Apple Releases Apple TV Software Version 4.4.4, Tweaks iOS 5.0.1 for iPhone 4S

apple tv 2010 obliqueApple today released a software update for the second-generation Apple TV, bringing the set-top box to version 4.4.4. The update arrives as Build 9A406a, but it is not yet clear what improvements are included in the release.

Apple TV software 4.4.3 was released last month and added support for Netflix streaming in Mexico and an audio output issue when the connected television set is turned off.

Curiously, Apple also appears to have released a slightly tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 for the iPhone 4S [Direct Link]. The new version arrives as Build 9A406, an increment of one over the original release of iOS 5.0.1 last month.

The tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 does not appear to be being offered to users currently running the original version of the software, but would be downloaded by any users upgrading to iOS 5.0.1 from this point on. Consequently, any change appears to be a minor one that Apple would like to pass along to users and can easily do so for new iOS 5.0.1 users with the tweaked update, but for which an entirely separate iOS 5.0.2 release is not warranted. The company is presumably bundling the changes into the forthcoming iOS 5.1 update that is currently in developer testing, and at that point all users would receive it as part of the larger update.

One possibility is that the tweaked update contains minor changes needed for the next round of international launches occurring tomorrow. iPhones sold in those countries may come with only iOS 5.0 installed, and users immediately updating to iOS 5.0.1 in those countries would receive the tweaked version updated for their markets.

Update: Apple has updated its Apple TV software release notes to report that the 4.4.4 update is a bug fix update that does not appear to bring any new features or compatibility.

Stability and performance: Apple TV software version 4.4.4 includes general performance and stability improvements, including a fix for an issue that displayed an error when playing some video content.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)

Top Rated Comments

Small White Car Avatar
162 months ago
Percent of Macrumors posters who manually update to 9A406 despite having no evidence that they need it: Probably Large.

God bless you, tinkerers. You do stuff so that the rest of us don't have to.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
d4rkc4sm Avatar
162 months ago
gist of front page story: apple releases software update but we dont know what it does so we'll just speculate for really no good reason at all
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scoobydoo99 Avatar
162 months ago
With the ATV2 update, Apple has once again been deceptively vague as to what they fixed.

So has anyone noticed what stability and bug fixes Apple made in the new update?

I'm hoping it fixes the
"An error occurred loading this content. Try again later."
error.

I was getting this every few days on both Netflix and locally streamed content from my MacBook Pro. Once I got it, nothing would play until I reset the ATV. In fact, I found the new ATV update by chance when I was restarting my ATV due to the error again!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ck2875 Avatar
162 months ago
It's been out for 3 or 4 days. Since they released the new iPhone updates.

Aren't all 4.4+ boxes already on iOS 5? You simply press the select button on the remote to switch from the Apple TV Software version (4.4) to the version of iOS the box is running (that screen).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SandboxGeneral Avatar
162 months ago
With the ATV2 update, Apple has once again been deceptively vague as to what they fixed.

So has anyone noticed what stability and bug fixes Apple made in the new update?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blueroom Avatar
162 months ago
I love my Apple TV 2.

Me too, great device for cutting the cable subscription. I updated to 4.4.4 without hesitation.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Apple Music Messages and Notes Feature 1

iOS 18 Rumored to Add New Features to These 16 Apps on Your iPhone

Tuesday April 30, 2024 10:44 am PDT by
Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, and new features have already been rumored for many apps, including Apple Music, Apple Maps, Calculator, Messages, Notes, Safari, and others. Below, we recap iOS 18 rumors on a per-app basis, based on reports from MacRumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and others: Apple Maps: At least two new Apple Maps features are...
apple watch ipad demo 1

Check Out This Apple Watch iPad Demo Unit From 2014

Wednesday May 1, 2024 1:46 pm PDT by
With the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch approaching, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at an interesting bit of Apple Watch history. After the Apple Watch was announced in 2014, and before it became available in 2015, Apple sent out custom Apple Watch iPad demo kiosks to retail stores. The Apple Watch and iPad units used for these devices were specially designed, had custom ...
Apple Event Let Loose Pastel Green

Report: Five Things Apple Won't Announce at Its Event Next Week

Friday May 3, 2024 4:30 am PDT by
Apple is holding at least five announcements for later in the year that will not arrive at the company's "Let loose" special event next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report detailing his expectations for Apple's upcoming event, Gurman noted that there are a total of five things that the company is holding for later in the year: AI features: While Apple may tease new...
Apple Silicon AI Optimized Feature Siri 1

Tim Cook on Generative AI: 'We Have Advantages That Will Differentiate Us'

Thursday May 2, 2024 2:11 pm PDT by
During today's earnings call covering the second fiscal quarter of 2024, Apple CEO Tim Cook again spoke about Apple's work on generative AI. He said that Apple has "advantages" that will "differentiate" the company in the era of AI, and some "very exciting things" will be shared with customers in the near future. We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI. We are ...
maxresdefault

Will the New iPad Pro Really Have the M4 Chip?

Wednesday May 1, 2024 8:30 am PDT by
While Apple's upcoming iPad Pro models have been expected to feature the M3 chip for over a year, recent reports have unexpectedly suggested that the new devices will instead feature the as-yet-unannounced M4 chip. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that he now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming iPad Pro ...