Apple TV Getting New Video Player Features and More With tvOS 15.4

[MacRumors]

Apple this week seeded the first beta of tvOS 15.4 to developers for testing, and there are some new features for the Apple TV.

First, the beta release notes indicate that tvOS 15.4 introduces support for captive Wi-Fi networks, allowing you to use your iPhone or iPad to connect your Apple TV to networks that require additional sign-in steps, like at hotels or dorms.

As noted by ScreenTimes editor-in-chief Sigmund Judge, the beta also adds an "Up Next" queue directly to the video player for easier access, and there is also a new volume button accessible from the video player. Judge outlined a few additional features and changes introduced in the tvOS 15.4 beta in a Twitter thread.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1486789912288534533

In addition to the tvOS 15.4 beta, Apple seeded the first betas of iOS 15.4, iPadOS 15.4, macOS 12.3, and watchOS 8.5. The betas will likely be in testing for several weeks, with public releases likely to occur in March or April.

Article Link: Apple TV Getting New Video Player Features and More With tvOS 15.4

 

[markfc]

Pah, thought we we’re getting native NAS / SMB support for a minute.

 

[DHagan4755]

There have been times where I wanted to throw my Apple TV in the trash. With the way TVs have gone with their built-in "smart" capabilities, it has occasionally felt unnecessary or cumbersome. On the other hand, if you have a bunch of different branded TVs around the house, having an Apple TV on each one as a unified interface is nice if the people using said TVs aren't technically minded. This feature wouldn't necessarily sway me but I'd need to use it to see if it's much of an improvement.

 

[zorinlynx]

Captive portal support is big for travelers! Makes the ATV useful in a lot more places. It's about time Apple figured out people need that.

 

[Bokito]

(Tethered) captive support is great. Last year I brought my Apple TV on our holiday and I had to spoof my Apple TV's MAC address on my MBP while the Apple TV was off, disconnect my MBP from WiFi and quickly start the Apple TV (every 24H). That's pretty frustrating. This seems like a great solution.

 

[enc0re]

Is there a way to autoplay the next episode of iTunes shows? That's what I really need for the kids.

 

[icanhazmac]

Captive portal support is big for travelers! Makes the ATV useful in a lot more places. It's about time Apple figured out people need that.

I never thought to travel with my ATV as I can get most of that content on my iPad or MBP but this makes an interesting case for it. I would do it for sure if I could VPN the ATV away from home.

 

[bluespark]

Hopefully we can disable the "Up Next" feature. I don't need to see this in my video window, ever.

 

[Nedywest71]

I hope for a proper HD Audio pass-through support TrueHD AND DTS-HD MA for local content streaming.
Ingfuse and other apps added support for HD Audio pass-through BUT APTV does not! It is time APPLE!

 

[archer75]

I hope for a proper HD Audio pass-through support TrueHD AND DTS-HD MA for local content streaming.
Ingfuse and other apps added support for HD Audio pass-through BUT APTV does not! It is time APPLE!

With infuse and plex and others having it, why does apple need to add it? It's already there(and I use it). And no streaming service has lossless audio.

 

[applicious84]

I'm still on version 7.7, lol. I don't think 7.8 is going to give me the app store

 

[Nedywest71]

With infuse and plex and others having it, why does apple need to add it? It's already there(and I use it). And no streaming service has lossless audio.

What is here? And what you use of what I asked for?
Do you have TrueHD and DTS-HD MA and DTS-X pass-through?
I doubt?
I have askede for that as for LOCAL streaming.
That is why APTV have to add support to allow streaming of LOCAL files in HD Audio to AVR.
APTV does downmix to DD+ and PCM

 

[zorinlynx]

I hope for a proper HD Audio pass-through support TrueHD AND DTS-HD MA for local content streaming.
Ingfuse and other apps added support for HD Audio pass-through BUT APTV does not! It is time APPLE!

I'm curious though as to why you would need this? If the ATV decodes the above codecs into uncompressed multichannel LPCM, it will sound exactly the same as if your receiver or other downstream component decodes it.

In a way it's better to do this decoding in the ATV which can be upgrade to support newer codecs and improved decoding, than in a receiver which is often stuck doing what it could do when you bought it. Pretty much all recent receivers can handle multichannel LCPM from the ATV.

Once I learned how it all worked I realized it's the better way.

 

[DMinTX]

I still want WebKit on it so browsers could be ported. It already supports a keyboard - it would make for a nice simple browser For the living room.

 

[Berti10]

I want chapters on iOS!!

Why? Because I love buying concerts and iOS does not have any control, to skip a song. The first iPad had a hide page for chapters, I do not need that, but in a hidden menu or so… co‘mon apple!

 

[hancox]

How about actual, working, HLG HDR?

 

[nuckinfutz]

Imagine getting excited about a Next queue on the Apple TV.

