Problems playing content through AV receiver since applying 1.1 update

Question

Level 1

5 points

Problems playing content through AV receiver since applying 1.1 update

I have an Apple TV connected to a Marantz SR4001 receiver via an optical audio cable and composite video. This configuration was working beautifully until I downloaded the update yesterday for the YouTube feature. While the YouTube feature is nice I purchased my Apple TV to be able to play my iTunes music, short films and TV shows on my home entertainment system.

Since applying the 1.1 update, music playing from the Apple TV through the Marantz receiver often cuts out for up to 10 seconds at a time. When the music cuts out, the display on the Marantz receiver shows the word 'Protect'. Sometimes the music will resume and sometimes the receiver will shut off. The Apple TV continues playing during these problems.

All music in my iTunes library has either been purchased on iTunes or imported through original CDs. This problem occur on iTunes music acquired through both methods. Again, this problem only occurred after applying the update.

If someone from Apple monitors this list, I find this quite frustrating as I purchase more than $1k of content off of iTunes per year, own 3 macs and 5 iPods in the family not to mentione the Apple TV. If I am going to continue to be a loyal user of your digital media vision, you need to make sure these things work seamlessly when these types of updates are released.

iMac Mac OS X (10.4.9) Apple TV 1.1 update issue

Posted on Jun 23, 2007 3:12 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Alley_Cat

Level 7

20,560 points

Jun 23, 2007 4:07 AM in response to stripesrock

This may be totally unrelated to your problem but I had a vaguely similar experience when I first got the AppleTV.

Every so often the sound would cut out and often the amp would shut down.

The problem was nothing to do with AppleTV but I'd moved my centre speaker when hooking the AppleTV up and one of the speaker leads was loose and intermittently shorting with it's neighbour.

The audio cut out/amp turning off was an electrical protection mechansim designed to detect electrical shorts.

As I say it may not be the problem but you say the Marantz displays 'Protect' which I assume to mean that it is doing some sort of automatic protection rather than saying it is receiving protected content - check the manual.

AC

Reply

Answer 2

Alley_Cat

Level 7

20,560 points

Jun 23, 2007 4:20 AM in response to stripesrock

If it's not the amp connections (check both the connections on the amp and speakers), then are you playing music synced to AppleTV or streaming?

If streaming, is there anything that could be interfering with a wireless connection such as a cordless phone or microwave.

Our microwave often scuppers any streaming that's going on.

AC

Reply

Answer 3

R C-R

Level 6

17,794 points

Jun 23, 2007 5:38 AM in response to stripesrock

Sometimes the music will resume and sometimes
the receiver will shut off.

Do you mean the receiver actually powers off, or something else? As Alley_Cat said, if the first then this is likely a problem unrelated to the Apple TV itself. Check all connections to the receiver, both input & output, to make sure everything is properly seated, not shorted, cables are undamaged, etc.

The usual suspect is shorted out speaker wiring but it is also possible that a defective input connection is admitting high frequency interference that is tripping the receiver's protection circuits.

Reply

Answer 4

stripesrock Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 30, 2007 1:16 AM in response to R C-R

Thank you RC-R and Alley_Cat for your help. When I first read your responses I realised I was being a complete moron for thinking it was an issue with playing protected content. I checked every speaker wire and saw two that seemed okay but thought could potentially be a problem. After fixing those two, I was still having intermittent problems. I switched the Apple TV to another input and it seemed to work okay for a few hours and then started having the same problem again.

After awhile my Marantz receiver finally died and now displays Check POW5 when I turn it on. 😟 I'm sure this has nothing to do with the Apple TV but the odd thing was that I never saw these problems when playing DVDs or Wii through the receiver. They only appeared when using the Apple TV and only after I updated to version 1.1. I am sure just a bizarre coincidence. I'm going to take the receiver in to get repaired today.

Reply