Apple sells iOS devices that come in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, but what about the Apple TV 4? Why only 32GB and 64GB? Apple figures most Apple TV customers will just stream content via DLNA/UPnP or use home sharing for content we purchased on iTunes. So the internal storage is to just store apps and data.

I don’t think Apple would imagine that people may want to download media to the Apple TV hard drive so that we can use the Apple TV in the car, like i did (check out: Apple TV 4 in The Car detailed) or bring their Apple TV to a friend’s house.

However, there is an app that allows you to do just that. Save your collection of movies, tv shows and music right on the Apple TV hard drive itself.

In my video (below) i give you an overview of all the media apps i use on my Apple TV and if you skip to 7:05 you will see the app that allows you to download media to the Apple TV for offline use.

I don’t want to mention the name of the app in the article. So Apple, you will just have to watch the video to find out! But please don’t pull it from the App Store.

Also check out:

• Infuse 4 for Apple TV 4: first look (video)
• Plex on Apple TV 4 explained (video)

You can find more videos on my YouTube channel AskUncleDave.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to save media files to your Apple TV 4 ‘hard drive’ for offline viewing (video) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

If you are having trouble with Apple TV’s audio output, go through these basic fixes before you take it to the Apple Store for repair.

Case A. My Apple TV has no sound / the audio is stuck during playback

Step 1. Basic Apple TV audio troubleshooting

• Check if the volume on your television or receiver is reduced or set to mute. Use the TV or Receiver remote and refer their manual to enable sound.
• Check if the connection between your Apple TV to television/home theater is secure and they are connected to power.
• Verify that the source on your audio receiver is set to the Apple TV input. Check the receiver’s or speaker’s manual to find out how to change the source.
• If none of these helped, try rebooting your Apple TV. Just press and hold (Menu + Down) buttons on the Apple remote for 6 seconds and your Apple TV will restart.

Step B. Troubleshoot the Apple TV audio peripherals

• This step is only for those users who have a third party home-theater set, audio receiver or speaker set up as the Apple TV sound output. In this case, you are probably using the optical audio output from the Apple TV.
  Try disconnecting the optical digital audio port and connect the Apple TV directly to your television via HDMI only.
• If the audio issue is now resolved, your audio peripheral or the optical audio cable is defective. Contact the corresponding product’s manufacturer for support.

Step C. Troubleshooting the Apple TV audio settings

• On the Apple TV, Go to Settings > Audio & Video
  Change the Audio Output setting from Auto to 16 bit.
• Change the Dolby Digital from Auto/On to Off.

Case B. I cannot hear the sounds while navigating Apple TV menus

If Apple TV is playing the audio for all video content and music but not the sound effects while navigating the menus, this is just an issue of faulty audio Settings.

Go to Settings > Audio & Video > Sound Effects and turn it On.

Case C. During AirPlay, I can see the video but there’s no audio

1. Make sure the audio is not muted on your iPhone/iPad nor on your television set.

2. Check if your iPhone is on silent/vibrate mode. If so, toggle the side switch to turn it into ring mode.

More how-tos:

• I cannot AirPlay mirror my iPhone and iPad to Apple TV: The Apple TV AirPlay troubleshooting guide
• How to use any third party remote to control your Apple TV
• My Apple TV Remote isn’t working properly: The Apple Remote troubleshooting guide
• How to send audio from Apple TV to AirPlay speakers

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post My Apple TV has no sound – The Apple TV audio troubleshooting guide appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

HBO NOW, the new standalone streaming service from HBO, has gone live on Apple TV and other iOS devices yesterday. Although you can’t sign up to HBO NOW on your desktop, you can access the new service on hbonow.com via Mac or PC after signing up on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Here’s what you need to do:

STEP 1: Subscribe to HBO NOW directly on Apple TV or on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch (via a free iOS app) using your iTunes account.

STEP 2: Purchase an HBO NOW subscription directly in-app for $14.99 per month (following the limited time, introductory 30 day free trial period).

