The power of XBMC is its ability to manage content weather on your Apple TV, N.A.S. device, or network connected computer. It does not matter if you have movies, television shows, music, or pictures XBMC is designed with the unique ability to incorporate this content into the software itself. This is an extremely attractive feature for those of us utilizing XBMC on our Apple TV, especially the Apple TV 2. With its limited storage and lack of USB drives, the Apple TV 2 is primed for taking advantage of XBMC’s custom Library features. Let’s start by looking at the primary libraries and what each offers.

VIDEO LIBRARY

The Video Library, one of the XBMC databases, allows the organization of your video content by information associated with the video files themselves. This information can be obtained in various different ways, like through Scrapers (ie. Movies, TV shows and Music Videos) and nfo files. Library view allows you to browse your video content by things such as; Genre, Title, Year, Actors and Directors.

MUSIC LIBRARY

The Music Library, one of the XBMC databases, is a key feature of XBMC. It allows the organization of your music collections using the information stored in your music file ID tags, like title, artist, album, genre and popularity. It also allows users to add network sources, such as Last.FM, to their library. Making this a much needed, and must have, feature.
Luckily, each library functions the same when it comes to Adding and Removing Content. So let’s take a quick look at the ins and outs of adding files to our libraries. If you are simply looking to remove items from your library you can skip to the bottom of this article.

ADD FILES

1) From within the correct category you will want to select “Files.” This will open a new window displaying any content that is already added. This will assuredly be blank.
2) Select the option that reads Add (content). Meaning, if you are in the Video section, you will choose Add Videos.

3) Here you will see a pop up window asking you to enter the path of your content. This best way to select this location is by clicking on the Browse.

4) You  see a long list of options on the right. From here you can navigate to any folder located on your Apple TV as well as any number of network locations. This is how you will add a folder to XBMC. If you are adding Network Storage then you want to know what protocol the source is using. Typically SMB (Windows) or UPnP. By selecting these options, XBMC will scan your network for devices. For example, I will scan my network for UPnP sources. The results are below.

5) Now it is a simple matter of navigating to the folder that contains to content you want to add. It is important to note that you must be viewing the content WITHIN the folder when you select OK. You don’t want to select OK while merely highlighting the folder itself. Once you select the correct folder you will need to name it again within XBMC. For this example I am naming the source Network Movies Folder.

6) We will need to tell XBMC what type of content is in the folder we are adding to our XBMC Library. This is of the utmost importance for you to get the full benefit of Fanart, backgrounds, posters, and thumbnails. For the sake our my example we are telling XBMC that I am scanning a folder of (Movies). The last thing:

7) Lastly, we will want to select the option RUN AUTOMATED SCAN. This will let XBMC know that you want it to scan the content into your library and then update your Library at the same time. When you click OK you will be met by a POP UP Windows – fear not and select YES!

REMOVING FILES

1) To remove items from your XBMC Library, you must first tell XBMC to allow this functionality. By default, it is disabled to prevent accidental content removal. So, how do we do this? From your home scree go to the System menu option.
2) You will want to select the top option titled Appearance.

3) Now you will have access to the settings options for the Files controls. Here you can adjust multiple options, but we are interested, specifically, in “Allow file renaming and deletion.” Select this option and make sure the circle on the right becomes illuminated.

4) Now that the hard part is done, we will simply navigate to any Library within XBMC. To keep with our theme of movie content I will navigate to my Movies Folder. once there, navigate to the file you wish to remove and while the video selected hold down your MENU button until the context menu pops up.

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This week we bring you a little something old along with a lot of something new to get your weekend viewing schedule in order with all your Apple TV options tightened up right.  Smack in the middle of May there are some real juicy springtime options so get clicking!

And let’s click it off with Netflix:

• The one you’ve been waiting for- Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 Crime/Drama “Pulp Fiction” is finally available for your viewing pleasure and, if you’ve watched it before, you know this one will be a pleasure!  We never get tired of enjoying this seminal explosion of creative genius that erupted across movie screens everywhere and took the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.  Certainly one of the best films of the 90’s, the sheer brilliance of its script, editing, performances and music went on to enormously influence modern American film language and its wicked sense of dark, ironic humor is still being referenced today.  You’ll laugh until the blood splatters and then you’ll laugh some more.  A work of true cinematic genius that changed the American film game forever.  Yes, this movie is one BAD MUTHA*****R!
• If you’re still in the mood to time travel to the past then zoom over to 2001’s “Tomb Raider” with a still single, pre-Brangelina Angelina Jolie as everybody’s favorite video game heroine come to Action/Adventure, globe-trotting life.  Sure, the story is cheesy (it is after all based on a video game lest we forget) and Angie’s Brit accent is a bit shaky but she looks gorgeous and kicks all kinds of ass and isn’t that all that matters anyway?
• Horror fans, we haven’t forgotten you. If you’re ready to turn off all the lights and tremble under the covers with the One you love then fire up the 2002 Original (let’s all just agree to forget that awful Hollywood remake) Japanese Screamer, “Ju-On, The Grudge”.  Haunted houses just don’t get any creepier as Director Takeshi Shimizu ramps up the gut-wrenching chills in this terrifically terrifying ghost story.  Don’t blame us if you have nightmares.
• TV Pick of the Week- Something for your Shorties this time around. Kids seem to love the 22 minute episodes of “Justin Time”, an animated adventure series where the title hero and his friends travel the world looking for fun adventures.  Dial this one up for your 5-10 year olds and you won’t have to pay for a babysitter because Netflix is currently offering 2 Seasons (26 episodes) worth of shows to keep the Little Ones occupied!  You’re welcome.

