Apple TV HD Rental Streaming Problem

Enahs - I was just going to try this since my videos on my IPhone and IPad work well via AirPlay. Mind you, they are not long but it is worth a shot. Glad you had success. Thanks for posting.

Had my ATV for just under a month now and was very happy until I had the same problem last night 2/3's way through a film. Tried all the usual's of power off and on the router, firewall, and apple tv before I went online to search for a solution. I am happy it is not my network, everything else was working perfectly.

Must say I wasnt expecting 45 pages of gripes to a post for this issue? Slightly gobsmacked that Apple are evidently so uncaring about thier paying customers. Got a call book for them tomorrow night, see what they have to say for themselves, seems I shouldnt expect too much.

Looks like Netflix it is then. Apple dont own Netflix do they, and have a win win situation going on?

Yes it seems to me that if you try and download from the Apple TV it will literally take days to download anything. I believe the reason for this is because the downloading process is constantly interupted by little updates and resets that the Apple TV is performing. The best solution that I have found is to rent on your computer and then simply airplay it over to your Apple TV. The only flaw with this is you can't rent HD movies on your computer. However I believe the bigger problem here is that Apple has not yet begun streaming their rented movies. It's still on a download basis which takes hours. So if I want to watch a movie I have to know it and begin downloading the morning before I want to watch it. This is a serious flaw in the system and one that I hope will change in the very near future. I wouldn't think it would require all that much as the Apple TV already has this capibility when it comes to iTunes Match or Netflix.

That is simply not true. Issues often come down to the network (speed, interference, dns etc). It is very much streaming as there is no storage capacity on the ATV2 (vs downloading to your computer). The ATV flash drive caches content as it streams and is flushed when you access other content.

What have you done to troubleshoot so far?

2 days to download one of apple's HD movies? What gives??? This is not acceptable at all. I rented Mr. Popper's Penguins yesterday morning and it still wasn't ready 8 hours later. Now today it is still telling me I have to wait another 2 1/2 hours...

Yes I have checked everything, and like other posters I have since watched several netflix movies with no problem. I did airplay one movie from my MBP, but that is not why I have the ATV2. I can download a movie from LG's website and watch it far faster on the same connection. I realize the ATV2 has no drive, but if apple can't send the data fast enough, they need to stop playing around with this and get out of the TV business all together. I am very dissappointed to say the least. I have not successfully rented anything on my ATV2 in the entire time I have owned it.

What is your speed (speedtest.net), check for interference and make sure you're on your ISPs DNS. Since there is no storage things like accessing other content or turning the device off will flush the rental. Netflix uses a different system where it streams instantly and adapts based on connection, iTunes is fixed and starts once enough has buffered in order to play without interruption.

Issues are most often caused by ones network, in order to help provide some info and what you have done to troubleshoot.

Speedtest.net download speed of 15.8 Mbps on the tv itself, and router has been turned off and reset. I have one other device on the network and turned it off as well. Even now the movie still says 2 1/2 hours to load.

If you're on wifi try Ethernet and www.istumbler.net (for Mac, I can get you windows if you need) to check interference. You can also try changing channels on router (refer to manual) Are you using your ISPs DNS?

After waiting for hours on the phone. Apple basically sent me an email for how long I should expect these documents to take with my current internet provider. So my 2-3 hour downloads are just normal. Netflix goes fine.

I wish we had access to Amazon content for downloads. I have friends using it on other devices on my same cable provider with same speed and they are not having any download issues at all. What's up apple. Ready to switch to Roku....not at all what I expected from Apple.

The issue is likely with your network. Check speed, 6mbps is required for instant HD (can switch to SD in settings). Interference can cause issues as well as not using your ISPs DNS, among other things.

Netflix streams instantly and adapts based on connection, iTunes is fixed rate and starts once enough has loaded in order to play without interuption.

I live in part of boston that doesn't have Fios. I have what they term high speed internet. I spoke to the provider and I have the best I can get and it is operating properly they ran a test and I have run a test. I don't think its acceptable to take this long but Apple emailed me that I could expect a HD movie to take 3 or 4 hours to download. i have to plan so far ahead its not worth it. I don't pretend to be tech savy, but apple doesn't explain this to you when you purchase this.

This would be relevant for any high quality streaming along the same lines of iTunes. The requirements are listed for what you need for instant HD. As I said you can switch to SD on a slower connection. Another option is to rent on your computer and stream to the computer.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3623?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

http://www.apple.com/ca/appletv/specs.html

Giggles, vazandrew, the shillings from the prince... I have actually 2 ATVs, and both stream perfectly well everything but iTune shows. Well, they did stream movies and tv programs from iTune, but stopped just about when everything went up in the Clouds, or perhaps when Time Warner here in Manhattan started throttling iTune, or iTune users, a thing pretty common with other cable operators elsewhere. And you know it perfectly well.

It is appaling to this decades-long Mac user to read your brand of shameless pablum on Appple pages. It speaks volumes of what this company is becoming. Appaling and disgusting.

You said it yourself. It could very well be throttling. I am only dealing with facts. Issues are based on the network, you can choose to ignore that if you wish.

Wow download it to my computer. If I wanted to rent on my computer I wouldn't have needed the apple device.. No there is also a problem with the sales of this device at the apple stores. I spoke to the sales people and I wasn't told about the speed this would require. Infact I bought the device and then called verizon and told them I was going to be running apple tv and got my service based on their requirements at the time. In looking at the box it doesn't say it what the requirements are. I don't have the book handy but I will look there. By the way I am also one whose system worked ok two Christmas's ago when i first got it. Movie rental downloaded almost instantly. Now I am facings hours and hours to download. Something did change. Also I suffer from the verify credit card problem loop. At some point its just too frustrating to use. If netflix can figure out how to download movies without waiting for two or three hours why can't apple.

Apple has misjudged how they sell this product to the consumer even in their store. Support and access to itunes is frustrating and time consuming. When you have three 6 year olds for a sleep over they don't understand that the system won't download their movie or we have to reverify the credit card info. When you run into problems with itunes they say your device isn't under warranty but the credit card verification problem is with the apple store. apple is loosing revenue from this you would think they would want to fix it. Like I said I am giving up and considering my $99 a loss. I can watch my netflix on Wii. Lets see $99 apple/$149 wii/$179 Samsung DVD player.... To the consumer its an easy choice. Even my samsung DVD player allows netflix download, access to Pandora, etc.. Someone explain to me why I need apple tv and what the advantages of it are cause I don't get it.