Using the Apple TV with iTunes Match and Home Sharing Setup

Once you've signed in to your Apple ID account on the Apple TV, you'll want to confirm that the device will remember this account for purchases. This is done by checking the "Remember Account" option, which allows you to avoid re-entering your login credentials every time you make a purchase. Next, you'll want to toggle iTunes Match on, which enables your music library to be accessed directly from the Apple TV. Finally, you'll turn on Home Sharing, which allows your Apple TV to connect to the iTunes library on your local computer.

With Home Sharing enabled, you can access your content on both devices using the same account. This feature is especially useful if you have a large music collection or want to stream movies and TV shows from your computer directly to your Apple TV. To set up Home Sharing, simply go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Enable Home Sharing.

Using Remote Apps for Control

Once you've completed these setup steps, you can switch to using the remote app on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to control your Apple TV. This makes it much easier to enter text and navigate through menus, as the screen is now larger and more intuitive. With this feature enabled, you can use the remote app to select movies, browse playlists, and even stream content from your computer directly to your Apple TV.

Navigating Content on the Apple TV

To start browsing content on the Apple TV, simply go to the Movies or TV Shows section of the home screen. From here, you can rent or purchase individual titles, browse through categories such as Action, Comedy, or Drama, or search for specific movies using keywords like "Marvel" or "Star Wars." Once you've selected a title, you'll be able to read a synopsis, watch a trailer, and even view Rotten Tomatoes reviews to help you decide whether it's worth renting.

Renting Movies on the Apple TV

When you rent a movie on the Apple TV, you'll have 30 days to watch it or 24 hours to start watching it. Once you've started playing the movie, it will begin streaming directly to your device without the need to download. However, be aware that playback may take a few moments to buffer before it starts.

Audio and Video Quality

The Apple TV offers superb audio quality at 5.1 Dolby Digital, making it a great option for those who want an immersive viewing experience. However, compression artifacts are still present in the video, especially in the midtones. Despite this, the 1080p resolution makes a significant difference in playback, with improved visuals and smoother motion.

Streaming Purchased Content

If you've purchased movies or TV shows through iTunes, you can stream them directly to your Apple TV using iCloud. This feature is particularly useful for those who have purchased content at lower resolutions, as these titles are now automatically upgraded to 1080p quality. Other features include Genius, which matches previous rentals with similar titles, and the ability to browse your music library through iTunes Match.

Browsing Music and TV Shows

Under the Music section, you can browse through categories such as Playlists, Genius Mixes, or search for specific songs using keywords like "Taylor Swift" or "The Beatles." You'll also find options to stream previous iTunes purchases directly from iCloud. If you don't have an iTunes Match account, you'll instead be prompted to connect your iTunes library running on your home network.

Accessing Content on Your Computer

Using Home Sharing, you can access the content on your home computer using iTunes. This includes your music library, movies, TV shows, podcasts, iTunes U, and photos. To do this, simply go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Enable Home Sharing, then select "Computer" under the list of devices.

Streaming Photos

With Home Sharing enabled, you can also stream your photos directly from your computer to the Apple TV using the Photos app. Simply open the Photos app on your computer, select the photo or album you want to share, and then go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Enable Home Sharing. From here, you'll be able to browse your categories, select events, or playback individual photos.

Streaming Content from iCloud

In addition to streaming purchased content, you can also access your full music library stored on iCloud. This feature allows you to stream your entire music collection directly from the cloud without having to load it on the Apple TV. However, be aware that this process may take some time to complete before you can start browsing.

Accessing Third-Party Content

The Apple TV also supports third-party content, including Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo, and more. You can log in to your existing account or sign up for a new one using iTunes to access these services. For example, with the Netflix app on the Apple TV, you'll be able to browse through categories like "Recently Watched" or search for specific titles. Selecting a movie will bring up unique features like rating it or adding it to your queue.

Streaming Content from Your Computer

One of the most convenient features of Home Sharing is the ability to stream content directly from your computer to the Apple TV using AirPlay. This feature allows you to play back movies, music, and more on your Apple TV without having to download anything. To do this, simply go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Enable AirPlay.

