If you have an old Apple TV, it might be time to upgrade. In a message to subscribers, Netflix announced that 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TV devices (the first non-4K models) will no longer be able to access the Netflix app after July 31, 2024.
There are four remaining Apple TV models that support Netflix: the 4th generation Apple TV HD and all three Apple TV 4K models. Apple stopped selling the Apple TV HD in October 2022, so if you need a new model, you’ll need to upgrade to the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation), which starts at $129. The 2nd generation Apple TV was discontinued in 2012 while the 3rd generation model remained on shelves until 2016.
To clarify: if you bought your Apple TV within the last 8 years, you should be fine, and if you need a new one, the only model Apple currently sells is the 3rd grade Apple TV 4K generation that starts at a reasonable $129.
Netflix says it is ending support to “maintain the best possible Netflix experience,” so it’s unclear whether the app will stop working completely on August 1 or whether some features will be unavailable. The main difference between the 3rd and 4th generation Apple TV HD boxes is in the chip (A5 vs A8), where the A8 is significantly faster and more capable.
The A5 chip is a 32-bit single-core SoC while the 64-bit A8 has a dual-core CPU and a quad-core GPU. The first-generation Apple TV 4K features an even newer chip, the A10X, with a 6-core CPU and a 12-core GPU.
Apple was expected to launch a new Apple TV 4K in the first half of this year, but a new report claims a new model “is not imminent.”
