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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FireCore has just reelased an updated version of aTV Flash that lets you run the latest Kodi 15.2 on the oryginal Apple TV.

Powered by OpenELEC, aTV Flash (kodi edition) includes support for the latest video add-ons, 1080p video, and many more.

The Kodi version is different from the original aTV Flash (silver): while the older version installs add-ons alongside the native Apple TV software, aTV Flash (kodi edition) replaces the Apple TV software entirely.

The installation is done in about 5 minutes using a USB flash drive. The developers have built in a special restore option, allowing the original Apple TV software to be easily reinstalled at any time.

By installing a special 1080p video card, the original Apple TV will be fully capable of playing most 1080p formats. 1080p video cards are available as an optional add-on when ordering.

Note: Installing a 1080p video card replaces the standard Apple TV Wi-Fi card. A directly connected ethernet cable or USB Wi-Fi adapter (also available as an optional add-on) will be required for network access.

You can find more details on aTV Flash (kodi edition) here.

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

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Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

The wait is finally over! Infuse, one of the most popular video players for iPhone and iPad has just arrived on the new Apple TV. Like its iOS counterpart, Infuse 4 for Apple TV provides a clean way to enjoy a wide array of videos types from wherever you may happen to have them stored – be it a Mac, PC, NAS, Wi-Fi drive, or a server app like Plex, Kodi, or Serviio.

Additionally, Infuse 4 provides automatic movie details and artwork fetching, integrated trakt.tv sync, subtitle downloads from OpenSubtitles, full support for Dolby (AC3) and DTS audio, HW decoding, streaming from remote share (SFTP, WEBDAV, etc.), and more.

Native trakt.tv sync allows Pro users to keep playback progress in sync between multiple devices (both tvOS and iOS): start watching a movie on your iPad, then finish it on your TV – Infuse will keep everything in sync, automatically.

Check out the video showing the setup process and explaining how Infuse 4 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.

Most of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are still there: 

• Best deals on TVs for Apple TV
• Best deals on Bluetooth speakers for Apple TV 4
• Best deals on Bluetooth headphones for Apple TV 4
• Best deals on AirPlay speakers for Apple TV (2nd, 3rd and 4th gen.)
• Best deals on skins/stickers for Apple TV (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th gen.)
• Best deals on Bluetooth keyboards for Apple TV 2 & 3
• TotalMount Pro for Apple TV (2nd, 3rd and 4th gen.) now 33% off

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, one of the most popular media players for iOS, is coming soon to the new Apple (it should be availabe on the Apple TV App Store by the end of the year). The first beta has been sent out to beta testers on Wednesday and some of them have already managed to record and share the videos showing the app in action on the Apple TV 4.

YouTube user AskUncleDave has posted a video showing off the setup process and some details on how Infuse 4 will actually work on the 4th generation Apple’s set-top box.

Infuse 4 will be a universal app (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV) and will come as a free update for all current Infuse 3 Pro users.

You can read the review of Infuse 3 for iOS on our sister site What’s On iPhone.

Also read:

• Apple TV 4 hacked to run a web browser
• New Apple TV hacked to enable app folders
• MAME emulator running on Apple TV 4
• AirParrot 2: the ultimate companion app for Apple TV 4
• Official Plex app for Apple TV released
• How Apple is fixing what’s wrong with console gaming today

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

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Back in September FireCore announced that they were working on a tvOS version of their popular iOS app – Infuse. As the new Appe TV went on sale yesterday, the company confirmed that Infuse will most likely be availabe on the Apple TV App Store by the end of the year.

We were fortunate enough to receive one of the first pre-release units, and have been putting in long hours every day since. To date, we’ve made some great progress, but still have some work to do and are hoping to have this great new version of Infuse available on the App Store later this year.

FireCore is planning to open up a small beta group once thay get a bit closer to release, and if you are interested in being a part of this, you can sign up here.

You can read the review of Infuse 3 on our sister site What’s On iPhone.

Giveaway: Win a brand new Apple TV 4!

More on Apple TV 4:

• MAME emulator running on Apple TV 4
• Official Plex app for Apple TV 4 available from day one
• VLC coming to the new Apple TV
• tvOS not coming to Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3
• How Apple is fixing what’s wrong with console gaming today

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

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Back in May, Apple removed YouTube channel from the 1st and 2nd generation Apple TV. It was due to Google ending support for its YouTube’s Data API v2, used by older devices. Luckily, there’s FireCore and its aTV Flash (black), a little piece of software that supercharges jailbroken Apple TVs.

With the release of aTV Flash (black) 2.6, FireCore built an all-new native YouTube plugin that provides many of the most popular YouTube features that were taken away in May.

The new plugin works on any jailbroken Apple TV 2 running Apple TV 5.3 firmware version.

This new YouTube plugin allows for browsing of popular videos as well as searching for videos, channels, users, or playlists. The developers said they are also working on a few additional, “neat options” for subsequent releases.

Due to some required behind-the-scenes changes, updating to 2.6 will require re-running the aTV Flash (black) installer from a Mac or PC. Once updated, future releases can be installed through the native Apple TV menus as before. Links for the latest version can be found in your account under the Downloads tab.

If you’re new to aTV Flash (black) you can read our full review here.

