Apple Seeds First Beta of tvOS 11.2 to Developers

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.2 update to developers for testing purposes, more than a month after releasing tvOS 11 to the public and while tvOS 11.1, the first tvOS update, is still in testing.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 11.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that’s installed using Xcode.

According to the release notes accompanying the tvOS 11.2 beta, the update fixes several bugs related to 4K support and introduces new 4K features.

tvOS 11.2 includes new features, bug fixes, and security improvements in the OS and SDK, including:
- Automatic mode switching to native frame rate and dynamic range of video content with Apple TV 4K
- Support for switching Apple TV 4K display output to SDR for apps that are GPU-bound when running in HDR
- Restoring Unwatched category in Home Sharing for Movies, TV Shows, and Home Videos

Apple has released a video for the new AVDisplayManager feature for developers. With tvOS 11.2, Apple TV 4K is able to automatically switch video display modes to match the native frame rate and dynamic range of video content, so developers will need to make sure their apps and video content are ready to support the new functionality.

Does your tvOS app play video? Learn about the new mode switching options in tvOS 11.2 using AVDisplayManager: https://t.co/P1vzpBeSIV
— Josh Tidsbury (@joshtidsbury) October 30, 2017

tvOS 11 was something of a minor update, introducing features like full support for AirPods, automatic switching between light and dark mode based on local time, Home screen syncing options designed to keep multiple Apple TVs in a single household in sync, and new background modes and notification support.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12

Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

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Ron21

11 months ago

" Automatic mode switching to native frame rate and dynamic range of video content with Apple TV 4K " this is HUGE! This should have been included originally but better late than never.

Rating: 18 Votes

Craiger

11 months ago

- Automatic mode switching to native frame rate and dynamic range of video content with Apple TV 4K

WOOOO

Rating: 7 Votes

nrose101

11 months ago

HAPPY DAY! Unwatched is back!

Rating: 6 Votes

Broken Hope

11 months ago

This is great news, assuming its not just an optional feature available to third party apps but ALSO that Apple chooses to use this feature in iTunes.

I just started a purchased film in iTunes and it switched to 1080P 24 fps, so looks like it works fine.

Rating: 5 Votes

Andreas00

11 months ago

Yeeeess!!!

Rating: 5 Votes

davidoloan

11 months ago

They listened!

I think Apple are listening to public criticism from the tech press and podcasters like Accidental Tech Podcast, all of a sudden, and I think it comes from the top. I’ve been critical of Tim Cook’s mercenary ways and his lack of understanding and love of the product. But I suspect he’s realised he’s pushed too far, starting with the Mac Pro and the reputational damage which reached out of the enthusiast base to the general buying public.

I’ll be willing to give him credit if it is happening. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Mac Mini.

Rating: 5 Votes

Mac 128

11 months ago

On the regular Apple tv 4 you can switch between 60hz and 50hz. It’s very useful, because the european tv series stream at 50fps. I really hope they will add auto switch between 50hz and 60hz.

Right, but I think the ATV 4 doesn't have a 24 or 25 Hz setting, correct? If they're updating the ATV 4K to auto switch, they really should update the ATV 4 as well, so those 24p 1080p movies play the way they're supposed to ...

Rating: 4 Votes

Jayderek

11 months ago

Ridiculously happy at this news...I honestly thought it would take a couple months for us to get this auto-switching.

Rating: 4 Votes

iReality85

11 months ago

Didn't Apple say this was originally put in place to minimize the "mode switching", which causes intermittent "drops" in the video connection to the TV? Are they going with the stance that showing content in it's native FR/DR is worth those intermittent drops now?

As someone who entered the world of 4K/HDR via a new TV on Friday, and has a ATV 4K arriving tomorrow, I can't really speak to it, but it was brought up as a "negative" for the ATV 4K in at least one review I read. Good to see it being addressed already!

Gotta say though, I've been fairly pleased with the Netflix / Amazon / Hulu apps on my TV thus far. Hoping I made the right call to get a media player at all!

Now to figure out this ARC business so I don't have to toss my 1080P AV receiver... hehe

Congrats and welcome to the club! :)

I just bought an LG C7 55” OLED a few weeks ago, and after upgrading my 5.1 & receiver over the summer along with the Apple TV 4K, I have to say, it’s such an amazing experience.

And yes, IMO, the inability to auto switch to native Hz/fps is currently a drawback, as you should ideally display content at its native fps to get the best picture. Otherwise, you introduce judder. This is why most TVs come with a “dejudder” setting, usually to mixed effect, because there is no best remedy. And nothing is like watching the real deal, i.e. 48 or 60fps content.

Any 24fps content (which is to say, most content) will have judder when played at 60Hz. This is because 24 does not divide evenly into 60, and so even if the frames are doubled, that still leaves 12 that the TV/device has to make up and fill in somewhere. Basically, 36 out of 60 frames are “fake” when you’re watching 24fps content at 60Hz.

Rating: 3 Votes