Airplay on old Apple TV

That's because these people are not able to read properly. They keep arguing about whether or not old technology should be updated, although it has been pointed out many times that ATV1 needs no update at all for AirTunes to work. It's already working. iOS is flawed. And will hopefully be fixed soon.

tgibbs wrote:
a product that was introduced 4 years ago, and that has already received 10 upgrades.> tgibbs wrote:

Most of those upgrades were small security fixes. There were two upgrades to the actual OS which actually added features/user interface elements, as I recall.

As an aside, I think many making their point here are unhappy because the AppleTV1, despite being a rewarding addition to their home digital life, seemed constantly under threat of being retired as a failure. Others who recently bought the AppleTV1 are faced with this abstract abandonment experience. Now the device has been retired, replaced with... something existing AppleTV users probably see as not quite as good as their older version. Yet it has a little something they want... All too familiar.

Users understand iOS video over Airplay is the KEY unique selling point of AppleTV2 and the principal reason the company would deliberately exclude the feature from AppleTV1. Yes, this makes business sense but no "upgrade" for me. It's just not something I'll miss. Unlike audio, which should work as seamlessly as it does with iOS Airplay over Airport Express.

Users understand iOS video over Airplay is the KEY unique selling point of AppleTV2 and the principal reason the company would deliberately exclude the feature from AppleTV1.

It isn't a matter of exclusion, it's more one of non-existence. That feature didn't exist before iOS 4.2, and it only works between iOS compatible devices. The ATV1 is not an iOS compatible device, and the ability to stream remote audio was already there. Making it fully compatible with AirPlay would require a significant software upgrade (assuming the outdated hardware can handle it), and that is not likely to happen.

Stephen Reilly wrote:
Most of those upgrades were small security fixes. There were two upgrades to the actual OS which actually added features/user interface elements, as I recall.

Upgrade 1: Added YouTube integration, slideshow screensaver, parental controls, photo priority and browsing other iTunes stores
Upgrade 2: added iTunes photo streaming
Upgrade 3: Added the ability to get content directly from the iTunes Store instead of via a connected computer, allowing users to rent standard and HD movies with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and buy TV shows, music and music videos. Content automatically syncs back to the user's computer. Directory of over 100,000 video and audio podcasts. View photos from .Mac and Flickr galleries. Play iTunes content on the audio system connected to the Apple TV via AirTunes, limited Internet radio support, show everything or only synced content, TV show display tweaks, iPhoto events, and enhanced parental controls.
Upgrade 4: Added Movie Wish List, Support for Remote application, AirTunes receiver, Photo browser, MobileMe protected albums, Podcasts browsable by video and audio
Upgrade 5: Added HD TV shows, Movie browsing by actor and director, Chapter selection, alternate audio and subtitles, Movie description, Genius playlists, On-The-Go playlists, Music videos in playlists, Apple TV standby mode
Upgrade 6: Added AirTunes Streaming from Apple TV, Third-party Remote Controls, Playlists, Music Volume Control
Upgrade 7: Added Network Test
Upgrade 8: Added remote app directional control, Flickr Search, New view options, Updated transport and chapter modes
Upgrade 9: Redesigned user interface and compatibility with Apple's iTunes LPs and iTunes Extras, as well as Genius Mixes and Internet radio. Added Events and Faces support from iPhoto

i don't think anyone has said that appleTV 1 is not capable of being a receiver of AirPlay from iOS device.. just that Apple has decided that they are not going support it in that capacity or do anything in order to ensure that it works.. the 1st gen device is now retired..

i don't know for sure why an airportExpress can act as a receiver of audio from and iOS device when an AppleTV 1st gen. can't.. but i know that an appleTV 1st gen. and an airport express are two different device with different abilities and limitation.. e.g. an airportExpress is a wireless router and it does only audio and an appleTV 1st gen. has no routing capabilies and does video as well as audio.. could it be that updates would have needed to be done to the appleTV to make video work or to disable it because video now works a new way in the new device.. all speculation.. but likewise it is all speculation and pretty simplistic thinking to say.. if it works on an airportExpress it should work on an appleTV 1st gen. when the two devices have very different capabilites.. maybe the shoehored a fix in iOS specifically for airportExpress to MAKE it work in that case, but since the appleTV 1st gen. is retired the made no such effort in that case.. but in any case your assumptions about working on airportExpress = it should work on appleTV 1st gen. don't really follow.. no necessarily the case..

my guess for the support page is.. that whoever wrote it forgot to put an asterisk beside that AppleTV gen. 1 line item in that table that said +only accepts streamed audio from Computer running iTunes 10.1 or later+.. look at everywhere else.. it goes out of it's way to state.. Apple TV (2nd generation), Apple TV (2nd generation).. that's the only place it mentions AppleTV 1st gen. and we know it does support AirPlay.. but only from computers.. not from iOS devices..

i think there is a huge difference of opinion depending on when you bought your appleTV.. i think people like me that have had it for 3 yrs + and have had a boat load of updates and gotten good use and life out of the device don't really care that it's been retired, but people that have just purchased it feel cheated somehow.. don't think it's fanboyism.. it just some have gotten good value and other feel like they haven't
in having my 1st gen. device for 3 yrs with the updates that its gotten it's almost like i've had 3 devices for the price of one.. the use of the device has changed fundamentally 3 times in it's life time.. but like i said.. i don't think this comes down to fanboyisims at all.. it comes down to some people getting a lot of value for there money and other people that just bought the device probably feel.. not so much.. i disagree with that.. i feel the 1st gen. device is still a great device and is superior to the new one in many respects.. it's just that the new one has a killer feature (two for me, i really like Netflix as well) that the old one doesn't.. think that's the difference in thinking..

maybe it's as simple as the writer forgot to qualify the stream to AppleTV 1st gen. is only from computers.. look at everywhere else in the doc.. it goes out of its way to state AppleTV 2nd Gen. and the statement is not false as written AirPlay streaming is possible to an AppleTV 1st gen... it's just that it is limited to only streams from a computer and not iOS devices..

