Apple TV (2nd generation) (2010)

Second-generation Apple TV: the small black box that traded the disk for streaming.

Specs

Launch and context

Announced on September 1, 2010, Apple planned availability for late that month; no exact worldwide day is asserted in the cited sources. A4 and video up to 720p defined a much smaller box. Marketing emphasized silence, simplicity and a US $99 price. Rentals and services mentioned in 2010 were regional, not a current service inventory. [tv2-launch, tv2-spec]

How Apple presented it

It included an aluminum Apple Remote and offered HDMI, optical audio, Ethernet 10/100, Wi-Fi and Micro-USB for service. The Micro-USB port is for service, not external-drive media playback. Size: 23 × 98 × 98 mm. A menu update does not turn 720p output into 1080p. It lacks the App Store and tvOS introduced with the 2015 generation. [tv2-spec, tv2-launch]

Documented issues

No general manufacturing defect is established in the cited sources. For absent picture, Apple advises checking HDMI cable and input, another port or a direct TV connection. Its guide distinguishes the old remote: Menu + Up for 5 seconds cycles resolutions every 20 seconds. This is general guidance, not a guarantee that historical services still work. Current compatibility and support must be checked separately. [tv-care]

Sources

• tv-care · Apple, Apple TV picture and power troubleshooting · https://support.apple.com/en-us/108804
• tv2-launch · Apple, New Apple TV for 99 USD · https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2010/09/01Apple-Premieres-New-Apple-TV-for-Breakthrough-Price-of-99/
• tv2-spec · Apple, Apple TV second generation specifications · https://support.apple.com/en-us/112428

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