Had to enable automatic aspect ratios after update
tvOS 18.2 beta 3 (22K5148a) – November 18, 2024
Aspect ratio change is part of 3rd gen Apple TV 4K, not present on Apple TV 4K 2nd gen. 2nd gen does have snoopy screen saver.
Last edited: Nov 18, 2024
Dolby Vision demo. Image credit: Dolby
In the early days of UHD/4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR), it appeared that HDR10 would be more ubiquitous and that Dolby Vison (DV) would, while superior, remain rare. That has all changed.
The Apple TV 4K, out of the box, implements both HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
Two factors have combined to make Dolby Vision more pervasive. First, the majority of Hollywood studios have elected to master movies in Dolby Vision. If an HDR10 version is required, it can be extracted from the DV master.
Secondly, in 2017, Dolby announced a version of Dolby Vision that doesn’t require a special hardware to be included. This goes a long ways towards promoting its adoption. Dolby told Forbes :
There are implementations that can run Dolby Vision in software, certainly in the console space but also in the TV SoC space. Specifics vary on a case-by-case basis depending on the hardware capability of the silicon in question, but we have development kits for various types of implementations, depending on the application: full hardware, hybrid of software and hardware or [and this is the crucial bit] full software.”
Wondering about the high cost of the Apple TV 4K compare to Roku 4K, I asked Apple whether the Apple TV 4K contains the actual DV chip, but the PR reps declined to answer.
There is still the issue of licensing the Dolby Vision system, but this turns out to be less that US$3 per TV, so it’s not a real show stopper.
Dolby Vision is an HDR protocol that supports 1) Dynamic metadata and 12-bit color depth. Because most UHD/4K TVs today only support 10-bit color, that feature isn’t an issue in the short term. But HDR10 only supports static metadata, that is, one setting for the entire video. The dynamic metadata for DV can be applied on a scene-by-scene basis which is a better way to go.
Dolby Vision demo. Image credit: Dolby
The Apple TV 4K implements both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It must be paired with a 4K/UHD TV that also implements one of the protocols for the effects to kick in.
Both Amazon and Netflix support both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Vudu supports DV only but “HDR10 titles are planned.” Hulu appears to be late in its HDR support. Netflix provided me with details of its HDR support.
We have over 200 hours of HDR entertainment on Netflix, with all of it being available in both formats (HDR10 and Dolby Vision).
The format it is ultimately delivered in is device dependent based on which format(s) it supports. In the case of Apple TV 4K, users will receive Netflix in Dolby Vision.
Early on, that is 2016, all the major TV manufacturers committed to UHD/4K TVs with HDR10. But LG and Vizio were also early adopters of Dolby Vision while Sony and Samsung held out. However, in 2017, Sony committed to Dolby Vision, and 2017 TVs that have the X1 Extreme processor, that is, the Z9D’s, the X940E, X930E, and the A1E OLEDs are upgradable. The firmware update for these TVs is expected in mid-January. Samsung is the remaining DV holdout.
Both HDR10 and Dolby Vision are implemented on the Apple TV 4K.
LG, Sony (selected), TCL (newest) and Vizio UHD/4K TVs support DV. If your UHD/4K TV is older than 2017, you’ll need to check with the manufacturer (or a review) to see if its firmware is upgradable to DV.
Netflix and Amazon Prime are delivering selected content in both formats, but Dolby Vision will be the default option on the Apple TV 4K because DV delivers a better visual experience.
Finally, for more details, see:
The confusion arises because the word best can be used as any of several different parts of speech.
On the linked page, best is used as an adverb, modifying the verb knew. In that context, the phrase the best can also be used as if it were an adverb. The meaning is approximately the same in that case.
In the following sentence, however, best is an adjective: “What was best?”
If we insert the word the, we get a noun phrase, the best. You could certainly declare that after comparing a number of things, you found that a particular one of those things was the best. That is to say, it was better than any of the others. So if you knew someone who had tried going up, going down, going left, and going right, you could ask them for their evaluation of the relative benefits of each of those actions: “Which was the best?” (Note that I would say which rather than what.)
Assuming that the passage in the question is about the thinking of someone who is faced with choosing a course of action to take, not evaluating the outcome of an action already taken, I would use best as an adjective.
What was best? To go left or right, up or down?
Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming visionOS 2.5, tvOS 18.5, and watchOS 11.5 updates for testing purposes. The software is available a day after Apple released the visionOS 2.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4 software.
The betas are available to registered developers, and can be downloaded from the Settings app on each device.
As of right now, there is no word on what’s included in any of the betas, but should new features be found, we’ll update this article.
Article Link: Apple Seeds First Betas of visionOS 2.5, tvOS 18.5, and watchOS 11.5
Of course I’m the complete fool who recently furnished their home with 1st gen Apple TV 4K units in all rooms, after finally getting rid of the laggy HD models. The speed boost here felt like going from hard drive to solid state drive.
They spent half the keynote talking about the liquid glass design to get me all hyped, and now I learn I’m getting a passive-aggressive design indicator to upgrade to a newer model, lest I’ll be stuck with the old hat UI.
I feel attacked!
