"Normal" Operating Temperature

DalTexCowboy72 wrote:
What is considered the "Normal" operating temperature for the Apple TV? All I have found online from Apple is:

specific temps are advertised at - http://www.apple.com/appletv/specs.html

DalTexCowboy72 wrote:
Then I start to see blue dots across the TV screen and then shortly after that, the picture becomes very pixelated. Feeling the case then at that time, it is quite hot to touch.

that sounds like the graphics chip is failing in your appletv.

the temperature of the outer case will be misleading as the case is acting as the heatsink, and thus all the heat from the inside is being pushed out via the case.

the internal temperature may differ greatly from the outer casing.

the problem you have with yours may or may not be related to overheating, but it's almost certain that it is the graphics chip failing and thus nothing you can do to recover the situation.

it's also possible that the little fan inside the appletv has stopped working.

...all the heat from the inside is being pushed out via the case.

That is simply not possible. Heat sinks alone are not particularly efficient, there is no way "all the heat" could possibly be pushed out via the case.

I think one of the fundamental problems with the ATV design is that inefficient cooling leads to performance degradation and possibly premature component failure due to excessive internal temperature.

When I got my first ATV way back when . . . when they first came out, I was really unhappy with the amount of heat rejection going on. You could almost fry an egg on the top of mine and they were sitting out in the open next to verious TVs. But the darned things fooled me and just kept on running and running and . .. I have 2 that are from the first production run and are still running and running . ..

Heat has not proven to be a big problem. Though the OS does not put them into a lower energy state when they are not in use for some time. I dont think I would call it a real sleep mode but they are obviously sutting down the drive to conserve energy if nothing else. But they run HOT and seem to do ok with it.

The laws of thermo dynamics say that heat travels from the hotter place to the cooler place. The air is the cooler place. The internal components are the hotter place. The surface of the case is cooler than the internal parts which depend upon some limited air flow but mostly convection with the outside air to reject heat. I am pretty confident that the internal components are considerably hotter than the surface of the case.

Heat has not proven to be a big problem.

I think it just depends on the individual unit. If nothing else, this forum provides ample evidence that the ATV experience varies widely from one owner to the next. Heat in relation to variances in individual component tolerances from one unit to the next might explain that phenomenon.

I am pretty confident that the internal components are considerably hotter than the surface of the case.

I agree.

it's also possible that the little fan inside the appletv has stopped working.

It probably isn't working... given that it isn't there! There is no fan in an Apple TV!

According to the photos on the web of a dissected ATV that I just looked at, there is indeed a fan.

Brian.

Chippy99 wrote:
It probably isn't working... given that it isn't there! There is no fan in an Apple TV!

you're wrong. there is a fan inside the appletv.

Chenks wrote:

Chippy99 wrote:
It probably isn't working... given that it isn't there! There is no fan in an Apple TV!

you're wrong. there is a fan inside the appletv.

Really? I stand corrected.

Chippy99 wrote:
Really? I stand corrected.

bottom right of the case

!http://regmedia.co.uk/2007/03/23/appletv internals1.jpg!

Hi there,

I've been having the exact same problem with my ATV. Had it for about 3-4 years, and not used it a huge amount until recently - although it has been plugged in most of the time, so the HDD and fan have been running.

I've always thought the ATV ran hot, but recently I've noticed it getting MUCH hotter than usual. I've also noticed an increasing problem with flashing pixels on screen, corrupt menus, flashing and in the worst cases completely corrupt video playback (inverted colours, blocking, etc.)

I've been doing a bit of experimentaion to isolate the problem, and I'm fairly sure this is heat releated. The problems seem to get worse the longer the device is left on. If I cut the power and let it cool down for 5 mins, then everything seems fine for about 30-60 mins, then the symptons return.

I've had final proof tonight: I couldn't get the ATV to play anything for more than about 5 mins before we had problems. In a last ditch attempt, I got an icepack from the freezer, encased the ATV and turned the fan on to draw air over it ... the result? Problems gone.

I'm going to open it up an evening this week, and see whether the fan is running. If not, I'll investigate further. I guess I could always relocate my ATV to the freezer :o)

In my opinion, Jon - your ATV seems to be having the exact same problem as mine. I think there's a strong possibility the fan has either failed after all these years, or the fan connector has worked loose.

I'll let you all know what I find.

Oli.

Hello, me again.

I decided to venture inside my Apple TV to see what might be causing this overheating problem. It turns out there was nothing wrong with the fan, but the results I had were promising.

I've detailed everything on my blog:

http://blog.olitee.com/2010/04/overheating-apple-tv/

Oli.

Not sure from your conclusions whether you consider the problem to be that normal operating temperature is too hot for the components or that your particular tv exceeds normal operating temperatures.

My tv's weigh in between 95 F and 105 F, on which basis it would seem your problem is the later

Excellent analysis, however. It just reinforces the earlier advice to keep the units in a well ventilated area and to not stack anything else on top of them. I am not able to monitor the temps of my two units, but I rarely ever sleep them and they are only ever warm to the touch, but both are on top of cabinets with nothing on top of them. My Bell PVR freaks out far worse if I try to squeeze it into the shelf I would like to keep it on because the sides are too tight and it gets too hot - it shuts down within the hour. My Time Capsule runs hotter than my ATV's.

I appreciate your work on this issue, it is far superior to just saying the device is a flawed design and does not work properly!

Brian.