Apple TV 3 UI freezing and then rebooting after pausing a video on Youtube

Unfortunately it will keep nagging to update every day, so must be careful not to press Ok, since the default option is "Update Automatically". Does anyone know the URL of the update server? Maybe I can be blocked from the router.

Took about 20 minutes to reinstate v7.5 on my Apple TV 3.2 (A1469) - I can once again pause (click 'like') & continue youtube videos. Thank you :)

If you're able to, consider editing your otherwise excellent instructions to include the TV3.1 and TV3.2 firmware links side by side in the same post - especially useful as that reference to 'iOS 8.4.3' made me wary initially. Something like:

AppleTV 3.1 (A1427)

https://ipsw.me/download/AppleTV3,1/12H885 is firmware v7.5 - Filesize: 878.31 MB - Identifer: AppleTV3,1

AppleTV 3.2 (A1469)

https://ipsw.me/download/AppleTV3,2/12H885 is firmware v7.5 - Filesize: 878.18 MB - Identifier: AppleTV3,2

Hmmm. Did you use the Shift (Win) or Option (Mac) modifier before pressing the Restore button?

Another way to install an IPSW file with iTunes is by forcing it to use the file of your choice. To do that, hold down Shift (Windows) or Option (Mac) and then press the restore button in iTunes. From there, select the IPSW file you want to install to the device.

I give you credit for calling and speaking to Apple Support. When I originally posted here I too "contacted" Google to "notify" them about the issue, but as we all know, all that means is posting to their support community. Don't have the option to call and speak with an actual human being. And in my experience Google support is way less likely to acknowledge, reply or ACT than Apple's is. But also, as ivors posted earlier in this thread, this is almost certainly an Apple issue as the apps on the 3rd gen AppleTV are Apple's responsibility: there is no App Store where third parties provide/maintain/update their apps.

I was under the impression that if a post/thread got enough attention Apple would take notice, but maybe we should start contacting them directly. I will do so in the next day or two. Maybe if enough customers do they'll acknowledge and eventually fix the issue. I agree that downgrading is not a great fix, and most likely not a lasting one - Apple doesn't keep signing old OS software forever, or in some cases for very long at all.

I was actually feeling like it WAS a motivator to upgrade to an Apple TV 4k, if only an unwelcome/forced one. As support for a device and its software begins to diminish, moving to a current one is usually a good way to get those things again. Plus, with an Apple TV 4k, there IS an App Store with apps provided/maintained/updated by the third parties who created them, Google/YouTube included. Like you, I just don't like feeling pressured into purchasing a new device by having my old one become useless through neglect.

I will come back and post the results of my contacting Apple Support about this issue later this weekend after I have done so.

[Edited by Moderator]

After updated my Apple TV 3rd gen Rev A (model A1469) to 7.6 (8130), it

freezes when pausing a YouTube video. After that, Apple TV will no

longer accept commands. To fix this problem I have to disconnect the

internet connection and after a while I get an error message that there

is no internet connection and commands are accepted again but I am

thrown back to the main screen.

You might do this stupid* procedure a tiny bit quicker: press two buttons on the remote simultaneously (menu&play/pause) for about 5-7 seconds until the lights on the Apple TV start flashing, then release the buttons, and the TV will restart by itself. It'll also start with the main screen but all in all it doesn't take much time. Just horribly irritating, that's all😒

I've also learned there aren't any problems pausing a YouTube video if I stream it to the TV from my iPhone.

These are the only 2 "options" I have now, bc neither my Windows PC, nor the iTunes sees the TV when I plug it in. Guess the problem may be due to a micro USB cable that doesn't support data transfer, and I can't buy a new cable least to say a newer Apple TV.

*sigh*

🙄

Talked to Apple Support to inform them of the issue. Told them I had already tried resetting my Apple TV, clearing YouTube caches, etc. Mentioned this thread and the one on Google's YouTube support community as proof that the issue is pretty wide-spread and affecting many 3rd gen Apple TV owners. The rep I spoke with said he'd "pass along" the info. Re-crossing fingers!

