AppleTV 3rd Gen 2012

The Apple TV (3rd Generation/Early 2012) looks identical to the second generation model, but has a more powerful processor and twice the RAM and accordingly is capable of supporting 1080p video and Apple TV Software Update 7.x and AppleTV+ unlike its predecessor which tops out at 720p video and Apple TV Software Update 6.2.1.

The third generation Apple TV makes it easy to rent or purchase movies and TV shows from Apple as well as stream or mirror movies, shows, photos and other content from an iPod, iPhone or iPad as well as from a Mac or PC. It has built-in support for iCloud, Netflix, YouTube and Flickr along with other services.

It is powered by a single core 32 nm Apple A5 processor and connectivity includes HDMI, optical audio, 10/100Base-T Ethernet, a single Micro-USB port "for service and diagnostics" (and hacking), and 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking as well as Bluetooth 4 (after the Apple TV 6.1 update).

The third-generation Apple TV was largely seen as a refinement of the second. The most significant upgrade was the jump to 1080p video output, a feature that was sorely missed in its predecessor and made it a much more viable living room device. [15, 17] Powered by the A5 chip, it offered a smoother user experience and better performance for full HD content. [17] While it still lacked an app store, its improved resolution and solid streaming capabilities for services like Netflix made it a very popular and long-lived product. [25] It represented the peak of the pre-tvOS era for Apple's set-top box.