Apple on Monday seeded the first beta of tvOS 12 to its public beta testers. The new seed gives non-developers the opportunity to put the upcoming Apple TV operating system before its release to the public this fall.
The first public beta of tvOS 12 is functionally equivalent to the second developer beta of the OS, which was made available last week. The initial beta was released to developers on June 4, when it debuted onstage at the WWDC 18 keynote.
Users can install the tvOS 12 public beta by going into the Settings app on their fourth-generation Apple TV or fifth-generation Apple TV 4k set top box and visiting “System” -> “Software Updates” and toggling on “Get Public Beta Updates.” The Apple TV will download the beta OS.
tvOS 12 brings support for Dolby Atmos sound. When the new Apple TV operating system debuts to the public this fall, iTunes will begin offering the largest selection of Dolby Atmos-supported movies. Previously purchased content will be upgraded to include Dolby Atmos support when it is available, at no cost.
tvOS 12 will also bring a new zero sign-on feature that will allow cable subscribers to watch live channels and on-demand content that is available through their cable subscription by being logged into their home internet account’s network. Only Charter Spectrum will have the ability to start.
Other new features of tvOS 12 include autofill passwords from the iPhone, support for additional smart home control systems, and new aerial screensavers fro the International Space Station.