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

Is anyone else seeing this behavior? My new gen4 aTV won't play some movies from my library - it says "this content cannot be played because it's format is not compatible with this device", but it plays fine on my Mac and my gen III aTVs whether I stream it or airplay it. The gen IV won't even let me airplay it which seems really crazy. What's going on? Otherwise I'm loving this box, but this is insane.

Mac OS 9.2.x

Posted on Oct 30, 2015 4:20 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 2, 2017 3:32 PM

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):

User uploaded file

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

User uploaded file

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

144 replies

Nov 3, 2015 8:43 AM in response to hollowspy

I also use Mac RIpper Pro. They have an update that now includes "New Apple TV". Rips with this profile play on the 4th Gen. They also have a video converter product that also has a new Apple TV profile. I have tested it by converting a few seasons of a TV show that would not play. It does fix the problem. But requires converting 1000's of files, in my case. It also does not overwrite the old file. So you have to convert, delete old from iTunes and then copy in the new. Very time consuming.

Nov 3, 2015 9:06 AM in response to Buffettrebel

That converter is working for me - only 3200 TV episodes to convert.

Send the developers of the converter a note asking if it can run via command line / script as adding files via the GUO is also very time consuming.

The other gotcha is that the converter is overwriting the "name" I have in iTunes. I laboriously enter the episode names here and it is overwriting with the physical file name. Fortunately I had this before and used "This Tag That Tag" from DougScripts.co to copy the "name" to "comments" so I had a recovery route.

As you say though very time consuming

Nov 4, 2015 2:26 AM in response to Buffettrebel

Just spoken to support and yes my new 4th gen is going straight back as I like a lot of people can no longer play certain movies depending on the codec used to convert them despite them touting this as an upgrade. Also dropping optical means my Bose can't get sound unless I disconnect something else.


Real own goal here Apple and one very disappointed loyal customer.

Nov 5, 2015 10:29 AM in response to Buffettrebel

The issue that I have with this supposed "audio fix" is that if you look at the tech specs for both ATV3 and ATV4, the video formats are identical, including the AAC-LC audio. The only difference is that the ATV4 no longer accepts movies with the Motion JPEG codec. So with that being said, there is absolutely zero reason why movies in our uTines library that we've been enjoying with out ATV3 will not work. Apple just plain botched this. Hopefully there will be a software update very soon, because like most of you, I have hundreds go movies ripped and I'm not about to start over. Until an update arrives...back into the box it goes.

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

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