supply
Take it for a spin. View the Apple TV.

Processor and storage

Intel
  • Intel processor
  • 40GB or 160GB hard drive2 for storing content locally
  • Up to 50 hours (40GB) or 200 hours (160GB) of video3
  • Up to 9,000 songs (40GB) or 36,000 songs (160GB)4
  • Up to 25,000 pictures5

System requirements

  • Mac or PC
  • iTunes 7.6 or later, iTunes 8.0.1 recommended
  • Mac: Mac OS X v10.3.9 or v10.4.9 or later
  • PC: Windows XP Home or Professional (SP2) or Windows Vista
  • AirPort Extreme, Wi-Fi 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n wireless network6 (wireless video streaming requires 802.11g or 802.11n) or 10/100BASE-T Ethernet network

Ports and interfaces

  • HDMI (video and audio)7
  • Component video
  • Optical audio
  • Analog RCA stereo audio
  • 10/100BASE-T Ethernet
  • USB 2.0
  • 802.11n wireless networking6
  • Built-in IR receiver (works with included Apple Remote)

Environmental requirements

  • Operating temperature: 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C)
  • Storage temperature: -40° to 185° F
    (-40° to 85° C)
  • Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
  • Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3,000 m)

Video formats supported

  • H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): Up to 5 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
  • iTunes Store purchased video: 320 by 240 pixels, 640 by 480 pixels, 720 by 480 pixels (anamorphic), or high-definition 720p
  • MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Audio formats supported

  • AAC (16 to 320 Kbps); protected AAC (from iTunes Store); MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps); MP3 VBR; Apple Lossless; AIFF; WAV; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound pass-through

Photo formats supported

  • JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PNG

TV compatibility

Accessories

HDMI cable

Easy Setup

Connect to your TV.

Connect Apple TV to your widescreen TV via an HDMI cable (sold separately). This single cable delivers both audio and video. If your HDMI port is in use, or if your TV doesn’t have an HDMI port, connect using component video cables with analog audio cables or with an optical audio cable (all sold separately). See above for TV compatibility.

Connect to your network.

Thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi technology, Apple TV connects to your wireless network to download content from the Internet, so you only have to connect it to your TV, not to a DSL or cable modem. Just join your existing wireless network from the Apple TV setup screen and you’ll be renting HD movies and buying TV shows and music from your couch in minutes.

Movie Rentals

Format Resolution Audio Cost Broadband speed:
wait time to start movie9
Standard Definition 720 by 480 anamorphic (maximum) Dolby Surround8 New releases - $3.99
Library titles - $2.99
6 Mbps: less than 30 seconds
2 Mbps: about 1 minute
768 Kbps: about 1.5 hours
High Definition 1280 by 720 (maximum) Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound8 New releases - $4.99
Library titles - $3.99
6 Mbps: less than 1 minute
2 Mbps: about 2 hours
768 Kbps: about 8 hours
  1. Actual weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
  2. 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
  3. Video capacity based on H.264 1.5-Mbps video at 640-by-480-pixel resolution combined with 128-Kbps audio. Actual capacity varies by content.
  4. Music capacity based on 4 minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding. Actual capacity varies by content.
  5. Photo capacity based on Apple TV-viewable photos transferred from iTunes.
  6. Based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. Learn more about the 802.11n draft specification.
  7. Requires HDMI with HDCP or component video.
  8. Dolby Surround is not available with all SD rentals. Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound is not available with all HD rentals.
  9. Estimated start times based on a 90-minute movie and a sustained Internet connection speed. Times vary based on movie length, broadband connection speed, and other factors. Test your broadband speed at www.speedtest.net.