Running Plex on an Apple TV prior to tvOS isn’t something new – people have been running custom Apple TV apps like Plex for years by using custom markup languages and JavaScript combined with simple DNS trick.

Now, that Apple offers customers an Apple TV App Store and Xcode to developers, Plex has released official Plex app.

To run Plex (Player) on Apple TV 4 you need to have the latest Plex Media Server running on a Mac, PC, Linux, FreeBSD or a NAS that can transcode. More info can be found on Plex Support.

Here is my video showing the new Apple TV app with Plex Server running on a NAS.

Also check out: Infuse 4 for Apple TV 4: first look (video)

You can find more videos on my YouTube channel AskUncleDave.

Note that DRM-protected content (such as video from the iTunes store), ISO disc images, and VIDEO_TS folders are not supported in Plex for Apple TV.

Plex app is free in the Apple TV App Store.

Also available in the Apple TV App Store is Simple X – a third party client for Plex Media Server. It can browse and play videos from Plex servers both on the local network and remotely. However, it does not currently support Mucis or Photo sections in Plex.

Also read:

• Apple TV 4 hacked to run a web browser
• New Apple TV hacked to enable app folders
• MAME emulator running on Apple TV 4
• AirParrot 2: the ultimate companion app for Apple TV 4
• Official Plex app for Apple TV released
• How Apple is fixing what’s wrong with console gaming today

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

The post Plex on Apple TV 4 explained (video) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

The power of XBMC is its ability to manage content weather on your Apple TV, N.A.S. device, or network connected computer. It does not matter if you have movies, television shows, music, or pictures XBMC is designed with the unique ability to incorporate this content into the software itself. This is an extremely attractive feature for those of us utilizing XBMC on our Apple TV, especially the Apple TV 2. With its limited storage and lack of USB drives, the Apple TV 2 is primed for taking advantage of XBMC’s custom Library features. Let’s start by looking at the primary libraries and what each offers.

VIDEO LIBRARY

The Video Library, one of the XBMC databases, allows the organization of your video content by information associated with the video files themselves. This information can be obtained in various different ways, like through Scrapers (ie. Movies, TV shows and Music Videos) and nfo files. Library view allows you to browse your video content by things such as; Genre, Title, Year, Actors and Directors.

MUSIC LIBRARY

The Music Library, one of the XBMC databases, is a key feature of XBMC. It allows the organization of your music collections using the information stored in your music file ID tags, like title, artist, album, genre and popularity. It also allows users to add network sources, such as Last.FM, to their library. Making this a much needed, and must have, feature.
Luckily, each library functions the same when it comes to Adding and Removing Content. So let’s take a quick look at the ins and outs of adding files to our libraries. If you are simply looking to remove items from your library you can skip to the bottom of this article.

ADD FILES

1) From within the correct category you will want to select “Files.” This will open a new window displaying any content that is already added. This will assuredly be blank.
2) Select the option that reads Add (content). Meaning, if you are in the Video section, you will choose Add Videos.

3) Here you will see a pop up window asking you to enter the path of your content. This best way to select this location is by clicking on the Browse.

4) You  see a long list of options on the right. From here you can navigate to any folder located on your Apple TV as well as any number of network locations. This is how you will add a folder to XBMC. If you are adding Network Storage then you want to know what protocol the source is using. Typically SMB (Windows) or UPnP. By selecting these options, XBMC will scan your network for devices. For example, I will scan my network for UPnP sources. The results are below.

5) Now it is a simple matter of navigating to the folder that contains to content you want to add. It is important to note that you must be viewing the content WITHIN the folder when you select OK. You don’t want to select OK while merely highlighting the folder itself. Once you select the correct folder you will need to name it again within XBMC. For this example I am naming the source Network Movies Folder.

6) We will need to tell XBMC what type of content is in the folder we are adding to our XBMC Library. This is of the utmost importance for you to get the full benefit of Fanart, backgrounds, posters, and thumbnails. For the sake our my example we are telling XBMC that I am scanning a folder of (Movies). The last thing:

7) Lastly, we will want to select the option RUN AUTOMATED SCAN. This will let XBMC know that you want it to scan the content into your library and then update your Library at the same time. When you click OK you will be met by a POP UP Windows – fear not and select YES!