Conclusion

Using the Apple TV with Home Sharing and Remote Apps is a great way to access your content from both your computer and your living room device. With these features enabled, you can stream movies, music, and more directly from iCloud or your home network, making it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite titles on your big screen.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat's up YouTube this is Mike the Detroit Borg with a look at the new third generation Apple TV which is essentially a update from the second generation Apple TV that's to say basically that this is a spec upgrade it doesn't look different but it does have some new internal specs so we go from an A4 to an A5 processor so that allows the Apple TV now to support 1080p to an HD tv instead of just 720p so let's go ahead and take a look to see what we get Now quickly taking a look around the box you can see it looks like the Apple TV second generation but we get this 1080p logo reminding us that this is indeed capable of 1080P and on the back we have a preview of the new user interface which launched with Apple TV third generation but it's also available on the Apple TV second generation as an update so we'll take a look at that once we get it connected so let's go ahead and cut into this plastic and take a look so it should just slide out there is our Apple TV now we have this handy little tap to lift the Apple TV out of its box you can see it's wrapped in plastic we'll take a look at that in just a minute so we can take a look to see what else we get so we have this nice little aluminum remote unchanged from the second generation so let's unwrap that so as you can see we have the sturdy aluminum remote with this directional d-pad so we have left right up and down and select in the center and menu and play pause menu essentially on the Apple t is the back button but what you need to know about this is that although it looks like a scroll wheel it is not it's just a d-pad so you can't use this to scroll through lists like you would with an iPod on the back we have our little battery compartment which can be turned with the help of a uh coin and that that's contains our battery up top we have our little IR Blaster so this is how the uh remote communicates with the Apple TV doesn't use Bluetooth it just uses IR so the Apple TV can be used with any sort of universal remote like the harmony one now in our box are our other essential accessories including the power cable so you can see it's nicely curled up like all Apple packaging has very well thought out we also have some lych so we have the Apple TV setup guide which will take you through on how to connect it we also have some Apple stickers and we have the Apple TV looks like license agreement warranty information that sort of thing now while apple does not include an HDMI cable they do sell a version that matches the Apple TV it's completely aesthetic you can use any HDM cable you want cheaper or more expensive this runs about $20 now taking a look around the Apple TV we still have this sort of unibody plastic design with this etched surface on top excluding the Apple logo and TV on the side we still have that uh shiny surface which is actually translucent so the IR sensor uh can see uh through this plastic so there isn't a specific Port just for the IR sensor of course we have a little indicator light behind there as well on the bottom we have our little round pedestal which is slightly raised if you look at it from the side of course on the back we have our p so we have our power connector our HDMI connector an optical audio output as well as an Ethernet connector now you don't need to use ethernet to connect to the Apple TV you can use wireless this is capable of Wireless N we also have our mini USB connector this allows us to flash the firmware if we need to service the Apple TV for whatever reason this is something that the end user isn't likely to use comparing the second generation to the third generation there really is no way to tell the difference uh except for the second generation here is obviously used and we're scratched up so you can see that the pedestal is unchanged if you look around the side you can see the dimensions are unchanged it's still shiny if we look on the back you can see the ports are unchanged as well and of course the top is unchanged as well so let's go ahead and connect it and take a look now when it's connected we also have this white LED indicator which flashes when we use the remote now when we go to set up our Apple TV for the first time the first thing we need to do is Select our language connect to the internet and agree or disagree to share our information with apple now one of the biggest changes to the Apple TV comes in the form of a new user interface which is also available as an update on the previous model although no new features have been added we do get a new tille layout that resembles iOS however the Apple TV does not support app downloads so what you see is what you get now the top row has our main services such as movies TV shows music computers and settings however the first thing I want to do here is jump to my settings to log into my iTunes account so I can start purchasing and loading my content from the iTunes Store under store you can also select your resolution for purchases including standard def 720p and 1080p once signed in I just need to confirm I want Apple TV to remember this account for purchases next thing I want to do is toggle iTunes match on so that my music library can now be played right from the Apple TV and lastly I want to turn on Home Sharing so that my Apple TV can connect to the iTunes library on my local computer now once I'm through with that I can now switch to the remote app on my Ione phone iPod touch or iPad to control the Apple TV this makes entering text a lot easier now we can start navigating our content first up as movies so from here we can rent or purchase movies directly from Apple browsing is straightforward with the option to look through categories or type in the search selecting a movie let you read a synopsis or watch a trailer and even read the Rotten Tomatoes reviews to see if it's worth a $4.99 for rental most of the recent releases are $4.99 but older movies are usually cheaper once you rent movie you have 30 days to watch it or 24 hours once you start watching it you don't need to wait for the movie to download but you will need to give it a few moments to buffer before you can start playing it playback in 1080P does look much better than the 720p we're used to but don't expect Blu-ray quality compression artifacts are still apparent especially in the midtones audio quality is superb at 5.1 Dolby Digital on the purchases we