Now let’s take a peek at what’s on this week’s menu over at Hulu Plus:

• And we’re going Classic all the way with our movie choices this time around starting with 1967’s “Belle du Jour”.  This sexy/sly/subversive Luis Bunuel film was a 60’s sensation and with Catherine Denueve as the title Good-Girl-gone-Bad this mature examination of love, sex and marriage still has the power to amuse, arouse and set fire to your…conversation.  Adults only please!
• One of our All Time Favorite films and always a mysterious joy to behold, why not enter the dream world of Wim Wenders 1987 “Wings of Desire”.  Bruno Ganz is a lonely angel overlooking Berlin, mesmerized by human frailties, hopes, wishes, wonders, emotions and pining to join the mad, sad parade of humanity.  An evocative masterpiece that always makes us happy to be alive and happier to know love.  And it’s got Peter Falk in the cameo of a career as just exactly who we thought Peter Falk always was…
• OK, if that’s just too much melancholy for your weekend viewing party then maybe it’s time to laugh and we can’t think of a better film to bring the funny then Director David O. Russell’s overlooked 1996 gem of a comic farce, “Flirting with Disaster”.  Ben Stiller is a nebbishy New Yorker with father issues who abandons routine to take off on a nationwide road trip/quest to find his long gone, “real” father along with some much needed closure.  With a luscious Patricia Arquette as his put-upon wife-in-tow, a super-sexy Tia Leone as a neurotic shrink along for the ride and featuring Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal with a young Josh Brolin in the mix let’s just say things go very, very sideways.
• TV Picks of the Week- If you’re already Huluing then why not try the hot new superhero crime thriller “Arrow”.  This series has been getting great word-of-mouth and already has a huge stateside following.  And we have a feeling that the Ladies may enjoy this one too if you know what we mean.  And while you’re here why not check out the Final Episodes of “The Office”.  The American version of Ricky Gervais’ Brit TV hit has went through some bad years but the final weeks have really been some of the best ever and we highly recommend tuning in for the finale if you’re a fan of the show or even if you’re not…yet.

Finally, let’s take a look at what’s in store over at iTunes:

• With the Summer Blockbuster Season in full swing we thought you might want to check back on some of the earlier versions of recent theatrical releases just to get your movie watching engines revved up.  So let’s start with J.J. Abrams well received 2009 reboot of “Star Trek”.  The new cast/crew is introduced, Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Simon Pegg as Scotty and Zoe Saldana as Uhuru and the USS Enterprise is taken out for a spin in this origin story reboot of the beloved TV Classic. A must-see for you Trekkies out there!
• And while we’re here…Why not try Director Jon Favreau’s original “Iron Man”.  This was the superhero movie that saved us all from superhero franchise overdose and the 2008 action/thriller/comedy is still a rock solid kick-in-the-pants with Robert Downey Jr. absolutely knocking it out of the park as the wise-cracking, playboy/genius, “shellhead”.  Fantastic job all around and a real romp of an Action/Adventure.
• If you’re still looking for more laughs then try the Judd Apatow produced sleeper comedy hit, 2011’s “Bridesmaids”.  Kristen Wiig penned and stars as the loopy loser chick who wants desperately to make everything work out right for her BFF Maya Rudolph on her Big Day.  Needless to say things go hilariously wrong then spin weirdly, wildly and hilariously out of control.  With Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper and a classic cameo by Jon Hamm, this movie will have you spitting out your drinks and choking on your sandwich as you laugh with, at and for the Girls to get it right.  Who said chicks can’t be funny?
• This Week’s Free App- “Face Swap” by Iddiction.  Yea, this one is kind of a goofy time sink but the kids will love it and you’ll be digging it too so if you have an hour or 3 to kill…it’s FREE!

That’s all for this week.  We’ll be back next week with more great Apple TV stuff!

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MacRumors reports that the CW network has struck a deal with Apple to bring its TV Now application to the Apple TV. Speaking from New York at the company’s annual Upfront Presentation yesterday, CW president Mark Pedowitz said the network’s content, which is currently accessible on Microsoft’s Windows 8 and Xbox 360, will also become available on Apple TV.

