Netflix on old Apple TV

Will there be an OS upgrade for the old Apple TV? Will we be able to use Netflix and other features with the old version???

Dell XPS, Windows Vista, None

Posted on Sep 2, 2010 6:51 AM

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67 replies

Sep 2, 2010 7:33 AM in response to Tallguy1234

Will there be an OS upgrade for the old Apple TV? Will we be able to use Netflix and other features with the old version???


There has been no official word on that, but I think it is unlikely. The new ATV replaces the old one, so don't expect anything more than bug fix updates or security updates for as long as Apple deems it necessary to continue to support the old model.

Sep 6, 2010 10:14 AM in response to Tallguy1234

Greetings Tallguy1234. While I do not work for Apple, I don't have any real answer for your question...those Apple guys and gals (and I suspect a few odds and ends from the Roswell leftovers that the military could not corrupt 🙂 all of them are pretty smart cookies...and I have a memory...pretty certain a valid one, of a "hack" which allowed the Apple TV I own to access my Netflix account. It worked well as I recall, however, I wiped out the functionality at one point due to reasons I will not go into here! Hehe...anyway...dorkishness aside, if you want to really find out what your ATV at home can do for you...to you...and get you to do for it, then I encourage you to search the web for the appropriate verbage. If you just want to watch Netflix on your old ATV, I'll see if I can find the info for ya!

Or if those smart Cupertino Cookies could just remember all of us ATV believers...then maybe we can get an update? Netflix? Hulu? Whatever you can do for us. =)

Mark

Sep 6, 2010 4:36 PM in response to Tallguy1234

arstechnica, Engadget, et al, have reported an Apple spokesperson stated at the hands on session, after the announcement session, that no updates are planned for the Apple TV (1G). (All together now...) Booooo!

However, I already have a Roku HD-XR for Netflix on one older HDTV system and on my new Panasonic G25 plasma HDTV. So, I'm a happy camper.

If you just want to have Netflix streaming capability, look into either a Roku, Western Digital, Seagate, et-al, Internet appliance OR, if you're in the market for one, a new HDTV or a Blu-ray player with apps.

Sep 6, 2010 5:08 PM in response to Alley_Cat

I'm not jumping up and down that I didn't get them, but I wouldn't have said no to them. My main disappointment about the new tv is the lack of storage, not because I want to sync content from iTunes but because I can't purchase from the new tv.

I'm doubtful I will be able to rent in iTunes and watch on any tv and may even need to rent on the iPad to do this.

Any purchases I make I suspect will need to be fully downloaded to iTunes before I can start to stream them to the tv.

And it looks like I'll need to put many GB of photos onto Mobile Me and eat into my 60GB of idisk storage to retain my photo screensaver.

Sep 8, 2010 8:41 PM in response to Alley_Cat

I have been supporting apple in their hardware for the longest time. I will be severely disappointed if they do not upgrade the old apple tv to run netflix. I should not have to pay another $100 dollars to watch netflix in my tv. I will not buy another apple TV product if that's the case like I once promised not to ever buy a compaq computer when I felt compaq had let me down. Not the way to go apple, not at all.

Sep 8, 2010 11:36 PM in response to jspooner

It’s not possible with the processor on the old ATVs. The architecture of the device was not designed for streaming. There is a physical barrier no firmware can overcome.

If you want to be convinced, visit the aTV Flash website and they will tell you right there in the FAQs that is not possible to watch Netflix movies on the ATV because of processing power limitation, the frame rate will be horrible.

Sep 10, 2010 2:06 PM in response to D0GG

umm, i was streaming netflix a year on apple tv, then it got shut down with an apple update. I don't know why you think you are such an expert in saying that 1st gen atv doesn't stream. Boxee has some adobe flash issues (more like apple does), but xbmc streams well depending on the plugin. Actually, many programs and plugins do well in boxee as well, just the flash streams are a little bit of a problem but it can be worked around. If they are not going to support 1st gen atv with updates, then it will be open season for the hack community and I promise 1st gen will be better than ever.
Hasn't apple ever heard of movie collections? When I see a movie that is to become a classic, I want to own it, not shell out 5 bucks to rent it. Why would I pay 99 cents for a tv show that I can see for free all over the net at decent sights like hulu or many others?

Sep 10, 2010 2:23 PM in response to cheftoosh

cheftoosh wrote:
umm, i was streaming netflix a year on apple tv, then it got shut down with an apple update. I don't know why you think you are such an expert in saying that 1st gen atv doesn't stream.

Never said I was an expert. A company called aTV Flash has posted in their FAQs the reason why Netflix is not available on the hacked atv. It is in my last post in this thread. (atv Flash has been around for several years... I trust their opinion)

Boxee has some adobe flash issues (more like apple does), but xbmc streams well depending on the plugin. Actually, many programs and plugins do well in boxee as well, just the flash streams are a little bit of a problem but it can be worked around. If they are not going to support 1st gen atv with updates, then it will be open season for the hack community and I promise 1st gen will be better than ever.>

I would have to disagree about the streaming quality in Boxee and XBMC (on the Apple TV). It does work... but, in almost all cases, it is not a smooth perfect playback.
Hasn't apple ever heard of movie collections? When I see a movie that is to become a classic, I want to own it, not shell out 5 bucks to rent it. Why would I pay 99 cents for a tv show that I can see for free all over the net at decent sights like hulu or many others?>

Then buy it on iTunes (on another computer in your house) and play it over your network.

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Netflix on old Apple TV

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