X

Apple TV: Purchased videos not playing (cannot be authorized); Disappears from devices list in iTunes -- fix; Translating video

While most of the initial reader reports are positive, a few issues -- including slow sync, resolution difficulty, and more are surfacing with the newly shipping Apple TV.

CNET staff
9 min read

--
[7:30 PM update]
--

Purchased videos not playing (cannot be authorized) Several users are reporting a serious problem where the Apple TV will not playback any media that is purchased from the iTunes Store. We noted this issue below (in the section "Some purchased videos not available for playback on Apple TV"), but it now appears to be more widespread than initially thought, and affecting all purchased media for some users.

Users experiencing this error generally experience an inability to synchronize or stream purchased media, sometimes accompanied by an error stating that the Apple TV could not contact the iTunes store to authorize. The same users can generally synchronize and/or stream all other non-DRM restricted media.

Interestingly, according Apple Knowledge Base document #304975 the Apple TV does not count as one of the 5 computers authorized to play your iTunes Store purchases. This precludes the possibility that users experiencing this problem do not have any authorizations left.

MacFixIt reader Steve Wilkison writes:

"I am unable to synch or stream any 'purchased' product. Anything I purchased through iTunes will not synch to or stream to the Apple TV. Any content from other sources works and plays as expected. I spent 2 hours on the phone with Apple tech support, two different technicians. They tried everything they could think of and I mean everything. Unplugging, resetting, direct hook up, etc., etc. iTunes says it is unable to synch the material to the Apple TV because it can not contact the iTunes Store for authorization and the Apple TV says it cannot play the material because it is not authorized to play that material."

Daniel Wollin adds:

"Nothing purchased through the iTunes store is playing on Apple TV, even after syncing, all free stuff is though."

This problem may be due to an issue with the authorization server on Apple's end, though we (and several readers) have not had problems authorizing and de-authorizing Macs.

If you are experiencing a similar issue, please let us know.

Unit hot to the touch Several users are reporting that the Apple TV is hot to the touch -- not surprising since the top of the device's case actually acts as a heatsink. AnandTech's dissection of the Apple TV explains.

--
[11:30 AM update]
--

Disappears from devices list in iTunes -- fixes The Apple TV may disappear from the devices list in iTunes -- particularly when connected wirelessly -- for various reasons.

Potential fixes

Reset Apple TV, Mac and router One consistently successful solution -- albeit inconvenient -- is to power down the Apple TV for at least five seconds (causing a reset), the wireless router (if present), and host Mac, waiting up to a minute, then turn all the devices back on.

Go wired Another inconvenient solution to this problem is to simply ditch your wireless network and connect the Apple TV via Ethernet. The Apple TV should appear in the iTunes Devices list automatically shortly after being connected to the Ethernet cable.

Modify firewall settings Apple has posted a Knowledge Base article #305287 addressing this issue, stating that users need only to make sure that the "iTunes Music Sharing" check box is checked under "Firewall" in the Sharing pane of System Preferences. For third-party firewall software, TCP connections on port 3689 must be enabled.

Apple also states in a separate Knowledge Base article () that users should make sure UDP port 5353 (Bonjour) is open on firewalls.

Do some wireless troubleshooting Read through our tutorial "Fixing Wireless connectivity (including AirPort) problems," and try some of the listed suggestions, particularly toggling your AirPort Base stations firmware, turning off wireless encryption or switching the security protocol, or switching channels. Please let us know if any of these workarounds yield success.

Apple's suggestions Apple has a number of suggested fixes for this issue in Knowledge Base article #305003, including verifying that you are using iTunes 7.1.1 or later, restarting iTunes, and reinstalling iTunes. However, several readers report running through this gamut without success.

Translating video so it plays on the Apple TV Not all video playable by iTunes can be played on the Apple TV. The Apple TV can only handle video in specific formats. To ensure video is compatible, translate it using one of the following tools:

Note that exporting video in the Apple TV-designated format can be a time-consuming process.

MacFixIt reader Michael Salesin writes:

"I have an iMovieHD file which is 1080i, runs about an hour and is 46GB. I converted it to a full copy quicktime file (.mov) which turned out to be 44.41 GB. i then converted that into a m4v file for the apple tv and that turned out to be 1.77 GB. the process on a Dual-processor G5 2.66 GHz machine took over 6 hours but the end result is really great. I haven't tried any 3rd party software to do the conversion."

Some purchased videos not available for playback on Apple TV Some users are reporting that select video content -- purchased from the iTunes Store -- is not available for synchronization or streaming playback on the Apple TV.

MacFixIt reader Lynn writes:

"I downloaded a free TV show and purchased a movie and both showed up fine on Apple TV. One omission is that other videos I purchased from iTunes did not sync and did not show up within Apple TV. These included the 2006 Bowl Championship Series and the 2006 PGA Grand Slam of Golf. They do appear in the iTunes TV show listing but even when they are checked and the Apply button clicked they do not sync or appear. Only the free TV show appeared on Apple TV."

Note that (as aforementioned) not all video playable by iTunes can be played on the Apple TV. However, Apple does explicitly state in the Apple TV manual that "movies and TV shows you purchase from the iTunes Store" should be playable on the device.

If you are having trouble playing video purchased through the iTunes Store on your Apple TV, please let us know.