STEP 3: Upon registering, you will set up HBO NOW login credentials, enabling you to watch your favorite HBO programming on hbonow.com via Mac or PC.

HBO NOW offers more than 2,000 titles online, including the series like Game of Thrones, True Detective, Silicon Valley, Girls, Veep, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Leftovers, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, True Blood, The Wire and Deadwood.

HBO NOW is only accessible in the U.S. (check out our tutorial on how to access U.S.-only services on Apple TV outside the U.S.).

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to watch HBO NOW on Mac or Windows appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

With just a day left for the FIFA World Cup 2014 to kick off, everyone is busy buying popcorn and coke and figuring out the best way to enjoy the game. For Apple TV users, seeing the clash of legs on their HDTVs is a tempting option. So here is a guide on how you can catch all the World Cup action on your Apple TV.

Method 1. Watching FIFA on Apple TV from United States

This is probably the easiest way to watch the World Cup on Apple TV, thanks to WatchESPN, which is bringing the live coverage of all matches, previews and some related content to the native channel.

However, to access this stream, you’ll need an active cable subscription with any of the providers affiliated with ESPN or at least get a username and password from one of your friends.

According to CNET, the supported providers include:

AT&T U-verse, Bright House Networks, Charter, Comcast XFINITY, Cox, DISH, Google Fiber, Midcontinent Communications, Optimum, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon FiOS TV.

To watch the games, just fire up your Apple TV -> open the WatchESPN channel -> login with your cable provider ID -> find your match and enjoy!

Here is the official WatchESPN schedule for their live world cup coverage.

US Hispanics will be pleased to know that Univision will be broadcasting all 64 games in Spanish. They don’t have a native Apple TV channel, so you’ll need to either AirPlay them from their website (using OS X AirPlay Mirroring or from a PC using AirParrot) or via their exclusive iOS app for the FIFA World Cup.

Univision will stream the first 56 games without the need to sign in with a pay TV provider login. However…

…the quarterfinals, semifinals and the finale will only be made available to customers of pay TV providers the network has a deal with, which at this point include AT&T, Bright House, Optimum, Cox, DirecTV, Dish, Time Warner Cable and Verizon, but not Comcast.

Method 2. Watching FIFA on Apple TV from United Kingdom

In the UK, there is no native channel on Apple TV which will let you stream the matches live. However, if you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you can get the BBC iPlayer and iTV apps on it to AirPlay the content to the HDTV.

It’s been officially confirmed that BBC and iTV will be splitting the rights for the matches to be shown, with each streaming 31 and 34 games respectively.

The iPlayer also offers VOD for past matches and also a better commentary as claimed by many fans. And the best part is that it is free and doesn’t require any active subscriptions like WatchESPN.

Check this schedule for the live broadcast of World Cup matches for the two apps and get BBC iPlayer and iTV apps from the App Store for free.

When your favorite match is live, turn on Apple TV and open the corresponding apps -> select the live stream of the game -> pull up the Control Center and select AirPlay -> choose your Apple TV and enjoy!

Besides the official apps, the matches will also be available to stream from their official websites (iPlayer,  iTV). So you can just stream the match on your browser and AirPlay to the Apple TV (using OS X AirPlay mirroring or from a PC using AirParrot).

Don’t want to use your iOS device? Check out some other methods below.

Method 3. Via your country’s national providers

Most countries already have a specific cable provider who has the rights for streaming the whole World Cup. It is highly likely that these providers have their own iOS apps or atleast a dedicated website for broadcasting the matches. GigaOM has detailed on a few countries:

Australia: SBS will stream each and every game on its website as well as through its iOS and Android apps.
Canada: CBC will stream all 64 games of the World Cup on its website as well as through its iOS and Android apps — no pay TV subscription required.
Ireland: RTÉ will stream all 64 games live on its website as well as through its mobile apps, including 8 that won’t be broadcast on TV.

