New iPhone-powered color balance feature compatible with older Apple TV models

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
A newly announced Apple TV technology that automatically adjusts color balance using iPhone's Face ID sensors will be available on previous-generation devices, according to Apple.

Apple TV Color Balance


Apple on Tuesday revealed the color balance feature alongside the unveiling of new Apple TV 4K hardware.

As demonstrated in today's "Spring Loaded" event, the technology harnesses an iPhone with Face ID to calibrate a television's video output. Users are instructed to place their iPhone against an area of a television's screen to begin measuring color output with the handset's TrueDepth camera system and ambient light sensor. Color adjustments are applied to Apple TV's video output automatically without user intervention.

The process is said to deliver more accurate colors and improved contrast to bring Apple TV video up to "industry-standard specifications" used by cinematographers. Importantly, color balance is handled on Apple TV, meaning users don't have to manually adjust TV settings.

While not mentioned in today's presentation, iPhone-automated Apple TV color balance is set to arrive on the first-generation Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD with the launch of tvOS 14.5 next week. A compatible iPhone with Face ID running iOS 14.5 is also required.

The feature addition arrives with a refreshed Apple TV 4K model that features an A12 Bionic processor for high frame rate HDR and Dolby Vision. Also included is HDMI 2.1, suggesting support for 120Hz video is coming soon.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22
    Scot1Scot1 Posts: 121member
    I am on iOS 14.5 beta and tvOS beta and I just calibrated using the iPhone 10. Seamless operation. 🤗
    appleinsideruserwilliamlondonneilmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 22
    Scot1 said:
    I am on iOS 14.5 beta and tvOS beta and I just calibrated using the iPhone 10. Seamless operation. 🤗
    Does it look any different?
    h4y3sdocno42watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 22
    docno42docno42 Posts: 3,755member
    This is a pretty cool feature, especially if it improves the picture in my plasma that must be getting at least a bit tired by now.  Didn't see this one coming but it's brilliant; whoever thought of doing it deserves some kudos! 
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 22
    I hope I can do the same on a Mac in the future.  I would like to avoid spending $100 to $200 on a spider color sync device.  
    crushedwilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 22
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 22
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member
    Good on Apple bringing this to older devices. Seems pretty cool.
  • Reply 7 of 22
    crushedcrushed Posts: 18member
    I hope I can do the same on a Mac in the future.  I would like to avoid spending $100 to $200 on a spider color sync device.  
    Exactly my thoughts!! How come they didn’t bring this to the Mac already?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 22
    riverkoriverko Posts: 222member
    Scot1 said:
    I am on iOS 14.5 beta and tvOS beta and I just calibrated using the iPhone 10. Seamless operation. 🤗
    I was looking for it in my tvOS and iOS beta a couldn’t find it… any hints?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 22
    For those with a 1st gen Apple TV 4K then, what reason is there to upgrade rather than simply buying the new remote?
    bluefire1NoFliesOnMeapplguywatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 22
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    For those with a 1st gen Apple TV 4K then, what reason is there to upgrade rather than simply buying the new remote?
    High frame rate HDR, WiFi 6, HDMI 2.1, the color calibrator described in this article, Dolby Vision/Atmos (was that in the old ATV 4K? I don't recall), faster processor, Thread support.
    edited April 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 22
    neilm said:
    For those with a 1st gen Apple TV 4K then, what reason is there to upgrade rather than simply buying the new remote?
    High frame rate HDR, WiFi 6, HDMI 2.1, the color calibrator described in this article, Dolby Vision/Atmos (was that in the old ATV 4K? I don't recall), faster processor, Thread support.
    Dolby Vision/Atmos and color calibrator both available on 1st gen Apple TV.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 22
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    Obviously it won't work with your projector because your projector isn't designed to do this and doesn't have any capability to do it.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 22
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    Obviously it won't work with your projector because your projector isn't designed to do this and doesn't have any capability to do it.
    I’m not sure it’s so obvious. The beauty of the solution is that a TV doesn’t need to be designed to do this or have any particular capability. If the system was setup as a back projector (which is probably isn’t) then it could well work as described.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 22
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    Obviously it won't work with your projector because your projector isn't designed to do this and doesn't have any capability to do it.
    I’m not sure it’s so obvious. The beauty of the solution is that a TV doesn’t need to be designed to do this or have any particular capability. If the system was setup as a back projector (which is probably isn’t) then it could well work as described.
    How would that possibly work? This back projector would have been designed to communicate wirelessly with an iPhone held up to the image the projector produces and adjust its color based on the communication with the iPhone, after having gone through the exact sequence of operations an Apple TV would in this mode? That would have been a remarkable instance of foresight and insight by the projector manufacturer.

