AppleTV 4K and Apple Video Services.

Thanks noggin- hadn’t been aware that update was coming. As well as the streaming services it improves it as a Plex client - if they added audio pass through that’d make it perfect, but I’m aware that won’t happen. Haven’t gone 4K yet (maybe next year) but if / when I do those updates will be enough to temp me to sell my 4th Gen Apple TV and get the 4K one.


Frame rate switching will be welcome but the last time I watched a film on the Apple TV I thought 24p>60p conversion was pretty good with relatively little judder. Awaiting the Amazon Video app for Apple TV so that I dont’t need to watch anything they offer on my PS3 which is far more juddery with 24p content. (I would AirPlay Amazon content from my phone but I like to keep any 5.1 audio.)

https://9to5mac.com/2017/12/04/tvos-11-2/

Just updated, a few quick tests reveal that it takes a noticeable time to adjust the output of the device to match the source and framerate of the content. A little annoying but will be bearable once it becomes the norm.

Is that the Apple TV 4K taking longer than other devices that change frame rate dynamically - or just the normal second or two that most TVs take to re-sync on an input format change (black screen, OSD flash etc.)?

The former, seems the handshake between the source and ATV4K to identify what type of content is being offered is on some content taking time. The ATV4K then accepts the content and it plays. If this involves an output change then I get the dynamic flash on my Sony Android whilst that resynchs. Messy and I feel that, taking iPlayer content as an example, that the output appears slightly softer than it was with tvOS 11.1 too.

There's some chatter that some apps have now stopped working too, although I've not come across any. Presumably the initial handshake is failing to respond correctly.

Ah - I thought the flagging of frame rate and dynamic range needed to be flagged externally by metadata, not by decoding the video and trying to work out what is going on inside it from the file or GOP headers (so it doesn't require DRM decode for the initial phase).

Wonder what the change in perceived resolution is about - I guess if you aren't watching at 720p then there will be a scaling process and they may have changed that as well?


The changes only work if you use Apple's internal video player app rather than implementing your own - unless you've been able to rewrite your own player (I thin). It's also optional (i.e. you can inhibit dynamic range / frame rate changes if your video is running in a window etc.)

Still only SD though it seems.

Good news!

I had the ITV Hub on my smart TV and could be sure some content was in HD?

Its only 4OD now left. Hurry up channel 4, you don't want to be the odd one out.

Is an ITV Hub+ subscription required for HD?

I don't have one. I just watched Jeremy Kyle as a test, I'm pretty sure its HD.

Maybe it depends on line speed?

Watching Coronation Street now and it does look like HD to me. Not 50i though, only 25p (and this was definitely 50i when I watched it on ITV HD last night!)

Nice app though, easy to use.

Delighted to see the app launch on Apple TV.

It seems to be quite high quality video but jerky motion... hard to explain. Not very au faix with interlacing(?) etc as VMPhil mentioned above but perhaps that’s it.

Just need Channel 4 next and the TV app from Apple and the system could be really compelling alternative to the other services out there.