If you want to improve the image quality of your Apple TV you should know that there is a feature called “Color Balance” and that it will help you. In this article we tell you what exactly this adjustment consists of, what consequences it has on the image, which Apple devices are compatible with it and, of course, the steps to follow to carry it out and the possible failures that can occur during the process.
What is this color readjustment?
The internal process that is carried out when making a color balance on the Apple TV is complex due to the amount of operations and readjustments that are made without you being fully aware of it. What is broadly intended with this is that the color balance is more realistic and that it also readjusts to the environment in which you have the television located. This is usually recommended when the color temperature of your television is set too high. In any case, according to Apple itself, the parameters used in this calibration are adjusted to the color balance used in much of the film and television industry, so you would get a better experience when enjoying this type of content. multimedia.
On which Apple TV can you color balance?
Although this adjustment was not presented until the Californian company launched the Apple TV 4K of 2021, the truth is that it is not an exclusive adjustment of this, but it is also compatible with some of the devices that Apple had previously launched on the market:
- Apple TV HD
- Apple TV 4K (2017)
- Apple TV 4K (2021)
Of course, you should know that to be able to make this adjustment you must be in the most recent version of the operating system , since this adjustment was included in tvOS 14.5 for those Apple TV that were not the one from 2021. If you think that your device is in a version prior to the one mentioned, you can check it by going to Settings> System> Software updates and clicking on “Update software”. If there is a more recent version than the one you have, that will be where it will appear ready for download and subsequent installation.
You will need an iPhone to make this adjustment
Unfortunately, the color balance of the Apple TV cannot be performed alone or even in communication with the television or monitor. This is why you will need to have an iPhone that is also updated to the latest software version, since this functionality was added on these devices as of iOS 14.5. In the case of this, you can update it by going to Settings> General> Software update, where you will find the latest version available for download and installation for your phone.
As for the iPhone compatible with this function, we find that only those that have a light sensor to carry out the process can access and also update to iOS 14.5, so the range of possibilities is not extended to any model , but yes to a vast majority of recent devices:
- iPhone SE (1st and 2nd generation)
- iPhone 6s / 6s Plus
- iPhone 7/7 Plus
- iPhone 8/8 Plus
- iPhone X
- iPhone XS / XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12/12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max
Steps to follow to calibrate the color in tvOS
Once you know that you meet the requirements to carry out this function, you must follow the following steps:
- Turn on the Apple TV.
- Go to Settings.
- Go to the Video and Audio section.
- Now click on “Color balance”. This option is towards the end, integrated into the section called Calibration.
- Bring the iPhone closer to the television. The color balance option will appear on the screen, so you must click on “Continue”.
- Put the iPhone facing the frame that appears on your television screen and wait for the calibration to finish.
As you may have seen on the screen, the iPhone should be about 2.5 centimeters from the television, so you should not bring it too close or move away. You will observe during the process that the frame where you are framing the iPhone happens to have several colors, since the adjustment is made in this way. If the calibration stops at some point, it will be because you have moved the device too far or close, so you will have to put it back at the correct distance to automatically start the process again.
Once the process has finished, you will see that on the screen you are offered a sample with the final result after carrying out the readjustment and the original before having done it. You will be able to see one and the other and go comparing to select the one that you think is most convenient to leave, for which you will only have to click on it with the remote and it will have already been added to the entire system.
This setting does not work in some cases
It is possible that when you went to perform this balance you had an error or something similar and it is probably because your television or monitor already has a native color balance . Therefore it would be absurd for Apple TV and iPhone to perform this calibration because it would remain the same as before. In fact, in those cases it would not even be necessary for you to be on tvOS 14.5, since you would have had that adjustment from previous versions without even realizing it.
Can this setting be reset somehow?
In principle, this should not be an adjustment that is made periodically, since it is designed to always offer the best visual experience. However, there is the possibility that you will retract your decision if you adopted the balanced format for Apple TV and iPhone, so you can do it again as many times as you want by following the steps indicated in previous sections. Once you have done this, you can select the original image so that the colors will be the same as before making this adjustment for the first time.