According to the CW, the app will function the same way the company’s mobile and Xbox apps function. The Xbox app offers free full streaming of episodes on the CW network but with limited advertising. It also comes with extra content like cast extras and previews. The company confirmed to MacRumors that Apple TV’s app will certainly be located on the home screen of Apple TV and offer full episodes of primetime shows like “The Vampire Diaries”, “Arrow”, and “The Carrie Diaries”.

“It’s a dedicated CW app that will work like our Xbox and mobile and tablet apps – no cable authentication required, full episodes of our shows available next day after air, ad-supported.”

This deal seals the first of Apple’s app partnerships with television networks. Apple TV has been offering apps and digital content from Hulu and Netflix, but not from television networks. Even before this, though, CW content has been available for sale at the iTunes store.

The CW network is a joint venture between Warner Brothers Entertainment and CBS, one of the largest broadcast networks in the U.S. The partnership does not shed light on Apple’s intentions, though there are speculations it could be part of a larger initiative to have more apps on Apple TV.

The exact date for the release was not given but according to the CW, it will be launched in the coming weeks.

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The weekend is fast approaching and if Spring is not your thing or you just plan on flexing only your Apple TV muscles this Sat/Sun then here are our best ideas for keeping your screen hot, your eyes peeled and your time well spent. Let’s get right to this Week’s Top Choices for the movie services available on the Apple TV.

NETFLIX

As always let’s start with the biggest gorilla in the online TV/Movie jungle, Netflix.

And this week Netflix once again has a shopping cart full of interesting choices starting with-

• 2011’s “Cabin in the Woods”,  director Drew Godard’s super fun thrill ride of subversive horror hi-jinx that will have you laughing your adult asses off as you watch all the absolutely standard Teen/Horror/Killer/Thriller clichés get twisted until they scream in this post-modern wink at the genre.  Please expect the unexpected.  And, for the Ladies, you get to see a pre-Thor, Chris Hemsworth do his best All-American, casual jock/stud imitation.  Just enjoy him while you can…
• Not for everyone but if you’re in the mood for a Southern-Gothic, murder/mystery/sex/scandal mash-up that’s heavy on the steamy southern heat then check out director Lee Daniel’s 2012 “The Paperboy”.  It stars Mathew McConaughey, John Cusack, teen heartthrob Zac Efron and Oscar Winner Nicole Kidman and they are all going for broke in this lurid fever dream of a melodrama.
• For you avid Gamers out there, you may want to take a peek at this week’s hot release of 2012’s “Halo 4- Forward Unto Dawn”.  We haven’t screened this one yet but it’s got some great customer reviews and may be worth a look even for you non-gamers.  And for you fanboys out there…hey, there’s no pleasing you guys anyway.
• Alt Pick of the Week- 2002’s “Igby goes Down”.  For some reason director Burt Steers adult drama is listed in the “comedy” section and while you will find some dark laughs in this somewhat bleak tale of young adult disillusionment it is definitely not a “feel-good” film.  Kieran Culkin (yes, Macaulay’s bro) plays the disaffected title character as he attempts to navigate his post-adolescent way through the social minefield that is adult NYC along with Claire Danes, Amanda Peet, Jeff Goldblum and Ryan Phillipe.  Deep, dark and just a little heart breaking.

HULU PLUS

Now over to Hulu Plus where this week we’ve decided to get a little Old School with our choices and take you back in time to some of our fave raves from the slightly dusty past.  So let’s kick off with-

• A perfect gem of a film, 2010’s “The Trip”.  This wry, incisive character study features two of Britain’s most brilliant wits bantering, bickering and verbally sparring (complete with dueling, hilarious Michal Caine imitations) as they ramble through the English countryside on a restaurant tour that neither seems particularly keen on.  With Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon essentially playing insider versions of themselves it is very fair to say that adult comedy ensues.  With an accent on the adult.  You’ll be glad to play fly-on-the-wall for this trip.
• One of our favorite overlooked films, director Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 “Jackie Brown”.  A funky crime thriller with an airtight plot that takes its time developing, this masterpiece is full of brilliant, understated performances from Pam Greer as the put-upon title character who’s struggling to retain her cool, Robert Forster as the world-weary, anti-hero who looks things square in the eye, Bridget Fonda as a not-so-harmless party girl and Samuel Jackson as one of his snakiest bad men ever.  Smart, sexy and filled with great music.
• If you’ve got time for a sobering history lesson – A frighteningly prescient study of insurrection, Director Gillo Pontecorvo’s 1966 “The Battle of Algiers” is practically an instructional, cinematic guidebook on the escalation of a very real world, native insurrection.  This blazing documentary-style film features every excruciating step of brutal urban combat, terrorism and the counter-terrorist tactics that result amid the mayhem.  Harsh, compelling, furious, fair and far, far ahead of its time.
• And on a much lighter note- Hulu Plus is always a great choice for the latest in TV so this week’s pick is the brand new NBC comedy series “The Mindy Project”.  Its first season is available to stream and we think that this one will definitely be a winner.  Creator/Writer Mindy Kaling plays the wacky heroine of this off-kilter 30 minute comedy that is only beginning to hit its stride.  Tune in for the next Big Comedy Thing!

