Unable to extend render distance via options.txt

In 1.1.4 and prior, I could edit the options.txt file to extend the render distance as far as I wanted. Since 1.1.5 and up, I am unable to extend the distance beyond the forced maximum found in the options menu. This affects Windows 10 as well as my Nvidia Shield TV. The Shield TV in particular limits to 14 chunks, though in previous versions I was able to extend to over 30 chunks without any drop in performance. Now, I am limited to the maximum determined by the game. Users should be able to determine their own maximum based on their hardware and not be forced to an arbitrary limit.