    I think it's pretty obvious when you actually, you know, think about it.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 22
    nicholfdnicholfd Posts: 824member
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    No - the phone should face the screen.  THAT is where you will be looking at the picture - you don't look into the projector.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 22
    nicholfdnicholfd Posts: 824member

    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    Obviously it won't work with your projector because your projector isn't designed to do this and doesn't have any capability to do it.
    Obviously it probably will work with a projector.  There are no changes or adjustments in the display (LCD/Plasma/Projector).  All the adjustments are in the AppleTV.  The AppleTV will adjust the colors it's sending to the display to compensate for the display's imperfect color.  Why would the phone or AppleTV care if the "display" is a projector screen, LCD screen or plasma screen?
  • Reply 17 of 22
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    Obviously it won't work with your projector because your projector isn't designed to do this and doesn't have any capability to do it.
    I’m not sure it’s so obvious. The beauty of the solution is that a TV doesn’t need to be designed to do this or have any particular capability. If the system was setup as a back projector (which is probably isn’t) then it could well work as described.
    How would that possibly work? This back projector would have been designed to communicate wirelessly with an iPhone held up to the image the projector produces and adjust its color based on the communication with the iPhone, after having gone through the exact sequence of operations an Apple TV would in this mode? That would have been a remarkable instance of foresight and insight by the projector manufacturer.

    I think it's pretty obvious when you actually, you know, think about it.
    I think you’re missing the point. The iPhone sees the light and tells the AppleTV how to compensate for the peculiarities of whatever screen it is held up to. No other ‘communication’ with the screen needed. 

    Pretty clever when you think about it. 😉
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 22
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    Obviously it won't work with your projector because your projector isn't designed to do this and doesn't have any capability to do it.
    I’m not sure it’s so obvious. The beauty of the solution is that a TV doesn’t need to be designed to do this or have any particular capability. If the system was setup as a back projector (which is probably isn’t) then it could well work as described.
    How would that possibly work? This back projector would have been designed to communicate wirelessly with an iPhone held up to the image the projector produces and adjust its color based on the communication with the iPhone, after having gone through the exact sequence of operations an Apple TV would in this mode? That would have been a remarkable instance of foresight and insight by the projector manufacturer.

    I think it's pretty obvious when you actually, you know, think about it.
    I think you’re missing the point. The iPhone sees the light and tells the AppleTV how to compensate for the peculiarities of whatever screen it is held up to. No other ‘communication’ with the screen needed. 

    Pretty clever when you think about it. 😉
    It might work with a projector driven by an Apple TV if it's rear projection (I doubt it would work with a front projection), but that wasn't how I understood the original question — i.e., there was no mention of Apple TV in the question, just the projector. (I mean, people are asking why the new Touch ID keyboards won't work with devices not designed for wireless Touch ID, so, no, I don't assume they mean a projector driven by an Apple TV.)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 22
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    Obviously it won't work with your projector because your projector isn't designed to do this and doesn't have any capability to do it.
    I’m not sure it’s so obvious. The beauty of the solution is that a TV doesn’t need to be designed to do this or have any particular capability. If the system was setup as a back projector (which is probably isn’t) then it could well work as described.
    How would that possibly work? This back projector would have been designed to communicate wirelessly with an iPhone held up to the image the projector produces and adjust its color based on the communication with the iPhone, after having gone through the exact sequence of operations an Apple TV would in this mode? That would have been a remarkable instance of foresight and insight by the projector manufacturer.

    I think it's pretty obvious when you actually, you know, think about it.
    I think you’re missing the point. The iPhone sees the light and tells the AppleTV how to compensate for the peculiarities of whatever screen it is held up to. No other ‘communication’ with the screen needed. 

    Pretty clever when you think about it. 😉
    It might work with a projector driven by an Apple TV if it's rear projection (I doubt it would work with a front projection), but that wasn't how I understood the original question — i.e., there was no mention of Apple TV in the question, just the projector. (I mean, people are asking why the new Touch ID keyboards won't work with devices not designed for wireless Touch ID, so, no, I don't assume they mean a projector driven by an Apple TV.)
    We are in a thread about AppleTV
    ihatescreennameswatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 22
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    I wonder if it will work with my projector. Obviously the phone would have to face the projector and not the screen. 
    Obviously it won't work with your projector because your projector isn't designed to do this and doesn't have any capability to do it.
    I’m not sure it’s so obvious. The beauty of the solution is that a TV doesn’t need to be designed to do this or have any particular capability. If the system was setup as a back projector (which is probably isn’t) then it could well work as described.
    How would that possibly work? This back projector would have been designed to communicate wirelessly with an iPhone held up to the image the projector produces and adjust its color based on the communication with the iPhone, after having gone through the exact sequence of operations an Apple TV would in this mode? That would have been a remarkable instance of foresight and insight by the projector manufacturer.

    I think it's pretty obvious when you actually, you know, think about it.
    I think you’re missing the point. The iPhone sees the light and tells the AppleTV how to compensate for the peculiarities of whatever screen it is held up to. No other ‘communication’ with the screen needed. 

    Pretty clever when you think about it. 😉
    It might work with a projector driven by an Apple TV if it's rear projection (I doubt it would work with a front projection), but that wasn't how I understood the original question — i.e., there was no mention of Apple TV in the question, just the projector. (I mean, people are asking why the new Touch ID keyboards won't work with devices not designed for wireless Touch ID, so, no, I don't assume they mean a projector driven by an Apple TV.)
    We are in a thread about AppleTV
    Sorry, I forgot, no one ever posts anything even the slightest bit off topic on the internet.
    watto_cobra
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