I just want to provide a heads-up about a new feature introduced in the 26.4 betas for tvOS. The feature is called Continuous Audio Connection, and it is described in this article:
https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/17/tvos-26-4-adds-new-continuous-audio-connection-on-apple-tv/
In short, the feature maintains a constant Dolby connection to the TV or audio receiver, ensuring that the audio does not cut out when the format changes. The feature is of particular interest to VoiceOver users, because these audio cutouts would interfere with VoiceOver speech, particularly when starting or stopping video playback or when navigating back and forth within a video.
I have been running the tvOS betas for a couple of weeks now, and I can tell you that it makes a significant difference, especially in my living room where we have a 7.1-channel surround system. Before, VoiceOver would cut out for a second or two whenever I tried to do pretty much anything while a video was playing, including trying to navigate the menu for options like audio track and subtitles. There were also some apps, such as ESPN, where VoiceOver cutouts would sometimes occur within the main menu, even though nothing was playing at the time. After installing the beta, all these cutouts went away completely, making the Apple TV much easier to use.
To be fair, the degree to which these audio cutouts would occur will vary depending on your setup, whether you have a surround system, a sound bar, or are just using TV speakers or headphones. The more capable the setup, the more likely the Apple TV will be switching audio formats and the more likely VoiceOver will get interrupted. In my case the tvOS update is a major game changer, since I was seriously considering if having a surround system was even worth the degraded VoiceOver experience.
Incidentally, at least for me, the new Continuous Audio Connection feature was enabled by default when I installed the beta. I don't know if this will be the case when 26.4 is released to the public.