Apple TV and external hard drive

You need iTunes running on your computer, there is no way around that. Not familiar with the other so hopefully someone else can chime in

Interesting discussion. Best solution I have come up with so far (not exactly what is being asked, but close) :

I have a MacMini installed as media-center. The USB harddrives are actually connected to the TimeCapsule through a USB hub (so that TimeMachine can still run on my other machines without having the need for MacMini to be active).

On the MacMini I have set up the "log-in items" on my user account to include iTunes and each of the USB hard disks on the network. At least that way each time the MacMini starts up (e.g. after a power outage), all files are accessible and iTunes is running.

Using Caffeine (a little tool available on the AppStore), I make sure the MacMini never really goes to sleep.

Not ideal, but it does make sure that whenever I feel like playing music on my AppleTV, I don't need to first grab the keyboard of the MacMini to start that up ... it's always "online".

Hope this helps a little

Hey you kind of gave me an idea. Would it work if I use this laptop I am on now for Itunes. I would have it wirelessly intergrated into my setup and left on all the time with itunes up. I am just concerned that it is not a very good machine and it is a PC. Or will that not matter as I am just using it as a link to the external hard drive pluged in the airport extreme.

Or will the machine's performance effect how the movie runs and loads and stuff.

Not knowing what laptop you are using, I don't have a clue on what the performance will be while streaming video. I do know that quite often smaller networks in businesses make use of older (read lower performance) computers that are sacrificed to serve as file servers. So, why not give it a try ?

Leaving the laptop switched on continuously will require it to remain plugged in the power supply, so you will probably see the battery life of the laptop suffer, but as long as you don't need too much battery autonomy that may be an acceptable compromise.

Good luck

I have a related question. My iTunes library has been on an external HDD for some time. I just got a new Seagate external drive. My old drive was a Lacie and malfunctioned. The external drive sleeps after it has not been used for a while. Once you enter it in finder or try to play something in iTunes the drive spins up so you can get to the file. My problem is when I try to I initiate playing media through apple tv when the drive is in sleep mode. iTunes does not wake the drive. I have to go to the Mac and either open finder or play a file directly in iTunes. Did not have this problem with my last external HDD. I do not like haveing to go to the computer every time before watching a movie with appletv. Any ideas on how to fix this?

Hey all,

I figured out a sort of solution, not sure if it's been mentioned. So I have an iPad as well as an airport extreme with harddrive with music and videos connected to it. I also have an awesome program called FileBrowser downloaded.

In FileBrowser input your IP address for the router/harddrive and access your videos via this program. You'll then be Able to access all those files on atv2 via mirroring or air play!

Danish,

Regarding File Browser (great application), what do you suggest if I cannot wake up my ext hdd with my ipad. I can connect to the airport extreme, but when i select the hdd it times out. If I wake up the hdd using my mac i can then get to it through my ipad.

Hi,

Not too sure if I can help I've done some testing with other non apple products and that's when I've run in to trouble. The only thing I can think to ask is, is your hard drive a power packed one or is it an internal power drive?

Mine works fine with my Iomega power pack harddrive but when I go to connect to my wd passport I sometimes have trouble.

Oh oh, before i forget if I use FileBrowser and then go to another app for longer then 5 min I need to reboot FileBrowser (every bloody time). So when ever I get a timeout I close the app (you know in the recently used apps bit) and reboot and that usually solves the problem

Hope this helps

Hello...I had perviously asked questions about waking external hard drives. I have found a great hard drive it is Glyph GPT50 now my issue is waking my computer. Although I think I will just leave the clam shell open. Right now I haven't had to wake the computer with clamshell closed as right now there is only 1 apple tv right now and it is in the same room as the computer. The glyph drive you should have no issue you turn in on and off your self it has external power and built in very quiet fan to prevent over heating. If you are in the market for a external HD check it out. Awsome warrenty these come highly recommended from all my recording engineer friends. They tell me they are very durable and have never had issues as with some other brands crashing or burning up/failing.

Hey guys, Ive just started looking into this myself. I converted all my DVDs and downlads to go completely digital. Filling up my external and my hd on my mac. They all run really well tho and I love my ATV2.

However Im running into the same problem as everyone else. Is there no way we can do it with out leaving the mac on?? I have the Apple Base Station as well, which has a USB port in the back. I can see the external wirelessly from any machine. But is there a way I can get the apple tv to see it with all my movies and tv shows with out the mac being on?

Thanks everyone

I can't get it to work straight to the ATV2 but using any I device and buying the app FileBrpwser I can then access all the content that's connected to my router without having a computer on

Ahhh cheers Danish. Ill check the app store and have a look into that, thanks

I'm looking to do the same thing, store movies on a TC and play through ATV. My films are on the TC and when I try to drag it over to iTunes (with copy off) it won't go.

Do I have to have the movie on my mac first?

ok so first follow these instructions; http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449

after you've done this your music files should be stored on your hard drive and thats how your itunes will access the files you may keep backup files if you like, after you've done this make sure all your files are compatible with itunes i.e. video files are not MKV . can use a convert i just got free one from app store. then from the file menu click Add to library.. select all the files you want. should load. boom all your movies and shows on apple TV !!!! 😁 hope this helps

also anyone with trouble with there mac going to sleep just go into your computers system preferences go to energy saver, put computer sleep to never keep it plugged in . this will kill the battery but if you dont care or have a desktop its a good option