Apple TV (1st generation)

The 1st-generation Apple TV, stylized as &#x2009;tv, was unveiled by Apple as a work in progress called "iTV" on September 12, 2006 at an Apple Special Event using a modified Front Row interface using the Apple Remote. Apple TV first shipped on March 21, 2007 with a 40 GB hard disk and Apple TV Software 1.0. An updated model with a 160 GB HDD was released on May 31, 2007; subsequently, Apple ceased selling the 40 GB HDD version on September 14, 2009.

Release and naming
Apple started taking pre-orders for Apple TV on January 9, 2007. The name "iTV" was originally going to be used to keep the product in line with the rest of their "i"-based products (iMac, iPod, etc.), but was not used because the British terrestrial broadcast network holds the rights to the name in the UK and threatened to take legal action against Apple.

Software updates
On January 15, 2008, a software upgrade was announced; this turned the Apple TV into a stand-alone device which removed the requirement for a computer running iTunes on Mac OS X or Windows to stream or sync content to it, and making most of the Apple TV's hard disk redundant. The update allowed the iTunes Store content to be directly rented and purchased, as well as photo streaming and podcast downloads from MobileMe (which was called .Mac at the time) and. Front Row became deprecated, and a new interface was introduced for the original Apple TV in which content was organized into six categories, all of which appeared in a large square box on the screen upon startup (movies, TV shows, music, YouTube, podcasts, and photos) and presented in the initial menu, along with a "Settings" option for configuration, including software updates.

On July 10, 2008, Apple released the Remote app on the App Store, and the Apple TV Software 2.1 update that added recognition for the iPhone and iPod Touch as remote control devices intended as a software alternative to the Apple Remote. Later updates to the Apple TV, iTunes, and Remote software added support for the iPad, and introduced support for new features as they were added to iTunes.

In July 2011, Apple discontinued the Front Row interface for Mac users.

Discontinuation and alternatives
On September 9, 2015, Apple discontinued service and support for the first generation Apple TV. Beginning May 25, 2018, the iTunes Store is no longer accessible from the device, due to its obsolete security standards. YouTube is also no longer supported on this device.

Some users have found Mac mini models that are capable of running Front Row on Mac OS X 10.4 to 10.6.8 to be a usable alternative to newer Apple TV consoles.

Hacking
Though declared obsolete by Apple, the processor of the 1st-generation Apple TV makes it possible for it to be hacked to run other operating systems. A YouTuber managed to get one to boot into Android 2.2 (Froyo). Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) could also be installed, but with color-related graphical display issues.

The 1st-generation Apple TV can be hacked to run Linux as a pathway to installing a customized version of Kodi media center software.

Enthusiasts have also discovered methods of hacking the 1st-generation Apple TV like a Hackintosh to install unsupported versions of Mac OS X. It is possible for it to boot Mac OS X 10.5 from a USB drive, but this may prevent the USB 2.0 port from being connected with other useful peripherals, such as a keyboard. Another option is to copy a bootable disk image to an internal IDE hard drive through a utility like Carbon Copy Cloner and then swap it in. The 1st-generation Apple TV is known to support up to Mac OS X 10.5.5 (with full video and partial audio functionality), 10.5.8 (with no audio), or 10.6.3 (with limited functionality due to RAM limitations).