You can check this article to find which channel provider in your country has the world cup’s broadcasting rights and then a quick Google search should give you the links to their website or iOS app. AirPlay directly from their app or use OS X mirroring with Safari or AirParrot on PC with your browser, to get the World Cup matches on your HDTV.

Method 4. Using SportsDevil addon for XBMC

The best thing about this method is that it is completely free and works for just anybody. However, this method may not be legal in certain countries, so please check before you attempt to stream. It may also have below average quality for streams when compared to other official ones.

Here’s how you get this done:

A. For jailbroken Apple TV 2
Things are much easier when you have a jailbroken Apple TV because XBMC can be installed directly on it. You can follow our guide on how to install XBMC 13.0 Gotham on Apple TV 2.

B. For non-jailbroken Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3
In this case, you’ll need another device like a Mac, PC, jailbroken iOS device or an Android device to install XBMC and then use some third party software to AirPlay to Apple TV. Here is a detailed guide on how to get XBMC on your HDTV via Apple TV 3 (or non-jailbreakable Apple TV 2).

C. For Apple TV 1
In this case, you’ll be using a software called OpenElec and you won’t be able to install XBMC as a separate channel on your set-top box, but instead you’ll need to install XBMC as a stand-alone operating system on it. In short, your old Apple TV will boot directly into the XBMC home screen. Find our detailed tutorial here.

Once you have the perfect setup of getting XBMC to show up on your Apple TV, follow our guide on how to Watch live sports on Apple TV with SportsDevil XBMC video addon and access any of the hundreds of Sports Channels to stream the FIFA World Cup 2014 live.

If you’re having any issues with compatibilities, please check out this guide.

Method 5. Using UnoTelly

Unotelly is a DNS service, which will help you securely spoof your IP address and thereby your digital location, allowing you access to country specific websites and services from anywhere in the world. So in this method, we’ll change our iOS device’s location to UK and make use of the BBC iPlayer and iTV apps (Method 2) to stream and AirPlay FIFA matches to Apple TV.

The best part is that UnoTelly now has a World Cup offer by which you can avail a free trial of 8 days to view some matches and if you like the results, you can subscribe for just $4 per month. You can avail this offer here and get started with their guide here.

Others DNS clients: HideMyAss, Unblock US

CONCLUSION

Did we miss any methods? Have you checked out any of these methods? Do share you thoughts in the comments below.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to watch FIFA World Cup 2014 live on Apple TV appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

Netflix, Hulu Plus and other streaming services have revolutionized the way we consume video content, changing it from from the model where the cable operators show their own scheduled content to a VOD model where we ordering what we like, when we like. And having access to thousands of movies and TV shows at a fixed and reasonable monthly rate is every movie buff’s dream come true. But the major drawback is, of course, the unavailability of some of the main streaming services in all countries. Those outside the United States (Canada and UK too, for some services) will be fed by a “Your country is not yet supported” screen and many would be craving for a bypass method. So if you’re residing outside the US or are a travelling US citizen, read on.

In this guide, I will show you how to stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go and other US-exclusive channels on your Apple TV, in countries where it is not supported officially.

(Note: HBO GO requires an HBO subscription available through participating US TV providers; by following this guide travelling US citizens can get HBO GO working abroad.) 

PREREQUISITES

• An Apple TV, of course: the below methods support all three generations of Apple TV
• A PayPal account (recommended); or any other internationally accepted payment service; or an US-based credit card. If you don’t have any of these, you cannot proceed.

Step 1 – Setup a Virtual Credit Card

Those with US addressed credit cards can skip to Step 2.

Others need to sign up at Entropay and apply for a Virtual Credit Card. Amex, BankFreedom, ICICI and Kotak also provides similar services but Entropay is the most popular, and probably the best one.

You can transfer an amount to your VCC via PayPal and it will act as your US based credit card. Don’t worry, it is legal and safe.

Step 2 – Setup an US iTunes account

If you already have one, skip to Step 3.

