video – Apple TV Hacks

A first look at Tablo’s live TV and DVR app for Apple TV 4 (video)

AskUncleDave — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 22:58:44 +0000

Nuvyyo’s new Tablo app is the first real live TV app on the Apple TV 4. The app is free but it requires you purchase additional hardware (Tablo DVR), antenna and TV guide service, because, obviously, Apple TV doesn’t have a coaxial connection in the back that you can hook up an antenna.

Tablo is not an IPTV app. It’s a hardware and service that gives you major networks over the air, like NBC, ABC, Fox, CBS, PBS, and as many channels as the antenna in or on your house can pick up.

You get a grid-style Program Guide and the ability to record single and multiple recordings. You also can manage recordings right from the app.

This is the best way to stop paying a monthly subscription to your cable provider and cut the cord for good.

Last year Apple stated: “The future of television is apps”. And they are correct.

Watch the video and tell me if you agree.

Learn more about Tablo.

Search for “Tablo” on your Apple TV’s App Store to download the free app.

Also check out:

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.

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How to install Kodi on Apple TV 4 using Xcode (video)

tomek — Fri, 06 May 2016 18:27:50 +0000

MrMC is the most popular app for bringing Kodi on Apple TV 4. However, it doesn’t provide a “100% Kodi experience”: it strips out all of the prohibited features that go against the terms of service for the App Store, like python add-ons, which are the basis for many of the most popular Kodi add-ons. A YouTube user Nandor, “an Apple TV 4 and Hackintosh Enthusiast”, posted a video in which he shows how to install a pre-alpha version of the “real” Kodi on Apple TV 4 using Xcode and an iOS App Signer app. This version of Kodi is supposed to let you use all your favourite add-ons, skins and other features.

This is 100% Kodi!!! You need to understand that this is an “unofficial pre pre pre alpha” release of Kodi for tvOS. So there will be bugs and not all add-ons will work right now. Unless you are able to get them to work yourself.

Downloads:

You can find more tutorials on Nandor’s website.

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

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How to save media files to your Apple TV 4 ‘hard drive’ for offline viewing (video)

AskUncleDave — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 23:41:45 +0000

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:

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.

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Infuse 4 for Apple TV 4: first look (video)

tomek — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 22:10:21 +0000

Infuse, one of the most popular media players for iOS, is coming soon to the new Apple (it should be availabe on the Apple TV App Store by the end of the year). The first beta has been sent out to beta testers on Wednesday and some of them have already managed to record and share the videos showing the app in action on the Apple TV 4.

YouTube user AskUncleDave has posted a video showing off the setup process and some details on how Infuse 4 will actually work on the 4th generation Apple’s set-top box.

Infuse 4 will be a universal app (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV) and will come as a free update for all current Infuse 3 Pro users.

You can read the review of Infuse 3 for iOS on our sister site What’s On iPhone.

Also read:

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

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Here are the Apple TV 4 video screensavers

tomek — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 12:26:27 +0000

One of the new additions to the 4th gen. Apple TV are video screensavers. All of them are high-definition slow motion videos that Apple shot exclusively for its brand new set-top box. They have included some stunning location from around the world. Depending on the time of day, Apple TV will automatically play day or night shots.

YouTube user iFunography uploaded three of them to his channel so you can check the new screensavers out before you get your own Apple TV 4 in early November. Also included for each video are download links.

San Francisco

New York

Mountains

The new Apple TV will be available at the end of October/in early November the first starting at $149 for a 32GB model and $199 for a 64GB model.

More on Apple TV 4:

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

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PopCast lets you stream any video file from Windows PC to Apple TV

tomek — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:26:53 +0000

Until now, streaming media files from a Windows PC to an Apple TV was only possible with iTunes (for supported file types only) or AirParrot (using its media streaming or specific app mirroring features). Recently released PopCast is a new player to the market. It lets you stream all of your videos to your Apple TV or Chromecast, no matter what file format.

PopCast does live video conversion, which means you can instantly begin to watch your video content. It supports all the popular file formats, including AVI and MKV.

It also lets you queue up your favorite videos and create playlists.

Here’s how it works:

You can get PopCast from here. A $15 license allows unlimited usage and 1 year of upgrades. Free trial is also available.

We heard from the developers that the Mac version is in development and almost ready for release. To be notified once it is complete, sign up for their notification list.

If you’re looking for a Mac app that offers similar functionality, check out Beamer.

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

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My Apple TV has video issues – The Apple TV video troubleshooting guide

Roshan — Thu, 07 May 2015 23:55:52 +0000

You are here probably because your Apple TV’s visual output to the television is not as expected. This can be due to a variety of reasons and manifests in different ways. So, before you take your Apple TV to an Apple Store for repair, try this guide to learn how you can fix some common video issues with it.

