Tag: apple tv

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Apple Apple TV How To

How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2G With iOS 4.2.1 Greenpois0n RC6

Have you recently purchased an Apple TV 2G and would like to learn how to jailbreak it using greenpoisOn? If so, then follow these instructions step by step that will guide you through the entire procedure to jailbreak the Apple TV 2G on the iOS 4.2.1.

Firslty, the things that you will require :

1. You will need to download GreenpoisOn :

GreenpoisOn is a jailbreak tool that supports almost every major Apple device running the iOS. A new RC6 version has been released which jailbreaks the Apple TV 2G running the iOS 4.2.1. GreenpoisOn is available for the mac as well as the Windows platform. You can download it from here.

2. Download the iOS 4.2.1 for the Apple TV 2G using anyone of the links below :

3. A microusb cable that will connect your Apple TV 2G to the mac.

Now lets get started with the jailbreaking procedure :

Step 1 :

Firstly you have to make sure that you have updated your Apple TV to iOS 4.2.1 via iTunes and, if not then please check for the updates through the software update section in the Apple menu.

Step 2 :

Now launch GreenpoisOn RC6 and click on Yes when prompted for Apple TV 2G jailbreak.

Step 3 :

Next, follow the onscreen instructions to put the Apple TV 2G in DFU mode.

Connect your Apple TV via the micro-USB cable leaving the power disconnected, then simultaneously hold the MENU and PLAY/PAUSE buttons for 7 seconds to put it in DFU mode.

Step 4 :

Once in DFU mode, click on the Jailbreak Button on GreenpoisOn RC6 and sit back and relax till it completes the entire jailbreaking process.

This is it. You have now jailbroken Apple TV 2G on iOS 4.2.1.

Categories
Apple

Jailbreak Apple TV 2G On iOS 4.2.1 With Seas0nPass

Firecore, the developers of the aTV Flash software for Apple TV have now come up with a new product that will let users jailbreak their second generation Apple TV. Called Seas0nPass, the application would let users install custom IPSW firmwares for their Apple TV devices.

Please do note that at the moment, this is a tethered jailbreak. This means that you will need to connect the Apple TV to a computer every time you want to boot. Also, as with any jailbreaking process, deploying this tool could potentially brick your device and probably void your warranty. So, it goes without saying that you need to proceed at your own risk.

The Firecore team has posted a comprehensive how-to guide for the jailbreak process. You can check the tutorial here and please do let us know how the process goes in the comments below.

Categories
Gadgets

Sales Of Roku Vs Apple TV – Roku Doubles Sales After Apple TV Launch

The second generation Apple TV may have appealed to quite a lot of people considering that the set-top box was available at a pretty low $99. But read into the details and you will know that getting yourself locked into iTunes for a television experience is not always a good idea.

Perhaps that is what help Roku get a massive bump in sales ever since Apple TV 2nd gen launched. In a statement Anthony Wood, the CEO at Roku dismissed suggestions that the new Apple TV could eat away Roku’s market and instead suggested that Apple’s launch and the subsequent promotions helped Roku make itself more visible to the consumers. And the result? Wood says that Roku has managed to double their sales ever since the latest Apple TV launched.

Roku is expected to sell their one millionth unit by the end of this year.

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Apple Gadgets

Long Movie Download Time On Apple TV & iTunes Due To Centralized DNS

Over the past couple of months, a number of Apple TV users have been complaining that downloading HD movies over iTunes seem to be taking an inordinately high amount of time. We had initially diagnosed the problem as one with the internet connection. However many users who were on high speed internet plans noted that this could not have been the case.

Apple had released a software update last week that was apparently aimed at fixing this issue. The update fixed this along with other bugs on Apple TV including flickering displays and improper HD rendering.

It has now been noted that there could be yet another issue plaguing Apple TV users – one with the DNS set up on their connections. Reports suggest that users who have set up their DNS over centralized systems like Google DNS and OpenDNS could be the ones to be suffering from the long download times. These reports suggest that users who download content via Apple’s servers, the Akamai Content Delivery network do not seem to be facing these issues.

There is not much clarity on why this is the case. In any case, if you are someone who is still affected, why not try out an alternate DNS configuration to see how the downloading works? Don’t forget to tell us how it works in the comments below.

Categories
Apple

Apple TV Download Problem Fixed With New Update

If you have been using an Apple TV, you may have been experiencing a peculiar problem that causes movies or TV shows to be re-downloaded. Apple has just issued a new update to the Apple TV set top software that might fix this issue. The new version 4.1.1 of the Apple TV software is now available for download and can be updated by navigating to Settings -> General -> Update Software -> Download and Install.

Apart from the re-download issue, one another major bug that this latest software update seeks to correct is a resolution problem that caused high definition videos to be rendered at regular 480p resolution.

The update seems to have solved several other issues like flickering screens and long download times. However that doesn’t seem to be consistent and some users complain that they continue to see some of these issues. If you are a Apple TV (2nd generation) user, please update to the latest software update and let us know if it solves some of these pertinent issues.

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Apple Gadgets

New Apple TV Taking Too Long To Stream HD Rentals, Claim Users

A number of users who have purchased the new Apple TV have been reporting that they have been experiencing trouble with loading HD rentals on to their television. Apparently, loading such rentals takes the user to a window that shows a message that reads, “Ready to load in ___ minutes“. While a few minutes of delay is anticipated considering the time required to buffer movie streams, users report having seen time as long as 3000 minutes.

