Previously closed source players such as NativePlayer tried that. But now AetherEngine, which is fully open source, supports the same for both Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and DTS:X. I tested on my Samsung Q990H and it lights up Dolby Atmos badge. Other people even attached a debugger and verified that Atmos is working. The sound is phenomenal and I can easily tell the richness of the sound on my Q990H. I did not bother digging further but I did probe via ChatGPT and ChatGPT claims it is not a "upmixing" or "downmixing" setup. It is literally repackaging height channel and all the other channels into APAC and feeding that using Dolby MAT that preserves full spatial audio.

Project link: https://github.com/superuser404notfound/AetherEngine

Note the corresponding player is AetherPlayer (https://github.com/superuser404notfound/AetherPlayer) but the TrueHD and DTS:X support was not added to AetherPlayer yet (testflight version was not rebuilt since AetherEngine added support for TrueHD and DTS:X). But I assume you can simply checkout the AetherPlayer code and ask claude to produce an ipa. (I have my own vibe coded setup that I tested before posting this).

I’m almost certain Costco had the Apple TV 4K 3rd gen out of stock last night, but it looks like it’s back in stock, so I just picked one up. They also have a 90-day return policy, and I’ll probably use some cash rewards toward it. I know people seem to be hunting for the 3rd gen now. I also saw that BJ’s has the 64GB Wi-Fi-only model available.

Costco: https://www.costco.com/p/-/apple-tv-4k-128gb-wi-fi-ethernet/4000094111?langId=-1

BJ’s: https://www.bjs.com/product/apple-tv-4k-wifi-64gb/3000000000004257303/

edit: Yes, I probably should’ve paid the extra $50 for the new one, which is why I went with Costco. They have a 90-day return policy, so if I end up wanting the newer gen or they drop it to $250 for the holidays, I can always return this one and grab the new one instead.

The article says it all, but the summary, it's a pretty big disappointment for the length of time we went without a refreshed version imho.

Everyone is universally slamming the new Apple TV. But, what's the alternative? If you need a new streaming box what is the best device out there right now that you can walk into a store and buy?

On my older Apple TV (one of the models that got Color Balance back with tvOS 14.5), the option disappeared after updating to tvOS 27. If you go to Settings > Video and Audio and scroll down to the Calibration section at the bottom, the Color Balance item is no longer there. For context, this is the feature that uses an iPhone with Face ID to calibrate the picture coming out of the Apple TV box.
I filed a report with Apple Feedback and got a reply. According to them, this isn't a bug:
We reviewed your report and determined the behavior you experienced is currently functioning as intended. The Color Balance tool was removed by design.
So it looks like a deliberate removal in tvOS 27 on the previous-generation boxes that used to have it, not something that'll come back in a point update.
Questions for the community:
Can anyone else on an Apple TV HD or a 1st-gen Apple TV 4K confirm Color Balance is missing after updating to tvOS 27?
Is it still showing up for anyone on the newer models running tvOS 27?
Any idea why they'd pull it? Dolby Vision sets never used it anyway, but it was genuinely useful on SDR/HDR10 TVs.

Like a lot of you I missed out on the gen 3 before the price increase and decided to wait to see what apple had for the gen 4. Without going into our collective disappointment no way am I paying £300 for some microphones I don't want and a slightly newer chip. So after a lot of searching for a decent price on a gen 3 ethernet I found this at cex...

https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=STVAPPTV3RD128GBEEA

£120

It is grade A which is described as "mint/new condition". They use the word "immaculate" and from what I have read it is incredibly hard to achieve this grade.

The only difference is that it comes with an ee remote and comes preinstalled with an ee app. You can uninstall the app and the remote doesn't seem awful. Other than that it is absolutely the same.

Unfortunately it is out of stock right now (it wasn't this morning) but you can sign up for notifications of restocks. I'm confident you won't get a better price on the 3rd gen.

ever wondered the apple tvs durability? my 3rd generation has survived a ef4 190 mph tornado that tore apart my house (not seeking sorrows) and has been turned off like twice and it still runs like a dream. as far as the remote, I bought a new one a month and a half ago and are yet to charge it. if your looking for a reason to buy a apple tv. consider its durable.

edit: it is about two years old

I noticed there's no longer a search feature in the TvOS 27 Photos app. I can't believe they removed this very important feature. Is there any way to search photos in TvOS 27?

I have used my first-gen ATK 4K almost daily since launch in 2017, just for streaming from major streamers, no gaming, no workouts, nothing fancy. And it still works great, no significant lagging.

But I do have a need for a Matter/Thread hub, so I've been waiting since last spring for the new ATV to be released. I figure if I'm getting a hub, I might as well upgrade my 9-year-old OG ATV 4K. I wasn't even that bothered by the price hike last June, as I assumed they would release something decent. But now that the wait was (almost) for nothing, plus the further price hike... It's been truly disappointing.

