Apple TV (HD) 4th Generation

The Apple TV fourth generation (HD) was the biggest jump the Apple TV line had seen since the original. It launched in two storage sizes, 32GB for $149 and 64GB for $199 (up from just 8GB on the previous model), and for the first time ran its own dedicated operating system, tvOS, built on the same foundations as iOS. That opened the door to an actual App Store on the device, meaning outside developers could finally build and sell their own apps and games for it, something no earlier Apple TV had ever allowed.

The new Siri Remote was just as big a change as the software. It replaced the old simple click-wheel design with a glass touch surface for swiping through menus, a built-in microphone so you could search for shows and movies by just talking to it, and a motion sensor and gyroscope that let it double as a basic game controller, similar in spirit to a Wii remote. Inside, the new A8 chip gave a huge boost over the ageing A5 used in the previous two generations, enough headroom to run proper games and graphics-heavy apps rather than just streaming video.

With the App Store now open, a wave of new apps and games arrived that simply hadn't been possible on the box before, alongside the existing streaming staples like Netflix, Hulu and HBO. 

Apple Music also came to the platform around this time, giving it a proper music streaming app of its own for the first time, on top of the usual iTunes purchases and rentals.