Apple TV (4th Gen) won't play iTunes content from library

ghostgrafik wrote:

We may not be talking about the same function per the TV app in iOS. In the old Video app, it allowed you to connect to your iTunes library on a desktop/laptop and stream both ripped video files and video files purchased through iTunes. In the new TV app, it appears to only support streaming of iTunes purchases. Ripped files don't appear as playable unless you actually copy the file directly onto your iPad.

That's not what I'm finding. Here's a view of the TV app on my iPad. It shows the 2 computers (iTunes Libraries):

If I then select one of the computers shown, I then see the recorded shows in that computer's iTunes Library:

I have not copied these videos onto the iPad; they play (stream) from the computer.

You can play MPEG-4 content on the Apple TV using 3rd party apps (examples: Air Video HD or VLC), so tvOS does support that codex, just not within 1st party apps. I think Apple has made the decision to leave the support of various ripped video file formats outside of H.264/M4V to 3rd parties. They also eliminated the shared library function from the new TV app in iOS that previously existed in the old Video app. You now have to use 3rd party apps if you want to stream ripped files from your desktop/laptop to an iOS device.

ghostgrafik wrote:

... They also eliminated the shared library function from the new TV app in iOS that previously existed in the old Video app. ...

Hmmm... It looks that that's the case for the new TV app on the ATV. (On the iPad the new TV app, replacing the Video app, DOES still offer shared library access so it never occurred to me to look for it on the ATV.)

The shared library function *is* still available on the ATV under the "Computers" icon, which is where we have always viewed our home-encoded mp4s (via EyeTV, Handbrake, etc.) via iTunes. So that app ("Computers") is our source for streaming any mp4s from our 2 macs (a Mini & MacBook Air).

When we recently changed routers we thought, at first, that Home Sharing had disappeared, but it that turned out to be due to the computers connecting on a different WiFi network than the ATV. Once all devices were back on the one network, Home Sharing options appeared as before.

We may not be talking about the same function per the TV app in iOS. In the old Video app, it allowed you to connect to your iTunes library on a desktop/laptop and stream both ripped video files and video files purchased through iTunes. In the new TV app, it appears to only support streaming of iTunes purchases. Ripped files don't appear as playable unless you actually copy the file directly onto your iPad.

You're correct that the 4th gen Apple TV still allows streaming of both ripped video files and iTunes purchased files through the Computers app, but with the caveat that some MPEG-4 rips may no longer be compatible and have to be streamed through 3rd party apps or converted to M4V.

Thanks for posting that! There seems to be a delay (at least for me) in terms of that link to the iTunes library actually showing up in the list on my iPad. I had never seen it there before and assumed it wasn't included, but after seeing your screenshots and repeatedly selecting the list in the TV app, it did eventually show up. Takes quite awhile to load the desktop based movie library as well (seems like nothing is happening for a couple of minutes), but that was true of the Videos app as well. Difference is that the Videos app had a circular "timer" that let you know it was working on loading the library, and the TV app does not. Anyway, glad I turned out to be wrong and that function is still in there.

Anyone figure out why Content purchased from Apple (movie Red) states the content won't play? This isn't some home movie but actual content purchased from Apple that won't play on my Apple TV!

Very discouraging....

Yap the new apple tv is total crap. When the remote actually working it takes forever to spin between movies. I'm having the same issues that you're having now "This content can't be played on the Apple TV" and its a new movie I just paid for through apple tv (accountant). This is a bug and has nothing to do with your video file. One of many bugs.

Seriously apples going backwards on many of the products, the new macbooks keywords are messed up. I purchased three in three months and returned three all for the same sticky key issue. These use to be windows issues now Apple is pretty much taking Microsofts place and releasing buggy hardware and software just to hit profits for shareholders. ******.

So if this problem is a codec issue between H.264 and MPEG-4 is there a way to quickly sort a library to find all the MPEG-4 videos? I see no fix for this coming so I'll be reencoding a portion of my library. I'd at least like to avoid going through thousands of files.

I'm also experiencing the same problem. There are some movies (may be 3 so far) that won't play on my fourth generation Apple TV but will play on my 3rd gen and my Mac. The movies are in MP4 format.

Just got off the phone with AppleCare, they inform me because I ripped the movie, they cannot provide support.

Apple software is notoriously fussy about audio and video file formats. My advice is to do what I did and use Plex to manage and play your movie library instead. Far superior user experience.

Having said that, if the files in question are encoded with h.264, the fix may be as simple as changing the file extension from mp4 to m4v.

I Have played a handful of my library movies withou any problems. Maybe something with the file size or how certain files were converted? Any example movies I can check to see if it's in my library and if it plays...

That is weird. I was able to play both mad max and southpaw as expected. But my files are much smaller 2-8. But I do have some that are as large as 17 and they played fine but we're slow to buffer... Maybe try restarting the ATV?