iTUNES

Now let’s move over to our iTunes selections and this week, movies are the pick-

• Available to buy this week for the first time- 2012’s “Skyfall”. Director Sam Mendes’ 23^rd installment of the Bond franchise was widely acclaimed as one of the best ever (we didn’t say that, we heard it) and with Javier Bardem as the Big Baddie facing off against Daniel Craig’s 007 and Naomie Harris in the mix, all we can say is that we are ALL IN!  And it introduces a new “Q” too!
• 2010’s Sundance Grand Prize Winner “Winter’s Bone”.  This is the film that made Jennifer Laurence a star and this critically acclaimed crime thriller features a razor sharp script with incendiary performances all around.  The American countryside never looked more threatening as J-Lau weaves her way through a rural snake pit trying her best to save her home.
• Also available is Academy Award winning Director Ang Lee’s 2012 “The Life of Pi”.  Based on the celebrated novel, this feast for the eyes was widely regarded as a favorite to win all the prizes when it opened.  A visually spectacular retelling of this epic tale of survival, humanity and hope.
• This Week’s Music Pick- “El Camino”, the 2011 release from Grammy Award Winners The Black Keys.  If this wild, rave-up of a rockin’good time doesn’t get your hips moving then you should check your pulse because you may be dead!
• Finally, this Week’s Free App- Yes, this is iTunes so we thought we might bring your attention to some of the niftiest apps we could find for free and this week’s pick is the Iron Man 3 app.  We haven’t downloaded it yet but what the hell…it’s free and it’s IM3!

Until next week, that’s all Folks!

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Welcome fellow online viewers & Apple TV fans to the inaugural run of your Weekend Flix Picks with some TV for Free thrown in the cyber-bargain! If you happen to find yourself hunkered down for this coming Fri-Sunday cycle with down time on your hands then you might as well check out the best of what our wide world of Internetainment has to offer while you turn on your Apple TV, turn off your brain, recharge your batteries and give the couch a solid workout.

In like Flynn? Then let’s get right to this Week’s Top Choices for the movie services available on the Apple TV. It breaks down like this:

NETFLIX

First up for our cyber-savvy amigos is the current most popular streaming service in the States, Netflix.  Now the only complaint you’re going to have with Netflix is that you’ve just got too many choices but never fear…we are here.  And this week we say lock in on these selections and you won’t go wrong-

• Must-see movies are unfortunately a step slow on Netflix this week so we suggest starting with some Original Netflix TV programming- “Top of the Lake”.  One season (7 episodes, 50 mins each) of a new Drama/Thriller from New Zealand’s Oscar winning director Jane Campion.  This one is very heavy on the drama but blends a distinct Kiwi flavor to the typical western TV police procedural stew.  TOTL also contains some truly wicked twists and turns with a rhythm all its own.  The violence and blood is minimal but this is cop drama is most definitely not for kids!
• Netflix is also launching “Hemlock Grove” this week, another Original TV series from Eli Roth, the director of “Hostel” and other hyper-violent, Hollywood horror/torture films.  We haven’t sampled it yet but it looks like the suspense/mystery series is going to get all werewolfey with no shortage of gore and undoubtedly plenty of Rothian splatter.  We’re not big Roth fans but the series has femme fatale Famke Jansen in the middle of the action…so we’re in!
• One intriguing pick in the movie section might be 2011’s “The Awakening” starring Rebecca Hall as a turn-of-the-century physic phenomenon debunker tackling a mystery at an English boarding school.  This horror/mystery sort of slid past the mainstream in ’11 but might be worth a watch if you’re in the mood for classy chills, subtle thrills or a little bit of beautiful ‘Becca in the bathtub.
• Want to go Old School?  Why not try one of Harrison Ford’s best, 1985’s “Witness”.  Tough guy, Philly detective Ford goes to Amish Land to straighten shit out and meets Kelly McGillis and Alexander Gudonov on his way to finding the Bad Guys.  A real 80’s gem back from when Ford was almost young.
• Got a stay-at-home date with a pretty girl?  Then how about going even Old Schooler with the iconic beauty Audrey Hepburn being romanced by All-American Gregory Peck in 1953’s classic romance “Roman Holiday”.  Audrey’s stunning, Peck is solid, love is in the air and Rome looks grand.  We’re in the mood for love.
• And this week’s Alternative Pick- Korean Director Joon-ho Bong’s 2006 mad, monster mash-up, “The Host”.  This one has it all.  An out-of-control chemical waste monster against an equally out-of-control and hilariously touching S. Korean family who aren’t about to go down without a fight.  Bong pulls out all the stops with a rollicking roller-caster ride that may not win any awards but Man…this is one hell of an entertaining ride!

