flyboym535i
Level 1 (2 points)

Q: What is the maximum number of Apple TVs (3rd gen) you can connect to 1 Mac running iTunes?

I have one Mac with my digital library running iTunes 11 and seem to be having problems keeping Apple TVs connected (via home sharing) when I get up around 10 Apple TVs on the network.

 

The Mac is running Mountain Lion with all software updates installed, iTunes 11, and the Apple TVs are all running 5.1.1 (the latest at this time).

 

I am not asking how many computers can authorize via iTunes to use the same Apple ID - that answer is 5. I have read in multiple places that the number of devices (e.g. Apple TVs, iPods, iPads - not computers) that can sync content to an iTunes account is unlimited, but I don't think that's entirely true.

 

I'd like to keep this conversation about the number of Apple TVs you can have home shared to a single Mac / iTunes library via home sharing.

 

I am also not asking how many a network could support via concurrent streaming, etc. That's not relevant. We only use 1-3 Apple TVs at any given time simultaneously, and streaming simultaneously to as many as 3 Apple TVs hasn't ever been a problem.

 

I recently upgraded all my Apple TVs in this house to generation 3 units - I have 12 of them in all, but once I connected about 10 of them I started having problems (at least I think it was 10).

 

Does anyone know the official limitation (if there is one) ?

 

The problem that I am having is that even though I have a great Wi-Fi N or wired gigabit connection at each Apple TV, and the correct home sharing Apple ID on each Apple TV and iTunes on the Mac, when I try to access "Computers" via the Apple TV menu, I get this error:

 

Could not connect to "My Library": Make sure the computer is on the same network as your Apple TV, the iTunes version is up to date, and iTunes is running.

 

 

Now if I restart iTunes, I can get the Apple TV I am currently troubleshooting to connect, but then if I go to a different Apple TV, it gives me the same error. Restarting Apple TVs doesn't fix it, only restarting iTunes seems to. But I can't seem to get multiple units to see the Library simultaneously.

 

Thanks to anyone who provides help on this.

Posted on Dec 29, 2012 11:59 AM

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flyboym535i

Q: What is the maximum number of Apple TVs (3rd gen) you can connect to 1 Mac running iTunes?

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  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Dec 29, 2012 12:14 PM in response to flyboym535i
    Level 10 (103,986 points)
    Apple TV
    Dec 29, 2012 12:14 PM in response to flyboym535i

    You can have up to 10 associated devices. You can look in your iTunes account details via iTunes to see how many associations you have used.

  • by flyboym535i,

    flyboym535i flyboym535i Dec 29, 2012 12:31 PM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (2 points)
    Dec 29, 2012 12:31 PM in response to Winston Churchill

    Is that universally, or per Mac? Because at this location, I have one Mac using my Apple ID in iTunes. At another location (my office, for example), I have another Mac and more Apple TVs using the SAME Apple ID.

     

    So are you suggesting that universally, the sum total of Apple TVs home sharing via the same Apple ID can be 10 - even if it's in different cities on two (or more) different Macs hosting an iTunes library? (e.g. 4 Apple TVs home sharing to one Mac at location "A", and 6 Apple TVs home sharing to a second Mac at location "B")

     

    Or is it limited to 10 per Mac/iTunes instance?

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Dec 29, 2012 12:30 PM in response to flyboym535i
    Level 10 (103,986 points)
    Apple TV
    Dec 29, 2012 12:30 PM in response to flyboym535i

    It's per account.

     

    Macs utilise authorisations not associations

  • by flyboym535i,

    flyboym535i flyboym535i Dec 29, 2012 12:35 PM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (2 points)
    Dec 29, 2012 12:35 PM in response to Winston Churchill

    I'm skeptical - here's a follow up question to your answer:

     

    If it's limited to 10 devices globally, per Apple ID, regardless how many Macs you have using that Apple ID - do iPhones, iPods, and iPads count toward the 10 devices (along with Apple TVs)?

     

    Because of that's the case, I'm going to have to light all of this on fire and abandon ship, :/

     

    When I've read that you can have unlimited iOS devices syncing to an iTunes / Apple ID, I assumed I could do as many Apple TVs as I wanted. I already have several iPods, iPads, and iPhones on this Apple ID.

  • by flyboym535i,

    flyboym535i flyboym535i Dec 29, 2012 1:04 PM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (2 points)
    Dec 29, 2012 1:04 PM in response to Winston Churchill

    iTunes > iTunes Store > Account Information

    This only shows me how may computers (2) are using the Apple ID. No devices are listed there.

     

    Where do I find that information?

  • by flyboym535i,

    flyboym535i flyboym535i Dec 29, 2012 1:59 PM in response to flyboym535i
    Level 1 (2 points)
    Dec 29, 2012 1:59 PM in response to flyboym535i

    I just paid for an Apple Tech Support phone call and talked to the lead developer over Apple TV and there is a 5 device limit for streaming from iTunes. This counts all Apple TVs connected via Home Sharing, and any other Macs that might connect to a shared iTunes library to stream video content.

     

    5.

     

    Wow. I feel like someone just stole my wallet.

