There are only a few steps you need to take to update your Apple TV 4th Generation. Once the apple tv update is complete, you’ll be able to access new features and of course, benefit from many performance improvements.

How to update your Apple TV 4th Generation

One of the things you’ll love about the latest Apple TV is that you can easily update it via the Over the Air mechanism on the TV itself. To do that, you’ll have to take the following steps:

Turn on the Apple TV ad then go to the Settings application and then navigate to System. Here you’ll need to look under Maintenance.

You will see a menu called Software Updates. Click on it and then go to Update Software. Once you click on it, the Apple TV will start looking for updates. If it finds an update, then you’ll be prompted to install it.

Once you’re prompted to install the latest tvOS update, you have to click on Download and Install. Upon doing so, the installation process will begin and you will be able to see the progress on your screen. Usually the update takes a minute or more, depending on your internet connection. After the installation is completed, the Apple TV will automatically restart.

How to update your Apple TV 2nd and 3rd Generation

If you have a second or maybe a third generation Apple TV, then the update process is rather similar. This is how to update them:

1. Turn on the Apple TV, go to the Settings app on it and then go to General. Once you’re here, you have to click on Software Update.
2. Click on Update Now and the update process will begin.

Again, it’s important to bear in mind that the update process will depend largely on the speed of your internet connection. The faster your internet, the sooner the update will complete.

If you want, then you should know that there is also another way you can consider to update your Apple TV. You can do that through iTunes by going through the IPSW. For this, you’ll need a computer and a USB cable. This approach though is a bit more complex and it’s rarely used. However, if possible, then you should always go for the Automatic update features on the TVOS.

The good news is that many of the Apple TV devices do have updates available to them. This is especially the case if they have not yet been used or if they’re now. If you just bough your Apple TV, then you have to check and see if there are any updates you can download for it. If there are, then download them at once to benefit from a wide range of useful features and performance improvements.

About updating ATV software

Keep in mind that once you initiate the Apple Update process, the TV will start downloading the update files in the background. During this process you should not disconnect the TV from the internet.

Once the download and installation process are complete, the TV will restart. You may also notice that the status light will slowly flash during the installation process, so don’t panic. This is normal behavior. All in all, by keeping these tips in mind, applying the latest apple tv update should be a breeze!

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Apple is already facing fierce competition

In ’15, most of the first 4K UHD set top boxes emerged for the entertainment technology market. Some of the most popular examples of that time include Nvidia Shield, the Amazing Fire 4K TV box, and also the famous Roku 4. Compared to the Apple TV, they were all sporting much better features and the performance was also greater. But while all these alternatives to the Apple TV were great, Apple’s name and notoriety made it difficult for them to thrive and replace Apple’s set top box. However, in 2016 the same companies released their newest set top boxes which were way above what Apple could offer at the time in terms of performance and features. Almost all of them feature 4K support and some of them even support HDR.

Apple TV lags behind in terms of features

It’s true that over the years, Apple has actually released many generations of the device, with the latest iteration surfacing in 2015. This is when the Apple TV 4th generation was released and featured a lot more power than previous generation set top boxes. Currently though, Apple’s set top box lacks a lot of features compared to what the competition offers. On top of that, it doesn’t have the most modern specs users are craving for. This includes support for HDR and 4K UHD resolution. To make it even worse for Apple, their set top box is not cheap at all. In fact, even though it doesn’t offer HDR and 4K support, it still is a lot more expensive than the Amazon Fire TV box, the Roku Premiere Plus, and the Roku Ultra.

At this point Apple finds itself in a situation where they don’t offer the 3rd generation of their Apple TV for sale, but their 4th generation set top box still lags behind. Fortunately, there are signs showing that Apple may be working on the apple tv 5th generation set top box and if we’re lucky, we could easily see it launched this year.

The fans aren’t happy

While the 4th generation Apple TV was released at the end of ’15 and many people loved it, there were also many complaints about it not supporting 4K. In their defense, Apple claimed that due to the relative scarcity of 4K TVs and content they decided that launching a 4K compatible Apple TV is not feasible.

