Apple TV With HDR Confirmed? New Code Discovery Reinforces Earlier Rumors

A new code discovery seems to corroborate earlier leaks about the upcoming fifth-generation Apple TV possibly having support for high dynamic range (HDR). The latest discovery comes just days prior the Cupertino giant’s scheduled Sept. 12 press event for its new products.

On Thursday, Brazilian developer Guilherme Rambo once again took to Twitter to share what he has discovered about the new Apple TV. In a tweet, Rambo noted that he may have stumbled upon a new confirmation of HDR content in iTunes. This, of course, translates to the new Apple TV’s support for HDR.

Rambo spotted a code which unsubtly uses the term “has HDR.” This is enough reason for him to state that the discovery is “yet another confirmation” of what Apple is planning for the next Apple TV installment and the iTunes content it will be offering for the device. Unfortunately, the developer did not indicate in his tweet whether the new code discovery was from iOS 11 beta, the previously leaked HomePod firmware or from somewhere else, as pointed out by Apple Insider.

HDR is a new technology that is perceived to be the next big thing in TVs. Midrange and high-end TVs from many manufacturers already have support for HDR, so it’s about time for Apple to step up its game and bring HDR support to its digital media player. By adding support for HDR, the Cupertino giant is giving its Apple TV better contrast ratio and superior color accuracy.

According to CNET, HDR makes it possible for displays to showcase content that would greatly resemble real life. This is possible thanks to the expanded range of both contrast and color. With the significant changes in contrast and color, images shown have more depth and appear more realistic and natural.

Prior to Rambo’s newest code discovery, references to HDR and 4K were previously spotted in iTunes back in July. Some users apparently noticed that movies listed in their purchase history already included a “4K, HDR” tag. This quickly sparked rumors that Apple could be working on a fifth-generation Apple TV that would have support for such technologies.

Furthermore, Rambo spotted codes for 4K and HDR when he got access to the HomePod firmware that was made briefly available early last month. After some digging, the Brazilian developer found references to Dolby Vision and HDR10 color formats.

Developer Steve Troughton-Smith also found something that alludes to the existence of an improved Apple TV after hacking Apple’s Simulator. While the current tvOS operating system supports up to 1920 x 1080p resolution, Troughton-Smith learned that the updated tvOS Simulator already has support for 4K screen resolution.

Apple has already sent invites for its Sept. 12 press event, which is set to happen at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino. Several sources and media outlets are claiming that the new Apple TV could be unveiled at the event alongside the new Apple Watch Series 3 and the three new iPhones. Apple is said to be launching a 10th anniversary handset called the iPhone 8 and two new yearly upgrades, the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, next week.