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Dec 29, 2012 2:31 PM in response to flyboym535i
    Level 10 (103,986 points)
    Apple TV
    Dec 29, 2012 2:31 PM in response to flyboym535i

    There is a limit of 5 for the first generation Apple TV, I didn't think that applies to later models, indeed you said you'd connected more than that yourself.

  • by Alley_Cat,

    Alley_Cat Alley_Cat Dec 29, 2012 3:10 PM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 6 (19,583 points)
    Dec 29, 2012 3:10 PM in response to Winston Churchill

    I thought it was still 5 for ATV2 and 3, based on some threads in the last 18 months or so, but Apple should really be the official source for this info.

     

    AC

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Dec 29, 2012 4:22 PM in response to Alley_Cat
    Level 10 (103,986 points)
    Apple TV
    Dec 29, 2012 4:22 PM in response to Alley_Cat

    Mmmm.

     

    Just to correct that which I posted above. The associated devices are associated with homesharing not the account and therefore aren't what is shown in the associated devices in the iTunes account info.

     

    I am aware that you can only home share to 5 computers and while I'm not entirely sure it's 10 other devices, I'm less convinced its 5, since I have more, however I'm not sure we don't have more than 10. I have 5 Apple TV's (g2 and g3), 3 iPads and my phone, but I think others in the house have homesharing set up on their devices, but it's too late to check right now.

  • by jspahn80134,

    jspahn80134 jspahn80134 Jun 23, 2014 10:33 AM in response to flyboym535i
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 23, 2014 10:33 AM in response to flyboym535i

    Somebody did.  Apple did.  They put limitations on things like this and NEVER MENTION IT ANYWHERE.  I have 8 ATVs and now I know why they nearly drive me insane with constant Cannot not connect messages.  All because loser iTunes cannot service more than 5?  And Apple wants people to build an ecosystem around their crap?

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Jun 23, 2014 11:28 AM in response to jspahn80134
    Level 10 (103,986 points)
    Apple TV
    Jun 23, 2014 11:28 AM in response to jspahn80134

    I don't believe that's correct at all, I and others have successfully connected more than 5 without an issue.

     

    How Many Apple TV’s Can I Have.

  • by jspahn80134,

    jspahn80134 jspahn80134 Jun 23, 2014 11:42 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 23, 2014 11:42 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Frankly, I do not care whether or not it is true.  I have CONTINUAL problems with connecting to itunes from my ATVs.  I literally have to sit there on my laptop with remote access to my mac mini and close and restart itunes probably 8-10 times just to get it to finally connect and then if I go to another ATV, it does the same thing.  This goes on and on version after version of ATV and iTunes upgrades and APPLE STILL WILL NOT FIX THIS

  • by Mark-Mac-Developer,

    Mark-Mac-Developer Mark-Mac-Developer Jun 23, 2014 12:50 PM in response to flyboym535i
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Jun 23, 2014 12:50 PM in response to flyboym535i

    Apple TV is by it self in a category.

     

    With Apple TV 1 the limit was 5 Apple clearly stated that. The reason? Probably because the Apple TV 1 had a hard drive and was able to store content locally (quite a bit actually). This would make it more in line with authorized devices.

     

    You authorized device limit is 5 but this does not pertain to home sharing again something different.

     

    When you play content from an Apple TV you are streaming from an authorized device and as long as you have the same iTunes account on that Apple TV as the iTunes you are connecting to you will be ok.

     

    Now to the error. I have also had this error and I had it on a network with only 1 Apple TV connected and it is since iTunes 11. It seems every time Apple updates iTunes it has a bad effect on Apple TV. So I would not relate this error to the number of Apple TV's you have, every time I get this error I restart the Apple TV and its fine again.

     

    On a side not I used to run MANY Apple TV's off my xserver. I had my families homes networked with VPN. I would prefer to not say how many but it was quite a few. biggest problem there was multicast over VPN....whole other story.

  • by jspahn80134,

    jspahn80134 jspahn80134 Jun 23, 2014 2:15 PM in response to Mark-Mac-Developer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 23, 2014 2:15 PM in response to Mark-Mac-Developer

    Authorization per device is for the iTunes and app store access via the device for things like apps and etc.  It is not supposed to be for devices such as ATV and no such limitation is advertised ANYWHERE.  Also, the local content on each ATV should not have anything whatsoever to do with limiting the number of connections in a centrally-shared iTunes "server".  It is a streaming server.  So what.  If Apple cannot correctly do something as simple as a streaming server then perhaps they should find something else to do. 

     

    Rebooting each ATV every time this occurs does not really align with "it just works", now does it.  Fact:  Apple screwed this up and refuses to fix it.  Perhaps they should TEST this crap before they ship it and ADVERTISE these LIMITATIONS.  Five ATV devices??  REALLY?

     

    Oh.....in addition to the ATVs that I have on this iTunes, I also have 2 iPhones and 2 iPads.  So much for the "5-device" myth that is going around.  Again, I don't care WHAT the limitation is.  What I care about is WHY THE LIMITATION IS EVEN THERE. 

     

    FIX THIS CRAPPLE!!!

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