Case 1. My TV screen is completely black, frozen at a frame or is blurred

Step A. Check the television set, cables and peripherals

Verify if the TV’s source is set to your Apple TV HDMI connection. If not, refer your television manual and change it using your remote. If this is the first time you are firing up the Apple TV, check if your HDTV matches Apple’s minimum resolution requirements. Don’t worry, almost all of them do.
Inspect if the Apple TV power cable and HDMI cables are undamaged and properly inserted.
If you have cables going through home theater receivers, splitters, repeaters or switches, try bypassing them and connect directly to the television. If the video issue resolves now, the defect is in the peripheral used and you can get it corrected.
The HDMI cable you are using might be unidirectional. So try flipping the connection between Apple TV and television. If available, try using another HDMI cable also.

Step B. Troubleshoot the Apple TV

Verify if the Apple TV is getting power. Press any button on your Remote and see if a white light responds at the face of the Apple TV. If not, check the power cable and try using a different outlet.
If Apple TV is getting power, try rebooting it. You can do this easily with your remote by pressing and holding (Menu + Down) buttons for 6 seconds. Wait till Apple TV restarts and check if the issue is resolved.
Now let’s try changing the Apple TV output resolution. Press and hold (Menu + Up) buttons for 6 seconds. Apple TV will now start cycling between various resolutions for around 20 seconds each (image above). Whenever you see the display come up, just press the Play button to set it as the native resolution.

Case 2. My Television is displaying wrong or inverted colors

Step A. Check your television settings
Most HDTV have different picture modes like Dynamic, Vivid etc which can interfere with the true color of the output. Refer the television manual to change this mode to Natural using your TV remote.

Step B. Change Apple TV output settings
Go to Settings > Audio & Video > HDMI Output. You will see a menu: Auto, YCbCr, RGB High, RGB Low.

Use the arrow buttons to check out the options one by one. Give a few seconds after selecting an option for changes to get previewed.

Case 3. My TV shows a stretched film or it isn’t filling up the screen

Apple TV natively outputs content in 16:9 aspect ratio. So as long as you have a HDTV, you should be able to see contents in full screen. You can refer the user manual of your television to set your display to 16:9 if it isn’t already.

It is worth noting that when you’re AirPlay mirroring your iPhone or iPad screen, or while playing some movies in non-HD formats, it is normal to see black bars on top or sides of the TV display.

Case 4. I am getting an error “This content requires HDCP for playback”

“HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a form of digital copy protection that requires compatibility between your Apple TV and high-definition TV.” So this error might be due to problems with your HDMI cable or HDTV as Apple TV supports HDCP out of the box.

Step 1. First try putting your Apple TV to sleep. Go to Settings > Sleep Now
Wait for about 10 seconds and press the Select button to wake it up again.
Step 2. Check and install if your HDTV has a firmware update.
Step 3. Use a different HDMI cable like the Apple HDMI to HDMI cable.

More how-tos:

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

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I cannot AirPlay mirror my iPhone and iPad to Apple TV: The Apple TV AirPlay troubleshooting guide

Roshan — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 15:35:31 +0000

So you are having trouble AirPlay mirroring your iPhone or iPad screen to an Apple TV. Here is a guide on fixing the most common issues causing this.

Note: For those who are using AirPlay mirroring for the first time, we are also including a set up guide. But those who have had mirroring working before but have new onset of problems, skip to Step B.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

A. How to AirPlay mirror your iPhone or iPad content to your Apple TV

1. Make sure your Apple TV is powered on.

2. Connect both your iPhone/iPad and your Apple TV to the same WiFi network
– on Apple TV, go to Settings > General > Network
– on iOS device: Settings > WiFi

and see if both are connected to the same network.

3. If you are running the latest firmware on your iOS device and have the refreshed 3rd generation Apple TV, you can use peer-to-peer AirPlay, which means you needn’t even connect to the WiFi network for AirPlaying. Just switch on WiFi and Bluetooth on your iOS device and Apple TV, and proceed to next step.

4. On iOS 7 and iOS 8 devices, you can just pull up the Control Center by swiping up from the bottom edge. You’ll now see an AirPlay button. Tap on it, choose your Apple TVa and toggle on Mirroring option.

B. General troubleshooting of AirPlay mirroring issues

1. Check if both your Apple TV and iPhone/iPad are connected to the same network. See the Step A2 above to find out how to check this.

2. If you are using peer-to-peer AirPlay, please note that you still need to have WiFi and Bluetooth toggled on, on both devices. You needn’t connect to WiFi router nor pair each other via Bluetooth, but you should have these switched on in the Control Center.

Peer-to-peer AirPlay requires an iOS device (late 2012 or later) with iOS 8; and an Apple TV (3rd generation rev A, model A1469 or later) with Apple TV software 7.0 or later.

3. If it still doesn’t work, try updating both iOS device and Apple TV to the latest firmware available.

C. The AirPlay icon is not showing up in Control Center

1. Try restarting your iPhone/iPad by pressing and holding the lock button and sliding to switch off. Press and hold the power button again to restart the device. Also, restart your Apple TV by pressing and holding the (Menu + Down) buttons for 6 seconds.

