page_title: Apple TV
section_title: Connectivity
hierarchical_section_title: Apple TV / Features / Connectivity
caption_attribution_description: English: The rear side of Apple TV (2nd generation)
context_page_description: Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and sold by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance and entertainment device that can receive digital data for visual and audio content such as music, video, video games, or the screen display of certain other devices, and play it on a connected television set or other video display.
  Apple TV is an HDMI-compliant source device. To use it for viewing, it has to be connected to an enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen television via an HDMI cable. The device has no integrated controls and can only be controlled remotely, either by an Apple Remote or Siri Remote control device using its infrared/Bluetooth capability, by the Apple TV Remote app on numerous Apple devices using its Wi-Fi capability, or by some third-party gaming controllers and infrared remotes.
  Apple TV runs software applications preinstalled with the system software or, for models running tvOS, downloaded from Apple's tvOS App Store over the device's Wi-Fi connection, with the most popular being those that stream video.
context_section_description: Apple TV streams video through an HDMI cable (Type A) connected to the TV's HDMI port. Audio is supported through the optical or HDMI ports. The device also has a Micro-USB port, which is reserved for service and diagnostics. The device connects through Ethernet or Wi-Fi to the computer for digital content from the Internet and local networks. Apple TV does not come with audio, video or other cables, which must be acquired additionally as required. On the previous Apple TV, media files could be transferred directly onto the device by syncing with another computer. Once content was stored on the device's hard drive, Internet connectivity was no longer needed to view content. This is not the case with the later models, which do not have a hard drive for storing media.
  The 1st generation Apple TV had component video and RCA connector audio ports, both removed in the 2nd generation. The device does not have RCA/composite video or F/RF connectors,  but can be tricked into outputting color via composite.
  Starting with the 4th generation Apple TV, Apple removed the optical audio port. Apple also enhanced the HDMI port by adding support for HDMI 1.4. The 4th generation also removed the Micro-USB port in favor of the reversible USB-C port and the 5th generation removed USB entirely.
caption: Back of 2nd generation Apple TV
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