Following the global roll out of the tvOS 11.2 firmware upgrade yesterday, I’m pleased to report that the Apple TV 4K streaming box has now gone from frustrating also-ran to potentially must-own status for AV fans.
This is because the update introduces the option for the Apple TV 4K to auto-switch its video output to match the format a TV show or film was created in.
Previously the Apple TV 4K converted everything to whatever format you’d got selected at the top of its Video Output menu. While converting all video to, say, the Dolby Vision or HDR10 high dynamic range video formats may have made for a slick, flicker-free operating system, it also meant that content only created in standard dynamic range ended up looking pretty horrible once it had gone through Apple’s HDR conversion system.
The Apple TV 4K’s original approach also raised some awkward questions about Dolby Vision’s supposedly obsessive focus on quality, too.
Now, following the update, if a show or film is available in, say, 4K standard dynamic range, the Apple TV 4K can switch its output automatically to 4K standard dynamic range rather than converting it to HDR. And if a film is available in 24 frames a second, the Apple TV 4K can auto-switch its output to 24 frames a second from its likely 60/50Hz default setting.
This really is a godsend for AV fans who like to watch stuff the way it was designed to be seen.
To get the auto format switching working, you first have to make sure you’ve downloaded the latest Apple TV 4K firmware update. Check this by going into the General settings menu, and ensuring that the tvOS version is showing as 11.2. If it isn’t, you’ll need to go to the System menu, select Software Updates, and start the update downloading.
Just downloading tvOS 11.2 doesn’t automatically enable automatic source switching, though. You’ll have to go into the Video and Audio menu, select the new Match Content option, and then choose the Match Dynamic Range and Match Frame Rate options.
Once you’ve done this, you should find that the Apple TV’s output will change depending on the video format of the source you’ve selected to play.
The system appears to depend on app support to work properly, but I haven’t found any issues as yet. When using Netflix, for instance, the Apple TV 4K correctly switched to Dolby Vision when playing a Dolby Vision show onto a 2017 LG OLED TV. And it correctly switched to standard dynamic range when playing a film that wasn’t encoded in any sort of HDR.
I should stress, though, that here in the UK, the number of apps that support different video formats is currently pretty much limited to Netflix and iTunes; if you’re in the US and have found some apps not working properly with the new auto-switching system, please let me know via the Twitter account shown at the end of this article.
I’ve found that the Apple TV 4K’s new autoswitching system works fine with a selection of different kit; namely a 2016 Samsung KS9800 TV (KS9500 in the UK), an LG OLED65E7 TV, a Samsung K950 soundbar (using its HDMI loopthrough), and a 2017 Samsung MU7000 TV (MU8000 in the UK).
Welcome though the Apple TV 4K’s new video flexibility is, however, there remains one significant issue. Namely that Apple has not provided the option to match a source’s resolution. So if a film or TV show is only available natively in HD, it will still get upscaled to 4K for output by the Apple TV 4K.
Fortunately Apple’s 4K upscaling engine isn’t a bad one. But I can still imagine owners of high end TVs - especially top Sony sets, which feature truly outstanding upscaling - wishing they could have their TVs upscale HD video rather than the Apple TV. As things stand, the only way to get round this is to go and manually change the Apple TV 4K box’s main video output to 1080p every time you want to watch an HD source.
I should add, too, that having the Apple TV 4K switch video outputs will cause your TV’s screen to black out momentarily. I wouldn’t say these black outs last for any longer than I’ve seen with other auto-switching source equipment, though. So while the blacking out may be a reminder of why Apple initially didn’t offer auto video switching, for me it’s a price well worth paying for finally being able to use the Apple TV 4K to watch films and TV shows looking the way they’re supposed to look.
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