Apple Releases Apple TV Software Version 5.0 with Updated Interface

Following today's introduction of the new 1080p Apple TV with an updated user interface, Apple has now pushed the 5.0 software update to existing Apple TV set-top boxes.

apple tv 2012 movies
While the update obviously doesn't add 1080p support to the older boxes, it does bring the new icon-based user interface and other enhancements such as support for direct Netflix billing to their iTunes Store accounts.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...
macbook air prime day 2025

M5 MacBook Air: Release Date, Features, and Performance Predictions

Friday October 3, 2025 3:39 am PDT by
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor. Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
iPhone 17e Feature 1

iPhone 17e: All the Rumors So Far

Thursday October 2, 2025 4:55 am PDT by
Earlier this year, Apple released the $599 iPhone 16e – a budget-friendly late addition to its iPhone 16 series and a replacement for its long-running entry-level iPhone SE line. Given the iPhone 17 lineup has now launched, can we expect an iPhone 17e anytime soon? If you're holding out for a more affordable device with the 17 moniker attached, here's everything we know so far about the...
iOS 26 Everything New Feature

26 Hidden iOS 26 Tricks to Change How You Use Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 9:16 am PDT by
Apple released iOS 26 in mid-September, bringing a range of new features and changes to iPhones across the globe. But not all of the included improvements have been showcased with Apple's typical fanfare, and many are likely to have been overlooked. Below, we've highlighted 26 lesser known additions and enhancements that could potentially change how you use your iPhone on a daily basis. Got...

Top Rated Comments

Bevz Avatar
177 months ago
Looks to me like Apple are finally preparing for an ATV app store... The new look essentially separates all the distinct sections into app icons and there is an awful lot of space when you shift the screen down... I recon (well, mostly hope lol!) that an ATV app store will be part of developer seeds by the WWDC in a few months... Fingers crossed!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
177 months ago
Yet another example of Apple bringing new features to old devices—an example which, as always, will be forgotten in time for the next nonsensical round of “Apple always wants to force you to upgrade by withholding XYZ feature for no reason!” :p (As though that’s been the trend... and as though Apple would truly want to damage their core reason for success—user experience—in trade for “forcing” some small fraction of people to upgrade a product.)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
slicecom Avatar
177 months ago
Niccccccccccccccce!

I have no need for 1080p on my 720p TV, and I'm not upgrading until Apple makes a TV. ;)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M-O Avatar
177 months ago
personally, I liked the old look.

I wish I could rearrange the icons and hide the ones I never use... I'd like Netflix to be on the top row, and the sports icons to disappear.
I have found that long pressing the home button puts it to sleep. I don't know if this is a new feature, or one I just never came across before.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newagemac Avatar
177 months ago
From the screen shots it looks like the music menu has returned :D

That was the only reason I didnt replace my atv1



So can you now select music from an iTunes library without having to push it to the atv using AirPlay?

Well you held out for the wrong reason then. You never had to use Airplay. The second generation Apple TV puts music, movies, tv shows, photos, iTunes U, podcasts, and any other content that's in your iTunes library under "Computers" and it is shared to the Apple TV using the Home Sharing feature.

Airplay is an option but it has never been required to get your music in your iTunes Library on the Apple TV. Also, the Music icon is for iTunes Match which is another way to get your music. The main benefit with iTunes Match on the Apple TV, you don't need an iOS device or a computer running iTunes.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kainjow Avatar
177 months ago
Looks to me like Apple are finally preparing for an ATV app store... The new look essentially separates all the distinct sections into app icons and there is an awful lot of space when you shift the screen down... I recon (well, mostly hope lol!) that an ATV app store will be part of developer seeds by the WWDC in a few months... Fingers crossed!

Agreed. Definitely a step closer to custom ATV apps.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)