Roger Fingas
Apple at WWDC 2018 teased a series of planned upgrades to tvOS, the Apple TV operating system, including Dolby Atmos compatibility.
Coming this fall, the tvOS 12 update will deliver long-delayed Dolby Atmos surround sound, which can locate sounds in 3D space instead of just relying on discrete channels. A number of movies on iTunes will be upgraded with support, and people who already own those titles will get the altered versions automatically.
Several TV services will be using the Apple TV as a cable box replacement, including Charter Spectrum in the U.S. starting later this year. The company has already partnered with Canal+ in France, and Salt. in Switzerland.
A related concept is "zero sign-on," which will detect a provider's network and automatically sign users into channel apps. Charter Spectrum will be the first company on board.
Home control system makers Crestron, Savant, and Control4 will link their remotes to the Apple TV, including support for Siri.
One minor addition is that when looking at Aerial screensavers, users will be able to switch between locations with a swipe, and bring up location information with a tap. A new Aerial, "Earth," was filmed aboard the International Space Station and should be available later on Monday.
Apple will also enable cross-device AutoFill, bringing over passwords from iPhone and iPad apps, and add the Apple TV Remote app to Control Center automatically. At the moment it's an optional download.
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28 Comments
Now that Apple TV will support Dolby Atmos, does that mean it will support Dolby TrueHD? Or is that a separate thing?
It's unlikely it will support Dolby TrueHD; the bitrate is just too high for most users. Dolby Atmos works as a layer on top of Dolby TrueHD, Dolby AC-4, or Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3). Since DD+ is already used by services like Netflix, I'd suspect Apple will use DD+ as the bed for Atmos, but it's possible they might use the more-efficient AC-4.
Who has f*ckin Charter man. Pay Comcast’s price - the Apple TV is nothing until it uses actual cable piped into 50% of Americans homes.
They never mention the numbers Streamed cable is doing or the rate or drop off of the cord cutters who return to cable. You know why ? Because they’re tanking. On Quality - they’re all abysmal. On the Guide - Americans want the scroll back. On remembering my sign in - fail. On cost ? On the final cost of for cutting - when u add Netflix and Hulu and Prime and an app based attenna (channels) that receives OTA local cable ?
Well over over a month of cable with a set top box u rent not buy.
Its all bullshit. Also where’s the content? Not for nothing if Disney can pump out 4 Star Wars movies in 3 years but the most profitable company in the world can’t produce a single hit show 3 years in let alone just buy one... something is seriously wrong.
It’s just not this hard.
Wow a screen saver. They don’t get it. They will never succeed in the content creation space making g rated shows that exist in thier marketing not in reality.
Great you booked the Amazing Stories reboot. Where is it?
Yea ! You booked a DR DRE rap drama - where is it?