Stop Syncing items purchased on Apple TV

I've been reading these kinds of threads for a long time, as well as googling this issue. Everyone of the responses to this issue, are in denial of what the original question/problem is. I pay $1.99 for some TV shows I want to watch on my AppleTV, I do this from the AppleTV interface, works great. They download to the AppleTV's hard drive. There are quite a few AppleTV owners like me that DO NOT WANT content synced back to my computer. There are many reasons, space issues on the computers HD, and the time it takes to sync back. I UNDERSTAND the logic of the sync back, as there are probably more users that want to keep the content they bought. There was a time when an Apple computer owner/user was able to do WHAT THEY WANTED TO, and Apple gave us setting choices to do such. A setting with "warning" would be what users like me NEED. I have about 20 episodes of TV shows, that after I watch them, I would LOVE to DELETE them from the AppleTV, or at least have the CHOICE. As it stands as of 1-31-10, the design of the AppleTV/iTunes software does NOT allow for a choice in this particular case, as Apple has made the assumption, ALL content purchased should sync back to the whatever iTunes library the computer is synced to.

With me so far? So while I keep buying TV episodes on my AppleTV, they want to sync back to my computers hard drive. So far this issue has NOT been addressed by Apple, and I doubt it ever will be, meaning users like me and a small minority, have to LET the AppleTV sync back to the computers hard drive, and then delete it from there. For this very reason I have not "synced" from my iTunes library in a long time, so now I have over 20 gigs of TV shows, that I am FORCED to let copy back over my network to my computers hard drive, which is very time consuming, puts MORE hours on my hard drive spinning, etc. Only then can I delete the files from my HD.

Sure there are some dumb ways to NOT have the AppleTV in sync with the computers hard drive, but I still want the ability to stream from my iTunes library on my computer, and for it to SEE my playlists etc. But as soon as you try to SYNC, not matter what settings you choose for syncing, the purchased content that was bought and downloaded directly to the AppleTV from the network, begins to SYNC back to the computer hard drive, and you can't STOP this. AGAIN, I understand the default behavior of this, but it leaves a HUGE gap in the way some of us want to use their AppleTV's.

So as of 1-31-10 there is NO way to do what some of us want to do, and that is to STOP the sync back from an AppleTV to our computers hard drive, and NO way to delete content from the AppleTV, without doing a reset, and then upgrading to the current version, also time consuming and un-apple like as well. Well actually there is probably only one way. And that is the AppleTV hacks, I've done this on previous versions of the AppleTV software, I guess I'll have to find the latest BOXEE hack, so I can access MY appletv and it's contents, and delete it from there. Apple Corp. is once again forcing me to do extra work and HACK their device by not adding a simple preference choice.

AGAIN, not everyone would want or need to do want SOME of us want the choice to do, but consider this when answering or trying to help other that will ask this question time and time again. There are some valid reasons to wanting this choice of syncing options. As it stands now, if I don't do the Boxee hack, I'll have to allow the default behavior of syncing over 20 gigs of TV shows I've already watched and NO longer want to save, back to my computers hard drive, this will take hours, and then delete those files from the computers hard drive. Extra work, stress and hours on my hard drive as well as more hard drive deletions which are never good if you can avoid them.

I'm sending this message to AppleTV support as well, though I doubt they are going to change this and add a user choice option anyways. So for me, it looks like the Boxee hack is the only answer to UNLOCKING the AppleTV and allowing me to make my OWN CHOICES. All other current supposed "work around" do NOT address the underlying issue!

BCGregory wrote:
How do I STOP the items purchased on Apple TV from syncing with my computer?

by design this is supposed to happen.
the appletv should not be used as your primary storage location, it should only ever have copies of your content. the master location for all your content is your itunes library.

if the appletv were to fail or require a factory restore, you would lose the purchased content that you hadn't sync'd back. apple are under no obligation to let you re-download that content for free.

Well...

Thats pretty dumb!

Because obviously my MacBook doesn't have the same amount of memory as my ATV does.

This is VERY frustrating, and there HAS to be a work around to this.

xxxxpradaxxxx wrote:
Because obviously my MacBook doesn't have the same amount of memory as my ATV does.

yes, your macbook will most likely have more storage.
the appletv is just an ipod for your TV, and as such you don't use an ipod as your only storage locationl.

BCGregory wrote:
The ATV is the only place I want to store these items.

that's the issue though. the appletv cannot be used as a storage location.
once data is on it, you can't retrieve it should something go wrong. that's why itunes is the master location.

see this - http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2286227

MacTavish wrote:
, and NO way to delete content from the AppleTV, without doing a reset

you can delete content direct from the appletv.
anything you purchase on the appletv also has a little trash can icon to the right of it.
delete it using that trash can icon.

this is not applicable for content that has been synced to the appletv via itunes.

AMAZING, could NOT find this information ANY place on the internet. I just looked and saw the "trash can icon", this is wonderful and now I can use the AppleTV the way I and a few others would like. Download and watch TV shows, movies, and then DELETE them, so they don't sync back to my computers hard drive. My fault for NOT knowing what seems to be a fairly new option/behavior. Thanks again for the FAST response, my message to Apple will be interesting to see if the level #1 email support, has the same info? I've written here many times, NEVER expecting anyone to actually have a real answer/solution, but YOU came THROUGH! Thanks again, now I can delete, and then sync again to get my playlists synced back from computer to AppleTV, something I did not want to do before, as to avoid the huge sync back from the AppleTV to my computers hard drive. I hope others find this thread, and answer to this long outstanding issue!

