Apple TV 4

Apple rolls out fifth developer beta of tvOS 10.2.1 for Apple TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 4, 2017

Apple today rolled out a fifth beta of what would become a minor software update for the fourth-generation Apple TV. If you're a registered developer, tvOS 10.2.1 beta 5 (build 14W585) can be installed via the Software Update mechanism provided your set-top box runs an appropriate configuration profile obtainable through Apple’s portal for developers.

tvOS 10.2.1 beta 5 can be deployed on your Apple TV in Settings → System → Software Updates → Update Software. Apple says it includes bug fixes and security improvements.

The most recent tvOS beta follows the fourth developer-only betas of tvOS 10.2.1, iOS 10.3.2, macOS Sierra 10.12.5 and watchOS 3.2.2 that released on April 24.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRNjTVppF4I

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The most recent stable release of the Apple TV software, tvOS 10.2, released on March 27 with minor improvements, including accelerated scrolling on Siri Remote, mobile device management improvements for enterprise, the Video Toolbox framework, bug fixes and more.

Only Apple's registered developers and members of the Apple Developer Program can deploy and use tvOS and watchOS betas. The general public can test-drive upcoming iOS and macOS releases via Apple's Beta Software Program.

Spike and Nickelodeon now support Apple TV universal search

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 1, 2017

Apple has added a few new content providers to tvOS's universal search feature, like Spike and the Nickelodeon channel, including Nick Jr. The feature currently works with a bunch of popular video apps in the United States and select international markets, allowing Apple TV owners to search for movies and TV shows using Siri across all supported apps.

How to SSH into your jailbroken Apple TV 4 or 4K and change your root password

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated April 15, 2019

With several Apple TV jailbreaks in use by our readership, it's important to remember that with them comes both the power and risk of running SSH connections to your device.

Once jailbroken, you may want to tinker around with the device, grab your apticket off of it, copy files to and from it, or investigate the filesystem. To do this you'll need to connect to it from another device via SSH. In this guide we'll take you through how to do just that, as well as how to protect yourself by changing the default passwords.

Fourth betas of iOS 10.3.2, macOS Sierra 10.12.5, watchOS 3.2.2 & tvOS 10.2.1 now available

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 24, 2017

Apple on Monday issued fourth betas of what would become maintenance and bug-fix updates to its four major software platforms: iOS, macOS Sierra, watchOS and tvOS. Members of the Apple Developer Program can now deploy iOS 10.3.2 beta 4 (build 14F5086a), macOS Sierra 10.12.5 beta 4 (build 16F67a), watchOS 3.2.2 beta 4 (build 14V5485a) and tvOS 10.2.1 beta 4 (build 14W5583a) through the Software Update mechanism.

Apple posts third betas of iOS 10.3.2, macOS Sierra 10.12.5, watchOS 3.2.2 and tvOS 10.2.1

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2017

Apple on Monday issued third betas of what would become maintenance and bug-fix updates to iOS, macOS Sierra, watchOS and tvOS. Members of the Apple Developer Program can now deploy iOS 10.3.2 beta 3 (build 14F5080a), macOS Sierra 10.12.5 beta 3 (build 16F60a), watchOS 3.2.2 beta 3 (build 14V5480a) and tvOS 10.2.1 beta 3 (build 14W5578b) through the Software Update mechanism.

Apple TV should gain Picture in Picture and multiple user support with tvOS 11

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2017

A report Monday by the Israeli outlet The Verifier has it that the next major update to the operating system powering the Apple TV set-top box will include support for Picture-in-Picture mode and the ability for multiple users in a household to share the device with multi-user logins.

Picture-in-Picture launched on iOS 9 two years ago. Currently available on compatible iPad and Mac models, Picture-in-Picture allows users to watch videos in a floating window while multitasking.

How to save .shsh2 blobs for the Apple TV

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated April 15, 2019

Given the recent news that a jailbreak for tvOS 10.1.1 may be coming after all, we recently advised all Apple TV 4 owners to downgrade from tvOS 10.2 to tvOS 10.1.1 immediately before signing closes.

Hand in hand with the possibility of a jailbreak comes the necessity of saving blobs for your device, which will allow you to upgrade, downgrade, or restore your device at a later date, without worrying about signing windows. This guide will walk you through how to save blobs for your Apple TV.

Infuse 5.3 brings optimized playback performance, parental controls, Blu-ray disk images & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 30, 2017

Infuse by aTV Flash Black developer FireCore is a versatile, very powerful media player that lets you watch non-iOS optimized media file types without the need for manual transcoding or a helper app to do the heavy lifting via your computer. The app was updated on App Store to version 5.3.

Infuse 5.3 for iOS and tvOS comes with a completely overhauled high-performance playback core that's now now faster and better than ever before.

Other new features are available in Infuse 5.3 as well.

The app now accepts your Blu-ray disc images and folders and lets you restrict access to videos and settings with built-in parental controls. The release also packs support for ISO 9960 (Joliet) disc images, country-specific age ratings for movies and much more.

Possible tvOS 10.1.1 jailbreak may be coming after all

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

As you may recall, software internals consultant Jonathan Levin recently released LiberTV, a jailbreak tool for tvOS 9.1-10.1.

Based on Luca Todesco and Marco Grassi's work which brought us the Yalu jailbreaks for iOS 10.0-10.2, Levin's original work covered the equivalent tvOS firmwares, up to a maximum of tvOS 10.1. However, Levin may be able to go one better, based on a tweet posted today.

Hands-on with tvOS 10.2: fast scrolling, updated Remote app & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 14, 2017

You no longer have to scroll through long lists on your Apple TV for minutes on end like an animal, courtesy of the latest firmware released yesterday alongside iOS 10.3, macOS Sierra 10.12.4 and watchOS 3.2.

It lets you scroll through longs lists with ease and contains other user-facing features and under-the-hood improvements. For instance, rented iTunes movies can be finally enjoyed on other devices.

And with the updated Remote app, you can control the set-top box via your iPad or other iOS device, browse your playlists and more. Be sure to watch Andrew's hands-on video for everything new in tvOS 10.2 and share your favorite new feature in comments.

Apple TV Remote app gains support for iPad, lyrics, playlists, chapters & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 27, 2017

Apple's free app for controlling Apple TVs from anywhere in your home via your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch was just updated on App Store following a barrage of software updates that the company released for iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS earlier this morning. Bumped to version 1.1, the official Apple TV Remote app finally supports iPad natively and now lets you see music lyrics, browse playlists, navigate chapters and more.

tvOS 10.2 for Apple TV now available with accelerated scrolling & other enhancements

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 27, 2017

Your fourth-generation Apple TV just got a tad easier to use with a second major update to the set-top box's operating system now available following tvOS 10's debut last fall. The tvOS 10.2 software update (build 14W265) is now available on fourth-generation Apple TVs as a free over-an-air download in Settings → System → Software Updates.