Apple today released a software update for the second-generation Apple TV, bringing the set-top box to version 4.4.4. The update arrives as Build 9A406a, but it is not yet clear what improvements are included in the release.
Apple TV software 4.4.3 was released last month and added support for Netflix streaming in Mexico and an audio output issue when the connected television set is turned off.
Curiously, Apple also appears to have released a slightly tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 for the iPhone 4S [Direct Link]. The new version arrives as Build 9A406, an increment of one over the original release of iOS 5.0.1 last month.
The tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 does not appear to be being offered to users currently running the original version of the software, but would be downloaded by any users upgrading to iOS 5.0.1 from this point on. Consequently, any change appears to be a minor one that Apple would like to pass along to users and can easily do so for new iOS 5.0.1 users with the tweaked update, but for which an entirely separate iOS 5.0.2 release is not warranted. The company is presumably bundling the changes into the forthcoming iOS 5.1 update that is currently in developer testing, and at that point all users would receive it as part of the larger update.
One possibility is that the tweaked update contains minor changes needed for the next round of international launches occurring tomorrow. iPhones sold in those countries may come with only iOS 5.0 installed, and users immediately updating to iOS 5.0.1 in those countries would receive the tweaked version updated for their markets.
Update: Apple has updated its Apple TV software release notes to report that the 4.4.4 update is a bug fix update that does not appear to bring any new features or compatibility.
Stability and performance: Apple TV software version 4.4.4 includes general performance and stability improvements, including a fix for an issue that displayed an error when playing some video content.
