The first reviews of the new Apple TV 4K have now been published and they were all positive. An interesting detail is that the Apple TV 4K has another trick up its sleeve with a future software update: better support for variable refresh rates.
According to reports from The Verge and TechCrunch a future update to tvOS will add support for Quick Media Switching, also called QMS VRR. This is a feature that requires HDMI 2.1. tvOS currently has two different "Match Content" settings: one for dynamic range and one for frame rate. If you enable these features, you'll see a black screen when tvOS switches to match the frame rate of a movie or TV show. FlatpanelsHD explainedhow the feature works:
Apple TV 4K: New feature could appear under tvOS 17
Match Frame Rate: Apple TV 4K respects the source by matching its output to the frame rate of the video content at any given moment. This prevents stuttering, for example by switching the Apple TV's output to 24,000Hz or 23,976Hz when streaming a movie/TV show at 24fps or 23,976fps, to 50Hz when watching content at 25/50fps (from Europe, etc.), and to 60Hz when watching content at 30/60fps (from the US, etc.). However, with QMS VRR support, you won't see that black screen anymore if you have Match Frame Rate enabled. Instead, Apple TV will seamlessly switch frame rates when you start a movie or TV show at a specific frame rate.
The third generation Apple TV 4K will eventually receive support for the so-called QMS VRR via a software update. This will allow compatible TVs to switch between different frame rates in the future without black screens or noticeable image interruptions. As The Verge notes, there are currently no TVs on the market that support QMS VRR. The first devices will probably be presented at CES 2023. It is also not known when exactly Apple will incorporate the function into tvOS. Possibly under tvOS 17? Given the lack of support from TV manufacturers, there is no need to rush. (Image: Apple)