REMOVING FILES

1) To remove items from your XBMC Library, you must first tell XBMC to allow this functionality. By default, it is disabled to prevent accidental content removal. So, how do we do this? From your home scree go to the System menu option.
2) You will want to select the top option titled Appearance.

3) Now you will have access to the settings options for the Files controls. Here you can adjust multiple options, but we are interested, specifically, in “Allow file renaming and deletion.” Select this option and make sure the circle on the right becomes illuminated.

4) Now that the hard part is done, we will simply navigate to any Library within XBMC. To keep with our theme of movie content I will navigate to my Movies Folder. once there, navigate to the file you wish to remove and while the video selected hold down your MENU button until the context menu pops up.

The post Use XBMC to extend your Apple TV’s hard drive (XBMC library integration) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

How to install aTV Flash (black) on Apple TV 2:

Pre-install checklist

1. Jailbreak your Apple TV 2 running software version 5.0.1 (untethered)
2. Connect the Apple TV your TV like normal (power, HDMI and wifi/ethernet). An active network connection will be required (the ‘In Theaters’ option under ‘Movies’ should be visible).
3. Enable Home Sharing and AirPlay (Settings -> AirPlay)

Run the installer – Mac

Step 1: Download the latest version of aTV Flash (black) from your account.
Step 2: Open the DMG and double-click the installer.

Step 3: The installer will copy a few small files to your computer (these will then be transferred to the Apple TV).

Step 4: You will then be prompted to select your Apple TV from a drop-down list.

Step 5: The files will be transferred to the Apple TV.

Step 6: When complete, the Apple TV will restart automatically for the changes to take effect.

Step 8: After installation all apps and updates can be installed directly on the Apple TV through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu.

Run the installer – Windows

Step 1: Download the latest version of aTV Flash (black) from your account.
Step 2: Open the exe and choose a location to save the application (desktop is recommended).
Step 3: Run the aTV Flash (black) program.

Step 4: Select your Apple TV from the drop-down menu.

Step 5: The files will be transferred to the Apple TV automatically.

Step 6: When complete, the Apple TV will restart automatically for the changes to take effect.

Step 7: After installation all apps and updates can be installed directly on the Apple TV through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu.

You may also want to read:
How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 5 (Apple TV 4.4) Using Seas0nPass – Tethered
How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.3 with Seas0nPass (untethered)
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2
How to install XBMC on Apple TV 2

The post How to install aTV Flash (black) 1.0 on Apple TV 2 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV 2 is no longer in beta: FireCore has finally released version 1.0 of its flagship product – a suite of applications to enhance the 2nd generation Apple TV. aTV Flash (black) features all-new Media Player, WebKit based browser, Last.fm radio, Weather, RSS feeds and gives you fast access to plugins like nitoTV, Remote HD, XBMC and Plex client. All new features are installed alongside the normal Apple TV features, so things like movie rentals, Netflix, and AirPlay will remain unchanged.

Media Player
The new Media Player included with aTV Flash (black) can access files directly from a Mac, PC or NAS drive without having to use iTunes. It downloads and organizes metadata and covert art automatically and will present media in your choice of a list or grid view. Supported file formats include AVI, FLAC, ISO, M2TS, MKV, MP3, MP4, MPEG, VOB, WAV and many others. Support for AC3/DTS sound, subtitles, DVD menus, playlists and photo slideshows are also included.

Native web browser
Also included is Couch Surfer Pro; a fully featured web browser that includes support for HTML5 streaming music and video as well as easy to use bookmarks and history. The browser can be controlled using the standard Apple TV remote, or the free iPhone/iPad Remote app.

Last.fm
Rounding out the offering is an interactive Last.fm feature that provides access to Last.fm streaming radio. While streaming Last.fm radio (or playing your own music) you’ll have access to artist bios, and a seemingly endless amount of artist photos.

