Apple TV Library - Unable to process this Request ERROR

Question

Level 1

40 points

Apple TV Library - Unable to process this Request ERROR

The below image is what I get on my system all the time.

I have a macbook Pro and an Apple TV.

I also have a library via Apple TV App on my computer that houses movies and tv shows.

All..... ALLLLLLL my tv shows and movies are downloaded. NOTHING is streamed except via a local network to access said Library.

My download/upload speeds are very high and this has only started about 6 or 7 months ago.

There are no updates to either devices.

I've restarted both computer and Apple TV but instantly get this error message the moment I try to access my library.

I can click on OK and my movie will start. Once that movie ends it should automatically load another movie ("Playlist") but again that error comes up. Unless I click OK, it just sits there.

My movies/shows are also stored on an external Hard Drive which is where my library is read from.

This HD is approximately 2 years old.

Any suggestions at all? Everywhere I try to find assistance about purchasing movies.

All my movies are bought and paid for and downloaded to my hard drive. There should be no reason to get this error message.

[Edited by Moderator]

Apple TV HD, tvOS 18

Posted on Jun 22, 2025 4:08 AM

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Answer 1

Urquhart1244

Level 10

146,184 points

Jun 22, 2025 8:50 AM in response to AussieDee

Home Sharing movies is only supported for movies in (single file) .m4v/.mp4/.mov formats, not for movies in (segmented) HLS (.movpkg) format. The latter format is used preferably on modern versions macOS for Store movie downloads, so these are unfortunately (currently) not compatible to share to an Apple TV box locally — except through AirPlay.

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Answer 2

Jun 22, 2025 8:55 PM in response to AussieDee

This has been happening to me too. Same thing, with .m4v tv shows and movies. Started with Apple tvOS 18.4. Up until today, it occurred randomly, usually after 3-4hrs of watching shows. Now it happens EVERY SINGLE EPISODE, and even sometimes just by opening the Computers app on the Apple TV, before I’ve even picked a library, never mind a playlist or show.

Also, HLS movies and shows don’t even show up in the Computers app on Apple TV, so it’s not like it’s trying to play those.

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Answer 3

AussieDee Author

Level 1

40 points

Jun 22, 2025 4:05 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Let me add this......

Well here's more to it. So I got an M1 back in 2020 and every movie I bought and downloaded was in a file format that "Home sharing" isn't able to support or play unless you use Airplay. And I found out that if you have an older macOS you can download movies in the older format (.m4v) but that changes with a particular OS but i can't recall which.

so I bought a second hand MacBook pro 2015 and am only running MacOS 12. Because anything newer then that will download that newer file format .pkgmov thing which won't allow you to use Home Sharing with. Another way to force download an older file format is going through a Windows iTunes and then transferring the file to your mac, however, windows limits the size of transfers so that can be tricky.

So since my MacBook 2015 is still using the older file format, there should be no reason at all for my Home Sharing to suddenly come up with this error and to make things more complicated, once i hit OK, it plays... because it's the CORRECT format.

I think Apple is trying to stop Home Sharing and stopping us from creating "playlists". I sleep with the tv on... I have "sleep" movies for FS! this is my rocking chair, my woobie, my comfort and it's slowly being ripped away from me.

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Answer 4

Jun 24, 2025 4:51 PM in response to AussieDee

I am suffering from the same issue. I have every piece of media TV, Movie and Music downloaded onto an external drive and watch my shows through Library. At this point now, every show and movie gives the same error. I spent roughly 3 hours with Tech Support and they said they would bump it up to Supervisor level, but I haven't had the ability to speak on the phone with them.

I was logged out of iTunes then back in, logged out of ATV4K and back in and nothing worked. Honestly it got worse, to where about 15m into the viewing I would error out. I factory reset the ATV4K and updated it. The only thing I haven't done is wipe iTunes and reinstall.

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Answer 5

Atepa

Level 1

20 points

Jun 26, 2025 8:13 PM in response to quickfix2b

Ditto for mine tonight when I was watching a home movie even, the only thing I can think of that I’ve changed was that I restarted my media server. But I had tried that in the past with no luck before.

I'm hesitant to say it is fixed permanently, but it does now get the tag of intermittent problem, as opposed to constant.

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Answer 6

AussieDee Author

Level 1

40 points

Jun 22, 2025 3:39 PM in response to Urquhart1244

the files are as you stated (.m4v)and my MacBook 2015 doesn't allow for that "newer" file format. Hence why I won't upgrade the macOS. Apple ruined a once good thing by changing the file format.

none of my movies are the newer format. I made sure of this. So if this error message is because Apple is trying to force me to upgrade .... well .... it won't happen.

I'll deal with that pop up until they come out with another method of forcefulness.

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Answer 7

AussieDee Author

Level 1

40 points

Jun 23, 2025 12:54 AM in response to ScottP_Vernon

i should have mentioned this as well. I also get that pop up even just loading the home sharing section of the Apple TV.

I might resort to downgrading or factory resetting my Apple TV so it will read my 2105 MacBook without an error.

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Answer 8

Jun 23, 2025 5:38 PM in response to AussieDee

This is happening with Windows 11 Itunes as well. My entire library is on a NAS. I did a factory reset of my apple tv and it made it worse - now it also keeps telling me authorization is required Has anyone found a fix???

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Answer 9

Atepa

Level 1

20 points

Jun 24, 2025 5:15 PM in response to AussieDee

I’ve been getting this same error on my movies as well, and these are movies I’ve purchased THROUGH iTunes as recently as May 10th 2025. All my movies are *.m4v files, because that’s how iTunes downloaded them to my media server I wasn’t aware there was a new format that they could be in. I actually just went and redownloaded the movie a second time in 1080p HD (I usually use 720p) and it still came back as a m4v file…

I do suspect you may be right that this may be Apple trying to push people off the Home Sharing app, just like they did with the TV and Movie app to push people onto Apple TV+’s app which is just horrid to try and use.

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Answer 10

Jun 23, 2025 7:10 PM in response to quickfix2b

At least it’s kinda good to know that it’s happening on Windows as well. So odds are pretty good that it’s a problem with tvOS more than it is a problem with the TV app on macOS.

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