The Apple TV 4K is about to become a lot more useful for projector fans, with a major update on the way that’s focused on appeasing hardocre movie lovers with dedicated home theatre setups.
With the new tvOS 18.2 update, Apple is giving Apple TV 4K owners the ability to adjust the aspect ratio of the content they’re watching, which makes it a much more suitable device for projecting pictures onto larger screens.
The update will feature native support for seven different aspect ratios in all, according to a tweet by Apple aficionado and tipster Sigmund Judge. In addition, it will roll out an “automatic mode” that adapts the aspect ratio automatically, based on the information received via the HDMI signal.
Apple promised to issue this update in June when it first announced tvOS 18 in the summer, but home theatre fans were disappointed that it didn’t arrive in the first update, tvOS 18.1, which was rolled out a couple of months back.
Apple’s update will introduce support for 16:9, 21:9, 2.37:1, 2.39:1, 2.40:1, DCI 4K, and 32:9 aspect ratios, and users will have the ability to set these manually so as to get the picture suited for whatever projector they happen to be using. The ability to project images in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio is especially interesting, as this is commonly associated with movie theatre projectors.
In addition to the aspect ratios, the tvOS 18.2 update will also introduce new screensaver options for Apple TV+ shows and movies, including some based on the popular cartoon dog Snoopy. There’s also a new Enhance Dialog feature, which now turns on the subtitles automatically when the mute button is pressed on the remote, and there’s a revamped Apple Fitness Plus application on the way, which adds support for using an iPhone device as a FaceTime camera. Finally, there’s something called InSight, which is similar to the X-Ray feature on Amazon Prime Video, providing details on who’s on-screen and the music currently being played, so you can learn more about the actors and songs in movies.
Sigmund Judge said the new features are currently being tested in beta, and so users can access them now if they wish by enrolling in the program from the Software Updates section of the Settings menu. However, as with all beta features, they might still be a bit buggy.
The update will officially roll out some time next month.