Weather, RSS feeds
RSS news feed and iIntuitive weather forecast options are also included. Your current weather location will be detected automatically, and other locations can be easily added as well.

aTV Flash (black)1.0 is available now for $29.95, which includes updates for one year. You can download it from here.

Those who pre-ordered the beta can download the new 1.0 version through the Downloads tab in their account. Note: Those wishing to update from an early version will need to run the 1.0 installer from a Mac or PC.

aTV Flash (black) 1.0 can be installed on AppleTV 4.2 and later. Before installing, the AppleTV will need to be jailbroken. Read How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 5 (Apple TV 4.4) Using Seas0nPass – Tethered or How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.3 with Seas0nPass (untethered).

MacUpdate has aTV Flash (black) 1.0 for the sale price of $19.99 today only.

You may also want to read:
Apple TV 2 price drops suggest Apple TV 3 is coming soon
aTV Flash 4.4 for original Apple TV now available
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2
Apple TV 4.4 Software Released

The post FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.0 to supercharge the Apple TV 2 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Firecore has finally released aTV Flash (black) Release Candidate 1 for the Apple TV 2. RC1 adds a number of new features including a brand new ‘grid view’ browsing mode (allows you to browse through media by simply viewing a grid of posters, instead of a list), huge subtitle related improvements, support for Apple TV 4.4 (iOS 5), and other performance and playback related improvements.

Here is the complete list of new features and improvements:

• Added grid view and pre-playback view options
• Added bulk metadata fetching with growl-like status
• Added fetched names in list view
• Added hardware decoding for .m2ts files
• Added support for embedded subtitles (MKV, M4V, etc…)
• Added support for ISO (DVD) files
• Added TV Show metadata fetching
• Added metadata correction for Movies and TV Shows
• Added movie title in Top Shelf (instead of filename)
• Added DSI ping for better operation with AFP shares
• Added folder tagging
• Added metadata view indicator
• Added support for metadata overriding using xml files
• Added DVD menu buffering
• Added support for subtitles with invalid timestamps
• Added support for AppleTV 4.4 (iOS 5)
• Added subtitle ‘Weight’ setting
• Added option to show/hide local files
• Improved data buffering and playback performance
• Improved XSUB subtitle support
• Improved network error handling
• Improved filename parsing for metadata fetching
• Improved NAS drives support and increased connection timeout
• Improved video loading process
• Improved DVD menu handling
• Improved playback position detection
• Improved memory footprint
• Improved SMB share handling
• Resolved DVD subtitle issues
• Resolved Voiceover related issues
• Resolved audio synchronization issues
• Resolved problems when streaming from an AirPort Extreme
• Resolved AFP related issue when resuming after a long pause
• Resolved issues that caused the first subtitle section to be skipped
• Resolved performance and crash related issues for certain DVD files
• Resolved audio playback issues when the connection to Last.fm fails
• Resolved potential issues in shares handling and filename processing
• Resolved AFP related crashes
• Resolved .dvdmedia extensions and folder images not hiding
• Resolved floating crash during metadata fetching
• Resolved various cloud backup issues
• Many other miscellaneous fixes

RC1 is available through the Downloads tab in your account. If you’re already running aTV Flash (black) on your Apple TV all the new features can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu.

Note: Installing RC1 requires Apple TV 4.2 or later.

You may also want to read:
How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 5 (Apple TV 4.4) Using Seas0nPass – Tethered
Media Player 0.9.1 for Apple TV 2 Released
aTV Flash (black) Beta6 for Apple TV 2 Now Available

The post aTV Flash (black) RC1 for Apple TV 2 Now Available appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Firecore’s Media Player, a core feature of the company’s flagship product – aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV 2, has been updated to version 0.6 that comes with added AC3 and DTS (5.1+ surround) sound, access to DVD menus during playback and a low buffer detection warning (prevents stuttering) as well as with many other improvements and bug fixes.

