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User profile for user: Ian4
Ian4 Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Setting up without the apple tv remote

I have brought my apple tv to my friends house and was going to control apple tv with 'Remote' off my iPhone. I did not bring the remote that came with the apple tv as I was going to do it all with the iPhone. However I now cannot seem to get the apple tv to do anything. I am in a different part of the country so I can't go back and get the remote.

Is there anyway to use my iPhone to allow me to set up apple tv in my friends house? I need to connect to their network and to my knowledge I have no way of doing this. I can see apple tv on the screen but can't set it up.

Help!

Thanks!

Macbook Pro 13" iMac 20" MacBook iPhone 3G 5 iPods Apple Tv, Mac OS X (10.6.2), Apple Tv, airport extreme. And a partridge in a pear tree!!

Posted on Apr 8, 2011 3:39 PM

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20 replies
User profile for user: Macaby
Macaby
User level: Level 3
923 points

Apr 9, 2011 9:09 AM in response to Winston Churchill

I seem to remember being able to use my IP with the "remote app" to control/move within the ATV menus with my ATV1. With the ATV2, this is no longer possible or if it is, I can't "get" there. Instead, the "remote app" now allows me to select what I want to play rather than move about within the ATV2 menus.

Without that ability, it wouldn't be possible to select a new home network for example or ANY of the other settings within the menus.

I thought the "remote app" was great for those times I couldn't find my little white remote.
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User profile for user: Macaby
Macaby
User level: Level 3
923 points

Apr 9, 2011 10:33 AM in response to Chenks

Chenks wrote:
definitely works for me too.
make sure you're not controlling the itunes library rather than the appletv.


Well, I guess you're the genius! Yes, it was controlling the iTunes library instead. Not sure how it got switched. I'm glad to have my "spare" ATV remote back.

The OP seems to have disappeared with his troubles. As I now understand the "remote app", the IP has to be signed in on the SAME home wifi as the ATV (1 or 2) in order to control either.
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User profile for user: Chenks
Chenks
User level: Level 5
7,435 points

Apr 9, 2011 10:56 AM in response to Macaby

Macaby wrote:
The OP seems to have disappeared with his troubles. As I now understand the "remote app", the IP has to be signed in on the SAME home wifi as the ATV (1 or 2) in order to control either.


yes this is correct, and the catch 22 situation is that you can't add the appletv to the same WIFI network without the actual apple remote.
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User profile for user: Ian4
Ian4 Author
User level: Level 1
15 points

Apr 9, 2011 12:31 PM in response to Chenks

So I now have a remote but I can't get my atv to work. It says setting time and date then it goes onto pictures scrolling on the screen. But when I push any button on the remote nothing is happening on the screen at all. In fact when I push the button the light flashes three times which I think I read somewhere that may be the remote is paired with another atv. Is there any way around this? This is day two and I'm starting to go crazy!
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User profile for user: Chenks
Chenks
User level: Level 5
7,435 points

Apr 10, 2011 2:12 AM in response to Ian4

Ian4 wrote:
So I now have a remote but I can't get my atv to work. It says setting time and date then it goes onto pictures scrolling on the screen. But when I push any button on the remote nothing is happening on the screen at all. In fact when I push the button the light flashes three times which I think I read somewhere that may be the remote is paired with another atv. Is there any way around this? This is day two and I'm starting to go crazy!


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1555
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User profile for user: rich1000
rich1000
User level: Level 1
4 points

Dec 24, 2011 8:18 AM in response to Ian4

Since you all got completely off subject of this guys problem (although very helpful also!), I wanted to post this to help him and anyone else.


http://matthopkins.com/gadgets/apple-tv-wifi-forgot-remote/


I have the same problem visiting my parents over holidays.

However their wired network is nowhere near a tv and I don't want to go buy a 50 ft Ethernet cable. So I'm taking it a step further by creating a shared network signal from my laptop by the tv in order to do the first steps.

Theoretically it all should work! Fingers crossed.


Hope this helps people. Pretty cool.

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User profile for user: hftvhftv
hftvhftv
User level: Level 1
15 points

Dec 25, 2012 5:06 PM in response to Ian4

Ok I know how to do this:

-Unplug the power cable from your Apple TV and plug it back in while your television is on

-Hook up your Apple TV with an Ethernet cord to a router

-Go into settings/general/remotes/learn remote

-Then get a regular TV remote with more than one setting (so you don't control your TV and Apple TV at the same time!) and follow the steps given

-Once the remote is set up disconnect your Ethernet cable

-Then go into your network settings and connect to your Internet access point through Wi-Fi

-Finally turn on home sharing on your iPhone and Apple TV and open the Remote app

Then your done!

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Setting up without the apple tv remote

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