Apple TV losing connection with iTunes on Windows

I am running iTunes on both an HP MediaSmart Windows Home Server (WHS) and a newly installed Windows Vista system. I have multiple Apple TV's around the house - both ATV2's and ATV3's.

I was using the MediaSmart Server as my main iTunes server for Apple TV streaming. That was the system's only function. Unfortunately, I was constantly restarting iTunes and/or the system as my Apple TV's would lose connection to home sharing. I thought WHS was the problem so I set up an unused computer to install Windows Vista (only license I had laying around) and installed iTunes. Everything seemed to work fine for a few days then I started losing connection to that iTunes also. I turned off the WHS system thinking it was causing the other iTunes to choke. That did not help.

For reference, All of my computers are hard wired and I have some ATV's that are hard wired and some that are using wireless. Wired or wireless....the problem still exists. Also, I have competely disabled anti-virus and the firewall on both iTunes servers.

I can watch multiple movies at one sitting. However, if iTunes is idle overnight (or even for a few hours it seems), my Apple TV's can not re-connect to home sharing and I need to restart iTunes.

Last night I disabled the AppleMobileDeviceHelper and the iPodService services hoping that would help. I have not had a chance to fully test this out yet, but did stumble across quite a few posts where MANY others are having tjhis same issue. Many are saying it has to do with the ATV3's sleep mode. If I recall correctly, my major problems did seem to start about the time I got my first ATV3. When I get home tonight I will disable the sleep mode on all of my ATV's.

Here is the question...just in case that works: Is powering off the device by holding down the play button the same as allowing the device to "sleep"? I ask because I use Harmony remotes and I have programmed them to power off the Apple TV when turning off all devices.

As I said, I have multiple ATV's (7 to be exact - 3 ATV3's and 4 ATV2's) and would hate to leave them all on all the time just to fix this problem.

Any feedback would be appreciated. It is difficult to discern a solid solution from the 400,000 other posts on this topic.

Thanks.