Apple TV is not authorized message

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Level 1

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Apple TV is not authorized message

I tried renting my first movie via via the Apple Tv (not my Mac) upon trying to play the movie I get the error that my Apple TV is not authorized to play this content. No where in the manuals does it mention authorizing your Apple TV, if i'm wrong about this please point me in the right direction.

I tried looking on the forums for answers but get a mix of rabbit holes to go down for a solution. I tried the authorize/de-authorize approach but no luck. I'm not even sure why i would need to authorize the Apple TV? Some other post mention seeing the Apple TV in itunes under devices... but i think this is for first gen Apple tvs?

I gotten home sharing working with no problems and can stream from my mac to the Apple TV with no issue. Netflix also works for that matter...

I don't see the rented movie in my purchases list via itunes either, should I? Should the rented movie show up in itunes at all if rented via the apple TV. The rental shows that I only have 23 hours now left to view it... even though it never started!

Does all content have be purchased via iTunes and not directly from the apple tv UI, that would be really lame if so... My wife was a bit peeved that she had to go downstairs to the computer to rent Mad Men, rather than just select if from the Apple TV.

Jeremy

imac 2.66, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Jan 4, 2011 9:16 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 5, 2011 2:29 AM in response to baconsgood

Ditto:
First movie rental via apple tv2 - was told "your apple tv is not authorized to play this content" - movie is sitting there with time ticking down 46 hours left but i can't play it. I SUSPECT it is because I entered an incorrect cv2 code attached to the credit card but there is nowhere I can change this. I did a reset on the appletv hoping it would allow me to re-enter the c/card details but it didn't and still says that the apple tv is not authorized.
I am unable to 'deauthorise all computers' via itunes to reauthorize again because it says you can only do that once a year and I did it just a couple of months ago.
Pretty frustrating to pay the money and see the film but not be able to play it....grateful for any solutions.
thanks, Helen

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Answer 2

Jan 5, 2011 2:54 AM in response to Helen Crozier

Just an update I replaced the credit card details with a new one in itunes store and tried it with another movie but still the same error.
Have submitted a 'problem' against the receipt that apple sent - hopefully they will get to the bottom of it.

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Answer 3

jmunro21

Level 1

5 points

Jan 5, 2011 4:50 AM in response to baconsgood

I am having *the exact same issue* with the first movie I rented late last night. My Apple TV 2 is set up and working fine with my iTunes library and wifi network in every respect except this one. The money has been taken from my account and I have no way of watching the movie as every time I push to watch it it says "Your Apple TV is not authorized to play this content"! How can this be given that my itunes account details have been entered on the system and allowed me to 'successfully' rent and be charged for the movie in the first place? 20 hours and counting before the money has been wasted, although I have requested a refund through the problem reporting tool on my account!!

I too have gone through the forums and tried everything with no luck. I even contacted apple care support who kept me online for 30min, resetting and restoring etc... only to tell me that it might be an issue my TV!! Nonsense, otherwise surely it wouldn't work at all.

I hope someone from Apple is monitoring this thread and that a proper solution will be given in due course. At the moment, I don't want to risk renting any more movies until I know that my machine will be authorized for the purchases I have made.

James

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Answer 4

Neotone1

Level 1

4 points

Jan 5, 2011 7:13 AM in response to jmunro21

Same issue here too. I have successfully wasted 3 rentals that the clock has been ticking away on. Films and music that I own are fine for playback, just Rentals are the issue. Big bug!

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Answer 5

pvoyer

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2011 7:17 AM in response to jmunro21

Same thing for me,

Every other features from my brand new Apple TV 2 work perfectly : Home sharing, iTunes library, photos, YouTube, and indeed.. billing to my credit card of two different movie rentals... (Machete!!)

But even after trying many times to update, reboot, plug, unplug, replug, deauthorize/authorize computers... I always get the same error message after trying to play the rented movie : "Your Apple TV is not authorized to play this content".

After this error has occur, the left/right remote keys doesn't work anymore until a reset of the ATV2.

