Take Control of Apple TV, Chapter 2: Set Up Your Apple TV
In all likelihood, you’ve already set up your Apple TV, but if you’re just getting started, this chapter of “Take Control of Apple TV” walks you through, step-by-step, starting with explanations of all the ports and cables you’ll need. Author Josh Centers then moves on to explain the several different setup approaches and makes sure you get other key aspects of the Apple TV configured right away.
The Sabrient converter only does composite. I pretty much stick to component since it is easily switchable and recordable and still looks good, which composite does not. (Back to reading the article)
Thanks John. Do you have a component converter you recommend?
I agree about component vs. composite. Part of the reason I recommended a composite converter was to keep the discussion simple. My (perhaps incorrect) assumption was that anyone who knows the difference in component and composite would be knowledgable enough to seek out a converter. That recommendation is more aimed at folks who neither know or care about TV inputs, they just want their Apple TV to work.
I've never done the conversion but checked Amazon out of curiosity. This $180 unit by Startech might do it. http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-USB2HDCAP-Digital-Capture-Component/dp/B00DVS8TL0/ref=sr_1_15?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1383610727&sr=1-15&keywords=Ntsc+hdmi+to+component+converter
This applies very well to the ATV 2 and 3, but a lot of us still have the ATV 1. And with the latest updates, the ATV 1 is no longer recognized by iTunes for storing photos and movies. Do you know of a way to get around that so that we can still use our ATV 1 as a storage device, not just a streaming device?
(Running 10.8 with iTunes 11.1.2 (31) and Firecore on the ATV 1.)
Thanks!!
Peter
Sorry Peter, this book will only cover the second- and third-generation Apple TVs. As you specified, Apple no longer supports the original Apple TV, and frankly, I never owned one, so I would be ill-equipped to say anything about it.
However, later chapters might help you make the transition from the ATV1 to a newer model. I'll be covering FireCore Infuse in the last chapter.
If that doesn't suit your needs, your best bet is probably a Mac mini with something like Plex for media management.
A couple of suggestions and one question:
S1 - Could you please publish a Table of Contents for this streaming book? That would inform readers if a topic of interest to them will be covered. If it seems like something will not be covered, readers comments might suggest an scope expansion of your book.
S2- Chapter 2 does not mention configuration of 'Computer", which toggles home-sharing on/off. This is required to stream content from your computer. Setting up a homeshare, which involves having an apple id, valid credit card registered with apple, etc., ail have to be explained. Hmmm, I wonder which chapter that will be ????
Q - Of particular interest to me knowing how to setup 2 apple tv's and 2 iMacs on the same house. Background: TV, AppleTv and iMac in recroom, similar setup in wife's den. All media content is on a NAS. We want to stream content from the iTunes on each iMac to the corresponding appleTV, rather than a single shared iTunes library, which would require us to go into whichever room the 'main' library is located to wake-up the mac from sleep.I need a spousal friendly solution for this. I was unsuccessful during my first attempt at this, hence my question. I will also keep trying and will let you know how I make out.
Regards,
Peter Donlevy
Hi Peter, thanks for your feedback. Adam and I like the idea of a ToC and will look into adding it. The streaming book thing is new, so we're still figuring things out.
I'll touch on Home Sharing in next week's chapter, which discusses the Remote app. But my in-depth look at the Computers app and Home Sharing will come in chapter 4, which discusses the Apple TV's built-in apps.
Your problem is actually an easy one to solve. If you use an AirPort router or a Time Capsule, the Apple TV can wake your iMacs from sleep when you access a shared iTunes library. In chapter 6, where I discuss video, I explain how to load content from other disks into an iTunes library. So, you can have a separate library on each Mac, each loaded with different content from the NAS that your wife can access without fumbling with either iMac!
I hope this helps. Keep the feedback coming! People like you and your wife are the target audience for the book.
In "Setting Up the Easy Way...", this sentence is awkward - "With your Apple TV plugged into your TV and/or receiver, and all your gear, except the Apple TV, turned on, it’s time to fire it up and finish setup." Perhaps this is more clear - "... all your gear turned on (except the Apple TV)."
I don't see where the Apple TV is turned on after this except in the Manual set up section.
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I too would like to see a component video converter as well as a composite reference. Composite is for way older TV sets. try this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/770115-REG/KanexPro_HDRGBRL_HDMI_to_Component_Converter.html$48bucksbr />
The big problem with queries is that the to/from question often gets reversed, e.g., "composite to HDMI" or "HDMI to Composite" are two different queries. I used this query eliminating the Converter word "hdmi signal to component video and digital audio". FWIW
Nice writing style. Very clear.
Thanks Mike!
That sentence is a bit clunky. Also, more to the point, you don't have to turn it on, as it boots up when you plug it in, so I need to specify not to plug it in until you've read through the chapter, in case you need to unpair a Bluetooth keyboard first.
That's a great recommendation for a component converter. Kanex makes good stuff and it's inexpensive. There appears to be enough demand to include that in the text.
Thanks again for your feedback and for supporting TidBITS. This is why I'm glad we're streaming my first book as it's in progress.
So, after researching HDMI to component converters again, I remembered why I didn't recommend them in the book in the first place. There are few available, and the few that exist are poorly reviewed. Even positive reviews mention image shift (probably overscan) with the Apple TV, and it appears that in many cases, there is no image quality advantage or HDCP DRM prevents protected media from being played through the converter.
That being said, if anyone has had a good experience with an HDMI to component video converter, please let me know.
