Hey there ripcharles,
It sounds like you are not seeing your Apple TV in iTunes when you connect it with your Micro USB cable. You should use these steps from the following article to help get that resolved:
Apple TV: Unable to restore using iTunes
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5231
Some micro-USB cables that are bundled with products or accessories may only support charging those products (and not transmitting data) or they may work only with the product with which they were sold. Using one of these cables to restore your Apple TV may cause the issues above.
To resolve these issues, please try these basic restore steps first. If the issue persists, continue with the following advanced troubleshooting steps.
- Temporarily disconnect any unnecessary USB devices from your computer, leaving only your Apple TV, the micro-USB cable, and a keyboard and mouse, if necessary.
- Restart your computer and try to restore again.
- If the issue persists, try using a different micro-USB cable if possible. If you don’t have another micro-USB cable, your local Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider can assist you in restoring your Apple TV.
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Take care,
Sterling