Update channels

Posts: 785
ATVO and the Theme Editor support three seperate update channels in which updates are released at different times.

  • Stable: (Default) Updates in the Stable channel have been tested the most and should usually be considered free of major bugs and problems. This channel is recommended for use during actual broadcasts. The Stable channel receives the least frequent updates.

  • Beta: Updates in the Beta channel typically include changes, new features and bug fixes that have not been tested thoroughly and may still function incorrectly. Features have been tested by the developers but often not by users. While the update is intended to be stable and should function correctly, some bugs could occur. Beta updates are more frequent compared to Stable updates and this channel can be used to help us develop new features.

  • Alpha: Updates in the Alpha channel will typically include brand new features that may be incomplete, or features that have not been tested at all. Frequent bugs can be expected. Subscribe to the Alpha channel for a sneak preview of new features. The Alpha channel receives the most frequent updates.



Subscribing to a different channel
You can subscribe to a different channel from the Settings or Options in both ATVO and the Theme Editor. Find the Updates tab and select the desired channel in the dropdown. Then, restart ATVO or the Theme Editor. The ATVO Updater should recognize your new channel subscription and "update" to the latest appropriate version. Note that a downgrade in version is possible if you change from a less stable to a more stable channel.


Update policy
On startup, the ATVO Updater checks the latest available version in your subscribed channel, or in more stable channels. If a new update is available (either a new version in your subscribed channel, or in a more stable channel), the ATVO Updater will update to that version before starting.

Our update policy is to always upgrade the version number (e.g. from 1.10.1 to 1.10.2) when releasing a build that has changed in any way. For example, if the current Stable release is version 1.10.1, and we release a new Beta version, that version would be 1.10.2. If you are subscribed to Stable, you will not receive version 1.10.2.

If we decide that version 1.10.2 is stable enough, we can upgrade this identical build to the Stable channel. At this point, users subscribed to the Stable channel will receive update 1.10.2. Since the version number has not changed, these releases are identical in every way.

If we decide that a small change is required to make this version stable, we will release a new update (for example 1.10.3) in the Stable channel.