Connecting the Apple TV through a Firewall On page 42 of the Apple TV manual, Apple states "if the firewall is on (in the Sharing pane of System Preferences), make sure 'Apple TV Sharing' is selected to allow content to pass through the Firewall."

However, several readers have noted that this option does not exist in the Sharing pane of System Preferences on systems running Mac OS X 10.4.9.

One reader writes:

"Although I am using the latest version of the OS X (10.4.9) and System Preferences (3.3) there is no option for "Apple TV Sharing" in either the Services or Firewall list."

Apple's guidelines for basic troubleshooting Apple has posted a Knowledge Base document (#305175) detailing "tips and basic troubleshooting" for the Apple TV. Topics covered include:

  • TV screen appears fuzzy or black (you see no video)
  • Can see a picture but Apple TV isn't responding
  • Can't hear sound
  • Remote isn't working
  • Other Apple TVs show up periodically in your iTunes Devices list
  • Apple TV isn't playing your photo albums or slideshows
  • Apple TV still doesn't respond, try restoring it to the original factory settings
  • Apple TV can't access the network.

New networking Knowledge Base documents Apple has also posted a series of new Knowledge Base documents regarding Apple TV networking issues, as follows:

  • #305162 "Apple TV: WPA-Enterprise encryption does not ask for a user name"
  • #305113 "Apple TV cannot join networks that use high ASCII or double-byte characters in their name or password"
  • #305127 "Apple TV: Switching between wired and wireless networks"
  • #305010 "Apple TV: Connections through proxy servers are not supported"
  • #305128 "Apple TV: Wireless networking list does not display my wireless access point's name"
  • #305010 "Apple TV: Connections through proxy servers are not supported"
  • #305115 "IP ports and protocols used by Apple TV"

--
[3:00 AM update]
--

Slow transfer: Use Ethernet for synchronization Several users are reporting that initial synchronization of their videos is extremely slow over wireless 802.11b or 802.11g connections.

One reader writes:

"Initial synchronization via wireless was slow; [...] Streaming video and audio over my g wireless network was very smooth. No pauses, stutters or artifacts of any kind."

As suggested by Apple in Knowledge Base article #305254, you may want to consider performing your first synchronization via Ethernet, using these instructions:

  1. "Connect (the Mac and Apple TV) to the Ethernet switch or hub.
  2. Setup your Apple TV, pair for syncing with iTunes on your computer.
  3. When Apple TV appears in the iTunes Source list, select it and start the sync of your content. Sync all the content you want to sync to the Apple TV. This will now happen over Ethernet resulting in up to a 10x performance boost.
  4. Once the large data sync is complete. Disconnect power from Apple TV, reconnect it to your TV, and then reconnect power."

Only 33 GB of available space It appears that although the Apple TV boasts 40 GB of storage space, only 33 GB are actually available for storage of video and other data. The rest is occupied by the stripped down version of Mac OS and other software pre-installed on the unit.

One reader writes:

"I will need to cut down the amount of music as it is eating up 22 GB of space. there is only 33 GB available. i will need more space for movies but since the streaming works so well it may be reasonable just to keep the large video files on the computer."

Resolution difficulty Some users have reported problems with automatic selection of the proper screen resolution using HDMI cables. If you are experiencing this issue, you may want to try switching to component cables.

Volume cannot be controlled by Apple remote One drawback of the Apple TV is that the included Apple Remote cannot be used to control the volume of the television or external speakers connected to the unit.

Ivan J. Santiago writes:

"My only complaint would be that you cannot control the volume from the unit. Maybe an update could fix that."

Quality of video/photos Several users have commented on the quality of videos and photos displayed via Apple TV.

One reader writes:

"I made a HD movie (sony HD camcorder) with photos as well as the video. the quality was not quite as good as direct playback from tape for the video but the photos were stunning! video content from the iTunes Store was not as good but better than the video i get when connecting my ipod directly to the TV. it really is like an ipod for your tv but it is absolutely easy and the video of album covers, photos and the screen saver is spectacular."

Cables not included Not that the Apple TV does not include HDMI cables or any other wires for television connectivity -- only a power cable is included.

General commentary A few general comments from readers:

MacFixIt reader Michael Salesin writes:

"In anticipation of getting the device i had already hooked up component video and standard audio cables to my AV receiver and so after unpacking the device, i had it operational in minutes. iI took two tries to connect to my new apple extreme base station (it actually saw at least 6 of my neighbors networks) but very quickly started downloading from itunes. even before the download was complete i had excellent playback of everything i had selected to add to the hard drive. [...] The download speed of the movie trailers is remarkable, the progress bar fills in seconds and the trailer plays without stuttering through to the end. All in all another great device, will be perfect for showing my photos and videos. No issues at all."

MacFixIt reader Peter Grayson adds:

"Very nice set-up and operation. [...] Much, much better video than trying to connect the laptop directly to the television."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Previous coverage:

Resources

  • #304975
  • let us know
  • explains
  • #305287
  • "Fixing Wireless connectivity (including AirPort) problems,"
  • #305003
  • iTunes 7.1.1
  • VisualHub
  • QuickTime 7.1.5
  • #305175
  • #305162
  • #305113
  • #305127
  • #305010
  • #305128
  • #305115
  • #305254
  • Late-breakers@macfixit.com
  • Slew of Apple TV Knowledge...
  • More from Late-Breakers