A number of MacRumors readers are reporting that Apple has just pushed out a new iOS software update for the second-generation Apple TV bringing support for several new features including streaming access to purchased TV shows and support for video service Vimeo. Daring Fireball's John Gruber explains the TV show feature:
You can buy — not just rent but buy — new episodes directly from your Apple TV, and access and stream any TV show episodes you’ve previously purchased using your iTunes account. (I’m not quite sure if it has all episodes — but it’s showing me all the TV shows I can remember buying from iTunes.)
According to one report, however, the feature may be U.S.-only for the time being.
In addition to the purchased TV show support, the update also brings support for Vimeo video content and reportedly adds YouTube playlist support.
With the update, Apple TVs now report a software version of 4.3 (2557), while Apple's servers refer to the update as Build 8F455 of iOS 4.3.
Update: Apple has also added TV shows to the "Purchased" sections of iTunes on both iOS and Mac/PC applications. The addition allows users to freely re-download previously-purchased TV show content in the same way that Apple enabled the feature for music alongside its iCloud announcements in early June.
Update 2: Apple has now updated its Apple TV support document with information on the two main changes included in the 4.3 update.
- TV show purchases: Purchase TV shows on Apple TV. Shows purchased on Apple TV can be re-downloaded on other iOS devices. Shows purchased on other iOS devices or with iTunes automatically show up as available to play on Apple TV. - Vimeo: Browse and watch millions of user-uploaded videos found on the Vimeo service, for free.
Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps.
More features and changes will follow in future ...
Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by Juli Clover
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass.
The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
Sunday October 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings.
iOS 26.4 will...
Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions.
iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet.
The update will likely be released by the end of next week.
Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Saturday October 18, 2025 10:57 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more.
With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by Juli Clover
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year.
The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
Monday October 20, 2025 1:02 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below.
Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle
Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness,...
Monday October 20, 2025 1:42 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Kohler is expanding its line of bathroom products with Dekoda, an iPhone-connected device that's designed to be attached to a toilet rim (via The Verge). The device's included "sensors" point into the toilet bowl, allowing it to analyze what goes on in the bathroom.
According to Kohler, Dekoda is a health tracker that can monitor gut health and hydration, as well as detect the presence of...
I'm sick of storing all my purchased content on my computer. It's hogging up all my space (I know i should just get an external harddrive). If this is the true this is awesome. Allowing the apple ecosystem to manage my content. I'm digging this.
Being an early adopter who dropped 300 bucks on a 1st-gen Apple TV, it feels like a slight betrayal to see these updates (Netflix, Vimeo, etc.) available only to the users who paid $100 for a 2nd-gen ATV... I always told people that one of the (many) reasons iPods prevailed over other MP3 players was that Apple kep supporting/updating them long after you purchased it, but now I'm feeling the opposite with my Apple TV :confused:
This isn't an iPod, where the software was hardly ever updated and when it was the OS on an old iPod classic was pretty bare bones.
To complain though that your 4+ year old original Apple TV is not getting the same software upgrades as the most recent release of the device is about as silly as someone with a 4+ year old original iPhone complaining about not getting iOS 5.
NHL / NFL support would be a great addition. While they are at it, add a NASCAR channel as well.
:apple:TV needs to add more support for video sites. A Showtime or HBO channel would be a major game changer and huge surprise. It'll probably never happen though:(