My AppleTV1 boxes still have all the functionality they did when I bought them. While I wouldn't say no to an AirPlay update, I don't think Apple owes it to me. Apple never promised Airplay on the AppleTV1.

So, if this is idiotic, tell me, "genius", why I can't have the full movie menu here in Italy on my "old" apple TV. I waited 2 years for renting movies from my little box and every 2-3 months they were saying "coming soon". Now that they are here (movies) they still didn't update the store for Italy unless that you are using the 2nd one.....
Try on your 1st gen. TV to set, as the store, the italian one. You will be surprise.
And please, don't think that we are ONLY italians like someone, in the rest of world, like to think.
I don't mind 'bout airplay, but I think that buying and renting movies is what the TV was constructed for!
Consider also that we buy Apple products with the rate of 1:1 with $. 1$ = 1€!!!
I paid € 229 for the TV!!!!

Message was edited by: Fedux

Now that they are here (movies) they still didn't update the store for Italy unless that you are using the 2nd one.....

There shouldn't be any difference in the availability of movies between the 1st and 2nd generation ATVs. That problem is hard to account for from a software standpoint, it's more likely the result of a problem with the iTunes store, in which case you should contact iTunes store support.

I know... This seems another "wanted" mistake that I hope they will fix....
I sent 2 feedbacks to Apple underlining this problem but still nothing.
I think it's a move to make people change their hardware but I really don't understand it....

I don't think that problem is intentional, it's more likely someone is not setting device restrictions correctly in the iTunes store. Use the "Report a Problem" button in your account settings in iTunes to send a message to iTunes store support rather than using the feedback form on the web site.

Thank you very much, I didin't think about that, I will try immediately!
Believe me, it's very frustrating to buy something for a purpose, wait 2 years for a feature and then be in the impossibility to use it again!!!

Thanks

You are quite correct that there is a significant difference in the underlying architecture of atv1 vs atv2, and there would have to be further development to get airplay working.

However I don't think you are correct in stating the level of development that needs to be undertaken. Apple wouldn't be reinventing the wheel as the atv1 is the basis for Apples first attempt at media streaming - that was over 4 years ago - so this will have been there testing bed for ironing out streaming issues etc. Indeed Airplay really is an update and rewrite of Airtunes to work across Apples portable devices.

We know that Airplay can stream to the AppleTV from a mac, using even an old G5 processor, as well as from intel macs so again it suggests that the problem isn't with the old Apple TV at all, it can handle it. The problem really is writing the software that enables the iOS device to communicate and stream to the old Apple TV.

Now bearing in mind that in product development you'll be looking at a lifecycle of around 2 years from ideas to final testing I don't for a second think that this concept hasn't been tried out before on older apple portable devices streaming to an old Apple TV. I think this would have probably been put on the shelves because they just weren't powerful enough. The A4 chip circumnavigates that problem.

In other words, I would imagine that Apple does indeed have a version of sorts that will stream to old apple tv's and I don't think it would be a significant rewrite. It wouldn't be starting from scratch and I don't think it would take long to do - because so much ground work will have been done.

So why not have it?
Because Apple doesn't feel the user base of old ATV's is large enough? Maybe. Because Apple want you to buy there new 'super cheap' ATV instead? Probably. Because Apple want to push upon us an 'on demand' service rather than storing all our media locally using rentals, which makes them more money, gives them access to our buying habits and so enables them to do very specific marketing activity? Well...starting to make sense....

I've used Apple products from the very first Mac 128k back in 1984, and have championed them for years. However this latest move really is the final straw for me. I won't be buying anymore Apple products. They've stopped listening to the people that supported them through their dark days, and indeed are acting like and becoming the new Big Brother. Ironic indeed.

However I don't think you are correct in stating the level of development that needs to be undertaken.

What level of development would it take to upgrade a deprecated device to match its incompatible replacement?

Apple wouldn't be reinventing the wheel as the atv1 is the basis for Apples first attempt at media streaming....

The ATV2 is a complete redesign, the hardware and OS are completely different. Apple did reinvent the wheel with the ATV2.

The new Apple TV is based on the iPhone/Touch platform, both in terms of software and hardware. These have been around for years, so it is a safe bet that Apple has had Apple TV prototypes based on this platform around for some time for development purposes. This would make a lot more sense than doing development on a different hardware/software platform that is slated to be discontinued.

In general, the decisions of companies regarding allocation of human and financial resources are based upon "return on investment." Indeed, a company has an obligation to their shareholders to do this. The return on investment for further development on a product that is due to be discontinued in the near future is zero.