This isn’t much of a trouble once you have the VCC or PayPal. Select ‘Create a new account’ on iTunes and set your country as United States. Fill up the fields with a US address (doesn’t have to be real) and use a valid US post code (find one here).

For payment details, you can enter the Entropay VCC details or use PayPal directly (latter is reported to be not working for some users). That’s all, your US account is up and running.

Step 3 – Signing in to Apple TV

On your Apple TV, make sure that you’re logged in with the above US iTunes account. In the Settings, change the region to United States, if it isn’t showing that already.

Step 4 – The tricky part

Now, we are going to make the Apple TV believe that it is indeed located in the US. And for this, I’m describing three methods, their merits and disadvantages. I will be giving you my final take on the methods but will leave the final choice to you.

I. VPN METHODS

VPN or Virtual Private Network simply put, is a service which helps us to connect via someone else’s internet connection, securely and miles away from it. It is mostly used by corporations and companies to share confidential files within one or more offices around the world.

Here, we’re going to sign up for a VPN service based in USA so that we can connect via it and force a US digital location.

Though there are many such VPN providers, we’re going to use HideMyAss, which is the most popular one. You can browse through the alternatives here.

• Method A – via VPN router

This method will require you to have a VPN Router or VPN supported modem to make the magic happen. Lets see how it’s done.

1. If you already have a VPN router, you can contact the HMA team to know if it’s compatible. Else if you are willing to buy a new one, they’ll recommend one for you too. By the way, these are the routers commonly recommended by HideMyAss.

You can find more VPN routers here.

2. Once you’re sure that your VPN router will work, you can proceed to get a subscription on HideMyAss. It costs $7-$12 per month based on which bulk pricing plan you choose. Non-US card holders can use PayPal for this and even setup a recurring plan.

3. Setting up the router. This step is highly variant depending upon the client you choose and the router you own.
Basically, you’ve to enter into your Router dashboard, click on VPN Setup and fill in the fields with VPN settings and HMA credentials.

Don’t worry, once you sign up at HMA, you’ll have access to an elaborate, comprehensive and step-by-step guide on doing this, based on which modem you own. They even have an Automatic Installer for the same.

4. Once this is done, Apple servers will fetch your location as United States. You’ll be able to open and use all the apps on your home screen.

Overview

Things you’ll need: a VPN Router, HideMyAss subscription.
Total cost: $50 – $100 (one time) for the router + around $10 per month for HMA + channel subscription fees (i.e. $7.99 per month for Netflix)

Pros

• Once setup, any device connecting to your Wi-Fi network will be deemed as US device and hence can be used with any number of devices without further tweaks.
• It gives the most comfortable and flexible experience, once setup.

Cons

• The most expensive method.
• A bit difficult to setup, especially if you’re not well versed with the basics.
• It is complained to be a bit slow, but personally I din’t feel any lags.

• Method B – VPN via your PC/Mac

As you might’ve noticed, buying a VPN router just for this purpose could be a burden for many. So we’re going to eliminate that and use our household computer or laptop as a VPN router. Here, we’re actually connecting our ‘computer‘ to the VPN of HideMyAss and then making it a wired hotspot (network sharing) for the Apple TV.

1. Open a HMA Pro account.
2. Use your PC/Mac to login to your account and download the corresponding client to your computer.

3. Open the client software and log in with your HMA credentials.

4. Now, choose an American location from the drop down list and start the VPN server.

5. In order to confirm that the service in working, just open your browser and goto Netflix.com. Without VPN, this will be blocked, but now it should bring up a Getting Started page. If this happens, you’re doing great.

6. All the steps till now were similar on both PC and Mac. However, in this step, you’ve to setup network sharing on your computer, which is a little different in each:

On a PC – Windows 7

– Click on WiFi/Network icon on the right side of bottom toolbar. Take “Open network and Sharing center”

– Open Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings (left sidebar) > Right Click on your connection > Properties

– Take the Sharing tab > Check “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection” > Select your Connection > OK. Network Sharing is now setup.

