tvOS 12 public beta adds support for Dolby Atmos

In addition to a public beta for iOS 12, Apple has also made a public release available of the beta version of tvOS 12. This new version of the operating system brings support for Dolby Atmos for the first time.

Movies that users have purchased and want to play on the Apple TV 4K media player will also have the option to listen to Dolby Atmos tracks with movies purchased from iTunes with tvOS 12. Users previously reported on AVSForum, among others, that the film Blade Runner 2049 could already actually be played with Dolby Atmos.

There are two conditions for playing Dolby Atmos. The movie studios must have an Atmos track available for their movies and the user must have a receiver or soundbar that supports the object-based audio signals with height information. Movies already purchased will be updated for free in tvOS 12 if a Dolby Atmos track is available. With this new version, users can listen to a Dolby Atmos track and watch movies in the HDR format Dolby Vision.

The beta will give non-developers a chance to try out the new software before the final version of tvOS 12 comes out in the fall. Developers have had access to tvOS 12 since early June. Interested parties can participate in the tvOS 12 trial by signing up on the Apple site.

Apple has also made a public beta for iOS 12 available to users. Among other things, this new version adds an option that allows users to gain insight into the amount of time they spend on the installed apps. Time limits can be set for this.