Wow, what a week! We had quite a few exciting announcements yesterday from Apple, not the least of which was a brand-new, 1080p capable AppleTV. We are uber excited about this new model and already have a handful of test units on order. Better hardware usually lends itself to better software, and the AppleTV should be no exception. Keep reading for more information on what all this means for you as well as your current aTV Flash (black) license.
What does the new AppleTV 3 offer? Should I upgrade?
At this point, it appears the only real difference between the ATV2 and ATV3 is the video resolution. The ATV2 has a max resolution of 720p, whereas the ATV3 supports 1080p. There may be new features introduced in the future that will be ATV3 only, but for now unless you're playing 1080p content you will not see much of a difference between the two models. The new menu layout that was demoed yesterday by Apple on the ATV3 will also be available on the ATV2.
What about the new 5.0 software? Can I update my AppleTV?
aTV Flash (black) is currently only compatible with AppleTV versions 4.2 - 4.4.4, and if you update you lose will your jailbreak and FireCore added features. However, if you have saved firmware signatures you can easily downgrade the AppleTV software at any time, so feel free to update to 5.0 and check it out.
Will aTV Flash (black) be compatible?
The short answer is: Yes! There will undoubtedly be a few obstacles to overcome in order to get everything up to speed, but based on our past experiences and progress thus far we're confident we can put the pieces in place to make it happen.
Once an updated version is ready we'll be rolling these changes into an aTV Flash (black) update, which will result in a universal application that is compatible with both the ATV2 and ATV3. The best part is users of aTV Flash (black) will be able to install it on either model without having to pay any extra fees.
That all sounds great, but what's new in aTV Flash (black) 1.4?
Last, but certainly not least, we have a new version of aTV Flash (black) available today to help tide you over until the new models arrive. Full details on what's included in version 1.4 can be found below.
Full Changelog
- Added center channel audio boost (+6dB and +12dB) for 5.0 and 5.1 audio tracks
- Added Finnish, German, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, and Swedish translations
- Added '4:3 Crop' and '4:3 Stretch' zoom options
- Added support for M3U and PLS playlists
- Added EyeTV folder detection
- Added TrueHD audio (downmixed)
- Added 24-bit and 32-bit audio (downmixed)
- Added enhanced downmixing for 5.1 AC3 audio (Dolby Pro Logic II)
- Added support for embedded MP3 covers
- Added automatic EXIF-based image rotation
- Added MP4s embedded subtitles
- Added main menu clock
- Improved poster art quality in list and grid view
- Improved buffering logic for DVD files
- Improved cover art fetching from Last.fm
- Improved DVD menu highlighting
- Improved photo viewer & slideshow
- Improved slideshow to match native Flickr style
- Improved Danish, Dutch, French, Greek, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish translations
- Minor UI improvements
- Resolved downmixing issues for specific audio tracks
- Resolved playback issues for single ISO files in a folder
- Resolved AFP login timeout issues
- Resolved metadata issues for files that contain '/' in folder or file name
- Resolved operation of the photo slideshow on iOS 4.x
- Resolved issue with favorites removal when share password is changed
- Resolved incorrect navigation in grid view on iOS 4.*
- Resolved issue with DVD marked as watched after viewing menu
- Resolved rare issue with incorrect pre-playback screen layout
- Resolved rare crash in libdvdnav when playing DVD files
- Resolved rare DVD playback error
- Resolved rare 'Bad URL' error
- Other miscellaneous bug fixes
If you're already running a version of aTV Flash (black) the new 1.4 version can be installed through the Maintenance --> Manage Extras menu. Links for the new version can also be found in your account under the Downloads tab.
If you're not yet using aTV Flash (black) you can learn about all the great benefits here.
Enjoy. :-)
PS - We'll be posting progress updates as they become available, so be sure to follow us on Twitter for all the latest news.