After months of working just fine, sometime in 2012 my Apple TV began refusing to communicate over HDMI with the Sanyo Z3 projector in my home theater. Error messages spoke of HDCP incompatibilities. (I'm led to believe this was due to a suddenly stricter interpretation of HDMI handshaking protocol to combat piracy of Apple TV outputs, but I don't know this to be true.)
I wrestled with the problem (new HDMI cable, alternate hookup paths through video receiver, etc) for months, and had decided that a new projector would be required. Then I discovered an HDMI-to-RGB converter made by ViewHD sold by J&R Galaxies through Amazon. Ninety bucks and it worked like a charm, successfully isolating my HDMI stuff (all of it) from the projector's out-of-date HDMI interface.
I no longer see that specific product available, either on Amazon or directly from J&R, but thank goodness it was there when I needed it...and it's still working great.
Interesting, so HDCP suddenly kicked in with no hardware changes? Was this after an Apple TV software update?
I actually have a way to work around HDCP, which was a must for screenshots. I don't talk about it in the book, since I don't want to be accused of encouraging piracy.
But, I will say that it's an inexpensive device you can order from Amazon, and if anyone is having HDCP problems, shoot me an email and I'd be glad to pass the information along.
Timely topic, so I'm eagerly following along.
I'm boggled that I can't use either of my Macbook Pro's keyboards to control the Apple TV. Could you include a quick mention of why this is, to both satisfy my curiosity and make it clear that it isn't possible?
I've waited on any HDMI device for several years because I use closed captions. Idiotically, neither the original analog (Line 21)* nor the newer digital (CEA 708) closed captions** can travel on an HDMI connection.
That's why we've held on to an older flat screen & BluRay with component connectors. Please make sure to address this issue in the book. Demonstrate turning on broadcast/cable captions (use the TV's remote). Demonstrate the futility of using remote for CC when you're viewing a season pass of the same content from the Apple TV. Demonstrate how you must turn on "SDH" subtitles instead so that the content is open captioned before it travels over HDMI. (SDH are inferior because they don't show environmental sound or indicate who's speaking when their lips are off screen.)
* http://www.cedmagazine.com/articles/2008/02/capital-currents%3A-digital-closed-captioning-issues
** http://www.crutchfield.com/S-gU7w2IgTp8O/learn/learningcenter/home/cables/hdmi.html
Hi Jesse, thanks for the feedback!
I hadn't considered anyone wanting to use the MBP keyboard with the Apple TV. It looks like there's an app called iKeyboard that can let you use it as a Bluetooth keyboard. I'll have to test it out, and if it's good, I'll add it to the book.
I talk about subtitles extensively in chapter 6, including the built-in options and how to add subtitles to ripped movies. But I'm afraid I can't discuss TV-specific features because I can't possibly support every TV on the market.
Actually, found a better app: Type2Phone. It's a bit tricky to set up, but once you do, it works great. I'll add that to the book, maybe for next week's chapter.
Came back from vacation to GOOD news!
Thanks for addressing captions/subtitles.
Sure thing. The bit about Type2Phone is in the next chapter. Check it out and let me know how it works for you! I found the pairing to be tricky, but I hope my directions are specific enough to work consistently.
AppleTV Wake-on-LAN Problem Resolved
Configuration
2012 iMac OSX 10.8.2
System pref>Energy Saver>wake for network=enabled
Network = WIFI
iTunes>Home Sharing=ON
iTunes app up and running
AppleTV>Home sharing=ON
Airport Extreme, 5 gen, firmware = 7.6.1
Wake on LAN Problem
If iMAC is turned on, there is no problem viewing iTunes movies via the AppleTV
However, once iMac goes asleep, selecting my Library from the Computer menu on AppleTV, does not wake the iMac from sleep, as it is supposed to. Just get spinning gears until some sort of timeout message occurs.
The Culprit
After much google searching, one message suggested turning off Little Snitch to see if it was a contributing factor. Turned LS off and voila, my AppleTV was able to wake the sleeping iMac. (Screen did not turn on, but ATV loaded content from my iTunes library, some form of low level power-on).
Solution
Obviously did not want to keep Little Snitch offline permanently, so tried following steps and it worked.
1. Turned LS network filter back on.
Little Snitch Configuration>Preferences>APS
>Enable Auto profile switching = enabled
>When joining unknown network=ASK
2. Put iMac to sleep and try to wake via ATV, it will fail !
3. Wake iMac
4. Reply to Little Snitch alert asking what to do when joining unknown networks, reply= ‘do nothing’, Problem solved!
Put iMac to sleep and ATV will now load/play my iTunes content . As before, iMac screen did not power up, but the process even woke up my sleeping NAS, on which all my media files are located.
I don’t understand how/why Little Snitch views the Home Share as a separate ‘network’, but I’m glad I found a solution. Hopes this helps someone else in the same situation.
My Apple TV is already set up but what I wanted to do was connect my MacBook Pro (2009) with Maverick set up to my TV if I wanted to utilize the larger screen for possibly webinars or taking online classes. I want to transfer from one to the other. I picked up an HDMI Cable from Radio Shack and let a salesman talk me into the a 10' high-speed cable.
It says it would support beyond 1080P (which I probably wouldn't need) and the cost was $29.99. Now I knew in my head that he was really selling me as I had recalled hearing Adam say something once
about "cheap was OK" but I didn't want to make a scene so I bought it. I haven't tried to use it as I was going to go to my Tidbits Genius's today and so I did. I haven't taken it apart yet so I will be heading to Radio Shack today. But my question now is Blue Jeans Cable better than the cheap Amazon brand? and if so I would buy that...it is still less expensive than $30.00 Thank you Jean