Apple publishes wealth of Apple TV documentation
Apple on Thursday published an assortment of startup guides and documentation on its new Apple TV wireless media hub which began arriving on customers' doorsteps this afternoon.
In a new subsection of its support site titled Apple TV Service & Support, the Cupertino-based company posted a copy of the Apple TV Manual in addition to some "How-to" and "Troubleshooting" tutorials.
A Fast Start guide offers help with install, set up, and viewing your iTunes Store content on your widescreen TV. It includes a handy guide to ports and connectors, some documentation on cabling, and a walk through of the initial configuration.
Synching
Apple TV uses iTunes to manage and organize the movies, TV shows, music, and other content that will streamed to you widescreen TV. However, the media hub does not fill the slot of the 5 computers authorized to play your iTunes Store purchases.
Apple offers documents on how to add Podcasts and sync Photos to Apple TV through iTunes. However, company warns that your very first content sync may be tedious if you're not on an 802.11n wireless network, as "syncing several gigabytes of data over an 802.11b or an 802.11g wireless network can take a long time."
When Apple TV is playing back video content, the syncing of content from iTunes will temporarily pause. Apple says that syncing and streaming audio and video is much more demanding on a wireless network than browsing web pages or transferring small files. "The better your network performance is, the better your Apple TV experience will be," the company wrote. "Note that the network will only be as fast as the slowest device."
While Apple TV supports 802.11n, if your computer only supports 802.11b, then the network connection will work at 802.11b speeds. There are a number of ways to optimize your wireless network performance. Of note, Apple TV is not capable of joining a wireless network using WPA-Enterprise encryption. Apple recommends that you choose another encryption method, like WPA2 or WEP to enable wireless access.
Display
Within the published documentation, Apple notes that the Apple TV's HDMI takes precedence over component video connections if both connected. Also, when using an HDMI connection, you can adjust the output brightness by following a few steps.
Some TV's come with a picture setting labeled Vivid or Dynamic, which could be useful if the TV is in a brightly lit room, but may affect the colors displayed.
A note on Tips and Basic Troubleshooting covers other related topics such as TV screens that appear fuzzy or black, Apple TVs that appear frozen, no sound, a non-working remote, Apple TVs that wont play photo albums, and networking issues.
Photos
Apple says photos that were originally saved using iPhoto version 4 (or earlier) and taken with a camera that saves rotation information may not display correctly on Apple TV. Although the photo looks fine in iPhoto, Apple TV may rotate the photo twice when presented with this type of rotation information. Apple offers a few quick steps to correct this behavior.
Apple Remote
Apple TV bundles the Apple Remote, and therefore there are new and updated documents on Pairing and Unpairing the Apple Remote with Apple TV , Troubleshooting the Apple Remote and replacing the Apple Remote battery.
Other assorted support documents on offer details on the TCP and UDP ports and protocols used by the device, the status light indicators, and the service USB port on the back of the units.
In a new subsection of its support site titled Apple TV Service & Support, the Cupertino-based company posted a copy of the Apple TV Manual in addition to some "How-to" and "Troubleshooting" tutorials.
A Fast Start guide offers help with install, set up, and viewing your iTunes Store content on your widescreen TV. It includes a handy guide to ports and connectors, some documentation on cabling, and a walk through of the initial configuration.
Synching
Apple TV uses iTunes to manage and organize the movies, TV shows, music, and other content that will streamed to you widescreen TV. However, the media hub does not fill the slot of the 5 computers authorized to play your iTunes Store purchases.
Apple offers documents on how to add Podcasts and sync Photos to Apple TV through iTunes. However, company warns that your very first content sync may be tedious if you're not on an 802.11n wireless network, as "syncing several gigabytes of data over an 802.11b or an 802.11g wireless network can take a long time."
When Apple TV is playing back video content, the syncing of content from iTunes will temporarily pause. Apple says that syncing and streaming audio and video is much more demanding on a wireless network than browsing web pages or transferring small files. "The better your network performance is, the better your Apple TV experience will be," the company wrote. "Note that the network will only be as fast as the slowest device."
While Apple TV supports 802.11n, if your computer only supports 802.11b, then the network connection will work at 802.11b speeds. There are a number of ways to optimize your wireless network performance. Of note, Apple TV is not capable of joining a wireless network using WPA-Enterprise encryption. Apple recommends that you choose another encryption method, like WPA2 or WEP to enable wireless access.
Display
Within the published documentation, Apple notes that the Apple TV's HDMI takes precedence over component video connections if both connected. Also, when using an HDMI connection, you can adjust the output brightness by following a few steps.
