Apple TV's next update will add FaceTime, dialogue-enhancement feature, remote finder and more

The new FaceTime app on Apple TV will let users initiate calls directly from Apple TV, or start calls on iPhone or iPad and hand them off to Apple TV. — Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash

A software update for Apple TV devices coming this fall can turn customers' big-screen TVs into videconferencing hubs with the addition of Apple's FaceTime, and later Zoom and Webex.

The tvOS 17 update, the next version of Apple's operating system for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, also includes a feature called Enhance Dialogue, which promises to let users more clearly hear what is being said over the effects, action and music in a movie or TV show. The catch: It will work only on Apple TV 4K devices that are paired with Apple's HomePod (second generation) smart speakers.