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 released aTV Flash (black) 2.5 that comes with the same trakt sync that made its debut in Infuse 3 for iOS last month. This all-new syncing method allows users to effortlessly keep their watched history in sync between devices.

As an example, you can start watching a movie on your Apple TV, then finish it later on your iPad…Infuse will keep everything in sync automatically. Note: Syncing requires a free trakt.tv account.

The developers have also added in a handful of other minor improvements and fixes.

aTV Flash (black) is a collection of software that supercharges your Apple TV 2 turning it into a powerhouse of entertainment.

If you’re new to aTV Flash (black) you can read our full review here.

If you’re already running a version of aTV Flash (black), the new 2.5 version can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu. Links for the new version can also be found in your FireCore account under the Downloads tab.

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 has surprisingly released a new version of aTV Flash for Apple TV 1 making it an “all-new platform for running the latest XBMC version 13.2 (Gotham)”. It includes support for the latest video add-ons, 1080p video, and more.

aTV Flash (xbmc edition) is finely tuned, optimized for speed, and provides a complete replacement for the standard Apple TV software.

The new version is different from the original aTV Flash (silver): while the older version installs add-ons alongside the native Apple TV software, aTV Flash (xbmc edition) replaces the Apple TV software entirely.

Each serves a different purpose, but if your main goal is to get XBMC on your Apple TV then aTV Flash (xbmc edition) is the one you want.

According to the developers, installation is done in about 5 minutes using a USB flash drive. They have also built in a special restore option, allowing the original Apple TV software to be easily reinstalled at any time.

By installing a special 1080p video card, the original Apple TV will be fully capable of playing most 1080p formats. 1080p video cards are available as an optional add-on when ordering.

Note: Installing a 1080p video card replaces the standard Apple TV Wi-Fi card. A directly connected ethernet cable or USB Wi-Fi adapter (also available as an optional add-on) will be required for network access.

You can find more details on aTV Flash (xbmc edition) here.

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

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Packing support for a ton of video formats, a flat interface, network streaming and cool subtitle solutions, Infuse app is often considered to be the most complete and user-friendly video player for iPhone and iPad. The developers at FireCore are pushing the bar still higher with more features in the latest 2.3 update.

My favorite one is the new set of gesture controls for playback, which are more intuitive and easier to learn. 

UPNP/DLNA streaming is another major one, which will let you connect with any DLNA enabled app or media server at your home, including “XBMC, Plex, WMC, PS3 Media Server and others”. You will be able to browse, stream or even download your favorite movies or TV Shows, right on your iOS device.

Infuse 2.3 also brings in the ‘continuous playback‘ feature which is really useful, especially if you’re like me and like to watch all episodes of a TV Show in a row.

The update brings a lot of other minor improvements and tweaks as noted below:

• Refreshed styling in many areas
• Single movie folders are now displayed with cover art
• Visual indicators for downloaded files
• Smarter calculation of when videos are marked as ‘watched’
• Better subtitle performance for some languages
• Ability to add artwork manually (use title.jpg and title_backdrop.jpg)
• Improved streaming for certain NAS devices
• Localization improvements
• Many UI related improvements
• Other performance and stability improvements

Here, I have only discussed the latest changes and new features on Infuse 2.3 but if you need a deeper look, you might want to go through our full review of Infuse and Infuse 2.0

Infuse 2.3 is available right now at the App Store for free and the premium features can be unlocked for an one-time price of $6.99.

Get Infuse from the App Store now.

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Infuse never fails to amaze us. If you’ve gone through my first review of this awesome video player, you might remember that we concluded it as one of the finest in its class. Supporting almost all known formats on Earth, smooth streaming from network devices, a plain flat iOS 7 based design and an elegant solution to the subtitle problem, we thought Infuse had reached as far as a media player could. But with the latest update Infuse 2.2.2, FireCore raises that bar still higher.

Here are some of the major highlights:

• New gestures for easy control of videoplay: similar to Android phones, you can now scroll vertically on left side to change the brightness and on right side to control the volume. Two finger tap to play/pause and swipe horizontally for fast forward / rewind 30 seconds.
• Orientation lock for those movie-on-the-bed times.
• Import subtitles from other apps. I generally use Subtitles.org to search them directly within the app. But importing them from Skydrive or other apps will be useful if you’re a cloud person or are using other srt sources. Infuse 2.2.2 also lets you choose from a list of subtitles, instead of automatically pulling the one with the same name. Now THAT, I like!

In addition, they’re bringing a handful of other improvements and bug fixes too.

• Added retina artwork for browser upload screen
• Improved handling of Metadata Fetching setting for remote TV Shows
• Improved performance for Dolby Audio (AC3) when passthrough is disabled
• Improved AirPlay stability
• Resolved issues with lock screen images for videos with embedded thumbnails
• Resolved issues with resume position after connecting or disconnecting HDMI adapter
• Resolved issue where device wouldn’t enter sleep mode while a movie was opening
• Resolved floating crash when disconnecting HDMI cable
• Added option to clear all metadata
• AirPlay in background now works correctly for local files after pausing or resuming playback
• Higher resolution for posters on iPad in landscape
• Numerous localization improvements
• Other performance and stability improvements

Infuse 2.2.2 is available as a free download from the App Store, but the premium pack needs a worthy $4.99 in-app purchase. As usual, for previous owners, this will of course be a free update.

Read our review of  Infuse 2.

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