How to load video files into Apple TV app

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How to load video files into Apple TV app

Before I had the Apple TV app, I used to watch some videos (not commercial ones--for example, I'd recorded someone doing a tai chi form) I'd loaded onto my iPad using some other app.

Now that I have the Apple TV app, it seems to "know" these videos exist and they appear as "Home Videos" in the app, and I can watch them with it.

But I can't remember how I loaded these videos onto my iPad so that the Apple TV app could find them and play them.

What do I need to do? Where should I store the videos and/or how can I point the Apple TV app so that it can load and play them?

iPad mini, iOS 9

Posted on Mar 27, 2023 4:05 AM

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Answer 1

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ghn Author

Level 1

19 points

Mar 28, 2023 1:28 AM in response to Urquhart1244

Thank you, Urquhart1244 for responding.

I looked at the Apple Support documents you linked me to and couldn't quite figure out how to "sync" movies between my Mac and my iPad mini. But it did make me look at my iTunes app, and there I saw some "home movies" that also appeared on my iPad.

So . . . I went to File | Add to Library ... on iTunes on my Mac Mini. Then I found the file using the directory and added the video file (mp3) to my iTunes library.

Next I connected my iPad mini to my Mac Mini, using a USB cable so that the iPad was linked to iTunes. In the iTunes "Home Videos" library, I found the video. I dragged and dropped the video icon onto my iPad Mini and voila . . .

I opened the AppleTV app on my iPad, checked the "Home Videos" library, and there was the video that was on my Mac Mini.

The Apple Support documents didn't really tell me how to do this, but they (and you) reminded me about syncing and iTunes, so what I needed got done.

Simplified explanation:

Import the video to the iTunes Library on my Mac Mini.

Connect my iPad to iTunes on the Mac Mini.

Drag and drop the video icon onto my iPad.

AppleTV now has the video in its library, and I can manage and use it (and other "home videos") through AppleTV.

And it just occurred to me . . . Is there a way to use the AppleTV on my iPad and just download "Home Video" files from, say, DropBox or my iCloud Drive? I don't see it.

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Answer 2

Urquhart1244

Level 10

146,088 points

Mar 28, 2023 10:14 PM in response to ghn

Is there a way to use the AppleTV on my iPad and just download "Home Video" files from, say, DropBox or my iCloud Drive? I don't see it.

Sort of, but that would use the Files app, not the TV app library. Files app work on two fronts: in the cloud (a remote server), and local to the device. Be aware of that duality when exploring, and/or not on Wi-Fi.

Aside from that, home videos added to the Photos app on Mac can be synced through (stored on) iCloud, and would appear in the Photos app on e.g. iPad.

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