Apple issues sixth beta of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV with folders, voice dictation

AppleInsider

A few days after the sixth betas of iOS 9.3, watchOS 2.2 and OS X 10.11.4 debuted, a new build of tvOS 9.2 for Apple TV has been supplied to registered developers.

Unlike previous builds, which were issued alongside Apple's other beta releases, tvOS 9.2 beta 6 came a few days later. It's identified as build 13Y5232a.

When it launches to the public, tvOS 9.2 will bring support for folders on the home screen, allowing users to more neatly organize apps installed on the device. The app switcher has also been redesigned with a right-to-left interface that matches iOS.

tvOS 9.2 also includes support for MapKit, Bluetooth keyboards, and iCloud Photo Library.

Apple will also add voice dictation via the Siri remote with the forthcoming update. When given the option to enter text, users can simply press and hold the Siri button on the remote and speak your query.

In addition, tvOS 9.2 also gives users the ability to search the tvOS App Store from anywhere with the Siri Remote. Simply hold the Siri button and tell the device to "search the App Store" for your desired content.

There is no public beta program for tvOS 9.2, meaning the software is only available for developers to test. It must be installed on an Apple TV via a USB-C cable.

lkrupp

Looks like almost all of the features the malcontents were bloviating about have arrived. Personally I’m glad Apple released the ATV4 when it did. I have had the pleasure of using it while it has matured instead of being released another year from now or whenever the pontificating blowhards deemed it ready. I’m sure the never satisfied crowd will still be harping about something though. Oh, and my personal pontification? Don’t hold your breath for the allegedly “coming soon” Amazon Prime app.

mike1

In this day of continuous improvements and updates, a product is never "done" the team must establish a list have must haves for launch. The rest of the enhancements are then laid out on a timeline for future introduction. If one waited for it all to be ready, nothing would ever get built.

razorpit

lkrupp said:

Looks like almost all of the features the malcontents were bloviating about have arrived. Personally I’m glad Apple released the ATV4 when it did. I have had the pleasure of using it while it has matured instead of being released another year from now or whenever the pontificating blowhards deemed it ready. I’m sure the never satisfied crowd will still be harping about something though. Oh, and my personal pontification? Don’t hold your breath for the allegedly “coming soon” Amazon Prime app.

Don't you think you're being a little harsh?

While I have been generally happy with my Apple TV 4 it's been rather embarrassing trying to use the Photos app whenever the parents/friends/neighbors come over.  It never worked right on my Apple TV 2, it seems "ok" on the Apple TV 3 we have in the office but it not always.  Nothing worse than saying "Hey mom check out the pictures of the kids from over the holidays, oh wait it'll work, just wait... a... second....  damn it...."  Literally last night we wanted to look at some recent photos I put in to iCloud and couldn't without logging out of my Photos account and logging back in.  It shouldn't take 6 months to fix that.

While I don't use a bluetooth keyboard I think people that do (or at least did) have a right to complain when that feature was lost.  Just because you weren't using the old hardware to its fullest doesn't mean others weren't.

Am I glad I have the new hardware?  Yes, its a cool toy and better than the Apple TV 2 I replaced.  I and the ones you call blowhards just wish it would have worked a little better out of the box, especially since they had years to get it right.

daven

razorpit said:

lkrupp said:

Looks like almost all of the features the malcontents were bloviating about have arrived. Personally I’m glad Apple released the ATV4 when it did. I have had the pleasure of using it while it has matured instead of being released another year from now or whenever the pontificating blowhards deemed it ready. I’m sure the never satisfied crowd will still be harping about something though. Oh, and my personal pontification? Don’t hold your breath for the allegedly “coming soon” Amazon Prime app.

Don't you think you're being a little harsh?

I and the ones you call blowhards just wish it would have worked a little better out of the box, especially since they had years to get it right.

Sadly we live in a world where being overly harsh is now the norm. Was he a bit harsh? Perhaps but then so are the malcontents. Everyone these days wants everything now.

