tvOS 17 brings video conferencing and Split View

WWDC: Apple has announced tvOS 17 which will ship this fall for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD devices. It appears other systems won’t get the update.

What Apple said

“tvOS 17 transforms the biggest screen in the home with FaceTime and new video conferencing capabilities, giving Apple TV 4K users the ability to easily connect with anyone right from their living room,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

“New features and enhancements make Apple TV simpler to use and even more enjoyable, reinforcing it as the absolute best option in the living room for Apple customers.”

The three pillars

The three pillars of this release include:

• Support for FaceTime and video conferencing on the TV when used with iPhone.
• An all-new Control Center.
• Split View for Apple TV.

You can also find your remote control using your iPhone.

Video conferencing

Apple TV 4K users will gain a new FaceTime app on Apple TV. They will be able to start calls on the system, and use Continuity Camera to wirelessly connect to the user’s iPhone’s camera and microphone. Center Stage keeps everyone in the room perfectly framed on the screen. Later this year, video conferencing apps like Webex by Cisco and Zoom will launch on tvOS, bringing their communications capabilities to Apple TV 4K.

Apple Music Sing will, also support this.

Split View

Split View for Apple TV lets users enjoy watching shows or movies with their loved ones during a SharePlay session while also seeing everyone on the FaceTime call.

Control Center

This will display system status, including the time and active profile, and expands with other helpful details based on a user’s activity.

There are additional improvements.

• Screen saver enhancements provide a more beautiful and even more customised experience on Apple TV, as users can now enjoy curated Memories from their personal library, shared library, or both on the big screen.
• The aerial screen savers will feature a collection of stunning new locations, including Arizona’s Monument Valley and California’s coastal redwoods.
• Enhance Dialogue, which lets users more clearly hear what is being said over the effects, action, and music in a movie or TV show on Apple TV 4K paired with HomePod (2nd generation) by separating the dialogue from the background noise and bringing it forward to the center channel.
• Dolby Vision 8.1 support.
• Apple Fitness+ enhancements.
• Third-party VPN support, which enables developers to create VPN apps for Apple TV.

tvOS developer beta is available for Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today, and a public beta program will be available to Apple TV users next month,

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