Side note: now back on firmware version 7.5, though pausing a YouTube video works again, I am experiencing serious video quality issues - lots of digital "noise" and degradation. Specifically lots of little green "blocks" that appear and disappear throughout the video. Anyone else seeing this? I'm gonna go look for or start another thread about this issue. I know YouTube has been mucking around with their service a lot in the last couple of weeks, with 4k playback and picture-in-picture stuff. Wondering if that, or some combination of the YouTube app/firmware on our 3rd gen AppleTVs, is causing this new problem.

May be time for a new AppleTV device after all - this is getting annoying!

Remember the saying “You break it, you fix it.” …Not Apple’s update breaks an older product, so go buy a new one!!!

Technical Support told me they are aware of this, it’s Google’s problem. They will not escalate or process further.

I wrote tcook@apple.com asking to make this right.

Well isn't that just peachy... how exactly are we supposed to know if or when Google actually fixes it!? "Wait and see" while hard-resetting our way through a totally broken YouTube app??? Pffft. So done with Google, none of their software works, no matter what it is or what device it runs on.

Has anyone else noticed that the Apple TV+ app requires the 7.6 firmware (which breaks YouTube) update in order to work on our 3rd gen Apple TVs now?! So we can either have AppleTV+ OR YouTube work but not BOTH. And we already lost HBO Go this summer.

OK, I officially give up - new device time. What a bummer.

I’ve had none of the ‘blocks of green’ issues you describe - or any other adverse symptoms since switching back to 7.5 - I’m using an Optoma projector running at 1080p (max res) connected to ATV thru a Sony STR-DN1040.

Come to think of it though: this setup has since day one occasionally exhibited some really unwatchable, ‘out of synch video’ blocks of green issues if the AVR doesn’t find the projector before some kind of time out period. I never did try a hard power off reset to fix this issue - but multiple powerdown restarts of everything except ATV NEVER fixed this issue... only waiting overnight (ATV sleep timeout, perhaps) fixed it: TV ain’t that important.

FWIW: After downgrading to 7.5, I discovered by hitting the Apple TV remote MENU button multiple times (i.e as you might to back-up to the Home Screen) just after start up is a great way to ensure the firmware is NOT updated inadvertently by hitting the (default) UPDATE NOW option.

Thanks for your efforts in trying to make contact with the advanced lifeforms at Apple. Fingers crossed Big A talks to Big G or vice versa and they sort it out like adults. I put dealing with customer support in the way too much hassle basket after the success of this workaround. 🍻

I just got an email today from the "YouTube Help Community" notifying me of a reply (to my original contact with them about this issue) from official "Google Employee" Sarah of "TeamYouTube" . . . She said "Thanks for flagging. We are looking into this with Apple and will respond here when we have more to share!"

SIX WEEKS later and finally someone from Google acknowledges/replies, and only to say "no info, keep waiting." Thanks, Google. *HUGE EYE-ROLL*

If they ever actually "have more to share" I'll be sure to post it here...

Downgrading and unplugging cables should not be an option. What if Apple downgrades the software then and help all of its customers??! That’s why we chose Apple to have our job done without much workaround tricks. Not all of us have time to experiment. We just want apple products to work for what we bought them.

Has anyone tried the 7.6.2 update yet? There were some replies on the YouTube support forums saying that it indeed fixes the problem. Just wondering if anyone here had any luck? I'm probably going to give it a shot sometime this weekend, I'll report back on how it goes for me.

Good luck all!

For what it's worth, I did the downgrade to 7.5 (even brought a new USB to micro USB cable to do it). Totally solved the problem and even made casting from my iPhone 5s to the appleTV more stable.

It was all working great until either my wife or I did something and the system updated (Grrr). However it went to 7.6.2 and it appears to be functioning ok with that release as well.

So doing the downgrade to 7.5 still gave us a couple of weeks sanity at least! No thanks to Apple for blaming everyone else when their engineers already knew they had messed something up.