Here are some excerpts from the Apple Support forum

“I wanted to create this topic to ask if others are running into the same issues I am with streaming rented HD movies. I go to play the rented HD movie and am transferred to a screen that says “Loading….” for about a minute or two. Then, that message is replaced with one that says “Ready to play in xxx minutes”…with horribly long times listed (my movie was rented last night, and as of this evening, it shows “Ready to play in 232 minutes”).”

“i’m having the same problem with both HD and standard def movies. At one point, the HD movie was going to take over 3,000 minutes to load. The AppleStore says they will replace my Apple TV with another, but now I’m not certain that the problem will be fixed. I’m using a Comcast connection which Comcast says is high speed. “

“Im seeing some shows downloading fine, while others have massive delays. For instance WKRP episode one started almost instantly, while the new Wolfman movie was 130 minutes delay. To further test my network, while the Wolfman delayed, I opened netflix on the apple TV and ran several movies without issue. This tells me the problem is on Apples end.”

“This is incredible. I am also a victim in the false advertising of renting movies on demand. Has anyone verified that the charge was actually made on the credit card even though the movie never streamed?
Has anyone heard back from apple? What are we to do? “

Some users have reported that they have seen improvements after subscribing to a higher speed plan. But the issue seems to persist for a wide majority of the rest. Apple is yet to acknowledge this issue. We will let you know of resolutions if any when we get to know more about this.

Categories
Apple Gadgets

Apple TV Browser & USB Hard Drive Support Software – aTV Flash (Black) Launches In Beta

FireCore have announced that their new beta release of aTV Flash (black) for the new Apple TV is now available for purchase. The application is presently in public beta and a final version of the software will be made available pretty soon. So what do you get with this package? Well, according to a recently updated blog post, aTV Flash (Black) will come with an internet browser that will support HTML5 video streaming (though not from all the websites), access to Last.Fm radio, a Plex content to stream media from Plex server with playback support for additional media formats coming soon.

We had written about this release sometime last month and interestingly, FireCore have reduced the price of the software since then. aTV Flash (black) will now be available at a price of $19.95 during the beta phase post which it will retail at $29.95. The company is also reducing the price of the original aTV Flash from $49.95 to $39.95.

But before you proceed, do note that the current version is only compatible with iOS 4.0 and Mac computers. If you have already upgraded to a more recent firmware or on Windows, you may have to wait for some more time.

Categories
Gadgets

Listen To Radio, Browse Internet On Apple TV With New Hack

The new Apple TV has a nice $99 pricing point that has made it quite affordable. But with the absence of the ability to surf internet, the use cases for the Apple TV may not be as comprehensive as it is for Google’s rival offering. That could change though if you have a jailbroken Apple TV. Folks at FireCore have released a new hack that can enable users to browse the web as well as listen to radio from Last.fm from the set-top box device.

The hack, called aTV Flash (black) is equipped with a web browser called Couch Surfer that the users can launch to surf the web as well as stream radio. Couch Surfer is pretty basic at the moment though the browser application is expected to come with a few plugins down the line.

The only deal breaker could be the price. aTV Flash is retailing for $50 and given that the Apple TV itself is only $99, this could not be helping people with their purchasing decision at all. But if you are desperate to get hold of browsing experience on your TV, go for it by all means. Just let us know how it works in the comments.

Categories
Amazon Gadgets

No Apple TV On Amazon "Bestsellers In Electronics"

The Business Insider has made a fascinating observation. The new Apple TV that is known to be selling pretty well is missing from Amazon’s top 100 list of best sellers in electronics. That in itself is nothing interesting. Dan Frommer from BI notes that devices such as Roku’s XD streaming player rank behind Apple TV in niche lists like that of Digital Media devices. But when it comes to the overall rankings, Apple TV is nowhere in the list whereas Roky XD streaming player is ranked number 20.

“In theory, if each of those three devices is selling better than the Roku XD in the same category, they should be selling better than the Roku XD overall, too. So, in theory, the Apple TV is one of the top-20-or-so best-selling electronics, along with the Boxee Box and Roku XDS, and the Roku XD should be in the 20s somewhere.

So why is Apple TV kept off of Amazon’s best-selling gadgets list? Is there a secret reason?”

While it may sound preposterous to assume that Amazon may have decided to deliberately list Apple TV out in order to keep Amazon Kindle ranked number 1, that is definitely a speculation that is doing the rounds. We will have to wait for Amazon’s word on this before making a judgement.

Categories
Apple iTV

iOS 4.1 Jailbreak For Apple TV Available With Limera1n

You must be aware that the new Apple TV runs on the new iOS 4.1 that makes it technically jailbreakable. In fact, the iPhone Dev Team, whose Greenpois0n jailbreak tool with SHAtter exploit was supposed to release yesterday (and whose release has now been postponed) had revealed that their upcoming Greenpois0n tool should be capable of jailbreaking the Apple TV as well.

Well, it looks like GeoHot had overtaken the Dev Team on this one as well. In a recent blog post, George Hotz has noted that his newly released Limera1n application should be able to jailbreak the new Apple TV. Hotz wrote,

“AppleTV is technically supported, but there’s no apps yet”

Interestingly, Erica Sadun from TUAW has also confirmed that she was able to use the Limera1n exploit to get her Apple TV into DFU mode. She writes,

” I can confirm that I put my ATV2 into DFU mode and was able to “jailbreak” it. But since no AFC services or OpenSSH were installed (let alone APT), there’s nothing that really can be done with it at this time.”