tvOS fixes and custom players

Apple’s tvOS 26.4 update on March 24 fixed a specific Apple TV 4K audio bug, while developers kept building around gaps Apple still hasn’t closed. (apple.com) Apple says tvOS 26.4 fixes audio playback when sound switches between formats such as Dolby Atmos and stereo, and the release is build 23L243. Apple’s developer notes also list fixes for app asset-pack crashes, proxy-configuration leaks, StoreKit purchase intents, and a SwiftUI user-activity bug. (apple.com, apple.com, apple.com) A set-top box player is the software layer that turns files, streams, subtitles, and remote commands into something watchable on a TV. On Apple TV, that layer is still constrained enough that developers are shipping their own browsers and playback tools instead of waiting for Apple to fill every gap. (github.com, apple.com) One example is tvOSBrowser, an open-source Apple TV web browser on GitHub that says it now uses WebKit’s WKWebView, adds tabs, and includes an experimental full-screen video player. Its README also says the app relies on private application programming interfaces, which keeps software like this outside the normal App Store path. (github.com) Another example is TVRem, an iPhone app from Electronic Team, Inc. that lists touchpad navigation, voice input, keyboard entry, and one-tap app launch for Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV, and Samsung TVs. The App Store listing shows 68 ratings and a 4.9 score in the U.S. storefront snapshot crawled this month. (apps.apple.com) The hardware limits are part of the story. Apple’s current Apple TV 4K specs list HDMI 2.1, Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and Gigabit Ethernet on one model, but no USB media port on the box itself. (apple.com) Apple’s own format list is also narrower than what home-media users often want. Apple lists AVC, HEVC, H.264, and MPEG-4 video support, plus audio formats including FLAC, AC-3, E-AC-3, and Dolby Atmos, while third-party player maker Firecore markets Infuse on Apple TV as a way to play “almost any video format” without converting files first. (apple.com, firecore.com) That leaves Apple TV competing on polish while rivals compete on file flexibility. NVIDIA’s current Shield comparison page highlights features such as AI upscaling, Chromecast 4K, Google Play access, and USB TV tuner support that Apple TV does not advertise on its own specs page. (nvidia.com, apple.com) The result is a split market on the same screen: Apple keeps tightening tvOS with bug-fix releases like 26.4, and developers keep building custom browsers, remotes, and players for the formats and controls power users still ask for. (apple.com, github.com, firecore.com)