Netflix has sent out emails to customers with older Apple TV devices informing them that support for its app for second- and third-generation Apple TV models released between 2010 and 2013 will end on July 31.
Netflix is also taking note of this demise. Apple TV Support Page.
Of course, computing devices will always become outdated due to the natural evolution of the software that runs on them: Apple itself will stop supporting its gadgets with operating system upgrades after seven years.
But this particular obsolescence is worth noting, as these Apple TV devices were so revolutionary.
The second-generation 720p resolution Apple TV, released in September 2010, was one of the first streaming devices to use 8 GB of flash storage instead of an internal hard drive, a configuration that has become common among streaming appliances, and used Apple’s A4 chip instead of an Intel x86 processor.
With the release of Gen-2, Apple renamed AirTunes to “AirPlay” and it now supports video streaming from iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers.
The third-generation Apple TV, released in March 2012, was 1080p compatible and looked identical to the second-generation model, but had an upgraded A5 processor and supported remote access via HomeKit devices.
Both had a suggested retail price of $150 at launch, and both will soon be unavailable via the world’s largest subscription streaming service.