MacTavish wrote:
My fault for NOT knowing what seems to be a fairly new option/behavior.

been there since v2.0

Again, THANKS for the help, I believe this is exactly what I was hoping for, but since I did a lot of "searching" and found little to nothing of help, you can imagine my lose of hope. Before I wrote this I checked my email, and got this reply from Apple, to illustrate the LACK of knowledge that is out there, and this is from the SOURCE:

"My name's "xxxx" (removed for privacy reasons by me) with iTunes Store Support. I'm sorry for the frustration you've had with your AppleTV and syncing back to your computer. I can completely understand your frustration, but as you have suspected, there's really nothing that can be enabled to change this. I can forward this to other techs, or you can call our AppleTV department at AppleCare, but what you describe is the intended function of the AppleTV and iTunes. You're right - there's not a preference switch you can flick, and this is by design and intent."

Seems Apple NEEDS a lot of HELP for themselves, you should apply for a part time job in the support department as obviously you KNOW more then they do!

Sorry for the tardiness,



I actually had the same problem a few months ago, and maybe found a way around what you and maybe others call a problem. Since this is the first thread that appears in google when you search this issue, I'll just post my answer here. Deleting all of your downloaded videos maybe an option, but maybe you'd want to have some sort of back up for them in a place other than your computer, but still be able *** control the from your apple tv. What you could do, and this is what I did and it worked perfectly is the following.

Copy the files that you want backed up in an external hard drive. Delete the ones in your computer. Then import them back to your itunes library (but use the option key while doing it, so that there is only an "alias" of them in your library). When this is done, Sync your apple TV again and now you should have all of your TV shows in it, and only a supposed copy in your computer's hard drive.

I understand this could be kind of a boring procedure, but if you have the time, and need the space, it is definitely worth it.

The original problem discussed here was how NOT to have content SYNC back from the AppleTV to the computer. When you do a sync from your computer to your AppleTV, you have NO control or setting to choose from and content that was downloaded directly from Apple iTunes to your AppleTV, WILL start to COPY BACK - SYNC to your computers hard drive. The ONLY way to STOP this, is to use the "trash icon", and delete the files from the AppleTV's hard drive BEFORE doing a SYNC. You obviously LOSE the content, but I mostly download and watch a TV episode once and then trash it.

What you are describing I'm sure works, and others have reported using it for a "work around", but it means letting the AppleTV files SYNC back to the computer first, before you can move it to another hard drive, and then create the "alias". This would be good for content you want to keep someplace, but is added work and time, but could be useful for files you really want to keep. I guess if you hack the AppleTV and could access it's hard drive folder structure, maybe you could copy the files in a more direct path to an external hard drive, and bypass the computer "sync" altogether. I did the "boxee hack" a few updates a go, but have not done it since, so I am not sure about that.

What many of us would simply like is a preference setting in iTunes to "DO NOT COPY APPLETV CONTENT BACK TO COMPUTER", setting, but Apple has a logic they like to use, to keep all content on AppleTV synced to iTunes and your computers hard drive. It's for dummies, and in that regard makes sense, and I doubt it will ever change, that's how they want it to work for most. At least we now have the "trashcan icon" on the AppleTV, which gives us a choice, but the tradeoff of course is you lose the file for good, it's better then nothing, which was the way it was on earlier AppleTV's software.

Count me in on the frustration. I only have a 40Gb Apple TV. But I really don't have 40GB of space to spare on my MacBook Pro. I only have 320GB on the MacBook Pro and I regularly go through it all filling it up with photos on a job (not hard to do when you shoot 20GB a day). Add to that an Aperture Library that runs up to 100GB (and that's using reference files) and you can see why this is a rather big issue.

I really don't want the movies and TV shows I watch at home on the Apple TV clogging up my working MacBook Pro. That's what I bought the Apple TV for. It IS supposed to be the primary storage for movies and TV shows. If it can't do that then that's a pretty serious failing of the device.

So let me chime in once again. I've read all the responses here on the forum. What I am hearing amounts to "It's broken. Get over it."

Sorry, that's just my take on it. Love my Apple TV but this is an issue.

Thanks

"I really don't want the movies and TV shows I watch at home on the Apple TV clogging up my working MacBook Pro. That's what I bought the Apple TV for. It IS supposed to be the primary storage for movies and TV shows. ... What I am hearing amounts to "It's broken. Get over it."

1) songs you purchase on an iPod are synced back to the iTunes library on your mac. ATV works the same way; it's designed to do that... period.

2) and, no, it is NOT supposed to be the primary storage for movies and TV shows. Just as the iPod is not.

It's NOT broken; it just doesn't do what you want it to do. Buy an external HD, put your iTunes library there and the drive space issue will disappear.

FYI, when you first set up your Apple TV, you can choose to either sync it with a computer or only share a computer library.

When you choose the share library option, nothing is synced back to your computer! (Don't set your Apple TV through iTunes, just go on the Apple TV to the Settings>Computers>Add a shared library MENU)

I have 2 Apple TVs, both sharing libraries with my computers at home. Nothing is sync'ed back to my computers.
I can stream iTunes music, movies or iPhoto photos from my computers to my Apple TVs. If I purchase a movie from my Apple TV it won't be synced back to my computer. However, if I buy a movie from my computer, I can stream it to my Apple TVs...