can stream previous iTunes purchases right from the iCloud what's nice here is that movies purchased in lower resolution Solutions are now upgraded to 1080P and improvements are significant other features include genius which will match previous rentals with similar titles next up is TV shows which is very similar to movies here you can rent individual episodes for around $2.99 or purchase entire seasons for around $34.99 under music I will find my iTunes Match library now if you don't have an iTunes match account you will instead have the option to connect your iTunes library running on your home network so from here I can browse my music by categories playlists genius mixes or searches Under Computer thanks to Home Sharing I can access the content on my home computer using iTunes this includes my music library movies TV shows podcasts iTunes U and photos and again you will need your iTunes computer running on a shared network to access this content via home sharing now with photos I can browse my categories select events open individual photos and Playback slideshows all stream streamed instantly from the computer without having the need to load it on the Apple TV alternatively you can access your full from your fullest stream Library stored on your iCloud account although it may take some time to load your library before you can start browsing also available is the soon to be defunct mobile me gallery as well as flicker third party content includes Netflix here you can log into your existing account or sign up for a new one using iTunes to pay for it the Netflix interface includes all the familiar categories such as recently watched TV shows new releases and the instant queue selecting a movie brings up unique Netflix features such as rating it or adding it to your queue and because the Apple TV now supports 1080p so does Netflix so you can now see improved video quality for some HD movies also available to sports fans are the MLB NHL and NBA channels paid subscribers to these Services can watch live games or watch previously recorded games on Demand free content is also available through YouTube Vimeo Wall Street Journal live podcast and internet radio YouTube also allows you to log your YouTube account so you can watch videos you've uploaded browse your subscriptions or simply search and browse featured content playback has also nobly improved with the new 1080p functionality Vimeo is a service similar to YouTube with a focus more on featured original content and higher HD quality one of my favorite portals for free content is podcast which offers a vast library of online audio or video streaming content on a variety of topics which you can browse and search internet radio is also familiar territory here here you can browse a wide array of genres and stations for live streams although audio quality tends to vary Wall Street Journal also offers live content During certain parts of the day or a library of pre-recorded content such as this review from Walt Mossberg on the iPad 3 and finally and most importantly the Apple TV supports AirPlay from your it iTunes computer or compatible iOS devices AirPlay of course allows you to stream your video and audio directly from your iPad or iPhone directly on the Apple TV and furthermore airplane mirroring allows you to display your iPhone iPad or Mac screen directly onto the Apple TV this lets you display content such as Hulu directly on your Apple TV even if it's not among Apple's official Apple TV Partners so that's going to do for me guys thanks for watching and I'll see you again in the next videowhat's up YouTube this is Mike the Detroit Borg with a look at the new third generation Apple TV which is essentially a update from the second generation Apple TV that's to say basically that this is a spec upgrade it doesn't look different but it does have some new internal specs so we go from an A4 to an A5 processor so that allows the Apple TV now to support 1080p to an HD tv instead of just 720p so let's go ahead and take a look to see what we get Now quickly taking a look around the box you can see it looks like the Apple TV second generation but we get this 1080p logo reminding us that this is indeed capable of 1080P and on the back we have a preview of the new user interface which launched with Apple TV third generation but it's also available on the Apple TV second generation as an update so we'll take a look at that once we get it connected so let's go ahead and cut into this plastic and take a look so it should just slide out there is our Apple TV now we have this handy little tap to lift the Apple TV out of its box you can see it's wrapped in plastic we'll take a look at that in just a minute so we can take a look to see what else we get so we have this nice little aluminum remote unchanged from the second generation so let's unwrap that so as you can see we have the sturdy aluminum remote with this directional d-pad so we have left right up and down and select in the center and menu and play pause menu essentially on the Apple t is the back button but what you need to know about this is that although it looks like a scroll wheel it is not it's just a d-pad so you can't use this to scroll through lists like you would with an iPod on the back we have our little battery compartment which can be turned with the help of a uh coin and that that's contains our battery up top we have our little IR Blaster so this is how the uh remote communicates with the Apple TV doesn't use Bluetooth it just uses IR so the Apple TV can be used with any sort of universal remote like the harmony one now in our box are our other essential accessories including the power cable so you can see it's nicely curled up like all Apple packaging has very well thought out we also have some lych so we have the Apple TV setup guide which will take you through on how to connect it we also have some Apple stickers and we have the Apple TV looks like license agreement warranty information that sort of thing now while apple does not include an HDMI cable they do sell a version that matches the Apple TV it's completely aesthetic you can use any HDM cable you want cheaper or more expensive this runs about $20 now taking a look around the Apple TV we still have this sort of unibody plastic design with this etched surface on top excluding the Apple logo and TV on the side we still have that uh shiny surface which is actually translucent so the IR sensor uh can see uh through this plastic so there isn't a specific Port just for the IR sensor of course we have a little indicator light behind there as well on the bottom we have our little round pedestal which is slightly raised if you look at it from the side of course on the back we have our p so we have our power connector our