While in 2016 UHD content was still low in volume, it seems that in 2017 this is about to change in a big way. There are now more and more 4K TVs being released and this means that 4K is becoming more mainstream. In fact, at the end of 2016, about forty percent of all TVs sold in the United States (larger than fifty inches) were Ultra HD TVs.

As we also previously iterated, there’s also a lot of competition that Apple needs to deal with. As we all know, Apple is regarded as an innovating company that always brings something new to the market. However, their Apple TV 4th generation is currently outdated and people are happy to support the competition because they pay less and also get more. In fact, even Chromecast Ultra (from Google) supports 4K content, while Apple’s TV doesn’t.

The Apple Tv 5th Generation launch is imminent

At this point, Apple is feeling the heat and it doesn’t like it. Since they removed the 3rd generation Apple TV from their website, this is a clear sign that they’re working on something new. On top of that, the 4th generation is also due for a replacement very soon.

By considering all these things, it’s clear that Apple doesn’t want to be left behind. It’s not really about losing sales, since they’re making a killing with their iPhone lineup. Apple wants to be regarded as the best company in the world and wants people to think of it as the only company that truly innovates. So if you’re currently thinking about getting a 4K TV, then you should certainly proceed with getting it, since Apple will release their next generation Apple TV sooner than you think. Once they do that, we’ll also see a sharp decrease in price for their 4th gen Apple TV. Great things are to come from Apple, so stay tuned for more updates!

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AirParrot 2, a little piece of software that lets you wirelessly stream your screen or media files to a variety of media receivers, has been today updated to version 2.5.1. This update resolves an issue when connecting to a Chromecast running the latest Chromecast software update.

Released in November 2014, AirParrot 2 was the first application to enable screen mirroring from a Mac or Windows computer to a Chromecast receiver.

You can update AirParrot 2 by selecting “Check for Updates” from the AirParrot 2 preferences menu. Additionally, you can download the new version from the AirParrot 2 download page.

Read more about AirParrot 2:

• AirParrot 2 updated with support for 13 new languages
• Squirrels releases AirParrot Remote: an iOS remote for AirParrot 2
• AirParrot 2: the ultimate companion app for Apple TV 4
• AirParrot 2.2.1 for Mac brings improved cast mirroring and hardware acceleration

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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FireCore is today rolling out a big 4.2 update for Infuse, its powerful media player for iOS and tvOS. This is one of the major updates, and adds in some interesting new features including Library View on tvOS, trakt ratings sync, Spotlight search on iOS, improved Dolby audio, and a number of others.

Library View

Infuse will search deep within your folders to catalog every movie, TV show, and cat video it can find and group them all together in a slick new menu.

With a set of all-new Smart Filters, you can browse by genre, rating, release date, age rating, and even get an overview of all unwatched or recently added items.

Trakt ratings sync

In addition to playback progress and watched history, trakt ratings now also stay in sync between all your devices. Rated items are now designated with a set of distinctive orange stars that get updated from trakt automatically.

Ratings can be easily posted to trakt from Infuse on iOS/tvOS or through trakt.tv.

Favorites

The new Smart Filters can also be used to create Favorites that appear right on the Infuse home screen. It lets you customize Infuse to ensure your favorite content is front and center for whenever you’re ready.

Adding custom artwork for your Favorites can now be done right from the Apple TV menus.

Spotlight search (iOS)

Videos selected from within Spotlight will instantly start playing, and Infuse will pick up right where you left off if you happened to already start that video on another device.

Here is what’s new in Infuse 4.2 for tvOS:

• All-new Library View with Smart Filters
• New artwork picker for folder and library favorites
• Personalized trakt ratings
• Auto-select first unwatched TV episode
• Episodes now grouped by season in Recently Watched
• Streamlined sign in process for trakt
• Recently used subtitle languages are now grouped together
• Mark folders to use embedded metadata only
• Resume prompt now displays resume time
• Additional Continuous Playback options
• Better support for 60+ fps videos
• Apple TV ‘Dolby Digital’ option now works with 7.1 content
• Improved universal remote scrolling
• Improved indexing behavior
• Improved lower shelf navigation
• Improved double-tap browsing controls
• Improved display of DTS-HD MA track names
• Improved trakt rating prompt
• Many, many other minor improvements and fixes

Learn more about Infuse 4 for Apple TV and check out the video showing the setup process and explaining how Infuse actually works on Apple TV 4.