HULU PLUS

Now what’s happening over at everyone’s second choice for freebies?  Yes, Hulu may not have the market muscle of Netflix but we’re locked in and we got you covered anyway. Hulu’s new releases are also on the vanilla side this week so here’s our recommendations for movies that will satisfy-

• Let’s start with 2004’s Indie jewel, the little-seen, under-appreciated, low-budget, Sci-fi masterpiece “Primer”.  If you’re into time-travel flicks then tune in and set your head to spin because you’re going for whirl!  This intelligent tale adds a fresh take to the crusty time-travel genre with a serious, surprisingly intense and realistic drama that will satisfy the inner-science geek in all of you.
• If you’re still in serious mode then how about a real world documentary?  If you’re prepared to be shaken then sample 2012’s “The Land of Hope”, a movie following Japanese families after the 2011 triple catastrophe that slammed the NE coast near Tokyo.  Keep tissue paper handy and prepare to cry before you witness a true story of human resilience in the face of utter devastation.
• And on the lighter side…take a break and laugh your adult ass off with director Kevin Smith’s modern comedy classic, 1997’s “Chasing Amy”.  This one never gets old even if Smith’s movies sometimes do but you’ll love seeing a young Ben Affleck deal with some hilariously twisted and very adult relationship problems as he stumbles around true love.  And yes, Jay and Silent Bob are all over this one.
• Network TV’s smoking hot new show “Hannibal” is available for streaming this week and if you’re a major Mads Mickelson fan (like we are) then we seriously suggest you check out this stylish update to the tales of everybody’s favorite serial killing psychiatrist.  Creepy murders and cool characters are everywhere and the show’s stunning visuals are absolutely cinematic.
• If you prefer to laugh then scope out “The New Girl”.  An entertainingly light-hearted and fun half-hour ensemble comedy from NBC (the people who brought you the inexplicably popular “Friends”) with cutie-pie Zooey Deschanel as the lead sweetheart.
• “The Carrie Diaries” are also available this week for you girls who still haven’t satisfied your SATC addiction.  Carrie Bradshaw’s in High School now!
• Our Alternative Pick of the Week- Kaneto Shindo’s 1964, “Onibaba”.  Straight from the Criterion Collection this raw, pulse-pounding, supersexy tale of hard times in Feudal Japan is always listed in the Horror section but we think it’s more of a harsh, naturalistic fable of human survival and human hunger for all that is life.  Brilliant!
• Extra Added Bonus- Hulu has without a doubt got the best offering of upcoming Movie Trailers that we’ve seen anywhere so take a moment to check out everything that’s coming soon to a theater near you!  Be warned- this one is like time quicksand my cyber-friends…once you step in you just keep sinking deeper.

iTUNES

And last but certainly not least, iTunes.  Remember that everybody’s favorite choice for cheap and easy music downloads also offers a slew of movie choices for your viewing pleasure so let’s take a peek at this week.

Movies are a hot choice for your iTunes weekend and this week offers some of the hottest-

• 2012’s “Silver Linings Playbook” is currently available for download and if you’re in the mood for some Oscar-nominated Jennifer Laurence to go along with your Comedy/Drama then this is the pick.  Big stars, big laughs, big drama, Bradley Cooper and a feel-good ending should work for just about anyone in your vicinity.
• If you’ve got an itch for a little bit of the good, old ultra-violence with a thirst for revenge then we say shoot for Tarantino’s 2012 wild Western ride, “Django Unchained”, and scratch like a dog!  It’ll remind you of most every other Tarantino flick you’ve ever seen only more so.  And with the added spice of Academy Award Winner Christoph Waltz in the mix, you’ll be glad you did.
• Got a few extra hours to invest in some quality HBO original programming?  Sample some episodes of America’s top water-cooler show, “Mad Men”.  Please be advised- Once you start watching you just might get hooked on the grimy games of the NYC Boys from 60’s Madison Avenue and Jon Hamm/Don Draper as the heel we all hate to love.
• And now for some Music- This week iTunes has a brand new offering, “13” from Heavy Metal Masters Black Sabbath.  Believe it or not Tony Iommi and his crew are still bringing the hard, heavy, hammering noise just in time to kick off their latest (and no doubt last) World Tour.  And they still got Ozzie too!  Yes, Hip-Hop generation…there was a time long ago when real, actual human beings played real, actual musical instruments all by themselves.

That’s it for this weekend.  Now just keep the pizza guy’s number handy, make sure the refrigerator is well stocked and you’re all set to turn on, tune in and drop out.

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9to5Mac reports that Apple has informed its official retail stores, authorized resellers and Apple Care employees that a small number of 3rd generation Apple TVs have WiFi issues:

Apple has determined that a very small number of Apple TV (3rd generation) products might experience one of these Wi-Fi related connectivity issues:

• Cannot locate network
• Unable to join network
• Dropped or intermittent connection

Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will replace affected products up to two years from the original date of purchase free of charge.