On a Mac

– System Preferences > Sharing (under Internet and Wireless)

– Check mark “Internet Sharing” > Select USB Ethernet > Start

7. Now, you can connect your Apple TV to your laptop (PC or Mac) via your Ethernet cable. In case you have a Macbook Air or any device without an in-built Ethernet port, you might need to purchase an Ethernet adapter.

8. Make sure in Settings > General > Network that you’re connected via Ethernet and not via any WiFi available.

9. Done! Apple servers will now fetch your location as US. You’ll be able to open and use all the apps from the Apple TV home screen.

Overview

Things you’ll need: subscription to HMA Pro, a laptop with Ethernet port, Ethernet cable, Ethernet adapter (optional)
Total cost: $10 per month (HMA subscription) + channel subscription fees

Pros

• Can be turned off easily with a click, which none of the other methods can do.

Cons

• Well, … it’s a dumb method. You’ll always need to have your laptop connected to your Apple TV to stream. If so, you could very well connect a HDMI cable from your laptop directly to TV and eliminate the need of an Apple TV. Also, due the large number of cables, devices and services invloved, the clarity and load speeds will be low.

II. DNS METHOD

Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchically arranged list of IP addresses and these IP addresses in turn, determine our locations. In this method, we’ll use a DNS service to connect to a foreign DNS server and update our IP, so that our digital location also gets changed. Much easier than it sounds!

1. Get a DNS service: Unotelly is unequivocally the best and cheapest out there with plans of under-5-bucks/month (for VPN and DNS together). HidemyAss also provides DNS services and UnblockUS is another one.

2. Once that is done, login to your account and you’ll see a screen like this.

3. As you can see, the setup is still incomplete. To complete, you’ll have to change your DNS settings and update your IP. We’re going to use our PC or Mac to do this. This is an one-time step, don’t worry.

On a PC (Windows 7)

 – Click on Wifi/Network icon on the right side of bottom toolbar. Take “Open network and Sharing center”

– Open Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings > Right Click on your connection > Properties

– Under “Network” tab > Double click “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” > Change the option from “Obtain DNS server address automatically” to “Use the following DNS server addresses”

– Goto this link and find two servers closest to your location. Update the DNS server address on your PC with these.

On a Mac

– System Preferences >Network (under Internet and Wireless)

– Select Advanced > DNS tab

– Goto this link and find two servers closest to your location. Update the DNS server address on your Mac with these.

4. Now go back to your Unotelly account and click on ‘Update IP Address’ from the left sidebar. You’ll see a message on top that UnoDNs is active.

4. Now switch on your Apple TV. Goto Settings > General > Network > Wi-Fi > Select your connection. You’ll see this.

5. Navigate down and select Configure DNS > Manual

Go to this link and find a server closest to your location and update the DNS settings accordingly. Click Done!

6. That’s it. Apple servers will fetch your location as US.

Overview

Things you’ll need: Unotelly subscription, a PC or Mac (for one time)
Total cost: $5 per month (Unotelly) + channel subscription fees

Pros

• Easiest setup,
• cheapest service
• very stable connection

Cons

• If you have other devices, separate setup is needed for each, unlike VPN Router method which is an universal setup

Step 5 – Setting up Netflix, Hulu Plus or other services

Once the digital location and IP problem is solved (Step 4), you can use your Apple TV just like if you were in the US. The first time you launch Netflix or Hulu Plus, you’ll need to create an account and subscribe for a recurring plan via iTunes. Alternately, you can setup the Netflix account on another device using Entropay and just login here. Now, you can start streaming movies and TV shows (starting with the free first month on Netflix!). Any other US-only channels can also be setup similarly.

WRAP UP

Method A is the most elegant way, but pricey and needs a techy to be setup. It should be preferred if you already have a VPN router and you know exactly what you’re doing. It is also suitable for hotels, restaurants, tourist inns, etc., where individual setup of each device is not feasible. But VPN is notorious for being slow and if you’re one of the affected, the purchases would be a waste.