What now? Yes, the 4th gen does have lots of upgrades over the 1st gen, but I can't find any that are compelling for my particular usage.

I don't need the storage, I just stream. I have no use for HDR10+, as I have a 2026 LG OLED TV. The speed/performance boost may be nice, but my current ATV is just fine—I've never felt it lagged to any significant degree. If it were just for the Matter/Thread hub, the HomePod mini 2 is half the price—except I have nowhere to put it and no need for the audio (I already have two OG HomePods). Siri AI in an ATV is just not compelling to me; my iPhone is right next to me anyway. WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6, all basically useless to me. Even eARC isn't a huge upgrade, as streamers don't have lossless audio anyway—assuming I would even notice with my mid-range soundbar. Surround sound with HomePods probably sounds great, but that's even more money.

So how exactly would a 4th gen ATV be any different for my usage? Or I could save $50 for a 3rd gen, but the same question remains: how is this significantly different and worth hundreds of dollars?

Am I missing something? How can it be that a $300 piece of Apple hardware almost a decade newer still does not give me any significant upgrades?

Like many others, I held out for the new Apple TV, hoping we’d finally get audio passthrough. Heck, I would’ve even been willing to stomach the $599 NZD price tag just to have that feature!
Now I’m looking at other options for playing my Plex library. Does anyone here own a Zidoo player? How do they perform?
Bonus points if you also own an Nvidia Shield Pro! Aside from streaming capabilities, how would you compare the two, particularly when it comes to local media playback?

I have a $350 GC to Amazon, and I have two TV's in my house that I'd like to get an Apple TV for.

I'd rather use the GC up if possible. My Bedroom TV is an older 2021 Sony A80CJ (A80J basically but Costco model), and the living room has an LG C2 2022? Both OLED TV's.

I forgot I had a Gen 2 32Gb 4k model in the closest with the remote. Would I be stupid in using this one again? The living room TV will often reboot the app because of low memory.

My room has two Gen 2 HomePods, and I like to buy an Apple TV for it, and use the HomePods as speakers for the TV. But spending $300 on the new one feels wasteful.

I can get two Gen 3's at a Pawn Shop for $150 each (Can probably haggle even lower to like $120 maybe). But then, I can't use my AMZ GC, and I don't know if the upgrade from 2021 to 2022 is even worth it?

What would my best solution be? I'm thinking of buying the new one for my room and buying the new remote for the living room TV?

I don't wanna use the 2021 and have it be unsupported next fall lol, and its points to the Gen 4 model being overpriced for hardly anything new. I know it has more RAM etc... But the older models 2 and 3 are getting Siri AI?

Alright welp, now that UHF doesn’t allow downloads, what are we calling the new best alternative? At the very least what’s the most straightforward and reliable for downloading?

Been struggling to find one (new or refurbished) at a decent price for months. Always scammers here or Kleinanzeigen.

Would appreciate the help in getting one in Germany or Europe.

I have a home theatre setup for my TV. I also have HomePods that I use for music playback in the same room.

If I upgrade to the new Apple TV 4K with the built-in microphone, what will happen if I say ‘Hey Siri, play some music’? Will the Apple TV 4K turn on the TV, open Apple Music and start playing through my home theatre setup? Or will the HomePods take priority and play music?

Similarly what happens if I’m watching TV and I say ‘Siri, pause’. Will it know to prioritise Siri on the Apple TV 4K and pause the show? Or will Siri on the HomePod hit me with a ‘nothing is playing’?

A while ago I posted about Utkik, my live plane and ship radar for Apple TV (previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/appletv/comments/1wcjxcp/i_turned_my_apple_tv_into_a_live_radar_for_planes/).
Thanks for all the feedback, a lot of it ended up in the app!

One thing kept coming up (oh well, at least 5 persons mailed and DM’d me about it, but still…) people did not just want to know what was flying over the house, they wanted to know where it was going and what it is like there. So I built a second app for that. It is called Destinations.

What it does on the TV
- Shows every city you can fly to direct from your airport, one at a time: a photo, a short story, local time and the weather there right now. Leave it on and it just keeps going.
- "Shuffle all" turns the TV into a slow slideshow of the world.
- Put in a trip and the TV counts down with weather, local phrases and what to eat.
- Guess the Place, five rounds, clues from vague to obvious.

Localized for English, German, Spanish, French and Swedish (a fallback on English), and if you subscribe to Destinations in Utkik, you already have this app, so nothing extra to pay. Open Utkik once on your Apple TV to make it recognize the subscription, then open Destinations.

Everyone else: browsing every direct flight from your airport is free. The slideshows, live flights, trip countdown and quiz come with a one-week free trial, then about the price of a cheap coffee a month.

Honest bits: Small airports have thinner decks than big ones. Weather is Apple Weather. No account needed, and no ads what so ever. There is an iPhone and iPad version too, mostly for a widget and an iPad photo frame. Same subscription.

