wizofaus
Level 1 (8 points)
Apple TV

Q: Why does my Apple TV (1) freeze all the time

Recently my Apple TV (1) has started freezing up constantly, often randomly after half an hour or so, but quite reliably when I select "internet" from the menu menu (with the two options 'YouTube" and "Radio" shown - but for instance just now it froze while changing the "transition" effect for the Screen Saver settings).

The only solution each time is to hold down menu/down for 6 seconds, enter recovery mode and select 'restart'.  "Run Diagnostics" finds nothing wrong.

I haven't tried factory reset (though I did try the partial reset to defaults) as I'm worried I'll have issues re-syncing all my content (and it'll take a long time).

It's obviously not an issue with the remote (I have a programmable remote as well as the original, and the force-restart option always works).  Unplugging the power cable/replacing does NOT restore it when it has frozen.

It appears to be related to something it's trying to download automatically from the Internet to display?

The software is up-to-date (version 3.0.2 - OS Build 8N6014 from Feb 2010)

The only thing I changed recently to add a bunch more photos to the screen saver, which could be related, but as I said the most reliable place it freezes is when selecting "Internet" from the main menu which wouldn't seem to be related, and it's happened quite a few times before any of those photos have been displayed. There's loads of unused capacity (113Gb). It's just weird that something that had been working reliably for so many years would suddenly become so flaky.

Hard not to think it's built-in obsolescence!

 

Posted on May 28, 2016 8:34 PM

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wizofaus

Q: Why does my Apple TV (1) freeze all the time

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Rysz,

    Rysz Rysz May 28, 2016 8:44 PM in response to wizofaus
    Level 7 (21,001 points)
    iPad
    May 28, 2016 8:44 PM in response to wizofaus

    ATV 1 has a built-in hard drive. That's a mechanical, not an electroni, device and it's not made by Apple. Considering it's age, it wouldn't be surprising if it's the drive that is beginning to fail.

     

    The apparent connection to Internet may not be causal, but simply that it involves writing the downloaded files to the drive.

     

    You can try to restart your router, but a poor connection should result in interrupted playback, not device crashes or freezes.

  • by wizofaus,

    wizofaus wizofaus May 28, 2016 8:47 PM in response to Rysz
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Apple TV
    May 28, 2016 8:47 PM in response to Rysz

    Interesting theory. Is there a way to run some sort of hard drive scan/bad sector locator?

    If not, is it worth at least trying the full factory reset?

  • by Rysz,

    Rysz Rysz May 28, 2016 9:01 PM in response to wizofaus
    Level 7 (21,001 points)
    iPad
    May 28, 2016 9:01 PM in response to wizofaus

    You have nothing to loose by trying the reset.

     

    I'm sure there is a way to run hard drive diagnostics on it, but I'm not sure how. You could try connecting the ATV to your computer and checking if Disk Utility recognizes it as a drive. If you're on a Mac, DU is inside the Utilities folder in Applications.

  • by Rudegar,

    Rudegar Rudegar May 29, 2016 1:58 AM in response to wizofaus
    Level 7 (28,980 points)
    Apple TV
    May 29, 2016 1:58 AM in response to wizofaus

    mine began doing the same when I retired it

    apart from the hd then there is also a fan inside the case

    if that fan have stopped spinning overheat would result in the same behaviour

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill May 29, 2016 4:30 AM in response to wizofaus
    Level 10 (104,511 points)
    Apple TV
    May 29, 2016 4:30 AM in response to wizofaus

    Intermittent problems are often a result of interference. Interference can be caused by other networks in the neighbourhood or from household electrical items.

     

    You can download and install iStumbler (NetStumbler for windows users) to help you see which channels are used by neighbouring networks so that you can avoid them, but iStumbler will not see household items.

     

    Refer to your router manual for instructions on changing your wifi channel or adjusting your multicast rate.

     

    There are other types of problems that can affect networks, but this is by far the most common, hence worth mentioning first. Networks that have inherent issues can be seen to work differently with different versions of the same software. You might also try moving the Apple TV away from other electrical equipment.

     

    The following article(s) may help you.

     

    Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections

    Recommended Wi-Fi settings

    Sources of Interference

    Wifi Diagnostic Software (for Mac users)

     

    You may also find some help on this page, where I’ve collected some of the more unusual solutions to network issues.

  • by Vinceassociate,

    Vinceassociate Vinceassociate May 29, 2016 11:12 AM in response to wizofaus
    Level 4 (1,745 points)
    May 29, 2016 11:12 AM in response to wizofaus

    I believe YouTube and Radio are no longer supported apps.  That may be part of your crash issues.