HDMI connector an optical audio output as well as an Ethernet connector now you don't need to use ethernet to connect to the Apple TV you can use wireless this is capable of Wireless N we also have our mini USB connector this allows us to flash the firmware if we need to service the Apple TV for whatever reason this is something that the end user isn't likely to use comparing the second generation to the third generation there really is no way to tell the difference uh except for the second generation here is obviously used and we're scratched up so you can see that the pedestal is unchanged if you look around the side you can see the dimensions are unchanged it's still shiny if we look on the back you can see the ports are unchanged as well and of course the top is unchanged as well so let's go ahead and connect it and take a look now when it's connected we also have this white LED indicator which flashes when we use the remote now when we go to set up our Apple TV for the first time the first thing we need to do is Select our language connect to the internet and agree or disagree to share our information with apple now one of the biggest changes to the Apple TV comes in the form of a new user interface which is also available as an update on the previous model although no new features have been added we do get a new tille layout that resembles iOS however the Apple TV does not support app downloads so what you see is what you get now the top row has our main services such as movies TV shows music computers and settings however the first thing I want to do here is jump to my settings to log into my iTunes account so I can start purchasing and loading my content from the iTunes Store under store you can also select your resolution for purchases including standard def 720p and 1080p once signed in I just need to confirm I want Apple TV to remember this account for purchases next thing I want to do is toggle iTunes match on so that my music library can now be played right from the Apple TV and lastly I want to turn on Home Sharing so that my Apple TV can connect to the iTunes library on my local computer now once I'm through with that I can now switch to the remote app on my Ione phone iPod touch or iPad to control the Apple TV this makes entering text a lot easier now we can start navigating our content first up as movies so from here we can rent or purchase movies directly from Apple browsing is straightforward with the option to look through categories or type in the search selecting a movie let you read a synopsis or watch a trailer and even read the Rotten Tomatoes reviews to see if it's worth a $4.99 for rental most of the recent releases are $4.99 but older movies are usually cheaper once you rent movie you have 30 days to watch it or 24 hours once you start watching it you don't need to wait for the movie to download but you will need to give it a few moments to buffer before you can start playing it playback in 1080P does look much better than the 720p we're used to but don't expect Blu-ray quality compression artifacts are still apparent especially in the midtones audio quality is superb at 5.1 Dolby Digital on the purchases we can stream previous iTunes purchases right from the iCloud what's nice here is that movies purchased in lower resolution Solutions are now upgraded to 1080P and improvements are significant other features include genius which will match previous rentals with similar titles next up is TV shows which is very similar to movies here you can rent individual episodes for around $2.99 or purchase entire seasons for around $34.99 under music I will find my iTunes Match library now if you don't have an iTunes match account you will instead have the option to connect your iTunes library running on your home network so from here I can browse my music by categories playlists genius mixes or searches Under Computer thanks to Home Sharing I can access the content on my home computer using iTunes this includes my music library movies TV shows podcasts iTunes U and photos and again you will need your iTunes computer running on a shared network to access this content via home sharing now with photos I can browse my categories select events open individual photos and Playback slideshows all stream streamed instantly from the computer without having the need to load it on the Apple TV alternatively you can access your full from your fullest stream Library stored on your iCloud account although it may take some time to load your library before you can start browsing also available is the soon to be defunct mobile me gallery as well as flicker third party content includes Netflix here you can log into your existing account or sign up for a new one using iTunes to pay for it the Netflix interface includes all the familiar categories such as recently watched TV shows new releases and the instant queue selecting a movie brings up unique Netflix features such as rating it or adding it to your queue and because the Apple TV now supports 1080p so does Netflix so you can now see improved video quality for some HD movies also available to sports fans are the MLB NHL and NBA channels paid subscribers to these Services can watch live games or watch previously recorded games on Demand free content is also available through YouTube Vimeo Wall Street Journal live podcast and internet radio YouTube also allows you to log your YouTube account so you can watch videos you've uploaded browse your subscriptions or simply search and browse featured content playback has also nobly improved with the new 1080p functionality Vimeo is a service similar to YouTube with a focus more on featured original content and higher HD quality one of my favorite portals for free content is podcast which offers a vast library of online audio or video streaming content on a variety of topics which you can browse and search internet radio is also familiar territory here here you can browse a wide array of genres and stations for live streams although audio quality tends to vary Wall Street Journal also offers live content During certain parts of the day or a library of pre-recorded content such as this review from Walt Mossberg on the iPad 3 and finally and most importantly the Apple TV supports AirPlay from your it iTunes computer or compatible iOS devices AirPlay of course allows you to stream your video and audio directly from your iPad or iPhone directly on the Apple TV and furthermore airplane mirroring allows you to display your iPhone iPad or Mac screen directly onto the Apple TV this lets you display content such as Hulu directly on your Apple TV even if it's not among Apple's official Apple TV Partners so that's going to do for me guys thanks for watching and I'll see you again in the next video\n"