Apple is finally bringing one of the more useful iOS media features to the tvOS operating system – picture-in-picture video playback.
The multi-tasking feature, which allows users to perform other functions like check another app or mess with the playback settings, has appeared in the latest tvOS 13 developer beta.
When showing off the Apple TV update at WWDC earlier this month, Apple failed to mention the feature – first introduced in iOS 9 four years ago – but it was spotted by Twitter user Nikolaj Hansen (via 9to5Mac) in living colour.
The feature looks much like it does on the iPad, with the video thumbnail featuring the options to close the video or return to full screen. As with iOS the thumbnail plays by default in the bottom right corner of the television screen, but there’s an additional option to move the picture-in-picture to other areas of the display. You can see how it works in the video below.
Related: Apple TV Plus
— Nikolaj Hansen-Turton (@nikolajht) June 17, 2019
The inclusion in the tvOS beta doesn’t guarantee the company is certain to introduce the feature, but Apple is certainly testing the functionality.
Elsewhere, tvOS 13 brings support for multiple users, compatibility with PS4 and Xbox controllers and onscreen lyrics in Apple Music. There’s also a new range of under the sea-themed screensavers.
Apple is also preparing to launch the brand new Apple TV+ service this autumn. The company has set out its stall to challenge the likes of Netflix and Amazon in the original content market and has assembled some A-List talent right out of the gate.
Apple has Steven Spielberg’s Amazon Stories, J.J. Abrams’ Little Voice, and For All Mankind from Ronald D. Moore, the man behind the Battlestar Galactica TV reboot. Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell will star in Morning Show.
Apple is yet to reveal the pricing for the ad-free subscription service, which will launch in 100 countries later this year.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