The web doesn't offers any valuable information on this problem and this tread seems to be the latest... we all seems to had this problem on january 4.. can it be a problem with the latest Apple TV 2 software update?

Hope to be able to watch 'Machete' tonight before my rental expire..

PV

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Answer 6

baconsgood Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2011 8:58 AM in response to baconsgood

I sent an email into support, I'll post my findings... assuming I get some.

On another note, I also tried renting a movie via iTunes (on the mac), to see if the home share streaming would be an option, ran into another error upon the download completion. And the rental isn't available to play, every time iTunes loads up, i get the same error because it tries to resume the download and fails. Rental shows up in iTunes library under Rentals, but i don't see it via the home share on the Apple TV. I'm would assume it should, at least after it downloads without error.

Not sure what's up w/ the rental content...

Jeremy

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Answer 7

Jan 5, 2011 9:27 AM in response to baconsgood

Same problem here and very frustrated.

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Answer 8

crenard

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2011 10:37 AM in response to baconsgood

Same thing here. Any solutions yet?

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Answer 9

Jan 5, 2011 12:22 PM in response to baconsgood

Same Issue Here As Well. I rent a movie through apple tv and when it says movie ready I click play and it says authorizing, then the "This Apple TV is not authorized to play this content." Pretty Frustrating.

I have tried resetting Apple TV. Itunes Permissions. Re-downloaded Apple TV Software. Changed Credit Card Info. Nothing Seems to Work.

Message was edited by: Mr. Woodcock

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Answer 10

baconsgood Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2011 12:57 PM in response to baconsgood

Question to those who replied... just curious how many devices are authorized in your iTunes accounts?

I think I had 5 prior to putting the Apple TV on my network, I don't know why you can't list out the devices that are authorized. So I wonder if when it was put on the network and i applied my iTunes ID to it, it coudln't authorize as a device because my 5 slots were taken already?

It doesn't make any sense to me why it needs to be authorized in the first place...

When I would try the authorize/de-authorize it was only for the iMac, i'm not even sure how you authorize a device, like an iPhone or iPad, i assume i already did that, but don't recall when or how. I suppose i could go in and de-authorize all the devices and see what happens.

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Answer 11

Jan 5, 2011 1:04 PM in response to baconsgood

Yep same issues with first rental on Apple tv2.Very disappointing and frustrating having loaded rental but cannot play it.
would love to sort this as several of our xmas presents so far have had wifi connection issues (different houses) and this just caps it off!!
Look forward to new postings and a solution.
Have Apple lost the plot this year after the iPhone alarm issues lol

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Answer 12

jmunro21

Level 1

5 points

Jan 5, 2011 1:18 PM in response to baconsgood

I had 5 authorized devices, but I assume this applies only to my current and a few previous mac computers, given that you can purchase media on other devices without authorization issues.

I wiped all authorized devices and re-authorized my mac and rebooted my apple TV again this afternoon. State of play at the moment for me is I have 1 iMac authorized, 1 Apple TV set up properly with my network itunes home sharing etc... 1 film rented and 0 ability to play as it still states Apple TV is not authorized to play this content!

As yet, no solutions to this issue from my perspective and there appears to be more and more joining in with this issue... APPLE are you listening?? We need help!

James

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Answer 13

pvoyer

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2011 1:34 PM in response to baconsgood

3 out of 5 authorized computers on my side.

The problem is surely something else..

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Answer 14

Jan 5, 2011 1:54 PM in response to citybreaker

as I understand it Apple TV not count towards the authorised devices JamesMunro but nice try. I have tried all the reset stuff but as Applestore recognised my card and everything else works on Atv then what is the issue?

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Answer 15

pastal

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2011 1:55 PM in response to baconsgood

Hi Have the exact same problem.

Apple TV is set and home sharing is on. All under exact same apple id and itunes account. one movie rented through ATV itunes and get no authorization message. One rented on macbook and I can see it on my computers on ATV but again a no authorization message. 10 bucks down the drain and no solution.

Anyone have an answer to this issue?

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