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Apple TV 4K has gained an important new feature for home theater fans. The Native Player 2.0 app enables playback of lossless Dolby Atmos in the TrueHD format and DTS, while also preserving height channels. This is a feature that popular players like Infuse and Plex have been missing until now.
Dolby Atmos from Blu-ray without loss of quality
Native Player 2.0 lets you play files from Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray discs while preserving full audio quality. The app decodes TrueHD Atmos and DTS tracks directly on Apple TV, then sends them to an AV receiver or soundbar over HDMI as multichannel PCM using Dolby MAT.
Supported configurations are up to 9.1.6 for Dolby Atmos and 7.1.4 for DTS. A compatible audio system is required to use height channels.
Dolby Vision and NAS file support
The app also supports Dolby Vision, including AV1-encoded content, as well as HDR10 and HDR10+. Videos can be played from a NAS or a computer via SMB and WebDAV.
However, it's worth noting that Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL is not played back at full quality because the app skips the additional enhancement layer.
How much does Native Player 2.0 cost?
The app can be downloaded for free, but premium features require the Pro version. Its price in the U.S. is $4.99 per year or $24.99 for a lifetime license.
Native Player requires tvOS 26 or later. According to FlatpanelsHD, the app delivers on its promises for lossless audio, though its interface still needs refinement.
Sources: FlatpanelsHD, Native IT, PRAD