Here is the complete list of changes:

• Added AC3 and DTS (5.1+ surround) sound
• Added access to DVD menus during playback (press menu)
• Added low buffer detection warning (prevents stuttering)
• Improved playback of larger files
• Improved buffering and re-buffering (when required)
• Improved FF/RW controls for larger files
• Improved audio decoding performance
• Improved center channel (voices) audio mixing
• Improved DVD file playback
• Improved file sorting logic
• Improved performance and memory management
• Improved error handling
• Resolved DVD subtitle issues
• Resolved stalls observed with some files during and after FF/RW
• Resolved synchronization issues observed after buffering some files
• Resolved audio synchronization issues
• Resolved rare floating crash observed at the end of some files
• Resolved resume related playback issues
• Resolved various screensaver related issues
• Local files are now hidden when one or more remote shares are setup
• Minor metadata fetching improvements
• Minor UI improvements
• Other miscellaneous fixes

Media Player 0.6 can be installed on your ATV2 (with aTV Flash black already installed) through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu.

You may also want to read:
aTV Flash (black) Beta6 for Apple TV 2 Now Available
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2
How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.3 or iOS 5 Beta with Seas0nPass 0.7.7 (untethered)

The post Media Player 0.6 for Apple TV 2 Released appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

What’s new in Beta6?

General

• Added show/hide options for standard Apple TV menus
• Added option to manually install if no Apple TVs are detected
• Improved auto-update disabling
• Improved installation error handling
• Minor UI adjustments

Media Player

• Added new lightweight player
• Added recently played items to ‘Top Shelf’ in main menu
• Added Favorites to main menu
• Added option to manually mark files as watched/unwatched
• Added ‘Test Connection’ option for AFP/SMB shares
• Added support for DVD subtitles
• Added support for multiple DVD audio tracks
• Added basic support for MT2S files
• Improved overall video playback (especially HD video files)
• Improved thumbnail generation when cover art is not available
• Improved FF/RW controls
• Improved DVD menu and video playback
• Improved DVD playback progress reporting
• Improved memory management
• Improved AFP/SMB streaming
• Improved error handling for invalid files
• Resolved most video stuttering issues
• Resolved energy saver mode issue
• Resolved issue that resulted in some DVDs being displayed in (squished) 4×3 mode
• Resolved numerous DVD playback issues
• Resolved flickering when navigating through certain menus
• Resolved additional conflicts with XBMC
• Reduced number of network connections used
• Minor UI and other miscellaneous fixes

Beta5 is available through the Downloads tab in your account. If you’re already running aTV Flash (black) on your AppleTV all the new features can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu.

You may also want to read:
Real Racing 2 HD First to Support Wireless Gaming over AirPlay on Apple TV 2
aTV Flash 4.3 for 1st Generation Apple TV Now Available
AirPlay-Enabled Apps: Web Browser, Camera and Videos for Apple TV, TVOut Genie! (review)

The post aTV Flash (black) Beta6 for Apple TV 2 Now Available appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

What’s new in Beta5?

General

• Added AppleTV 4.2.2 compatibility
• Improved installer routine
• Improved handling of failed installations
• Improved error handling
• Minor UI adjustments

Media Player

• Added SMB streaming
• Added photo slideshows
• Added basic video playlists
• Added ‘Favorites’ section
• Added individual photo browsing and viewing
• Added support for ‘xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/folder’ shares
• Added support for guest/anonymous NAS logins
• Added volumes list sorting
• Added option to disable metadata fetching
• Added option to hide file extensions
• Improved handling of HD video files
• Improved memory management
• Improved DVD file detection
• Improved remote share folder browsing (root folder issue)
• Improved Remote.app support
• Resolved artifact issues (green line near bottom of screen)
• Resolved rare crashes related to AFP streaming
• Resolved issues in share navigation resulting in incorrect ‘menu’ button handling
• Resolved issues resulting in incorrect video playback after rewinding on ‘fastest’ speed
• Resolved issues related to removing saved shares
• Resolved duplicate AFP share entries
• Resolved conflicts with XBMC
• Minor UI fixes
• Other miscellaneous fixes

Couch Surfer Pro

• Added HTML5 audio support (for sites like https://tv.tunein.com/)
• Added EyeTV streaming
• Improved web pages scrolling and layout handling
• Improved iOS-optimized JavaScript support
• Improved highlighting of large web elements
• Auto-complete history is now cleared when clearing history
• New SSL indicator
• Other minor bug fixes

