Apple TV authorization is required

So interesting findings tonight, I factory reseted 1 of the 2 Apple TV 4Ks on Sunday that kept asking for authorization. I went into the TV app and checked my library. This library stopped updating new purchases around February of 2021, well tonight the whole library disappeared. I happen to go to the computer app on the Apple TV 4K where my local downloaded movies and shows were and clicked a random episode. It still asks for the authorization, for fun I did the authorize on my iMac and now downloaded content plays on this Apple TV. The bad part is now I have a totally empty library in the TV app on the Apple TV 4K and I have almost 3,000 Movies & Shows. I will test the other Apple TV next to see if it plays without the factory reset.

There’s also a Reddit thread about this. Personally I have tried absolutely everything to no avail. Which leads me to believe that it has something to do with apples servers and not our settings/equipment. I did submit a ticket with Apple and would recommend everybody do the same so Apple at least knows it is NOT an isolated problem and gets some eyeballs on it.

After checking my other two Apple TVs (both 4K) one of them hasn’t been updated yet and the other is on the latest OS. None of them can play content from my library(Mac), but CAN play Contant from my brothers library (PC)

My primary Apple TV can’t play from either library. So, long story short, this problem makes no sense. I’ve tried everything. Fingers crossed for an update from Apple

Just read your message so I figured I would try my movies. I didn’t do anything; no restart or anything… My system is working properly now. No authorization messages. As far as movies disappearing from my computers app on the Apple TV (I don’t have TV episodes)… Downloaded purchases disappeared from my custom playlist but nowhere else. movies that I had ripped from my blue rays were still present and obviously never required authorization because they don’t have DRM. So things seem to be sorted out on my end. Seems more and more likely that this was actually a server glitch on Apples end…?

Hello! I am having a similar issue on 1 of my 6 apple tvs. All the others will play downloaded movies from the computer app but 1. I have authorized like 97 times but the 1 apple tv will not play anything locally stored on my iMac.

I actually did a full reset of 1 of the apple tvs and the problem is still there. How can you factory reset something and it still persists. My problem with opening a ticket with apple is that I rarely get results. I had a issue with my library in the tv app on my iMac about 6 months ago. It just stopped updating new purchases. Well I signed in and out of the tv app and my whole library vanished for almost 2 months. After 3 calls with apple and being hung up on many times their ultimate solution was for me to download all 2600 of my movies and 200 tv shows. I basically got ir back myself by hiding and unhiding movies in my purchase history. Im not the only one with that problem that basically they don’t want to speak about.

I hear you. I probably just got lucky and talked to someone who truly WANTED to help but couldn’t come up with a solution. She even sat there for 15 minutes while I re-downloaded a movie to try that (obviously didn’t work).

I should also probably mention that I tried a different library on a different account on a different computer (pc) and still got the error so this definitely has nothing to do with Authorization. That’s why I think it’s a server level issue

Same problem here for almost 3 weeks 1 Apple TV HD and 3 4K's stopped working in the middle of a movie.

Had an apple support guy who was very helpful, but in the end he had to give up, as he couldn't find a solution.

It almost seems like that apple want the 4k and HD devices authorised like a Mac. Found an old 3rd Gen Apple TV and it works fine with that. But honestly I don't want to run around and swap the Apple TV devices around depending on what I want to watch.

Apple if you read this, it is time to get your act together and get this resolved just not acceptable that you can't access your purchased library offline. Alternative start removing your DRM restrictions.

Just checked and it magically started working again. No reset etc. required.

Can't say that the library was empty or anything missing including custom play lists. Everything looks like as it is supposed to be.

looks all good now, whatever apple has done to fix it

Same here! I can play the playlist I have setup on iMac with no issues and it’s weird that its only 1 apple tv and not all.

What’s weird on my front is that i have 6 apple tvs in play, and only 2 so far have this issue. Like its not across the board, and I wonder if it has something to do with 2 factor authentication.

I have five Apple TV‘s. 3 4K and 2 HD. Two of them I haven’t checked yet but the three others (1 4K, 2 HD) all with latest OS, have the problem…

Latest OS here and all 6 of mine are apple tv 4Ks.

Yep, I tried everything including a factory reset on one and the problem is still there.