My local Lexington-Nicholasville Rf Best Buy store and BestBuy.com ran out of the item I want. Is there another way to get it?
Inventory is constantly updated in stores and on BestBuy.com, especially during the holiday season. Make sure to check back early, and often, in case of a restock.
Apple is WAY behind on this product.
Nvidia Shield Pro – $199 US
Video:
4K HDR Ready
Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10
AI-enhanced upscaling for up to 4K 60 FPS
Up to 4K HDR playback at 60 FPS (H.265/HEVC)
Up to 4K playback at 60 FPS (VP8, VP9, H.264, MPEG1/2)
Up to 1080p playback at 60 FPS (H.263, MJPEG, MPEG4, WMV9/VC1)
Format/Container support: Xvid/ DivX/ASF/AVI/MKV/MOV/M2TS/MPEG-TS/MP4/WEB-M
Audio:
Dolby Audio (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos)
DTS-X surround sound (pass-through) over HDMI
High-resolution audio playback up to 24-bit/192 kHz over HDMI and USB
High-resolution audio up-sample to 24-bit/192 kHz over USB
Audio support: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, WAVE, AMR, OGG Vorbis, FLAC, PCM, WMA, WMA-Pro, WMA-Lossless, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD (pass-through), DTS-X (pass-through), and DTS-HD (pass-through)
tvOS is probably the Apple operating system that gets the fewest updates each year, and that’s not going to change in 2025. But thanks to the design overhaul that Apple is introducing across all of its software platforms, tvOS is set to get some interesting new features.
Naming
As we’ve noted several times this week, Apple is changing the naming for its operating system updates. After tvOS 18, we’re getting tvOS 26 instead of tvOS 19. The “26” represents the September 2025 to September 2026 release season for tvOS, with Apple planning to use the same numbering across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS too.
Updated Design
The visionOS-style design update that’s coming to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS will also extend to tvOS. tvOS tends to get little attention comparatively so we don’t have specific details on what’s changing, but we can extrapolate a bit from the iOS rumors.
iOS 26 will adopt an interface that riffs on visionOS, with a focus on translucency, floating menus and windows, and more rounded design elements. It’s been described as using light and shadow to give off a glass-like effect, which we can see in the imagery that Apple is using to promote WWDC.
tvOS 26 could adopt some of the same translucency for menus, app icons, buttons, and other parts of the interface, plus it could get the same floating look and more dramatically rounded edges for buttons and windows that are typical of visionOS.
Apple wants the experience of using its various platforms to feel more cohesive, which is why everything is getting some of the same design changes.
Screensavers
It’s typical for Apple to introduce new screensavers with tvOS updates, so we can perhaps expect to see new aerial screensaver options, as well as screensavers that match the updated aesthetic. Last year, Apple came out with Snoopy screensavers, so we could get more of those too, or another partnership.
Games App
Apple plans to debut a new cross-platform Games app that will serve as a one-stop spot for discovering and launching games. On the Apple TV, it will feature a range of games that can run on the device, including third-party games and Apple Arcade games.
The Games app will essentially feature the entire games section of the tvOS App Store. It’s also expected to have features like achievements, leaderboards, and recommendations from Apple editors. There might also be new tools for communicating with other players.
Wi-Fi Syncing
If you’re in the unusual situation of needing to connect your Apple TV to a captive network at a college or similar location, you’ll be glad to hear about a new captive Wi-Fi syncing option that’s coming to Apple’s platforms.
With this feature, you’ll only need to log into a captive network on one of your Apple devices, and the login information will sync to everything else signed into your Apple Account.
Recommendations
There’s no rumor about tvOS adopting Apple Intelligence, but Apple is expanding AI across its platforms. tvOS could benefit from AI features that better learn from user preferences to make more tailored content recommendations on what to watch next.
If and when Apple introduces major Apple Intelligence updates to Siri, we could see some of those features available on the Apple TV.
WWDC 2025 Keynote
Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple will live stream the event on its website, on YouTube, and in the TV app.
If you’re not able to watch live, we’ll have a live blog and coverage of the announcements here at MacRumors, plus we’ll be live tweeting the event on the MacRumorsLive account.
Article Link: WWDC 2025: What to Expect From tvOS 26
My local Midtown Manhattan (44th And 5th) Best Buy store and BestBuy.com ran out of the item I want. Is there another way to get it?
Inventory is constantly updated in stores and on BestBuy.com, especially during the holiday season. Make sure to check back early, and often, in case of a restock.
Apple this week introduced a new Automatic Sign-In API, which will make it easier to sign in to apps across multiple Apple devices.
Starting with Apple’s latest software releases, such as iOS 26 and tvOS 26, you will be able to sign in to a supported app on one Apple device and automatically be signed in to the app on other Apple devices. For example, if you sign in to the Disney+ app on your iPhone, you would automatically be signed in to the Disney+ app on your Apple TV. However, it will take time for developers to begin implementing this functionality.
Apple says this feature will eliminate the need to re-enter usernames and passwords across its software platforms, by linking app logins to a user’s Apple Account.
tvOS 26 is currently available in beta.
Article Link: tvOS 26 Introduces Automatic Sign-In Feature for Apple TV Apps