2. Check if both your iOS device and Apple TV are connected to the same network. See Step A2.

3. On your Apple TV, go to Settings > AirPlay and verify if it is turned on.

D. I am not seeing the Apple TV I want to AirPlay to

If you have multiple AirPlay devices at home and can see other devices in the AirPlay option but not the Apple TV you want to stream to, try the following fixes:

1. Make sure the concerned Apple TV is powered and switched on.

2. Make sure AirPlay is toggled on at Settings > AirPlay

3. Check if the Apple TV and iPhone/iPad are connected to the same network as mentioned above. See Step A2.

4. On an iPad, you may have to scroll down the AirPlay pop-up to see the remaining devices.

E. I cannot AirPlay certain content to Apple TV

1. If you are streaming the content to be mirrored, check your internet connection.

2. Sometimes certain apps are not updated to support AirPlay, while for others they don’t have sufficient rights to allow broadcasting to Apple TV from their apps. You can check the provider’s app description or website for details.

F. I can see the video but AirPlay doesn’t produce 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.

G. The video shows lag, stutters or gets stuck during AirPlay mirroring

1. Check if your WiFi settings are in accordance with Apple’s recommended configuration. Don’t worry, almost all of them are.

2. If you have a microwave oven or baby monitor or other devices that can interfere with Apple TV’s WiFi connection, change the positions of your devices accordingly.

3. Try connecting the Apple TV directly to the router via an Ethernet cable rather than using WiFi.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

Also read:

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

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N3twork for iOS brings its network to Apple TV via AirPlay

Roshan — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:35:50 +0000

N3twork, “the first personal television network”, is a video aggregation/discovery network that helps you discover the best videos and, as you do so, it curates a custom playlist based on your interests. It has been quite popular recently thanks to its innovative concept, beautiful interface and the fact that it just works.

With the latest 2.0 update, N3twork’s iOS app became a lot more interesting for Apple TV users, as it now features AirPlay mirroring. And it’s not just a stretched wide or scaled version of the iOS app but instead, a completely custom designed UI especially designed for the Apple TV.

You can watch a demo below:

You can use simple gestures to navigate through the recommended videos and start watching them with just a tap. The interface sees flat tiles of video previews, a lot of bokeh effects and great transition effects.

The app turns itself into a remote while airplaying, thus completing the internet TV experience.

If you liked the concept, you can get N3TWORK – Internet TV Network for free.

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

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Infuse 2 Review – The best gets even better

Roshan — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 18:28:33 +0000

You might remember my review of the original Infuse: The Beautiful way to watch videos where we concluded that “Infuse is the best video player we’ve ever had our hands on“. Some great specs in Infuse which impressed us were:

Automatic pulling of cover and file details from IMDB.
Stunning staging of covers and ticket entry to the theater.
Support of over 14 formats
Direct search and download of subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org
Trakt.tv sync
Social media sharing
Easy file transfers and AirPlay

When I first heard about the Infuse 2 , I was a little confused. How could there be a sequel to a video player app? Is it a tricky way to make old users pay again for a redesigned app? Later, I realized that it is not a new app but just the new name of the revamped app. Yeah, that makes more sense.

Bringing a brand new design and the ability to stream videos from other devices, Infuse 2 takes the experience a step further. Do consider reading the original review for an in-depth look into its huge list of features, as I will be dealing only with the fresh ones here.

The new interface is undoubtedly optimized for iOS 7. It is clean, compact and flat like a pancake. The basic UI frameworks, like the stage appearance and ticket entry are retained but are more plain as the skeomorphism is lacking. Support for iOS 7 gestures and the blurred backgrounds are in place too. Overall, the app seems new at a glance but instantly feels familiar once you start using it.

Regarding the features, Infuse 2 keeps all those lovable qualities which we praised last time. One of the most demanded features of Infuse was the support for video streaming and had been the deal breaker for many. Guess what? Infuse 2, as promised by FireCore, completely supports network streaming from Mac, PC or drives. It even works with AirPlay, subtitles and Trakt.

In short, Infuse 2 is all the goodness of Infuse, plus a lightweight design and some new features. The best part is that the app is now free. New users can try out the basic player for nothing and upgrade to the Pro version for $4.99 if they like what they see. Old users needn’t worry though. They can avail a free upgrade by tapping the restore button.

Get Infuse 2 from the App Store for free and do let us know in the comments section below, your thoughts on the app.

UPDATE: Firecore has released an update to Infuse 2, just in time for Christmas, bringing better options for free users, bug fixes and more. The full list of changes in Infuse 2.1 are:

Free users can now play more formats!
Variable speed scrubbing (drag position dot down for finer control)
Improved accuracy while scrubbing
Better movie artwork
SMI subtitles
Improved Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, and Spanish translations
Many other fixes and improvements

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