There are 2 ways to download Infuse.

1. Search for Infuse in the App Store app on Apple TV.
2. Download Infuse or Infuse Pro on a computer or iOS device, then locate Infuse under the Purchased tab in the App Store app on Apple TV.

Note: The same features are available whether you upgrade to Pro via In-App Purchase, or purchase the standalone Infuse Pro app.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Infuse, the powerful video player for the Apple TV 4, has just received its first major update. Infuse 4.1 for tvOS adds dark mode, HD audio, watched icons, background fetching, and much, much more.

Dark mode

The all-new dark mode is inspired by the iOS version of Infuse.

HD Audio

Infuse 4.1 lets you enjoy up to 7.1 channels of 24-bit lossless HD audio (DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD). The app will send HD audio to an AV receiver as uncompressed, multi-channel LPCM.

Watched status icons

Both new and in-progress videos will have a colorful orange banner overlayed on top of the poster, with a small icon to indicate the status. Watched status icons are also visible on the video details page.

Background fetching

Infuse will now automatically scan your favorites for new files, and work to pull down metadata and artwork for you in the background.

Here’s a complete list of new features:

• Watched indicators
• Dark Mode
• Added HD audio support (up to 7.1ch & 24-bit) via LPCM
• Automatic deep folder scanning
• Improved playback controls
• New popup menu (longpress a video to open)
• Mark videos as watched/unwatched
• Delete videos from remote SMB and FTP/SFTP shares
• Updated Siri remote playback controls to tvOS 9.2 style (details)
• Added age rating to video details
• Added support for .divx files
• Added visual hints for chapters
• Smoother poster scrolling
• Improved metadata fetching accuracy
• Improved SMB streaming reliability
• Resolved issues with transparent Favorite artwork
• Resolved issues with some FTP encoding types
• Resolved rare issues with subtitle download menu
• Resolved rare performance issue present when using subtitles
• Resolved issues with WoL (Wake-on-LAN)
• Many, many, many small player improvements
• Other minor improvements and fixes

Learn more about Infuse 4 for Apple TV and check out the video showing the setup process and explaining how Infuse actually works on Apple TV 4.

There are 2 ways to download Infuse.

1. Search for Infuse in the App Store app on Apple TV.
2. Download Infuse or Infuse Pro on a computer or iOS device, then locate Infuse under the Purchased tab in the App Store app on Apple TV.

Note: The same features are available whether you upgrade to Pro via In-App Purchase, or purchase the standalone Infuse Pro app.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Apple today released the final version of tvOS 9.2 software update for the 4th generation Apple TV. tvOS 9.2 is a major update that brings folders for grouping apps on the home screen, support for Bluetooth keyboards, new Siri languages and an updated app switcher UI to the new Apple TV.

Folders

You can also group apps together in custom folders as you do on your iOS device. Just drag one app on top of another to create a folder, then give it a name.

New App Switecher UI

Double-click the Home button on the remote and you’ll see the apps you’ve used most recently. So you can quickly switch from one app to another without having to go all the way back to the Home screen.

Support for iCloud Photo Library and Live Photos

The new firmware also adds complete support for iCloud Photo Library and Live Photos. With iCloud Photo Library support on Apple TV 4, users will be able to view their full collection of photos and videos synced with iCloud. Previously, Apple TV has only supported viewing iCloud Photo Sharing and My Photo Stream.

Dictation

tvOS 9.2 brings voice dictation for search and username/password entry via the Siri remote.

Siri now has the ability to search the App Store for specific apps.

New features also include Siri support for US Spanish (in US only) and French Canadian (in Canada only) as well as Siri support for UK English, Australian English and US English available across the UK, Australian and US Storefronts when English is set as the system language.

tvOS 9.2 also supports MapKit, allowing developers to implement maps into their tvOS apps.