Method B is to be avoided at all costs. It is mentioned only for the sake of completion.

Method C is best of both worlds with a low tag and easy setup with good results. Personally, I have been using Unotelly for quite some time now and they work surprisingly well at a very reasonable price. Surely recommended for all home users!

Though the tutorial looks a bit lengthy, it consists of fairly simple processes and describes three separate methods. Once you know which method to follow, it takes only about half to one hour to setup. Once done, you can enjoy all US content forever without much additional maintenance processes. It is surely worth it!

Please do try this at home and let us know your results.

(This article is also available in Spanish/Este artículo también está disponible en Español)

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to watch Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go and other US-only services on Apple TV outside the US – the only tutorial you’ll ever need appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Update: Latest Apple TV update broke the Plex hack, here is how to fix it.

Last week we reported that Plex now runs on non-jailbroken Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3 thanks to PlexConnect, a clever little hack that allows a fully-functional Plex client on non-jailbroken ATV2 and ATV3. We also posted a tutorial on how to get it working on your little black box using a Mac. Below is an installation guide for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8.

(via PlexConnect wiki)

Note: This guide can also be used with firmwares prior to 5.2 and those with Apple TVs on wireless connections, just use some common sense for changing the DNS on the ATV and leave the subnet mask and router settings as they are (the screens are slightly different for this bit only).

• Ensure that your PlexConnect machine always has the same IP address

In order for PlexConnect to work the Apple TV has to have its DNS server changed to that of the ATV. In order to ensure that the device’s IP does not change you need to need to either set a DHCP reservation or static IP in your router for the device and then make a note of it. Click here for a Lifehacker guide on how to set this up.

• Configuring your ATV

1. On your Apple TV, go to Settings -> General -> Network -> Ethernet (if you are connected via wireless select that instead)

2. Make a note of the current DNS server (you will need to add this into your PlexConnect settings later) and then click on the ‘configure DNS’ button:

3. On the ‘configure DNS’ screen click on the ‘manually’ button:

4. On the ‘configure DNS’ screen change the IP address to that of the local IP of the device that you are running the PlexConnect application on and then click on the ‘done’ button (if you are using a firmware prior to 5.2 and it asks you to configure the IP address of your router and the subnet mask, leave them unchanged):

5. It should return you to the previous network configuration screen, check that the DNS server is set to manual and that the IP address is now that of the machine that you are running PlexConnect on:

• Downloading, installing and configuring PlexConnect

1. Download Python 2.7.x from here and install it (PlexConnect is not designed to work with Python 3.x. so please ensure you install the correct version)
2. If you are running a firewall (Windows or otherwise) ensure that you create a rule for python.exe
3. The developers will be releasing point versions (e.g. v0.1, v0.2 etc) of PlexConnect but until then you can always download the latest zip from Github here (do not expect support on any branches as they are either running test or outdated code)
4. Once you have downloaded the zip file, place it in a directory of your choosing on the machine you wish to run PlexConnect on and unzip it.
5. Double-click the “PlexConnect.py” file to start PlexConnect
6. You should see output in the command window as PlexConnect starts.
7. Open the Trailer application on your Apple TV and you should see the PlexConnect interface appear.
8. Enjoy!

Note: WHS requires some extra steps:

1. Go to IIS Manager, under ‘sites’ make sure there are no sites running on port 80.
2. Go to Windows Firewall and create a new ‘Inbound Rule’ for python.exe to allow it access to the internet.

The post How to install Plex on non-jailbroken Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3 [Windows tutorial] appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

Update: Latest Apple TV update broke the Plex hack, here is how to fix it.

Earlier this week we reported that it’s now possible to run Plex on non-jailbroken Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3, as group of devs (Baa, roidy and f00b4r) has released a PlexConnect, a little hack that allows a fully-functional Plex client on non-jailbroken ATV2 and ATV3. You can find more details here.

