Hi Mike_tomany_mikes,
Thanks for coming to Apple Support Communities for help today.
The only settings are found here and it sounds like you have tried all or most of them: Create a slideshow on Apple TV.
"Create a slideshow and adjust slideshow settings
- Open the Photos app on Apple TV, then navigate to the Shared Albums or Albums category in the menu bar.
Note: If you don’t see the Shared Albums category, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > [default user account name], then select Photos and turn on Shared Albums.
2.Select an album, then select Play Slideshow.
3.Select to adjust any of the following settings:
- Shuffle Photos: Turn on to show your photos in random order.
- Repeat Photos: Turn on to play the slideshow continuously.
- Theme: Select a slideshow theme to apply a different style to your slideshow.
- Time Per Slide: Select how long to display each photo on the screen.
- Transition: Select the transition effect used between photos.
4.Select Start Slideshow."
Make sure you Apple TV is completely updated: Update your Apple TV.
"Update your Apple TV manually
- Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and select Update Software.
- If there's an update, select Download and Install.
- Wait for your Apple TV to download the update. Keep your Apple TV connected and plugged in to power until the update is complete.
After the update downloads, your Apple TV will restart, prepare the update, then install it. When the update is complete, your Apple TV will automatically restart again."
Then if the issue continues, take a deeper dive with Apple Support.
Have a fantastic day!