If your Apple TV 3 is having WiFi connectivity issues, start with completing the following troubleshooting steps to help isolate the issue:

• Make sure the Apple TV (3rd generation) is running software version 5.2.1 or later.
• Eliminate every source of potential Wi-Fi interference. Reference AirPort and Bluetooth: Potential sources of interference for more information.
• Isolate the issue to Apple TV (3rd generation) by following Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation): Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections.

If the symptoms persist after troubleshooting, Apple will replace your Apple TV free of charge if its serial number is within the the specified serial number range:

• The last four letters of the serial number must be DRHN
• The third and fourth alphanumeric characters of the serial number must contain one of these pairs

• H9, HC, HD, HF, HG, HH, HJ, HK, HL, HM, HM, HP, HQ, HR, HT, HV, HW, HX, J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, J6, J7, J8, J9

Update: MacRumors reports:

According to several readers, Apple has acknowledged that it initially erred in referring to the character pairs appearing the third and fourth positions of the serial number. The listed pairs would actually occur in the fourth and fifth positions.

Source & image: 9to5Mac

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A few weeks ago, in collaboration with of Squirrels (maker of AirParrot and Reflector) and Beamer, we started a contest inviting you to share with us (and the rest of the world) your vision of a perfect Apple TV – the Apple TV of your dreams. The participation was amazing (thanks!), we got tons of submissions and a lot of great ideas. Here is a short résumé:

Almost all of you think of a new Apple TV as a standalone TV set that features:

• a big, 3D, ultra HD display (Retina?)
• a built-in Kinect-like camera (FaceTime/Skype calls, gaming, face recognition)
• Siri
• App Store (yes, you want apps!!!)
• social network integration
• DVR functionality

All the above features seem to be a MUST for the future Apple HDTV.

Other ideas we liked:

• NFC
• push notifications
• multiuser personalized profiles
• gesture interaction with social media
• a full TV experience available everywhere (on the go!)
• wireless charging (in the fuuuuuture)

Interestingly, a lot of you want your TV to become… a phone.

Though these are all great ideas, we think we are still missing something here, a truly revolutionary, game-changing, killer future that could reinvent a TV and it seems that we will have to leave it to Apple to figure out what it is.

Here are some of your ideas:

Sean O’Neill

• My vision for the perfect Apple TV would require one simple interface addition: voice.  A few simple words should be all it takes to communicate with your TV, across all devices and services.
  Examples:
  “Hi TV. Change channel, CNN.”
  “Hi TV. Netflix, House of Cards. Episode 2.”
  “Hi TV. Search TV, Next Daily Show, New Episodes.”A minor hardware challenge would be including a small microphone in the remote, which would transmit voice commands to the box.An alternate approach to voice control would be to simply hold the current center button for a few seconds, which would trigger a high-gain microphone on the Apple TV itself. An animated speech waveform could be displayed on the TV to entertain the user & confirm actuation.Another interesting twist on this would be to provide multi-service search results, as Roku has done with the latest version of their Roku 3 player. e.g. “Hi TV. Iron Man 2. Anywhere.” might return a list of results on screen that list comparative pricing spanning multiple services, so users can select the best offering.

• Another “killer” feature would be Push Notifications. Users can register their favorite programs (via an Apple TV app, for instance, that could resemble a supercharged Remote app) using their Apple ID. They could then be notified about various events: when a favorite show is about to be broadcast, when a podcast they’ve subscribed to has a new episode, or when a movie they’re watching becomes available on Netflix, Amazon VOD, Vudu, etc. On acknowledging the notification, users could either select the content for immediate viewing, “Add to Queue”, or Record, depending upon the source.

G J P R Verasdonck

My Apple TV should be:

• any “computer” from which I can access the content from anywhere in the world (if I am on holidays in “Timbuktu” I do not want my screen to say that I am not authorized to view my content due to geographic restrictions)
• suitable for views on the go (e.g. iPad/iPhone) or at home (e.g. large screen)
• be “low-key interactive”: if I like the holiday program on Fiji Islands, I want to be able to look at booking options or in reverse: if i consider a holiday to the Inca ruins I want to be able to look for a travel program on the region I am interested in and see booking possibilities
• my TV should also be my phone; I like to see the people I’m talking with.

Mark Villapando

• Deals with all the premium channels for their on demand content
• Access to the NFL Network, or better yet, RedZone
• Deals with more sports networks to make pay subscription apps (to combat Internet piracy through illegal streaming sites)
• Easy ability to share viewed programs through social networks
• A VNC-like app to access the screens of computers on the network (from TV)
• Make iOS hackable again to allow programs like Plex, XBMC, or Media Player to stream local media (wishful thinking)

Alejandro Timpanaro

• A laser pointer (Wii-style)
• Google Chrome browser
• Google maps
• Access to Google Drive and other cloud services
• A download manager like Jdownloader.
• Backup config of the Apple TV in iCloud