And here is a tutorial on how to get it all working using a Mac:

(via PlexConnect wiki)

Note: This guide can also be used with firmwares prior to 5.2 and those with Apple TVs on wireless connections, just use some common sense for changing the DNS on the ATV and leave the subnet mask and router settings as they are (the screens are slightly different for this bit only).

• Ensure that your PlexConnect machine always has the same IP address

In order for PlexConnect to work the Apple TV has to have its DNS server changed to that of the ATV. In order to ensure that the device’s IP does not change you need to need to either set a DHCP reservation or static IP in your router for the device and then make a note of it. Click here for a Lifehacker guide on how to set this up.

• Configuring your ATV

1. On your Apple TV, go to Settings -> General -> Network -> Ethernet (if you are connected via wireless select that instead)

2. Make a note of the current DNS server (you will need to add this into your PlexConnect settings later) and then click on the ‘configure DNS’ button:

3. On the ‘configure DNS’ screen click on the ‘manually’ button:

4. On the ‘configure DNS’ screen change the IP address to that of the local IP of the device that you are running the PlexConnect application on and then click on the ‘done’ button (if you are using a firmware prior to 5.2 and it asks you to configure the IP address of your router and the subnet mask leave them as they are):

5. It should return you to the previous network configuration screen, check that the DNS server is set to manual and that the IP address is now that of the machine that you are running PlexConnect on:

• Downloading, installing and configuring PlexConnect

1. Download the latest zip from Github here.
2. Place it in a directory of your choosing on the machine you wish to run PlexConnect on and unzip it.
3. Open the “Settings.py” file using TextEdit
4. OPTIONAL: edit the line “return ‘8.8.8.8’ # google public DNS”, replacing the “8.8.8.8” with your DNS server, the one you noted down from the ATV before you changed it (if this was your gateway you can instead choose to use your ISP’s DNS server).
5. Save the file
6. Open a terminal window and change its directory to that of the PlexConnect folder (either by typing “cd”, without the quotes, hitting space and then dragging the folder to the terminal window and hitting return or by enabling the really useful ‘new terminal at folder’ right click command).
7. Type “sudo ./PlexConnect.py”, without the quotes and hit return.
8. It will then ask to enter your password for your Mac, so enter this and hit return (it will not show anything as you type!).
9. You should see output in the terminal as PlexConnect starts.
10. Open the Trailer application on your Apple TV and you should see the PlexConnect interface appear.
11. Enjoy!

Note: if you have any issues please refer to this before posting.

Specific guides targeting the different firmwares and wireless connections will follow.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

The post How to install Plex on non-jailbroken Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3 [Mac tutorial] appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

It was not long ago that we shared the news regarding Apple officially activating its Bluetooth hardware, via the 5.2 update, on their Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3 devices. Though it seems that support is limited to Bluetooth keyboards, not Bluetooth remotes, only time will tell if Apple has a line of new peripherals on the way for us all. As exciting as the news is, having Bluetooth capabilities does no good if users are unsure/unable to utilize these features.

We also want to remind those of you that own an Apple TV 1, the silver box, that this guide will not pertain to your device as you have no Bluetooth hardware enabled by default. If you own an Apple TV 1, and would like Bluetooth support, you will need to look into other LINUX-based options (see our guide on installing openELEC) paired with Bluetooth dongles.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Bluetooth keyboard
2. Apple TV remote (hardware or software)
3. Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation) updated to the latest 5.2 firmware
4. A desire for your media center to have additional awesomeness

LIMITATIONS (according to Apple)

1. Bluetooth support on Apple TV is for keyboards only. Headsets, speakers, and other devices are not supported.
2. If you are having difficultly connecting or using a third-party Bluetooth keyboard, contact the manufacturer to verify that it is compatible with Apple products and Apple TV.
3. The original Apple Wireless Keyboard (2003), that features a white case and uses four AA batteries, is not compatible.

