This week YouTube TV rolled out a new Apple TV update that finally brings some features to the Apple TV that Roku and other devices have had for some time.
Now Apple TV offers the ability to pick who is watching when you launch YouTube TV. YouTube TV lets you have multiple profiles for family members, each with its own DVR. Now you don’t need to go into the settings to change who is watching.
The good news is if you don’t like this feature, you can turn it off in the settings. If you turn off this option at launch, YouTube TV will default to the last profile that was being used.
This comes as Google recently announced some bug fixes to the YouTube TV app on the Apple TV. Here is the update Google announced for improvements to the Apple TV:
Apple TV: Since our last post, we’ve rolled out a major update (1.13+) for Apple TV. These fixes should resolve the issues with the app opening up to a black screen, enable YouTube TV’s HDR implementation, and address some 4k playback issues. Some of you have also recently flagged an issue with the app crashing on the 1st gen 4k when left on and a fix for that will be in the app store imminently. Lastly, If you’re seeing a black screen temporarily when switching between content, this is happening due to Apple TV’s SDR/HDR transitioning and can be fixed either by:
- Setting SDR as Default : Settings > Video and Audio > Format > (Pick any SDR option)
- Disabling Range Matching: Settings > Video and Audio > Match Content > Match Dynamic Range > Off
YouTube TV also announced improved picture quality, but for now, it doesn’t seem that this improvement has started to roll out yet.
Here is what YouTube TV announced about its upcoming picture improvements:
Picture Quality Experiments: We’re testing transcoding changes, including a bitrate increase for live 1080p content over the next several weeks. These will target devices that support the VP9 codec with high-speed internet connections. If these go well, we plan to make them permanent by this summer. More info to come!
Did you notice any other improvements? Leave us a comment and let us know.