14 DAY TRIAL // A new version of the Apple TV software is available to owners of Apple’s black box, which brings stuff like Shared Photo Streams, AirPlay enhancements, new screensavers, and iTunes account switching, just to name a few.
In Apple TV Software 5.1, users can accept invitations for Shared Photo Streams, as well as browse photos and comments, and receive notifications whenever someone uploads something new.
AirPlay now lets you send audio content from Apple TV to compatible speakers and devices. Apple says this includes AirPort Express and other Apple TVs. You can set it up so that it requires an on-screen code to use AirPlay.
iTunes account switching is now enabled, allowing users to save multiple iTunes accounts and switch quickly between them.
Trailers lets you search movie trailers and, for the US customer base only, offers show times for local theaters.
The aforementioned new screensavers include Cascade, Shrinking Tiles, and Sliding Panels.
In the main menu, you can now reorder icons on the second page by holding down the select button on the remote that shipped with your set-top box.
There’s now SDH support for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Viewing and selecting subtitles is also improved.
Apple TV 5.1 further adds support for configuration profiles, so you can set up advanced network options. Apple offers this support document for guidance.
Finally, the software update delivers the usual stability and performance improvements that should make the customer’s overall viewing experience better.
To update your software, select Settings > General > Update Software on your Apple TV. The device will check to see if an update is available and a download message should appear. Click Download and Install to start the installation.
You can also download the standalone IPSW file and update using iTunes.