Apple TV 5th gen with 4K and HDR support: September launch likely

Just a few days ago, it was revealed that the upcoming iPhone 8 will likely come with a facial recognition software that could scan a user’s face even when the handset is lying flat on a surface, all thanks to some HomePod firmware info. Now, a new discovery about another Apple device is making rounds due to the same firmware leak, and it involves the next Apple TV.

Apple released a firmware for the HomePod by mistake about a week ago. It contained a number of information about the company’s upcoming products. Unfortunately for the Mac maker, a number of eagle-eyed and inquisitive folks have made all the juicy info known to the delight of excited fans.

Guilherme Rambo , in particular, found strings in a library file that hinted about the next Apple TV’s possible upgrades (see tweets below). If the firmware leak is to be believed, then the upcoming digital media player and microconsole could have support for 4K videos in addition to Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Hybrid Log-Gamma.

It’s not that the supposed “new” enhancements of Apple’s next set-top box are anything otherworldly or actually contemporary. It’s just that the Cupertino, California-based tech titan’s current digital network appliance is not up to par compared to its rival units.

Amazon already launched a 4K model of the Fire TV (second generation) a couple of years ago while Google unveiled the Chromecast Ultra less than a year ago that had support for streaming of 4K resolution content. Roku also introduced its first ever box with 4K capabilities in October 2015, the Roku 4 (4400).

And while there’s an insufficient amount of high dynamic range films and TV shows for everyone to really enjoy, it’s still nice to know that the fifth generation Apple TV will have HDR support. The feature will allow users to watch videos and play video games with improved colours, contrast and brightness settings.

There are a number of competing standards for HDR, as TechCrunch notes. The list includes HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and SL-HDR1. The new Apple TV could have support for at least three of the common standards, which should be viable for the majority of television units in the market today.

Just a couple of weeks ago, a number of users spotted 4K and HDR movies on the iTunes Store. This solidifies the belief that the upcoming fifth gen Apple TV will indeed have 4K and HDR support, just like what the HomePod leak indicates. Previous reports suggest that the iPhone maker will launch the new set-top box in September alongside the tenth anniversary version of its smartphone.

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