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Apple TV wont play content unless connected to the Internet

I have added a few movies of my own, when I loose my Internet connection then, none of my content Purchased from Itunes or imported myself will not play on my ATV?

The reason to own this is so when your Internet is down, you can still be entertained. Apple really needs to open this up, so that once Home Sharing is turned on, it allows you to share with any device on your network, even when you have no Internet Connection. It should not render my media none usable when I have fully paid for and should be able to use at any point.

Apple TV (3rd generation), iOS 5.1

Posted on Jan 24, 2014 8:15 AM

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18 replies

Jan 26, 2014 6:24 AM in response to Almonday

Many of us have the same problem. I have trawled the internet and no-one seems to have a solution. vazandrew pops up on all the threads concerning this problem. The following seems to be common:


1. Apple TV, I have never been close to my monthly broadband cap from my provider. I am now close to the cap after having Apple TV live for only 14 days. Apple TV definitely uses your broadband allowance even when you never download a movie, which I have not done.


2. I cannot play Home Videos from iTunes via Apple TV unless I am connected to the internet.


vazandrew seems to think the thousands of us who have this problem are misinterpreting the situation and that we can do the impossible and and that the problem is with our ISP and not Apple TV. Well, not so, the problem is Apple TV not the ISP.

Jan 26, 2014 12:21 PM in response to hgtate

1. There have been a few who have posted about it, but does not seem to be common. In a few cases it ended up being that there was an issue with the auto update or other background downloading based on the device settings. You also have to be aware of what you are using the device for. Most of the content will be using the Internet and requires a lot of bandwidth. Home sharing is the exception.


2. It may have to do with how your network has been setup. Again, home sharing is off the local network and unless you are streaming iTunes purchases (which require authorization from time to time) there is no need for Internet, it just needs wifi access.

Apr 24, 2014 7:28 AM in response to vazandrew

Your statement (2) is NOT correct. I agree that ATV checks for rented or purchased iTunes movies.

However, I want to stream only my home videos taken with my video camera and loaded into iTunes. ATV still does not play any video without an internet connection. Try yourself! I can however play music and watch my photos from my MAC through the local network even when I do not have the internet connection.

Apr 24, 2014 7:53 AM in response to Almonday

The Problem I think is when I turn on ATV when my Internet connection is lost. ATV trying to verify my account for Home Sharing.

Everytime I loose Internet and turn on my ATV, I am not allowed to watch movies that I have purchased on DVD and converted to use in ITunes. It just spins the little waiting icon forever.


I am able to play all of my music though.

Apr 24, 2014 9:39 AM in response to Almonday

Home Sharing doesn't need verification in that way, as long as both devices are on the same network and using the same ID that is all that's required. It would only be if you were trying to stream iTunes purchases that such verification would need to occur.


Are you using wifi or ethernet?


We can't really speak as to commercial DVD conversions as per the terms of the forum.

Apr 25, 2014 9:54 AM in response to vazandrew

I agree with you.. ATV should not need internet connection if I wish to play my home video.

However, it does NOT work.

I'm using both ethernet and wi.fi...no difference.

I can easily play my music on the computer's iTunes and wach my photos... isn't strange???


I'm NOT trying to watch ripped DVDs: only my home video shot with my own camera.

Apr 25, 2014 3:16 PM in response to Almonday

I do not mean to trivialize your problem of not being able to stream "home movies" to your Apple TV without having an internet connection. I know this is frustrating for you, as it would be for me as well. However I would have to concur with vazandrew in that, an internet connection is not needed to stream "home movies" to your Apple TV.


I ran a very simple test. I unplugged the Ethernet cable connecting my modem to my AirPort Extreme. As soon as I disconnected the cable my AirPort Extreme status light started flashing "orange". I then accessed the "computers" app on my Apple TV (which by the way is connected via wifi to the AirPort Extreme). It then loaded "my library" and I loaded a video from the "home videos" category in "my library". It played without a problem. Granted it did take a good minute or more before it actually started to play compared to it being instantaneous when I actually have an internet connection.


I then tried another experiment while still offline. I loaded an actual movie I purchased from iTunes, which is also in the "computers" app, then under "my library" and then "movies". This also played without a problem, but again it did take a good minute or two for the movie to load and start playing. Coincidently, I went to the iTunes "movies" app (again, I am still off line) and I could not connect to iTunes and got an error message to try again.


Since my "home videos" as well as my "purchased iTunes" content are all stored on my mac hard drive, I would have to agree that content can be streamed to the Apple TV while "offline". I would assume, that if I continued to watch multiple "purchased" content while offline I would eventually be prompted to "re-connect" my internet to authenticate my "purchases".


On a side note, at one point I actually stored all my purchased music and movies on a NAS drive connected to my AirPort Extreme and I ran into the same problem you are currently having where I couldn't stream anything unless I had an internet connection. About a year ago I moved all my purchased content from the NAS drive to an external USB hard drive and I haven't had any streaming problems, even while offline.


I don't know if this will help you resolve your problem. But, if this can be of any use I would at least hope it gives you the determination to continue to look for a solution because for all intents and purposes it should work for you.

Apr 26, 2014 4:29 AM in response to dmule

Thank you dmule, thankyou vazandrew.


After I checked for the hundreth time my network parameters, I opened my ATV and lauched the view of one of my movie. As usual, the dial start rotating; this time however I left it running and you know what? After almost 5 minutes it displayed my own video.

I then stopped and tryed to watch another video and ... same behaviour: after almost 5 minutes of waiting, the movie started palying on my ATV.

Unuselless to say that the same movies start immediately on my iMAC via iTunes.No waiting , just starts.!Even purchased video for iTunes store! No wait at all. So I tried last thing: I removed from ATV my apple account and re-IPLd: nothing to do, same behaviour.

I have run out of ideas now!

Apple TV wont play content unless connected to the Internet

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