You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

📢 Enjoy Apple TV+ for free the first weekend of 2025

Stream Apple TV+’s library of award-winning original series and films for free from January 3-5. Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: Paul Simpson
Paul Simpson Author
User level: Level 2
385 points

This Apple TV can not play this video

OK, I have 3 Apple TV's in the house. Two mk3's and a MK4 HD.

All of my audio and video files in one folder on one hard disk on my Mac.

On the MK 3 I can play any file on the computer on the MK4 HD I can only play purchased films if I use the 'app' from the main TV screen rather than the 'computers' icon. I can play them on the computer its self or on any of the other TVs.


I have restarted both the computer and the ATV with no avail.

I reset the ATV and started from scratch but the problem still persists.

Yes it works but its annoying having my library split and having to use two different methods.

Apple TV HD, tvOS 13

Posted on Apr 6, 2020 9:51 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Urquhart1244
Urquhart1244
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
143,626 points

Posted on Apr 6, 2020 11:07 AM

Are they all using the same Apple ID account for both Home Sharing and for the iTunes Store? In particular, is Home Sharing turned on and signed in in Settings﹥Accounts﹥ on the Apple TV (4th generation)?

Are the purchased movies also downloaded and shared through the Mac’s (iTunes) Library?

View in context

Similar questions

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Urquhart1244
Urquhart1244
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
143,626 points

Apr 6, 2020 11:07 AM in response to Paul Simpson

Are they all using the same Apple ID account for both Home Sharing and for the iTunes Store? In particular, is Home Sharing turned on and signed in in Settings﹥Accounts﹥ on the Apple TV (4th generation)?

Are the purchased movies also downloaded and shared through the Mac’s (iTunes) Library?

Reply
User profile for user: Don Mclellan
Don Mclellan
User level: Level 1
68 points

Apr 18, 2020 10:24 PM in response to Paul Simpson

I too had the same issue, 4K movies would not play via Home Sharing (computer's icon) however on a related adventure with support it was revealed that 4K content cannot be used with Home Sharing.


The solution I discovered was to modify the Mac TV app PREFS > Playback > Download Quality > something other than "Up to HD" & uncheck Multichannel & uncheck "down load HDR" to obtain the lower quality 1080 version to play on Gen2 & 3 AppleTV boxes.

Then remove download from the dots menu presented at the item in the TV app.

Next when the cloud is displayed > Redownload

You will have a 1080 (mp4 or m4v) movie that you can Home Share, the file is also less than half the size of the 4K version (HLS package) as well .

As you also discovered the stream is 4K content but that is not always convenient.

Reply

This Apple TV can not play this video

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up