I don't think Apple had years to get it right. I think they had something much different in the works for the cable companies to keep them relevant and came close to closing a deal but in the end, the deal fell apart. Do I have proof? No but since when does anyone these days have proof of any rumor? I think in the end Apple realized the deal was never going to be made and they had to go with an Plan B that was hurriedly put together. Am I happy with it? Yes. I bought one the first week. To me it was missing some functionality but those seem to be coming on board fairly quickly.

I dropped cable TV last spring and couldn't be happier. I have a few local stations and Apple TV 4 on my main TV (Apple 2 and 3 on the other two TVs). It still sucks that some apps are limited to Cable TV/satellite subscribers but I still get to watch the clown debates using the CNN and Fox apps and my sibling's Dish TV login.

Some time ago I posted a comparison of watching a movie on a Cable network station vs renting it on iTunes. The bottom line is what is your time worth? As a $4 rental, a movie like Gladiator is 2 hrs 50 minutes (extended cut).  Watching on a network like AMC, the move can run 4 hours. Is an an hour and ten minutes of my time worth more than $4? You bet it is. The amount of advertising in video has crept up over the years. 'Free' TV just isn't worth it to me anymore.

Wow, I really got off topic. ;-)

cali

I agree Apple had a really revolutionary device and service but help back when deals weren't closed.

And YES I will complain because some of the features are FRUSTRATING. I'm always trying to convert people to Apple and showing off AppleTV has been fuc*ing EMBARASSING. I tell people how cool Siri is but on AppleTV, her and the UI are dumb as a rock. Searching Bob's Burgers brings up this cool interface with all seasons displayed with options to stream on Hulu and Netflix, searching "SpongeBob" on the other hand brings up the bottom menu tray with cluttered results that's tedious to navigate. Siri will only search some shows inside Hulu and ignore others for whatever reason, some shows with 2 words fused into one (PowerPuff Girls) confuse Siri and don't even try saying "Hulu". Siri will reply with "Who what?" This kills voice navigation for me which is otherwise FAST and smooth.

I just wish they'd replace this dumb AI with the real Siri.

maclvr03

I just wish Amazon hurry up and bring the Prime App. Netflix needs to seriously up their ante with their app. It's horrible. I much prefer it on my AT3 where I can see "My List" in a grid view and not scrolling over left to right which seems like it takes forever. 

john.b

I returned my ATV4 when they were first released because the username/password interaction for each app/account was just so un-Apple-like.  Couch surfing with my Logitech K811 keyboard and my ATV3 is fantastic, and I can't believe the project team didn't realize how undelighted their users would be with an ever-scrolling-remote paradigm for entering text.

doozydozen

AppleInsider said:

The app switcher has also been redesigned with a right-to-left interface that matches iOS.

Why would it have been designed any other way is dumbfounding

davesewell

"There is no public beta program for tvOS 9.2, meaning the software is only available for developers to test. It must be installed on an Apple TV via a USB-C cable."

You don't need a USB C cable to install the beta - there is a clever work around

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/01/27/update-apple-tv-tvos-beta-without-computer-mac-pc/

bestkeptsecret

Minor quibble, but I miss the Trailers app from the Apple TV 3.

nelmat

bestkeptsecret said:

Minor quibble, but I miss the Trailers app from the Apple TV 3.

So install it, it's sat in the App Store

peteralt

The Flikr and YouTube apps need serious improvements. The Showtime Anywhere app could use some improving too. The HBO Go and the Hulu apps are real impressive.

For the most-part, I am really impressed with the new Apple TV. CEC control works marvelously. The new update will bring some of the most needed features back.

Its not perfect. What happened to video scrubbing? It's annoying having to guess the placement of the video when fast forwarding or rewinding. The App Store doesn't list all the apps in the categories and you have to search alphabetically to find all the apps.

I complained earlier that AirPlay does not wake up the unit when you start a video. There must have been a non-software update some days ago because this is no longer the case. I am also noticing that the metadata for the name of the video being AirPlayed is now shown in a popup subtitle overlay line that wasn't there previously (when an AirPlay video is started).