Some TV's come with a picture setting labeled Vivid or Dynamic, which could be useful if the TV is in a brightly lit room, but may affect the colors displayed.
A note on Tips and Basic Troubleshooting covers other related topics such as TV screens that appear fuzzy or black, Apple TVs that appear frozen, no sound, a non-working remote, Apple TVs that wont play photo albums, and networking issues.
Photos
Apple says photos that were originally saved using iPhoto version 4 (or earlier) and taken with a camera that saves rotation information may not display correctly on Apple TV. Although the photo looks fine in iPhoto, Apple TV may rotate the photo twice when presented with this type of rotation information. Apple offers a few quick steps to correct this behavior.
Apple Remote
Apple TV bundles the Apple Remote, and therefore there are new and updated documents on Pairing and Unpairing the Apple Remote with Apple TV , Troubleshooting the Apple Remote and replacing the Apple Remote battery.
Other assorted support documents on offer details on the TCP and UDP ports and protocols used by the device, the status light indicators, and the service USB port on the back of the units.
Comments
Apple on Thursday published an assortment of startup guides and documentation on its new Apple TV wireless media hub which began arriving on customers' doorsteps this afternoon.
In a new subsection of its support site titled Apple TV Service & Support, the Cupertino-based company posted a copy of the Apple TV Manual in addition to some "How-to" and "Troubleshooting" tutorials.
A Fast Start guide offers help with install, set up, and viewing your iTunes Store content on your widescreen TV. It includes a handy guide to ports and connectors, some documentation on cabling, and a walk through of the initial configuration.
Synching
Apple TV uses iTunes to manage and organize the movies, TV shows, music, and other content that will streamed to you widescreen TV. However, the media hub does not fill the slot of the 5 computers authorized to play your iTunes Store purchases.
Apple offers documents on how to add Podcasts and sync Photos to Apple TV through iTunes. However, company warns that your very first content sync may be tedious if you're not on an 802.11n wireless network, as "syncing several gigabytes of data over an 802.11b or an 802.11g wireless network can take a long time."
When Apple TV is playing back video content, the syncing of content from iTunes will temporarily pause. Apple says that syncing and streaming audio and video is much more demanding on a wireless network than browsing web pages or transferring small files. "The better your network performance is, the better your Apple TV experience will be," the company wrote. "Note that the network will only be as fast as the slowest device."
While Apple TV supports 802.11n, if your computer only supports 802.11b, then the network connection will work at 802.11b speeds. There are a number of ways to optimize your wireless network performance. Of note, Apple TV is not capable of joining a wireless network using WPA-Enterprise encryption. Apple recommends that you choose another encryption method, like WPA2 or WEP to enable wireless access.
Display
Within the published documentation, Apple notes that the Apple TV's HDMI takes precedence over component video connections if both connected. Also, when using an HDMI connection, you can adjust the output brightness by following a few steps.
Some TV's come with a picture setting labeled Vivid or Dynamic, which could be useful if the TV is in a brightly lit room, but may affect the colors displayed.
A note on Tips and Basic Troubleshooting covers other related topics such as TV screens that appear fuzzy or black, Apple TVs that appear frozen, no sound, a non-working remote, Apple TVs that wont play photo albums, and networking issues.
Photos
Apple says photos that were originally saved using iPhoto version 4 (or earlier) and taken with a camera that saves rotation information may not display correctly on Apple TV. Although the photo looks fine in iPhoto, Apple TV may rotate the photo twice when presented with this type of rotation information. Apple offers a few quick steps to correct this behavior.
Apple Remote
Apple TV bundles the Apple Remote, and therefore there are new and updated documents on Pairing and Unpairing the Apple Remote with Apple TV , Troubleshooting the Apple Remote and replacing the Apple Remote battery.
Other assorted support documents on offer details on the TCP and UDP ports and protocols used by the device, the status light indicators, and the service USB port on the back of the units.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
The music in the ninja banner ad is awesome!
Do you have to go thru the process of relinking with the number each time you change libraries or is that a one time operation per computer?
As far as I can tell, it's a one time thing for the synced computer only. The others that can only stream to the AppleTV need only be on the same wireless network.
I've just read that AppleTV won't stream your iPhoto library. That your iPhoto library has to be synced to the AppleTV HDD to be viewed. I've now lost much interest in the AppleTV.
I've now lost much interest in the AppleTV.
Me too. Before it launched.
Forget DVR; forget its not being a wireless DVD player; forget decent HD (unless I buy QT Pro, install Perian or whatever and convert etc etc). For me, the fact that I will have to switch back and forth between yet another wireless device and the internet-enabled devices on my main computer makes it a complete waste of time (and money).
