Apple TV and USB Hard Drive

Question

Level 1

22 points

Apple TV and USB Hard Drive

Looking at Apple TV (ATV), and noting that it has a USB 2.0 port: Can you increase storage of ATV by adding a USB external hard drive and if so is the external hard drive the equivalent of a larger internal hard drive? The price difference in the 40GB and 160GB ATV is greater than the price of a quality 500GB external USB 2.0 drive.

I also wish ATV would allow you to use ATV as a PC internet browser and your TV as a monitor to display more than just youtube video. ATV could make inroads into cable TV suitable sub for browser video--at least for those of us who do not want 200 channels of junk from cable/dish.--Ah, there are things yet to be developed.

IMAC intel duo 2.4G 20in, Mac OS X (10.5.2), 4GB RAM (Mushkin)

Posted on Aug 1, 2008 9:03 AM

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Answer 1

Chenks

Level 5

7,435 points

Aug 1, 2008 9:48 AM in response to forrests

forrests wrote:
Looking at Apple TV (ATV), and noting that it has a USB 2.0 port: Can you increase storage of ATV by adding a USB external hard drive and if so is the external hard drive the equivalent of a larger internal hard drive?

no. the usb port has no end-user function. it is for diagnostic use only apparently.

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Answer 2

mascotca

Level 1

4 points

Aug 1, 2008 5:49 PM in response to forrests

Actually, I was able to do this with this:

http://www.applecorellc.com/productinfo.php?productsid=27

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Answer 3

forrests Author

Level 1

22 points

Aug 3, 2008 8:20 AM in response to mascotca

Does Applecore LLC's product, aTV Flash v.3.2 allow you to both add external USB functionality such as an external hard drive and allow web surfing via internet browser within Apple TV--that is install a browser on ATV and browse on AppleTV using your high def TV as the monitor?

If so it is just what I am looking for.

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Answer 4

Chenks

Level 5

7,435 points

Aug 3, 2008 8:46 AM in response to forrests

forrests wrote:
Does Applecore LLC's product, aTV Flash v.3.2 allow you to both add external USB functionality such as an external hard drive and allow web surfing via internet browser within Apple TV--that is install a browser on ATV and browse on AppleTV using your high def TV as the monitor?

If so it is just what I am looking for.

as that product is essentially "hacking" the appletv, you would probably be best discussing that elsewhere (like whoever it is that makes this hack). as this is an official apple support forum it is against the Ts&Cs to discuss hacking or modifying.

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Answer 5

forrests Author

Level 1

22 points

Aug 3, 2008 5:28 PM in response to Chenks

thanks.

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