Weather

• Added 5-day forecasts
• Added location search option
• Added automatic location detection (if no saved locations exist)
• Added day/night weather forecasts
• Added ‘Feels Like’ temperature info
• Minor UI fixes

Last.fm

• Added lightweight audio streaming player
• Improved memory management

What Firecore is still working on

• New lightweight audio/video player
• Additional codecs
• DVD chapter controls
• AC3/DTS (5.1 surround) sound
• Subtitle support
• Multiple audio track support
• Improved UI and file browsing
• Better memory management

Beta5 is available through the Downloads tab in your account. If you’re already running aTV Flash (black) on your AppleTV all the new features can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu.

You may also want to read:
Apple Updates Apple TV 2 Firmware to 4.2.2, Untethered Jailbreak is Already Out
SHOUTcast Radio App Updated to Support AirPlay
AirPlay Implementation on the Old Apple TV is Now Complete
AirPlay-Enabled Apps: Air Video (review)

The post aTV Flash (black) Beta5 for Apple TV 2 Now Available appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

What’s new in Beta4?

General

• Added ‘alpha preview’ version of new Media Player
• Added native Weather and RSS apps (will appear under Internet menu when installed)
• Added support for Remote HD iPhone/iPad app
• Added option to restart ‘Lowtide’ via Maintenance menu
• Added support for AppleTV 4.2.1 (iOS 4.3)

Couch Surfer Pro

• Added Google search suggestions to Search menu (iOS 4.3+ only)
• Added ability to delete bookmarks
• Improved animations, HTML5 and CSS3 support
• Improve iPhone/iPad Remote app navigation
• Improved text box handling
• Resolved issues related to Facebook and similar sites
• Many other performance improvements

What can I do with the new Media Player?

What’s included in this version

• Support for many non-iTunes media file types (MKV, AVI, MP4, etc…)
• Native VIDEO_TS (VOB) file playback (with menus)
• AFP network streaming (Mac, TimeCapsule, AirPort Extreme, etc…)
• Automated cover art/metadata fetching
• Basic subtitle support for VOB files
• 5.1 AAC audio
• Watched, unwatched and partially watched markers (includes resume support)
• Volume control (up/down arrows during playback)

Firecore is still working on:

• Better support for HD video files
• SMB network streaming
• 5.1 sound
• Chapter controls
• Video playlists
• Subtitles (.srt)
• Alternative file browsing options
• Photo slideshows
• Improved memory management
• Countless other bug fixes and performance improvements

A brief demo of the Media Player in action can be seen here.

You may also want to read:
Win a copy of Remote HD
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2
How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 with greenpois0n rc6

The post aTV Flash (black) Beta4 for Apple TV 2 Now Available appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Fire Core

The new aTV Flash is compatible with the 4.0 Apple TV software only. The new 4.1 software requires a few adjustments and the company plans to have compatible version available soon.

Note: before installing aTV Flash (black) your atv will need to be jailbroken!

Currently the software is for Mac only. Windows compatible version is expected to be available within the next few days.

For the current users aTV Flash is available as a free upgrade.
(Some instructions from the developer: After logging into your account you will have an extra download link for aTV Flash (black). Your normal aTV Flash license and download links will remain unchanged. Additionally any available renewal specials can also be found in your account.)

For the new users the software is available at the discounted price of $19.95 during the beta (pre-order) phase. Once the final version is ready for release the price will return to the normal level of $29.95.

The original aTV Flash is also being reduced to $39.95.

GIVEAWAY

We have 10 licenses of aTV Flash (black) to give away! Follow @appletvhacks, retweet the contest message and join us on Facebook for your chance to win. The winners will be announced on Monday (December 6^th).

Related news
AirVideoEnabler Allows AirPlay Video Streaming from Any App
Apple TV 2G Gets 4.2.1 Software Update
Groovy Brings Grooveshark to Your Apple TV
How to Install Plex on Apple TV 2G

The post aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV 2G Now Available (+giveaway) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.