In early 2019, I published an article about the hardware and software functionality that I hoped the next version of the Apple TV would include. In May of 2022, Apple finally released the third generation Apple TV 4K. We upgraded our seven Apple TVs, to this latest model. And, here is my review of the 2022 Apple TV 4K’s capabilities. Continue reading Review: Apple TV 4K (3d gen, 2022)
In this post, I share some of my thoughts for a potential JellyFin native tvOS App’s user experience. My hope is that the JellyFin developer community will find these concepts useful and incorporate them in a future native tvOS app. These are my preliminary thoughts; I welcome readers’ feedback. Product development requires judgement calls; and I recognize that other users prioritize features they care about differently than me or have a preferred UX either because it better suits their needs or they are just more familiar with that UX. Continue reading Proposal: Potential JellyFin Native tvOS App Including User Experience Ideas
In May 2021, Apple released the second generation Apple TV 4K, and we upgraded all seven of our Apple TVs to the new model. After living with it, my verdict is this: the biggest upgrade is the redesigned Siri remote — larger, aluminum, and finally usable in the dark — but the new box disappoints in several areas, including an aging A12 processor and an HDMI port that’s 2.1 in name only. Continue reading Review: Apple TV 4K (2d gen, 2021)
It has been about two years since the Apple TV 4K was released, the average time between Apple TV refreshes. So, it is timely to consider what comes next. This is my wish list for the successor to the Apple TV 4K, as well as improvements to tvOS. It’s what I would build were I the product owner of Apple TV. As a videophile, I overindex on features like video and audio quality. However, my suggestions also are based on our family’s initial experiences with Apple’s new gaming service, Apple Arcade. Continue reading My Wish List for the Next Apple TV & tvOS
Plex recently released new versions of its iPhone, iPad (iOS) and Apple TV (tvOS) apps, which contain a new, advanced video engine based on the open source MPV video player. Previously, the Plex iOS and tvOS apps used Apple’s native AVPlayer. Because the Apple TV (and, by extension, AVPlayer) is primarily intended for the playback of streamed content, its codec support is comparatively limited (e.g. h.265 or h.264 for video and AC3 and AAC for audio). Continue reading Plex’s New Video Player for iOS and tvOS
As of Fall 2023, the the best graphics subsystem for the MPV media player is a combination of vo_gpu_next, libplacebo and Vulkan. This includes recent Windows-based PCs, Linux-based devices, and Android-based devices. Although Apple devices running macOS, iOS, and tvOS prefer Metal 3, currently, there is not a Metal backend for MPV. Previously, that meant that MPV had to use Apple’s deprecated OpenGL subsystem. Now, it is possible to use MoltenVK for significant performance gains over OpenGL. Continue reading How To: Configuring MPV for Best Video Quality Including 4K Upscaling
So you just bought an expensive new 4K (UHD) television set. The issue is that most live and recorded video distributed today is less than 4K (2160p) resolution. Blu-rays are 1080p format while DVDs are only 480i/p. TV broadcasters use either 1080i or 720p. Some cable and satellite companies are downscaling 1080i to 720p format. Although some over-the-top video service providers like Amazon and Netflix have select content in 4K, most of their content is in 1080 resolution. To solve this, UHD TVs include upscalers for lower resolution content originating from cable/satellite settop boxes, Blu-ray and DVD players and gaming consoles. Continue reading How To: Upscaling Lower Resolution Video to 4K
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