Netflix has sent emails to customers using older Apple TV devices that app support for second- and third-generation Apple TV models, those introduced between 2010 - 2013, will end on July 31.
Netflix is also noting this sunsetting on its Apple TV support page.
Of course, computational devices become obsolete all the time due to the natural evolution of the software that runs on them. Apple itself even stops supporting its gadgets with operating system upgrades after seven years.
This particular obsolescence is notable, however, because these Apple TV devices were so groundbreaking.
Introduced in September 2010, the second generation, 720p-resolution-capable Apple TV was one of the first streaming devices to use 8 gigabytes of flash storage instead of an internal hard drive -- a configuration that became universal among streaming gadgets. It also used Apple's A4 chip instead of an Intel x86 processor.
In conjunction with the Gen-2 release, Apple also renamed AirTunes as "AirPlay," supporting streaming video from iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.
The 1080p-capable third-generation Apple TV, which arrived in March 2012, was identical in outward appearance to the second-generation model, but included an upgraded A5 processor, as well as support for remote access via HomeKit devices.
Both were priced at a $150 MSRP at introduction. And both will soon be bricked by the world's biggest subscription streaming service.
