Apple unveiled tvOS, the latest update to its Apple TV 4K media streamer, at its WWDC conference. While there aren’t many AV upgrades in the way, there are a few notable new features for navigation and the user experience.
The biggest news is the redesigned Control Center, which gives you easy access to various settings, including audio output to AirPods or HomePod(s), a quick search, Wi-Fi settings, and power options. From the brief look we got at the new control center, we noticed the ability to quickly change Spatial Audio settings, including head-tracked or fixed, and enable spatial stereo. There are also new system status indicators, including the time and which user is logged in, as well as a way to quickly switch users.
There’s a quick reference to Dolby Atmos under this Spatial Audio settings menu which (to us, at least) seems like a quick way to see if your Apple TV is running Atmos, as well as a way to quickly adjust Atmos settings on AirPods.
As for dedicated AV upgrades, Apple has buried some references to Dolby Vision 8.1 support, which it says will enable a “more cinematic visual experience” via dynamic metadata across a wide variety of content and streaming platforms. There will also be an Enhance Dialogue mode, which is said to allow for clearer speech over explosions and other loud sound effects, similar to what we’ve seen from Amazon Prime recently.
You’ll need HomePod 2 to enable Enhance Dialogue mode, and the process involves separating the dialogue from the background noise and moving it forward to the center channel.
Those who often lose their Apple TV remote between the couch cushions can now breathe a sigh of relief as Find My is coming to the Apple TV Siri Remote, meaning you can dive into the Find My iPhone app that will take you to your missing remote control will point – definitely a nice feature.
The third and final feature Apple is highlighting with tvOS 17 is FaceTime, which makes its debut on the Apple TV 4K. Soon you will be able to take a call on your iPhone and continue calling via an Apple TV on your TV screen. Just place your iPhone next to your TV and use the cameras to continue your video call, but that’s not the only new FaceTime feature.
FaceTime SharePlay is also coming to the Apple TV, meaning you can watch content in sync with whoever you’re talking to. Your content from an Apple TV app plays on the left side of the screen, while your FaceTime call continues on the right.
While these new features are certainly not AV-focused, they do add new functionality and usability to the tvOS experience.
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