gneve

Q: Apple tv cannot connect to itunes library

Symptoms:

 

When I try to watch movies, view pictures or listen to music in my itunes library, atv either spins forever or says that it cannot connect to my library.

 

Current status:

 

  • Home sharing is turned on.
  • Apple TV is hard-wired into network (not wifi).
  • iTunes (10.5.3.3) is up and running

 

Things I've tried:

 

  • restart router
  • restart itunes
  • restart apple tv

 

 

Everything else related to atv works great but I'm starting to get really frustrated.

Apple TV (2nd generation), Windows Vista

Posted on Jan 23, 2012 6:32 PM

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Q: Apple tv cannot connect to itunes library

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  • Helpful answers

  • by lantzn,Solvedanswer

    lantzn lantzn Jan 23, 2012 7:36 PM in response to gneve
    Level 1 (138 points)
    iPad
    Jan 23, 2012 7:36 PM in response to gneve

    I can't explain it but I read something that seemed to work for me.

     

    It had something to do with an iOS device syncing over wifi breaking it.  Sure enough my iPhone 4 was no longer showing up under the device category in the iTunes lists and doing its auto-syncing.

     

    1. Turn off sharing on Apple TV Settings/Computers/Turn off Home

    2. Turn off sharing on computer iTunes/Preferences/Sharing/uncheck Share my library... and click OK

    3. Turn off the devices wifi syncing by plugging it into the usb and uncheck the "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi" box.

    4. With all these things turned off, restart the computer and ATV.

    5. Turn on iTunes sharing.

    6. Turn on ATV sharing

    7. If it's working again you can then proceed to connect the phone and turn back on wifi syncing.

     

    After doing this my computer library was working again on the ATV and my iPhone started showing up again under the iTune Device category and syncs.

     

    I hadn't even noticed my device was no longer appearing in iTunes as it had when I first set it up to sync using wifi.  I think what happened was the phone wifi syncing broke the sharing.

     

    Anyhow I hope this helps.

  • by gneve,

    gneve gneve Jan 23, 2012 9:45 PM in response to gneve
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 23, 2012 9:45 PM in response to gneve

    That seems to have worked. I just hope I don't have to do this every time.

  • by lantzn,

    lantzn lantzn Jan 23, 2012 10:22 PM in response to gneve
    Level 1 (138 points)
    iPad
    Jan 23, 2012 10:22 PM in response to gneve

    Glad to here it.  Did you have a phone or pad that was using the wifi sync or just do the turn off and on of the sharing steps?

     

    If it does it to me again, I will just turn off the iOS device's wifi sync until they fix that feature (it's fairly new).  I didn't have a problem before this feature was turned on and I've had my ATV2 since it was released.

  • by gneve,

    gneve gneve Jan 24, 2012 10:10 AM in response to lantzn
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 24, 2012 10:10 AM in response to lantzn

    My wife's phone was setup for wifi sync which I have left "off" for now.

     

    I followed all the steps.