Nicholas Chan

• Every single broadcast gets relayed to the billion-dollar data center for recording. This includes news broadcasts, morning/late night talk shows, etc. Everything gets recorded. A user with an Apple TV can then jump back in time to a specific hour to watch his/her favorite program from any channel, streaming directly from the data center. User does not have to worry about local storage. Program list can be sorted and presented in many ways. Programs can stream to iPhone/iPad/Macs. Premium channels are available to those that are paying for it currently.
• The Archive: for stuff that predates the Apple TV (stuff that didn’t get recorded at the data center), becomes available for on-demand streaming. Basically – Netflix. Score some deals Mr. Cook!
• Three ways to control the TV: 1) everyone has their phones with them, make that the remote (people would buy iPod touches dedicated for this). Very similar to the current Apple TV’s iOS remote. 2) if the phone isn’t in the room, use Siri, an obvious choice. 3) if all else fails, a multitouch display directly on a TV. Tap on screen to bring up a menu. Swipe to switch channels. Third party apps can utilize this. Apps can be educational and ask children to select things on screen, etc…(classrooms desperately need this feature available).
• Killer GPU for competition against consoles
• iSight -> direct all phone/FaceTime calls to the TV rather than your phone if your identity is detected in the room

Mike Bowen

• I’d like to see the TV have full touchscreen compatibility (you can’t play Angry Birds without a touchscreen)
• PIP of course that would support watching TV while checking apps
• Built in 4g & LTE support so you can actually make and receive phone calls from the TV set itself

Adrian Büsselmann

• I dream of gesturing from my couch to control the Apple TV. No more searching for the small controller. Apple TV could get a “Kinect” plugin to realize this
• Even a virtual keyboard can be shown on the TV and the Apple TV would see my gesture and get the right input

Eric Dykstra

• A monthly iTunes subscription (be able to watch everything on iTunes for a monthly cost; the cost would be high, $150+ per month)
• Control interface for cable and satellite (run the Cable signal through Apple TV, and change channels with ATV)

Eric Olson

• The Apple TV should be able to mirror to another apple TVs and support a “party-mode” where all apple TVs on the local network display and control the same media
• Open the “remote” IP port for 3rd party display of meta-data & control. This will make it easy to integrate an Apple TV into high & mid-range entertainment systems

Rik Moedt

• The Genius function that Apple uses to show you things you might like is going to be integrated. It will offer you playlist with things you might like to watch. In the playlist live television, on demand video and internet content can all be combined.

And the winners are:

1. Maria Panagi – for the brilliant idea of using simple gestures to interact with social media:

The Apple TV of my dreams would have highly developed gesture recognition, that would be used not only for playing games (bringing all the Wii feauteres) but the whole controlling of the TV would be based on gestures.

click to enlarge

When it comes to social media, the gesture recognition would be highly integrated with the biggest social media platforms. On the above picture there is an example of Facbook ´Like`- the gesture of thumb-up would be recognized and would make it possible to give a like only using a gesture. Other gestures would be recognized as “share” and reading the news feed would be possible with a hand swing.

On the below picture there is an example of how the gesture control system could work with Apple TV menu. I believe that the main menu should have only 6 icons, so that it can be easily navigated with gestures (it would recognize moves: left top, right top, center top, left down, right down, center down). One hand swing would  bring another screen with the next set of 6 icons.

click to enlarge

Prize: iPad mini

2. Cristhian Flores – for an idea of a fingerprint (on the remote)/face detection to recognize users and update the TV with their personalized profiles (channels, apps, movies, music, etc.)

Other ideas of Cristhian:

• Led notification for personal mail, Skype calls, or iMessage
• A built in mic on the touch remote to allow the user to communicate with TV without making too much noise around
• NFC chip, to allow smartphones and tablets to transfer information with a tap on the TV’s stand. When tapped to a laptop will also transfer information.
• All Corning Gorilla Glass with plasma like refresh rate 600HZ
• Has built in set-top box, way to activate is to call Apple and with their deal with Direct TV/Dish will transmit signal to the television to allow channel viewing
• Special coating on the television that activates when people (in a meeting) are trying to show their products can write on the screen with a stylus. This information is saved on the flash and can be transmitted to devices via NFC.
• Quad-core processor to allow heavy intensive applications to run, the visual would match the graphics of the Playstation 3
• 4GB RAM: allows applications to run at ease, also streaming any content while also doing iWork (multitasking.) It would allow either side-by-side or Top-bottom screen to be able to run two applications.

Prize: iPad mini

Runner-up: Leo Hellberg – for a futuristic idea of The Plug (wireless power) and professionally designed Apple-style graphic (below.)

click to enlarge

Prize: free copies of AirParrot, Reflector and Beamer.

Big thanks to all for participation! Stay tuned for more contest and giveaways!

The contest was sponsored by Squirrels (maker of AirParrot and Reflector) and Beamer.