An update for the Apple TV Remote firmware adds improved motion sensor performance and support for additional sound bar and receiver hardware.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Apple has today released tvOS 9.2 beta 6 to developers (build 13Y5232a). tvOS 9.2 is a major update that brings folders for grouping apps on the home screen, support for Bluetooth keyboards, new Siri languages and an updated app switcher UI to the 4th generation Apple TV.

The new firmware also adds complete support for iCloud Photo Library and Live Photos. With iCloud Photo Library support on Apple TV 4, users will be able to view their full collection of photos and videos synced with iCloud. Previously, Apple TV has only supported viewing iCloud Photo Sharing and My Photo Stream.

tvOS 9.2 will also bring voice dictation for search and username/password entry via the Siri remote.

Siri will have the ability to search the App Store for specific apps.

New features also include Siri support for US Spanish (in US only) and French Canadian (in Canada only) as well as Siri support for UK English, Australian English and US English available across the UK, Australian and US Storefronts when English is set as the system language.

tvOS 9.2 will support MapKit, allowing developers to implement maps into their tvOS apps.

An update for the Apple TV Remote firmware will add improved motion sensor performance and support for additional sound bar and receiver hardware.

The latest beta is only available for developers and it must be installed on Apple TV 4 via a USB-C cable.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Infuse 4, the powerful video player for the new Apple TV, has been updated to version 4.0.3, which brings DivX/Xvid (.avi) support, improved loading times, support for streaming for audio to AirPlay speakers and a whole load of minor improvements.

Here’s what’s new in Infuse 4.0.3:

• Stream audio to AirPlay speakers
• DivX/Xvid (.avi) support
• Additional font size/weight options for subtitles
• Option to use edge taps to jump between chapters
• Option to hide Recently Watched on home screen
• 10s icon while hovering
• Improved SMB loading times
• Improved audio track selection logic
• Improved Favorite edit screen
• Improved error resilience for SMB connections
• Improved metadata fetching
• Adjusted title sorting
• Updated localizations
• Disabled false positive playback warnings
• Various playback improvements
• A few other minor fixes

Learn more about Infuse 4 for Apple TV and check out the video showing the setup process and explaining how Infuse actually works on Apple TV 4.

Infuse 4 for Apple TV is a free upgrade for all current Infuse Pro users (v3 or later). Infuse 4 for iOS will also follow as a free update later this year.

There are 2 ways to download Infuse.

1. Search for Infuse in the App Store app on Apple TV.
2. Download Infuse or Infuse Pro on a computer or iOS device, then locate Infuse under the Purchased tab in the App Store app on Apple TV.

Note: The same features are available whether you upgrade to Pro via In-App Purchase, or purchase the standalone Infuse Pro app.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Apple today released tvOS 9.1.1 software update for the 4th genaration Apple TV. Apart from the usual bug fixes and security improvements, the new firmware includes the Podcasts app that first appeared in tvOS 9.2 beta.

Here’s the official list of changes:

• A fix for unexpected password prompts when downloading apps when restrictions are set – A UIKit bug fix for color display
• Security improvements
• Podcasts app for tvOS

You can update your Apple TV by going to Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software.

Two weeks ago Apple seeded the first beta of tvOS 9.2, a major update for the tvOS operating system. It includes support for Bluetooth keyboards, folders for grouping apps, new Siri languages and a new app switcher UI.

Learn more about tvOS 9.2.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Infuse 4, one of the most popular and powerful video players for the new Apple TV, has been updated to version 4.0.2 that brings major playback improvements.

Here is what’s new:

• Faster playback start/seek times
• Custom artwork for favorites (use favorite.png or favorite-atv.png)
• Added more zoom options (for removing encoded black bars)
• Added sort by filename option
• Improved sorting for files like ‘Toy Story’, ‘Toy Story 2’ and ‘Toy Story 3’
• Improved metadata refetching if initial attempt failed with a network error
• Improved metadata fetching efficiency
• Add Favorites via iOS Remote app (tap right side of touch screen)
• Long press to rename/remove Favorites
• Version number displayed in settings
• A handful of other minor improvements and fixes

Learn more about Infuse 4 for Apple TV and check out the video showing the setup process and explaining how Infuse actually works on Apple TV 4.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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