12/10 Progress Update & Beta2

Happy Friday! Today we have a lot of exciting news to share. First off, Beta2 of aTV Flash (black) is now available. Beta2 includes full support for the 4.1 AppleTV software, a handful of new features and many all-around improvements. Additionally, we have an early preview of a new feature you're sure to love.

Read on for more details on what's in Beta2 as well as a new teaser video.

ATV 4.1 jailbreak - is there one?

The iPhone Dev Team has announced a jailbreak for the new 4.1 (iOS 4.2.1) AppleTV software is nearly complete. Up to this point the only available option for jailbreaking the 4.1 software has been a 'tethered' jailbreak which can be difficult to use and is not recommended for most users. We're hoping to integrate a jailbreak into a future version of aTV Flash (black), but for now Beta2 is ready and waiting once the new jailbreak is released.

What's new in Beta2?

In addition to adding full support for the 4.1 (iOS 4.2.1) software we've been able to add some great extra features. More details below.

Installer & Maintenance

  • Added Windows compatible installer (requires Windows XP or later)
  • Improved error handling during installation (no more mysterious password prompts)
  • Improved version checking for app downloads
  • Minor bug fixes

Couch Surfer

  • Added optimized navigation when using the standard Apple remote
  • Added search and url suggestion engine
  • Added user-agent toggle setting
  • Many additional improvements

Last.fm

  • Added streaming support for Australia, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand
  • Added 'Growl' style notifications
  • Improved Last.fm scrobbling
  • Many additional improvements

How do I get Beta2?

aTV Flash (black) Beta2 is available as a free download in your account (the download links in your account will always point to the latest version). If you're already running the first beta, you can update directly on the AppleTV through the Maintenance --> Manage Extras menu.

Early preview of additional codec support

Last but certainly not least we have made some exciting progress as we work towards enabling support for additional media formats. We still have a quite a few challenges to overcome and this feature is not yet ready for beta testing. Check out the teaser below for more details.

Comments are welcome below.