PAIRING

The first thing we need to do, as is the case when using any Bluetooth devices, is “pair” our hardware. Pairing is simply the process of connecting the two devices to each other, therein allowing them to communicate with each other.

1) From your main menu, navigate to the Settings -> General -> Bluetooth

3) At this point, let’s go ahead and turn on the keyboard and set it in “pairing mode”

5) You will immediately see the word “Bluetooth” at the top of your screen with the word “Searching” next to it.

6) In a matter of seconds you should see your Bluetooth keyboard’s name pop up on your Apple TV.

7) Using the Apple TV remote, click on the name that represents your Bluetooth keyboard.

8) You are now met with a sequence of 4 numbers: type these IN ORDER on your keyboard.

9) Congratulations, your keyboard is now paired with your Apple TV.

HOW TO USE

Now that your keyboard is paired with your Apple TV, everything can be controlled by either the keyboard or your Apple TV remote. So, let’s assume that you now want to put away your remote and control your system via the keyboard – here are the basic keys that you would be looking for:

You can use your keyboard to:

• Enter text and other information (search, email addresses, passwords, and so on)
• Navigate Apple TV menus using the arrow, Return, and Escape keys
• Navigate recently updated aTV Flash (black)
• Jump to an item, title, or name on the screen by typing the first few letters (for example, when viewing your music collection, you can type a song title or artist name to jump to it in the list)
• Use media controls when playing music and video to play or pause content and select previous or next.

Volume, brightness, and other controls are not available for Apple TV. Apple TV uses the U.S. English keyboard layout regardless of the keyboard’s hardware layout.

DISCONNECTING

If you want to stop using your keyboard or disconnect it from the Apple TV:

• Select Settings -> General -> Bluetooth
• Select your keyboard and then select “Forget this device”

(This article is also available in Spanish / Este artículo también está disponible en español)

The post How to add and use a Bluetooth keyboard with your Apple TV (5.2/iOS 6.1) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Making my Apple TV sexy is one thing I am passionate about. Whether you are want to change the background, adjust the location of your menu options, or even change the complete look and feel of your operating system, XBMC allows you to do it all! If you are a regular visitor to our site, you know that we are fans of XBMC and what it can do for you, and your Apple TV. Of all the benefits it offers, my favorite has to be the fact that XBMC offers skins. These skins are free to download, free to install, and free to design.

There are roughly 30 skins available today at XBMC.org. XBMC has “stable” skins that can be added via their repo, they have “stable “ skins that you can add via third party repositories, and they have skins that are in development that you can add, test, and play with.

This is the area of XBMC that I find myself playing with on a regular basis month to month. So, first-things-first: how do we change a skin with in XBMC?

Prerequisites:

• Decide what skin you would like: you can find a complete list of XMBC skins here.
• If needed, add the repository for that skin (click for help with repos)

Changing Your Skin:

Step 1: Navigate to the “Settings” menu under “SYSTEM” in XBMC.

Step 2: Select the “Appearance” tab on the left side bar.

Step 3: Under the “Skin” field on the right side of the window, select the name of your current skin. It should display “Confluence” by default.

Step 4: Select the name of the skin which you wish to use, I’ve chosen “Quartz” as an example (I will tell you why after we get through the HOW TO facet of this article).

Step 5: You will then see, after a few seconds, the interface change completely.

Things to consider:

The Apple TV is a unit with limited power. XBMC is a tool of tremendous power! If you are trying to use the fanciest skins, with the most abundant features, you will find that the Apple TV will begin to move at a snails pace. It is important when looking at skins to consider the effect it will have on your OS. That said, I have tested every skin you can find… yes, EVERY SKIN YOU CAN FIND and I can give you a little help on what skins offer a great experience without costing you performance:

(in no specific order)

• Quartz
• reFoucs
• refocus BIG (MODDED VERSION)
• XEEBO

The best place to go, if you want to investigate yourself or need some help with XBMC skins would be the official SKINS thread at XBMC.org.

(This article is also available in Spanish / Este artículo también está disponible en español)

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