CUPERTINO, Calif.—Apple has announced some major software updates for Apple TV 4K that will add such features as FaceTime, video conferencing and Dolby Vision 8.1 to the tvOS 17 operating system. 

The new operating system tvOS 17, which will become available in the fall, also introduces an all-new Control Center, along with other enhancements that provide a more personalized experience that works even better with iPhone, the company announced. 

tvOS 17 is available as a developer beta starting today, June 5, and it will be available as a free software update this fall.

“tvOS 17 transforms the biggest screen in the home with FaceTime and new video conferencing capabilities, giving Apple TV 4K users the ability to easily connect with anyone right from their living room,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “New features and enhancements make Apple TV simpler to use and even more enjoyable, reinforcing it as the absolute best option in the living room for Apple customers.”

Starting this fall, Apple TV 4K users can take advantage of the new FaceTime app on Apple TV and initiate calls directly from Apple TV, or start calls on iPhone or iPad, and hand them off to Apple TV. FaceTime on Apple TV takes advantage of Continuity Camera support to wirelessly connect to the user’s iPhone or iPad, and leverages the device’s camera and microphone to bring participants together on the TV.

The new Center Stage feature keeps everyone in the room perfectly framed on the screen, even as they move around, while new gesture-based reactions allow callers to use their hands to generate onscreen effects, such as hearts or fireworks, and add even more fun to the conversation, Apple said. 

In addition, the introduction of Split View for Apple TV lets users enjoy watching shows or movies with friends and family during a SharePlay session while also seeing everyone on the FaceTime call.

Apple also announced that controls on iPhone or iPad make it easy to transfer a FaceTime call back to those devices as needed. If another FaceTime or phone call comes in during a session, a notification appears on the TV to let the user know someone is calling — without revealing who the caller is, to preserve the user’s privacy on a communal device.

Later this year, video conferencing apps like Webex by Cisco and Zoom will launch on tvOS, bringing their communications capabilities to Apple TV 4K. 

Developers can take advantage of Continuity Camera APIs on Apple TV 4K to integrate the iPhone or iPad camera and microphone into their tvOS app, and create new shared and immersive entertainment experiences for the living room.

These include Apple Music Sing — a feature that lets users sing along to their favorite tracks — will also integrate Continuity Camera so users can see themselves onscreen and add entertaining filters.

The new Control Center on Apple TV also makes it easier than ever for users to access key settings and information throughout the entire Apple TV experience. Control Center now displays system status, including the time and active profile, and expands with other helpful details based on a user’s activity.

tvOS 17 strengthens the seamless integration of Apple TV and iPhone with the ability to locate the Siri Remote. Users can launch the Apple TV remote inside Control Center on iPhone to find their Siri Remote (2nd generation or later). As users get closer to the remote, an onscreen circle grows in size to guide their movement, Apple said. 

In addition, when using the remote on iPhone to wake up and control Apple TV, users will be automatically switched to their profile, ensuring they have access to their recently watched shows and personalized recommendations. Additional settings and preferences are now saved for each user profile, including their system language and paired AirPods, delivering an even more personalized experience.

Additional features coming with tvOS 17 include:

• Enhance Dialogue, which lets users more clearly hear what is being said over the effects, action, and music in a movie or TV show on Apple TV 4K paired with HomePod (2nd generation) by separating the dialogue from the background noise and bringing it forward to the center channel.
• Dolby Vision 8.1 support, which offers Apple TV 4K users a more cinematic visual experience with dynamic metadata over a broader range of movies and TV shows.
• Apple Fitness+ enhancements, including Custom Plans, a new way for Fitness+ users to receive a custom workout or meditation schedule based on day, duration, workout type, and more; Stacks, which allows users to select multiple workouts and meditations to seamlessly do back to back; and Audio Focus, which gives users the ability to prioritize the volume of the music or the trainers’ voices.
• Third-party VPN support, which enables developers to create VPN apps for Apple TV. This can benefit enterprise and education users wanting to access content on their private networks, allowing Apple TV to be a great office and conference room solution in even more places.

The tvOS developer beta is available for Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting June 5, and a public beta program will be available to Apple TV users next month at beta.apple.com.  

Major League Baseball fans can tweet all they want in the hope of catching the attention of their favorite baseball personalities. But only the Chatting Cage, a collaboration between the league and sponsor Edward Jones, gives baseball fans the opportunity to pose questions and speak directly via reliable, live video chat with the game’s biggest names.

“Video call-in is what makes the Chatting Cage a special opportunity for fans and players alike,” said Chris Lundberg, senior coordinating producer for MLB.com. “We get calls from all kinds of fans, from kids asking All-Star hitters for tips to break out of a slump to adults with thoughtful questions based on their lifelong passion for the game. The Chatting Cage brings MLB and its fans closer together.”

