The Apple TV Finally Got a Key Home Theater Feature

Apple recently added a highly-anticipated home theater feature to its popular streaming box.

Published December 26, 2024

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The Apple TV 4K has been the go-to streamer for home theater enthusiasts for myriad reasons: its processing power, higher streaming bitrates, lack of ads, and the option of a dedicated Ethernet port.

And recently, Apple gave those same people — particularly those with home projectors — another reason to buy its flagship TV streamer. In early December, it rolled out tvOS 18.2, which finally allows Apple TV owners to adjust the aspect ratio.

A new picture setting

Apple announced it was bringing this ability to the Apple TV when it revealed tvOS 18 at WWDC in June 2024 — but it wasn’t available at launch. That has since changed with the latest software update.

This is a big deal for people who have their Apple TV 4K connected to a home theater projector (or an ultra-wide or curved monitor), as they can tweak the settings so that the picture better fills up their screen.

With tvOS 18.2, it allows Apple TV owners to adjust between several aspect ratios — including 16:9, 21:9, 2.37:1, 2.39:1, 2.40:1, DCI 4K and 32:9 — many of which are primed for high-end cinema projectors.

To date, Apple TVs have sent an HDMI video signal for 16:9 screens, which is perfect for most modern TVs but not ideal for those with home theater projectors who want a more immersive picture.

How to change your Apple TV’s aspect ratio?

tvOS 18.2 rolled out to the masses in early December as a free software update for all compatible models: Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD (1st generation and later).

(Note: Apple currently only sells the 2022-released Apple TV 4K, which is smaller, faster and more affordable than its predecessors — it starts at $129.)

To adjust the aspect ratio of your Apple TV, you can open the Settings app, select “Video and Audio” and then select “Enable Wide Aspect Ratios.” That top button should then change to “Aspect Ratio,” which you can select to change to the aspect ratio (including the new 21:9 setting for home theater projectors).