At a minimum, it should have been a wireless router to connect to the internet.
For me, the fact that I will have to switch back and forth between yet another wireless device and the internet-enabled devices on my main computer makes it a complete waste of time (and money).
Huh? What switching are you talking about? On your main computer? Syncing our photos just means that the AppleTV has to pre-fetch the photos it will display, and can do so only from its household master. But the master machine just holds its photos as normal ... I see no need for any kind of switching, to be disappointed/disgusted by.
As far as I can tell, it's a one time thing for the synced computer only. The others that can only stream to the AppleTV need only be on the same wireless network.
I've just read that AppleTV won't stream your iPhoto library. That your iPhoto library has to be synced to the AppleTV HDD to be viewed. I've now lost much interest in the AppleTV.
I think that was in the Mossberg article, but I think he also said that streaming photo was "coming".
For me, the fact that I will have to switch back and forth between yet another wireless device and the internet-enabled devices on my main computer makes it a complete waste of time (and money).
Uh. I'm not sure you understand what it does. There is no switching between anything. The @TV is just another device on your LAN. You open iTunes, it sees the @TV and you sync. Nothing so complicated about that. Not even sure why you'd think the internet has anything to do with it?
The syncing of photos is no different than how'd you put them on an iPod. I'm sure the reason for it is to make the experience of viewing them better. I mean, most people spend a few second looking at a photo, it may actually take longer to send them over most wireless networks, so there would always be a constant pause if they were streamed.
How does appletv turn on and off? I've never seen a power button on the thing or the remote and no one's ever mentioned it.
Same as with the iPod?
How does appletv turn on and off? I've never seen a power button on the thing or the remote and no one's ever mentioned it.
It's always on. No power on/off button.
As for the sync/stream of photos: The only time you'd be switching synched computers would be if you scatter your photos across multiple computers. To simplify, it's best if you use one computer to store your photo library and your media library. It doesn't mean they have to be on the same hard drive; just the same computer.
Haven't figured out for sure what's causing this but I'd guess it's because it's using iPhoto instead of iTunes. On the Mac side, migrating the function to Leopard or the new iPhoto (iLife 07) should fix it, but that would still leave the PC side "broken".
The syncing of photos is no different than how'd you put them on an iPod. I'm sure the reason for it is to make the experience of viewing them better. I mean, most people spend a few second looking at a photo, it may actually take longer to send them over most wireless networks, so there would always be a constant pause if they were streamed.
This is where I get confused. How does it remove the old photos you've synced to make room for new photos? If you have over 40GB of photos will it automatically try to sync all of them? Will it be a manual process of removing synced photos? With the iPod, you have the choice of choosing which size fits your collection of music. If we're stuck with a 40GB hard drive for a while, how does it manage cleaning up after itself?
This is where I get confused. How does it remove the old photos you've synced to make room for new photos? If you have over 40GB of photos will it automatically try to sync all of them? Will it be a manual process of removing synced photos? With the iPod, you have the choice of choosing which size fits your collection of music. If we're stuck with a 40GB hard drive for a while, how does it manage cleaning up after itself?
It's just another iPod...one that happens to always be hooked up to your TV.
Everything is managed in much the same way as you would a regular iPod.
In iTunes you can pick which albums get synced and at what resolution.
In iTunes you can decide which Movies, TV shows, and Music gets synced as well.
Summary Movies TV Shows Music Podcasts Photos
You can control what gets synced to the AppleTV according to your needs.
iTunes will allow you to manage iPods, AppleTVs and soon iPhones!
I am very impressed with AppleTV. The new XVID hack (MacNN home page) only increases my satisfaction.
I already have all my DivX, XviD, 3viD, WMA, WMV and OGG files in iTunes via the creation of a QT .MOV reference file. I can't wait until mine arrives.
The @TV is just another device on your LAN. ....
I see now. Apple could easily have explained it as simply as you did.
I have been under the impression that it was a device like Airport -- which, unless you make it the router for your WAN, requires you to switch back and forth between internet access and music streaming. I found that the music streaming would often get jerky (e.g., buffering and stuttering) on AE when I would be on the internet at the same time, so chose to keep the two separate -- i.e., I decided it's simpler to manually switch to one or the other in the particular computer I am using at home.
Glad to know that won't be an issue with @tv. Thanks. (I am sure there are others too that would thank you.....)
I am very impressed with AppleTV. The new XVID hack (MacNN home page) only increases my satisfaction.
With a hack that messy I'd rather just convert my stuff from now on into the proper format, I don't know about you but I probably only have a couple of gigs of xvid stuff anyway. Plus I wouldn't want to screw myself should I need a warranty.