 

[Nedywest71]

I'm curious though as to why you would need this? If the ATV decodes the above codecs into uncompressed multichannel LPCM, it will sound exactly the same as if your receiver or other downstream component decodes it.

In a way it's better to do this decoding in the ATV which can be upgrade to support newer codecs and improved decoding, than in a receiver which is often stuck doing what it could do when you bought it. Pretty much all recent receivers can handle multichannel LCPM from the ATV.

Once I learned how it all worked I realized it's the better way.

There is a big diference in LPCM stream, and HD Audio (TrueHD Atmos and DTS-HD MA + DTS-X) stream.
And if you have 11-15 channels HT set up with atmos speakers you will know the answer.
In a a Sound bar or 5.1 ort even 7.1 plain without atmos, aura, etc threfore LPCM is OK but still not worth but as secondary option when you can not have the real thing.

 

[archer75]

What is here? And what you use of what I asked for?
Do you have TrueHD and DTS-HD MA and DTS-X pass-through?
I doubt?
I have askede for that as for LOCAL streaming.
That is why APTV have to add support to allow streaming of LOCAL files in HD Audio to AVR.
APTV does downmix to DD+ and PCM

You didn't say DTS:X in your post. We do have TrueHD and DTS-HD MA with infuse, plex and others.
The ATV doesn't downmix these. It(infuse,plex, etc) decodes them and sends to your receiver. You're getting the exact same audio, bit for bit. The only difference between this and bitstreaming are the different pretty lights on your receiver. But the audio is exactly the same. Exactly.

Now if you're talking lossless object based audio(DTS:X, Lossless atmos) that's a different story. But you didn't say that in your post.
They will never add support for that. They don't care about local content, only streaming. And if that's what you're really after, well, you should already own another device for that. As I do.

 

[Nedywest71]

You didn't say DTS:X in your post. We do have TrueHD and DTS-HD MA with infuse, plex and others.
The ATV doesn't downmix these. It(infuse,plex, etc) decodes them and sends to your receiver. You're getting the exact same audio, bit for bit. The only difference between this and bitstreaming are the different pretty lights on your receiver. But the audio is exactly the same.
Now if you're talking lossless object based audio(DTS:X, Lossless atmos) that's a different story. But you didn't say that in your post.
They will never add support for that. They don't care about local content, only streaming.

I am sorry if I did not express myself clkearly
Yes I meant Dolby Atmos in TrueHD form and DTS-X in DTS-HD MA form

LOKAL movie collection stream / watch

 

[Jupeman]

Apple needs to release the captive network thing for Homepods. Homepod Minis are great for dorm rooms...

 

[Duncan-UK]

There have been times where I wanted to throw my Apple TV in the trash. With the way TVs have gone with their built-in "smart" capabilities, it has occasionally felt unnecessary or cumbersome. On the other hand, if you have a bunch of different branded TVs around the house, having an Apple TV on each one as a unified interface is nice if the people using said TVs aren't technically minded. This feature wouldn't necessarily sway me but I'd need to use it to see if it's much of an improvement.

You rarely need it these days due to the increasing ubiquity of the ATV app

The sign in for hotel networks etc is a welcome addition however.

 

[Duncan-UK]

I never thought to travel with my ATV as I can get most of that content on my iPad or MBP but this makes an interesting case for it. I would do it for sure if I could VPN the ATV away from home.

I've encountered these problems in the past, so abandoned the ATV and used the Apple TV app on a Firestick when staying at hotels - less bulky and the ability to side load and use Kodi for playback off an SSD or USB drive is also very helpful on the Firestick.

 

[ceraz]

Pah, thought we we’re getting native NAS / SMB support for a minute.

Totally agree. I don't need 100 apps for subcription services that I never use. I'd love to easily access my locally stored home videos on a network storage device (VLC works but the UI isn' great).

Homesharing is also pain when dealing with large photo libraries - neverstood why it's so slow/unstable on a wired network.

 

[gsmornot]

There have been times where I wanted to throw my Apple TV in the trash. With the way TVs have gone with their built-in "smart" capabilities, it has occasionally felt unnecessary or cumbersome. On the other hand, if you have a bunch of different branded TVs around the house, having an Apple TV on each one as a unified interface is nice if the people using said TVs aren't technically minded. This feature wouldn't necessarily sway me but I'd need to use it to see if it's much of an improvement.

I tried for a while to ignore my AppleTV and only use them occasionally. Lately though, its been the main device used for streaming on our TVs due to app issues on the Samsung TVs. I. have two apps that sort of work but have issues because the model TV I have is not on the certified list. Mostly get a spinning circle then a black screen. The AppleTVs never have this issue so we have just started using them again full-time. As mentioned here too, its nice to have one remote with the same interface for all TVs in the house.