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Following the release of Apple TV software update 5.2.1 (iOS 6.1.3 – 10B329a), FireCore has updated Seas0nPass to provide a tethered jailbreak for Apple TV 2 running the latest firmware. Released in March, a minor Apple TV software update – 5.2.1 – added support for Music in the Cloud in Japan and Israel and included improvements for software update, subtitles, and general performance.

Here is a step by step tutorial on how to tether jailbreak Apple TV 2 5.2.1 using Seas0nPass:

NOTE: This is a TETHERED jailbreak. This means every time there is a need to reboot your Apple TV, you have to connect it to a computer. Functionally, both tethered and untethered jailbreak are identical.

NOTE 2: The current version of Seas0nPass doesn’t provide a jailbreak for the Apple TV 3.

Pre-launch checklist

1. Download and install the latest version of iTunes (check for updates through Software Update located in Apple menu).
2. Download Seas0nPass for Mac [10.6 or later] or Windows [XP or later].
3. A micro USB cable will be required to complete the jailbreak.
4. Disconnect any iPods, iPhones, and iPads from your computer.

Jailbreaking

Step 1: Unzip the ‘Seas0nPass.zip’ file and launch Seas0nPass.

Step 2: Select the ‘Create IPSW’ button to start the jailbreak process.

Step 3: The latest Apple TV software will be downloaded and used to create a custom ‘jailbroken’ software file.

Step 4: When prompted, connect your Apple TV using a micro-USB cable (leave power disconnected).

Once the light on the front of the Apple TV begins to flash rapidly, point the remote at the AppleTV and hold both the MENU and PLAY/PAUSE buttons for 7 seven seconds.

Note: This step will require the silver (aluminum) Apple TV remote that was included with the ATV2. The older, white (plastic) remotes will not work.

Step 5: iTunes will open automatically and start the restore process.

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Beamer, the AirPlay movie player for Mac that allows you to stream any movie file from your Mac to your Apple TV, has been recently updated to version 1.6.2 that brings a bunch of improvements and bug fixes. The developers promise Beamer is now more stable than ever.

What’s new in Beamer 1.6.2?

• Fixed an issue where audio would sometimes be muted for the remainder of the movie.
• Fixed an issue where some subtitles would be parsed incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where some movie files would not open (since version 1.6).
• Added the ability to report movie files that cannot be opened.
• Added support for MPL2 subtitles.
• Added support for audio-only movie files.
• Various performance, stability and cosmetic improvements.

Read our review of Beamer.

Beamer for Mac is sold at $15.00 and you can get it from here. A free trial (limited to the first 15 minutes of each video) is available from here. The app is currently on sale on MacUpdate Promo (25% off).

Beamer requires a Mac (2007 and up), OS X 10.6+ (Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion) and Apple TV (2^nd or 3^rd generation).

Visit What's on iPhone for the best iPad and iPhone app reviews!
Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

Citing Topeka Capital analyst Brian White, BGR reports that Apple will finally launch its long-rumored HDTV in the second half of 2013. According to the report, during his meeting with supply chain sources in China and Taiwan, White gleaned information from “unnamed sources” that convinced him that Apple’s “iTV” will be launched by the end of 2013 and it will include “a major innovation that will revolutionize the TV experience.”

Although according to BGR, White “has reported accurate details about unannounced Apple products in the past,” this time the analyst reveals some information that are really hard to believe:

First of all, we believe “iTV” will be 60-inches in size (but could also include 50-55 inch options). Secondly, we believe Apple will release a miniature device called “iRing” that will be placed on a user’s finger and act as a navigation pointer for “iTV”, enhancing the motion detection experience and negating some of the functionality found in a remote. Thirdly, “iTV” will come with a “mini iTV” screen that will seamlessly allow users to view content on this smaller, 9.7-inch screen, while also opening up use cases around home security, phone calls, video conferencing and other areas. As part of this experience, Siri and FaceTime will be important. Essentially, we believe the “mini iTV” screens will be able to capture content from the 60-inch “iTV” across a distance of up to 200 meters, allowing a user to view “iTV” content in the kitchen, washroom, garage, bedroom, backyard, etc. We believe Apple will offer one “mini iTV” per “iTV” but package options will include up to four screens (i.e., one screen is part of the standard package and pay extra for each additional). While the “mini iTV” screens will be similar in size compared to the iPad, and thus allow for some manufacturing efficiencies, the capabilities and features will be very basic and thus not an iPad replacement. Furthermore, we believe “iWatch” will be an important part of the “iTV” ecosystem, tapping into “iTV” services in a much more mobile friendly manner, complementing the “iRing”. The interaction between “iTV” and making phone calls will be an important feature of this experience, while the “iWatch” and “iRing” will provide increased mobility around the home, supplanting the need to carry a smartphone around the house. Finally, we believe consumers will pay approximately $1,500 to $2,500 for the “iTV” package. The price will be based on the number of “mini iTV” screens in the package and the screen size of the “iTV”. Also, we are being told that “iTV” could be subsidized by certain service providers to expand the market opportunity.

iRing? Mini iTV? Siri?
Really?

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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!