Stability of video chats had been a thorn in the side of producers. Last fall, the MLB.com team sat down with The Video Call Center to discuss a different approach — a complete live video call production solution built around VCC’s patented video caller management system, Caller Queue.

[Read: MLB Partners With The Video Call Center To Manage Live Video Caller Production]

The Video Call Center solution offered MLB numerous video call options. Callers use popular calling apps they already have on their devices such as FaceTime (native on iPhones), Web-RTC-based Gruveo (built into Android) which only requires a browser, or Skype. The VCC has patented reliability-enhancing technology to further stabilize and improve call quality, and according to the company it has achieved success with 99.3% of all calls the system has fielded for commercial customers.

NEW HOME, NEW TECH

As the 2018 season approached, the Chatting Cage team prepared to move from its original home within Manhattan’s Chelsea Market to the MLB Network studios in Secaucus, N.J. With the move came the opportunity to revisit the technology and workflows used to create the show’s unique fan interaction. 

“Changing technology and workflow for the show presents a variety of challenges at any time,” said Lundberg. “Having to make the shift while moving facilities probably could have been insurmountable. Along with the technical team at MLB Network, the VCC were great partners and, despite the tight timetable, we were able to successfully launch to air on time.”

With project management assistance from the VCC, system preparation began Feb 14 and by March 6, the Chatting Cage team was in rehearsal using the system. VCC’s interface system provides flexible connectivity for broadcast facilities, which helped smooth the transition. For example, VCC was readily configurable for embedded audio used in Secaucus instead of unbalanced AES3 needed in the Chelsea facility.

One of the challenges faced when bringing live video callers to air is the fact that there’s no crew at the caller’s end. While the video feed of players comes from MLB Network’s award-winning Ballpark Cam, a network of in-venue cameras, fans are using phones, tablets and laptops from wherever they happen to be.

The show’s call screener, Segment Producer Marissa Morris, serves as gatekeeper and the first person with whom every caller interacts. Morris trained with video call production experts from the VCC who went over different techniques to ensure calls are the best possible in terms of video and audio presentation. “They taught us that small changes can have a big impact,” said Morris. “Asking a person to move closer to a window or to use headphones in a public place makes a huge difference.”

CUSTOM-BRANDED

To join a show, callers first enter the online Caller Queue, the VCC’s cloud-based caller management platform which has been custom-branded for MLB. Callers provide basic identifying information, the question they wish to ask, as well as specify their preferences regarding video calling apps. The Caller Queue permits the call producers to see all the candidates for air, what devices they are on, what topic they would like to discuss, and select them for air.

After reviewing the information, Morris uses the VCC text chat feature to introduce herself and set expectations about when she will call the fan. Text chat is a new feature, integrated into the VCC platform at the request of MLB.

A few minutes before the fan joins the live show, Morris will call them via their preferred app. If the chosen app is problematic, Morris can quickly reconnect via another option. Crop marks on the laptop help her work directly with the fan for ideal framing.

“In the past, we had only one option for video chat,” Lundberg said. “If an issue popped up in making the caller’s camera work with the system, or the connectivity wasn’t great, our only choice was to move on to the next caller.”

VCC call computers are in racks alongside other MLB production equipment. Outputs are fed to a monitor in the control room so operators can QC visuals at air time. But, when it comes to running the show, all that is needed is a laptop.

ON THE FLY

Having four VCC call computers online makes it far less stressful for Morris to juggle large volumes of callers. “We have the option to have four different fans fully vetted and ready to go,” he said. “Having choices means we can bring in a caller who is relevant to what is happening at any moment in the show, rather than relying solely on chronological order. And while we have yet to experience an unresolvable technical issue with a caller, we always have a fallback option.”

When the show’s drivers bring a caller to air, the show visually shifts to a three-up screen that includes the host, guest, and the fan. VCC’s Call Manager Pro system automatically clears all the interface buttons and return video windows normally displayed by calling apps, so all viewers see is distraction-free video. After the question is posed, the show switches to a two-box for the response, with the option to revert to three-box if follow up is required. Morris explains to the fan what they will see on screen, so they aren’t surprised when their video feed vanishes.

“The Chatting Cage has been on MLB.com in various forms for several years, even prior to when I joined the show,” said Lundberg. “The VCC platform along with the helpfulness and experience of their call production team has made this the best iteration yet. The result is a completely unique opportunity to grow the connection between MLB, its teams, players and fans.”

Evan Sirof is president of Marcomm-on-Call.

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