The Apple TV HD is much, much worse in every way. It’s a really old repackaged model from like 2015 that Apple hasn’t bothered updating. Definitely get any of the Apple TV 4K models, even the first-gen 4K is better.
The HD doesn’t get:
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4K support (1080p max resolution)
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HDR/Dolby Vision
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Dolby Atmos
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Worse connection speeds (100 Mbit max on the HD, 1000 Mbit on 4K, slower wifi and bluetooth as well on the HD)
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No Homepod support
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No smart home stuff
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The CPU is much slower with an A8 (HD) vs the A15 (4K). Literally seven CPU generations slower.
I would not even remotely consider the Apple TV HD unless it was like $20. It’s outdated in pretty much every way possible. The Apple TV 4K is modern hardware, and will remain modern for at least 5+ years from now. My parents inherited my first-gen Apple TV 4K and that box is still fairly modern by todays standards, and is better than the Apple TV HD.
Because this gets them views. We’ve been down this road before. Nobody at Linus likes these clickbaity titles they have to use for videos, but this is what people click and watch, which is what generates them money.