3 new Apple TV 4K features you’ll want to check out in the new tvOS update

Apple TV 4K owners can now install the much-anticipated tvOS 18.2 update and take advantage of some new features. While it’s not a huge update, there’s still some small things users can try out before the new year rolls around. While all Apple TV 4K devices get the new update, some of the features are locked behind later Apple TV 4K generations. This type of thing is common considering how technology evolves, so if you’re sitting on a first-gen Apple TV 4K still, you don’t get access to everything.

Luckily, this is a small update compared to some of the bigger ones we’ve seen, so while the older devices miss out on some of the fun, nothing’s a true dealbreaker. Here’s a look at some of the changes that arrived to the platform.

tvOS 18.2 introduces new backgrounds

Fan-favorite characters are here

If you’re a fan of Snoopy or Woodstock from Charlie Brown, then you’re in luck. Anybody with an Apple TV 4K second generation or later can now use the two iconic characters as their background. Apple says these automatically adapt to the time of day and also the holidays. Considering Charlie Brown has several holiday specials, it’s a nice touch.

Apple has added many backgrounds to the Apple TV 4K over the years, so if you’re not a fan of Snoopy or Woodstock, you can likely find something else to dive into.

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More aspect ratios have arrived

Some added versatility

Apple / Pocket-lint

One of the coolest things about this Apple TV 4K is the addition of more aspect ratios. If you’re on a TV, this doesn’t mean a whole lot, since you’ll stick with 16:9. However, projector users can get a lot of mileage out of this new feature. Apple only says it has 21:9 support in the official release notes, but the company confirmed these ratios would all be supported with the new update.

• 16:9
• 21:9
• 2.37:1
• 2.39:1
• 2.40:1
• DCI 4K
• 32:9

If this excites you, then I hope you have the newest Apple TV 4K. This feature is only available to the third-gen Apple TV 4K, so while second-gen users get the Snoopy backgrounds, they don’t get access to this. First-gen Apple TV 4K owners are left in the dust completely. FaceTime calls also get the 21:9 ultrawide support. The aspect ratios only work in content that supports them, so they won’t work everywhere. It doesn’t seem like an ultrawide FaceTime call has a lot of practicality, but it can be fun to try out once or twice.

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Dialogue gets better for HomePod owners

If you have a HomePod setup at home, tvOS 18.2 gives you enhanced dialogue that makes it easier to understand what people are saying. The way Apple explains it is, the HomePods, second generation or newer, will use real-time audio processing and machine learning to enhance the dialogue.

It’s a nice touch, especially since not being able to understand what people are saying in TV shows or movies is a big complaint these days. A lot of that problem can be fixed by using something other than TV speakers, and using your HomePods is an excellent way to avoid the issue. This new feature is opened up to a wider audience as the only person who misses out on the update here is a first-gen Apple TV 4K owner.

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When is the next major Apple TV 4K update?

A long wait ahead

While the tvOS 18.2 update is nice, it’s not as big as the mainline updates like 18 or 17 before it. If Apple continues its current cadence, we still have a lengthy wait for the next major update to arrive. Using the 17.0 update as an example, Apple went up to 17.6.1 before finally rolling over to 18. That’s a total of nine updates before going to 18, so don’t expect some like a tvOS 19 to arrive any time soon.

Another thing to note is a new iteration of the Apple TV 4K could be on the horizon. The latest release was the third-gen model back in 2022, so we’re approaching three years since an upgraded model hit the market. To be fair, the current model does quite a bit, and it’s tough to ask for much more. Using an M3 or M4 chip seen in the company’s Mac products would be a nice addition, and it could allow Apple to bring over Apple Intelligence.

Arguably the biggest change an M4 chip could bring is gaming support. The Apple TV 4K can handle some light gaming through Apple Arcade, but an upgraded chip could let it tackle even more. Of course, that means developers would have to start porting some games over to the service, and it’s still hard to imagine a major developer pulling the trigger and releasing something on the Apple TV 4K. At the very least, the existing games on the service would start to run better.

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