  The n_TOF facility has just undergone in 2021 a major upgrade with the
installation of its third generation spallation target that has been designed
to optimize the performance of the two n_TOF time-of-flight lines. This
contribution describes the key features and limitations for capture
measurements in the two beam lines prior to the target upgrade and presents
first results of (n,$\gamma$) measurements carried out as part of the
commissioning of the upgraded facility. In particular, the energy resolution, a
key factor for both increasing the signal-to-background ratio and obtaining
accurate resonance parameters, has been clearly improved for the 20 m long
vertical beam-line with the new target design while keeping the remarkably high
resolution of the long beamline n_TOF-EAR1. The improvements in the n_TOF
neutron beam-lines need to be accompanied by improvements in the
instrumentation. A review is given on recent detector R&D projects aimed at
tackling the existing challenges and further improving the capabilities of this
facility.