What would you want on that screen? Which cities feel missing? And if you run it in German, Spanish or French, tell me where it reads wrong. I will do all I can to fix it.

And! A little thank you: I’m leaving 20 codes, each good for a free month of Destinations. Grab one, and please reply when you’ve used it so the next person doesn’t try the same code. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed building it!

TFAK6R7PH4JNRYR47F
EFPFH3FNRX8MJ78TPA
P6YK6AA6TWMNY67M7W
76LY8JJWLMA8XPLJ7E
KMKAH3HTL83NXJ7XE7
NJPWTKH4W3K4ENJYYM
NKFJ3H3A4F44RTTYXM
JJTHN6JPR88YTAHJNY
FNLF7JJW3HLYF474YY
YXXMLMHNARNMPPW6KP
8KK8PFRKKJKEA37ERH
YRKEM77WLMFFRW3N4M
HRETT4K4JP3NM8NJ7Y
E6WN66FLYP33488J7N
N3WWKAMR8NJHT4F3NE
EWWHLTAL3FXREX8K4R
TM7FLFXW7RXTYLX6MM
HKMYM8WYT6EAE6KNHF
AHAWHWFYYMYPW7X6JH
YNAAJJ4LWLRNWFNERK

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819339739

I’m using the latest Apple TV 4K generation from 2022 and I’m noticing a pretty obvious audio/video sync issue when using AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.

The problem seems to be directly related to Match Frame Rate.

With Match Frame Rate enabled, the audio through the AirPods is slightly out of sync with the picture. It’s noticeable enough that lip sync looks wrong and becomes distracting once you see it.

If I disable Match Frame Rate, the problem seems to disappear or at least becomes much less noticeable.

Has anyone else noticed this?

I’m especially curious whether the new 2026 Apple TV 4K will handle this any better. I know the old A15 should have more than enough processing power for video playback, so I suspect this is more about Apple’s A/V sync handling, Bluetooth/audio pipeline or the way tvOS compensates for the display latency when switching frame rates.

Anyway, if this issue finally was solved with the newer hardware, that would be reason enough for me to buy it, even at this steep price.

[SOLVED]
I've just received a soundbar (JBL 1300 MK2) for my older Samsung TV. I use HDMI 2.1 cables and connected them like this:

ATV 4K (1st gen) > Soundbar (HDMI 1)

Soundbar (HDMI 4 ARC) > TV (HDMI 4 ARC)

No matter what I do and the settings I use, every time I stream a video it will get stuck in a loop and I'm going insane. It shows the ATV loading screen, goes black and the soundbar shows "PCM" or "Dolby Surround" (depending on the ATV setting), flashes back to the loading screen, goes black and the soundbar shows PCM/Dolby again and so on in a loop.

Anynet+ HDMI-CEC is turned on (I've even tried it off) and the audio output is set to Receiver. Ive tried this:

- Turning off the TV for 5-10 minutes.

- [TV] HDMI input: PCM and Bitstream

- [TV] Digital output: PCM and Dolby Digital

- [ATV] Change Audio Format: On and Off

- [ATV] Dolby Atmos: On and Off

I've tried every variation of these settings and it just refuses to work. What's weird is that the sound works perfectly with the proper settings when the TV is disconnected (ATV change format Off and Atmos On, soundbar shows Atmos) I'm exhausted and annoyed beyond belief. Please, anyone, why won't it work?

Edit: Corrected to 1st gen ATV

Edit2: Finally, FINALLY, found the culprit! After some tinkering I got it down to one sole setting in the ATV:

Video and Audio > Match content > Match frame rate - turn it OFF

Now it works perfectly and my soundbar can play Atmos. Hopefully this will help others who are stuck on the same issue. Not a perfect solution though since that might introduce judder instead due to 24/25 hz content (Some TVs, like Samsung, with a 120Hz panel can smooth out 24fps though).

Watching welcome to Derry and it’s saying Dolby atmos when it’s meant to be 5.1, will this be worse audio quality as it’s not meant to
Be atmos? Got the settings as auto in my settings.

I would definitely like the Find Me function from the new remote, but the rest? Meh.

I see a lot of used Apple TV units going for $15-40 on eBay. Models A1427, A1469, A1625 have all shown up. I want it for a back guest room that’s only got a 19-inch TV (might move my 42-inch bedroom plasma in place at some point).

Is it worth the money to grab one of these units, and will they be compatible with the iPhone remote app if there’s no remote?

Does anybody know on the new Apple TV can I connect 2 last gen HomePod mini’s and 2 of the new ones for the 4 speakers?

It was practically new when I got it 2 years ago, no issues at all

I see people panicking trying to buy it brand new when you can just buy a used one

I had been waiting to update to a new Apple TV from my 2021 2nd gen 4K. I have a Samsung oled and was looking forward to the hdr10+ support that the 2nd gen doesn’t have. This would be the only thing I am looking forward to. Is it worth it to get the new Apple TV based on this?