Andrew Orr
Apple has released the tvOS 16.4 update to the public, bringing general improvements and possible enhancements to Siri.
The company is finally rolling out the update to all users after the developer release candidate on March 21. The tvOS update can be manually updated on an Apple TV using the Settings app in addition to being installed automatically.
This tvOS version, like many others, usually comes with platform stability, bug fixes, and ecosystem enhancements. However, though it hasn't yet been officially confirmed, Apple might be testing a new Siri framework with the update.
A report on March 16 claimed that the tvOS 16.4 beta had evidence of expanded Siri features, codenamed "Bobcat." The new framework, "Siri Natural Language Generation," starts with using language generation to tell jokes but could also extend to timers.
It's not evidence that Apple intends to build a chatbot clone of ChatGPT, but Siri may get smarter when responding to customer requests.
Generative AI algorithms produce content, including audio, images, text, and videos. For instance, Siri currently relies on a database of existing material and cannot create new content in response to a user's query.
Apple is probably under pressure due to OpenAI and ChatGPT's success. In February, it hosted an in-person symposium on artificial intelligence, the first one in years.
How to install tvOS on the Apple TV
- Open the Settings app.
- Select System.
- Select Software Update.
- Select Update Software then Download and Install.
If an Apple TV is set to update automatically, it will handle downloading and installing of tvOS on the user's behalf.
Christine McKee
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5 Comments
I'm still experiencing the issue where the AppleTV spontaneously forgets what the Siri Remote has programmed for the volume buttons and alerts me that I haven't set it up (this is not true), and would I like to do that now (not really, but what choice do I have? The sound's too loud). Selecting yes causes it to bounce straight over to the settings for the remote, where you can watch in real time as the machine suddenly remembers the setting for the volume control buttons. At this point, the volume buttons work again, and I can go back to what I was doing.
I had thought this annoying bug was fixed in the last update, but no. I suppose if this update doesn't do it, I'll have to call customer support. True enough, Apple customer support is almost always helpful and not infuriating like that of many other companies, but this issue naturally only occurs when I'm trying to relax and watch TV, which is not a time a person really wants to stop everything to call the help desk.
I had that problem also. I reset the remote and that fixed it - with no problems since. Have you tried that?
Pretty sure I updated to 16.3 weeks ago. It fixed the persistent problem where the remote would constantly fail to connect, requiring a tedious series of reset procedures. Phew. But as you can see above, didn’t fully fix everything about the remote.
How do you stuff up something as fundamental as a remote for TV viewing?