Will you benefit from the Apple TV’s new 21:9 aspect ratio?

Apple this week released nan latest developer beta of tvOS 18.2, nan package that powers nan company’s Apple TV 4K streaming media devices. As previewed during nan WWDC 2024 keynote, nan caller package includes support for 21:9 and respective different facet ratios that are wider than 16:9, which has go nan ascendant style for modern TVs.

Why does that matter?

Most of america person knowledgeable letterboxing aliases pillarboxing — that’s erstwhile a group of horizontal aliases vertical achromatic bars framework nan contented connected our TVs. It happens erstwhile there’s a mismatch betwixt nan facet ratio of a movie aliases show and nan facet ratio of your screen.

A batch of modern content, particularly shows and movies developed for streaming services for illustration Netflix, Max, Paramount+, aliases Apple TV+, is changeable successful 16:9, truthful letterboxing that contented connected 16:9 TVs isn’t necessary. On nan Apple TV 4K, moreover nan personification interface is formatted for this ratio, which keeps things looking good.

However, immoderate folks ain projector screens aliases widescreen monitors pinch non-16:9 facet ratios. For these people, each Apple TV 4K contented ends up pinch those pesky achromatic bars because nan device’s awesome is formatted for 16:9. When tvOS 18.2 arrives for everyone successful December, nan package should automatically observe nan ratio of your display, and reformat itself to match.

Sigmund Judge / X via FlatpanelsHD.com

If that discovery fails, a caller Aspect Ratio settings paper will fto you manually prime nan due 1 for your setup. Available ratios are 16:9, 21:9, 2.37:1, 2.39:1, 2.40:1, DCI 4K, and 32:9.

It will beryllium nan first clip that personification who owns a 21:9 projector, aliases who uses an anamorphic lens to execute a ratio for illustration 2.39:1, tin get nan Apple TV 4K to nutrient a perfectly proportioned and fullscreen image.

So really galore group will use from nan caller settings? “It really won’t impact very many,” said Jeff Gosselin, main acquisition serviceman astatine Cloud 9 AV, a Toronto-based civilization location theatre installer. “Any caller theaters we person done successful nan past 15 years person each utilized 16:9 screens. For immoderate ultrawide projection systems, this will beryllium an enhanced viewing experience.”

Pillarboxing will still apt hap erstwhile watching 16:9 contented connected specified a screen, but erstwhile 21:9 contented is available, it should play successful fullscreen, pinch nary achromatic bars.

Presumably, app developers — for illustration nan services mentioned supra — will person to update their apps to guarantee that their contented displays correctly nether nan caller facet ratio settings. But eventually, this will go nan norm.