Apple TV homesharing keeps dropping out ...

This seems so unlike Apple. They have a reputation for products that work and up to now I though they cared about their users. The SILENCE is DEAFENING. Why won't they come out with some instructions on how to troubleshoot this problem or look at stabilising the connection. There are a lot of unhappy people out here. I think we need to make more noise about this level of support, if they won't act.

I've sent a letter to PC World USA and will send it to all other computer magazines until I get a response. Totally unacceptable Apple.

Well done Phil - I don't understand why Apple can't or won't respond. This is a serious issue as the only reason I bought Apple TV was for the access to my ITunes music library. If this isn't stable then the product is useless as far as I am concerned.

Hi

It seems I have company with this problem

I installed a new modem last week and since then itunes on my computer stops ahter 2 songs while the Aplle TV continues working in fact it continues to show a photos slideshow from the same computer (not in itunes) even though the iTunes has eased

I can see earlier discussioins about ports etc - is there a fix?

Dundas Bunny

This is going from bad to worse.

I tried to get telephone support in Japan via Apple website and discovered I would charged to get any help with this. Naturally I didn't proceed on prinicple. So, Apple f"#ks up the implementation of a software update, frustrates the **** out of thousands of its customers, makes them jump through a bunch of hoops to get help, and then turns around and says, 'you gotta pay for our mistake.'

I am aghast at the stones of these people.

Does anybody have any further news, or has anyone made a breakthrough in fixing this issue. I am at the end of my rope here. Have restored for about the 20th time to no avail, including downloading and installing the latest updates. It hasn't fixed the problem, in fact, it's getting worse.

What an arrogant organization. F#$%k you Apple and the horse you rode in on.

An interesting wrinkle in my version of this problem (which is extremely irritating) - I can often get AppleTV to show up as Airplay speakers by turning my airport off then on again and then launching iTunes, but sometimes it doesn't show up as available to iTunes, even though if I use the AppleTV I can often see my computer under the Computers tab and play music from my iTunes library from the Apple TV for a while.

The dropouts can sometimes stop music played from the AppleTV for about half an hour before starting again with no notice.

I have tried most fixes, especially opening ports and moving my home network (with a Huawei wireless router) to IPv4. Forcing IPv4 improved things but it is still erratic. Wish I had bought an AppleTV v1 which could at least play some music if the networking was screwed!

Follow the link to a configuration that has had no drops from Home Sharing and has worked without any issues. Although your components may not be the same, the concepts are similar. Hopefully this eases all of the frustrations you have been experiencing.

Re: Solution for Apple TV 2, Xfinity router, Ethernet connection and Home Sharing

As far as I have tested, using this has allowed me to use my iPad2 to wirelessly mirror to the Apple TV as well as my iPhone4S. The Apple TV goes to sleep and when it wakes up, the connection to Home Sharing is still there.

Hi spma3,

I'll give it a try tonight. I connected the laptop to the modem via cable and it worked continuously and Home sharing stay on and the music kept playing through Apple TV for hours (Thanks Alley Cat!)

So I think somewhere between the computer and modem

TRY again

@spma3

Thanks for the ideas man. Do I really have to go and play around with router settings, though? I'm not an advanced PC user, and I have little confidence I could do what you describe. My computer's OS is in Japanese which really is a drag.

Would just setting the ATV IP address to the one matching my PC work?

Also, my date and time for ATV seems to set automatically.

I asked around my work, everyone with an ATV has this same issue of dropouts. I am gonna buy a Buffalo media player and try that. My issue is fast becoming not how to fix it, but why it is broken for so many people. Seems to me this is an Apple bug, and they need to provide a fix in the next ATV OS update.

The fact ATV can only play MP4 is also a joke. I'm gonna drop $100 on the Theater Link LTV200, you can also connect an HDD to it, plays all formats, and is wireless.

Apple, what a joke. Thanks, though, spma3

+1 here too.

Had Apple TV 2 for about a year, on the same router, no problems. Best 99 quid I ever spent.

Until recently. Totally unuseable now. The only change in the equation is software updates. So this is Apple's fault. End of.

I now have a 99 quid coaster.

It's frustrating, having to explain to my kids why they can't watch their Pixar movies anymore. Oh, the irony...

As a loyal Apple evangelsit of over 20 years, this is appalling.

I have been having this issue as well. It is very very frustrating. I seem to have solved it by doing a restore on my ATV2 under "general" -> "reset" -> "restore". Seems something in the software update didnt work right.

I seemed to have solved this same issue on my setup by running a full restore on my apple tv 2. After doing this the drops went away.

I thought with the latest set of Apple software updates this issue MIGHT get fixed, it has got worse! I now can only play 2 songs when I get a drop out and playback stops. I tried doing a full restore but it made no difference. Why are Apple ignoring this? I am so frustrated. It almost feels deliberate to perhaps drive users to subscibe to ITunes Match.

I got a great fix. Chuck it out the window. I bought an LT-V100 Buffalo media player. It will play any format at 1080p (unlike the ATV) and has a USB port so you can plug a HDD into it and use it as pseudo media server. For $70, it's a bargain.

Apple is so far up its ivory tower its forgotten its customers. Making them pay for customer support... what a joke. In Japan, Buffalo will even come to your house if you can't figure out a problem, and even send a female technician if the product owner is female and prefers that.

I used to recommend Apple products, after this, I'll be advising everyone I can not to buy the ATV and make them aware of how poor the company's customer service is.

If you want to free yourself from frustration, give up, buy a cheaper alternative. One that actually works.

You sound more like a sales rep for Buffalo then someone trying to help this person solve their issue with a device they already purchased. As you can see the issue he is having is fixed for many here in this thread with a full restore. There are also thousands of ATV2 out there working perfectly as advertised.

I have owned the ATV1 currently own the 2 and plan on upgrading to the 3. What issues I have had were fixed fairly easy using the info in this forum. My ATVs work great with AirPlay from my devices and with the Cloud.