Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of tvOS 9.2 to Developers

[MacRumors]

Apple today provided developers with the fifth beta of an upcoming 9.2 update to tvOS, the operating system that runs on the fourth-generation Apple TV and powers its built-in App Store. Today's tvOS 9.2 beta 5 comes just over a week after Apple released the fourth beta of tvOS 9.2 and more than a month after the release of tvOS 9.1.1, a minor update to tvOS 9.1. tvOS 9.2 has been in testing since January 11.

tvOS betas are more difficult to install than beta updates for iOS and OS X. Installing the tvOS beta requires the Apple TV to be connected to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, with the software downloaded and installed via iTunes or Apple Configurator. Those who have already installed the first four tvOS 9.2 betas will be able to download the fifth update over the air.

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tvOS 9.2 is a significant update for the tvOS operating system and new features have been added continually throughout the beta testing process. It brings support for Bluetooth keyboards, allowing a keyboard to be paired to the Apple TV for text entry. Bluetooth keyboard support is a major feature that was missing from previous versions of tvOS and its addition should make it much easier to do tasks like entering passwords on the fourth-generation Apple TV.

Along with Bluetooth keyboard support, the tvOS 9.2 update introduces support for grouping apps into folders on the Home screen like on iOS devices, plus it includes a new look for the App Switcher interface and it brings support for iCloud Photo Library and Live Photos. There's an update for the Apple TV Remote firmware, adding improved motion sensor performance and support for additional sound bar and receiver hardware.

Support for dictation allows Apple TV users to dictate text and spell user names and passwords rather than typing them in. Dictation capabilities are available in all countries where Siri is available on the Apple TV. With tvOS 9.2, Siri also gains the ability to search for App Store apps, improving app discovery. Siri can search for a specific app or bring up a category of apps, such as games.

tvOS 9.2 also introduces MapKit so developers can incorporate maps into their tvOS apps, and it adds Siri support for US Spanish (in the US only) and French Canadian (in Canada only). UK English, Australian English, and US English are also now available as Siri options in the UK, Australian, and US Storefronts when English is set as the tvOS language.

We'll update this post with any new features that are discovered in the fifth beta of tvOS 9.2.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Fifth Beta of tvOS 9.2 to Developers

 

[FLK]

You can install tvOS beta version "wireless" with the configuration profile.

- You get it here https://developer.apple.com/tvos/download/
- Put it on any web-accessible server (dropbox will do the trick), get the URL of the profile.
- Go to your Apple TV > Settings > General > Privacy > highlight "Send to Apple", Hit "Play Button" on the Siri remote > Add Profile, and paste the profile URL.
- Check for updates
- et voilà.

If you have an iPhone it's easier with the remote app (copy the link from dropbox app, paste on apple TV with remote app)

Brotips Source :

And I think this is the ONLY way to actually UPDATE your Apple TV to a beta version (aka without losing anything)

 

[Juicy Box]

I am very happy about the BT keyboard support.
I never needed a keyboard on my older ATVs, but searching by text using the remote is horrible on the ATV4.

 

[kungpaaao]

I'm saddened that youtube is not available on AppleTV 2. Many people have bought the AV2 and for Apple to not support it. (I know I can beam it). My old Sony BluRay supports Youtube. Planned obsolesce, Apple?

 

[oneMadRssn]

I'm saddened that youtube is not available on AppleTV 2. Many people have bought the AV2 and for Apple to not support it. (I know I can beam it). My old Sony BluRay supports Youtube. Planned obsolesce, Apple?

This is entirely Google's fault, not Apple's. Earlier this year Google shut off an older Youtube API, which killed Youtube support on many older TVs, streaming boxes, blu-ray players, etc. Among them, also the ATV2 and even some older versions of GoogleTV. Pretty much any pre-2013 device likely won't support it.

 

[yaxomoxay]

I need (=want) the new MLB TV app!!!
Hurry up MLB!

 

[AVonGauss]

Deleted.

 

[imran5720]

beta beta beta .......

 

[gruversm]

The remote will still not update the firmware to 0x245

 

[ryan.davis]

Can you use dictation to search your home movies in the new beta? While I'd love for my movies on my iMac to be available via siri search I would settle for a search box in the computer app on the apple tv.

 

[tipp]

The remote will still not update the firmware to 0x245

Something interesting on this is that I've tried updating it multiple times, and my firmware version hasn't incremented either, but the remote itself is behaving differently. Before, if I just barely brushed the trackpad, it would scrub forward or back on the timeline, but now it just brings up the timeline and doesn't scrub until I click the trackpad button. This is much better than before, so I'm happy.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Something interesting on this is that I've tried updating it multiple times, and my firmware version hasn't incremented either, but the remote itself is behaving differently. Before, if I just barely brushed the trackpad, it would scrub forward or back on the timeline, but now it just brings up the timeline and doesn't scrub until I click the trackpad button. This is much better than before, so I'm happy.

Is this only on the beta? Having kids and pets I would love to change that awful behavior (of the remote. Well, and of the kids too).

 

[Juicy Box]

Something interesting on this is that I've tried updating it multiple times, and my firmware version hasn't incremented either, but the remote itself is behaving differently. Before, if I just barely brushed the trackpad, it would scrub forward or back on the timeline, but now it just brings up the timeline and doesn't scrub until I click the trackpad button. This is much better than before, so I'm happy.

This is good news. The remote has been one of my least liked thing about the new ATV, and this sounds like an improvement on one of the annoying things about the remote.

 

[kagharaht]

No DD pass through. What a failure.

 

[thomsonr]

You can install tvOS beta version "wireless" with the configuration profile.

- You get it here https://developer.apple.com/tvos/download/
- Put it on any web-accessible server (dropbox will do the trick), get the URL of the profile.
- Go to your Apple TV > Settings > General > Privacy > highlight "Send to Apple", Hit "Play Button" on the Siri remote > Add Profile, and paste the profile URL.
- Check for updates
- et voilà.

If you have an iPhone it's easier with the remote app (copy the link from dropbox app, paste on apple TV with remote app)

Brotips Source :

And I think this is the ONLY way to actually UPDATE your Apple TV to a beta version (aka without losing anything)

This works great, no reinstalling apps and lugging the AppleTV off to the iMac. A slight modification of this also works on IPhones.

 

[tipp]

Is this only on the beta? Having kids and pets I would love to change that awful behavior (of the remote. Well, and of the kids too).

As far as I know, it's only with >= 9.2 beta 4

 

[John.B]

I stopped by a BB last night to pick up a Steam card for my kid and noticed they had the ATV4 64GB model $25 off. A little bit of research showed Apple still hasn't fixed the Bluetooth keyboard problem, which was the reason I returned mine when they first came out. Still waiting...