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.

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This time we didn’t write a word on a new jailbreak until we had everything double checked. And so, as we have just jailbroken our Apple TV 2 running 5.2 firmware, we can now confirm that the recently updated Sn0wbreeze 2.9.8 does bring the untethered jailbreak for Apple TV 2 on iOS 6.x.

Most of the software like XBMC, aTV Flash (black), Plex, etc. is not yet compatible with Apple TV 5.1 – 5.2 and the device constantly crashes when attempting to install additional software from nitoTV, so we definitely don’t recommend updating to iOS 6.x.

Other known bug/issues:

• First boot on an AppleTV 2 for 5.1/5.2 firmwares has funky glitches. Should be fixed by updates pushed via repos.

If for some reason you still wan’t to update to iOS 6 and then jailbreak using Sn0wbreeze, you can download it from here (Windows only).

We will let you know once any of ATV tweaks/plugins is updated for iOS 6 and available.

Sn0wbreeze doesn’t support Apple TV 3.

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UPDATE: Although it has been confirmed by @MuscleNerd that evasi0n would support Apple TV 2, it seems that it doesn’t. Based on earlier news from evad3rs team, we believed their jailbreak was compatible with Apple TV 2 when publishing the below post just a few minutes after evasi0n went live. We are very sorry for causing confusion. We now have to wait for Seas0nPass to be updated with iOS 6.x support for Apple TV 2. We believe it won’t take long.

UPDATE 2: How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 5.2 (iOS 6.1) using Seas0nPass (untethered; Mac & Windows)

Evad3rs, a group of four top iOS hackers (@pod2g, @musclenerd, @pimskeks and @planetbeing) has just released a long-awaited evasi0n jailbreak for all iDevices running iOS 6.0 through 6.1, that include Apple TV 2 running software version 5.1, 5.1.1 or the latest 5.2. This is an untethered jailbreak, meaning you will be able to reboot your Apple TV without attaching it to a computer. Evasi0n jailbreak doesn’t support Apple TV 3 (however, there is some hope that it will in the future).

Here are the direct download links:

• evasi0n jailbreak for Mac OS X
• evasi0n jailbreak for Windows
• evasi0n jailbreak for Linux

Official mirrors.

Requirements:

• 5 minutes of your time
• A computer running Windows (XP minimum), Mac OS X (10.5 minimum) or Linux (x86 / x86_64)
• An Apple TV 2 running iOS 6.0 through 6.1 (Apple TV firmware 5.1 through 5.2)
• A micro USB cable to connect ATV to the computer

Apple TV 2 running iOS 5.x (atv software version 5.0.2 and earlier) can be jailbroken using Seas0npass.

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Update: MuscleNerd has just confirmed that Apple TV 2 will be covered by the iOS 6.1 jailbreak.

iOS hacker @MuscleNerd has confirmed on Twitter that the upcoming untethered iOS 6.1 jailbreak will support all iOS 6.1 compatible devices, except Apple TV 3. If Apple releases a software update for Apple TV 2 in time, which MuscleNerd claims is very likely, this device will also be supported. Untethered jailbreak for iOS 6.1 is expected to be released by evad3rs team just after Apple releases the latest version of its mobile OS to the public.

Asked if the upcoming iOS 6.1 jailbreak will support Apple TV 3, MuscleNerd responded:

@arovik nope, sorry. In fact unless Apple pushes a final atv2 in time, it may not apply there either (*very* likely they will though)

— MuscleNerd (@MuscleNerd) January 28, 2013

@unicornhacker yes, every other 6.1 device variation will be supported. All TWENTY-TWO of them (omg!). Plus atv2 if it’s out in time.

— MuscleNerd (@MuscleNerd) January 28, 2013

Hopefully, according to the hacker, there is still some hope for those desperately waiting for the Apple TV 3 jailbreak:

@arovik not necessarily.Although atv3 uses far fewer services that can be tampered with, it’s not isolated.But it can’t use this next JB

— MuscleNerd (@MuscleNerd) January 28, 2013

@sigboe that’s a valid area to be looking for atv3.And it certainly uses WebKit too for iTunes Store, Hulu logins etc.More esoteric tho

— MuscleNerd (@MuscleNerd) January 28, 2013

@sigboe my gut feeling though is that the code behind Photo Stream is riddled with bugs that might be useful on atv3

— MuscleNerd (@MuscleNerd) January 28, 2013

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ to be first to know when the untethered iOS 6.1 jailbreak and Apple TV 3 jailbreak come out.

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Are Google TVs, Android Set-Top Boxes, Roku hardware, and Western Digital HD TV devices hurting the Apple TV business, or its market penetration? It would appear not! Tim Cook, and by extension Apple Inc., announced during it’s annual earnings call that they had sold over 2 million Apple TV’s during their first fiscal quarter of 2013. This, for those not keeping track, is a 60% increase from the same time last year. It’s an interesting number considering the facts that the latest Apple TV (3rd Generation) is still without a jailbreak and that there are literally hundreds of other options on the market this year.

It would seem though that there is still more to come from our favorite fruit company. 9to5Mac reports that during this call Tim Cook flat out avoiding discussing details about their Apple TV project. Simply considering the fact that Apple doesn’t want to discuss a product that is growing in both market share and sales can lead us to the fact that they are staying tight lipped for a reason. This atmosphere is reminiscent of the months leading up to the iPad and we all know what happened there.

The fact is that Apple is tooling up. They are aware of the growing competition in the TV market. With almost every player out there working hard to connect their goods to our televisions, it would seem that Apple is positioning themselves to out do, out last, and out with their competition. Leave it to Apple to bide their time and release a game changer after everyone else releases their version of the next high-tech, yet ultimately unsatisfactory, TV gadget.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on the rumored new Apple TV/Apple TV set.

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FireCore has updated its flagship software, aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV 2, to version 2.1. New aTV Flash includes a number of “highly requested features” (like TV Show Playlists or Custom Favorites) as well as bunch of other improvements and fixes.

TV Show Playlists
Now it’s easier than ever to pick up where you left off with your favorite show. After you decide which show to watch, simply hold the center button and choose the playlist option. That’s it! You’ll be taken to the first unwatched episode, and will continue playing until your run out of shows or your eyes turn into puffy white marshmallows, whichever comes first.

Super Customizable Favorites
Favorites provide a handy way to get to what you want as quickly as possible. They’re displayed right in the main menu, and just got a whole lot better in version 2.1. Need a quick link to season 4 of The Office? Check. How about having a list of celebration videos that contain the word word birthday? Done. With these new options for Favorites there’s really no limit on what you can do.

Full List of Changes

• NEW! TV Show Playlists – easily pick up from the last unwatched episode
• NEW! Custom Favorites – create favorites from almost anything, including search terms
• Big speed improvements while browsing movies/shows
• Library and Search items can now be hidden from main menu
• Now showing ‘Writers’ instead of ‘Producers’ on pre-playback screen
• .ite folders are now hidden from view
• Hidden files are no longer included in slideshows
• Better metadata fetching
• Better trakt syncing and scrobbling
• Better handling of network settings and errors
• Many search related improvements
• Many subtitle related improvements (special characters, performance, etc…)
• Fixed rare Last.fm scrobbling issue
• Fixed rare problems when playing audio files
• Fixed a few memory related issues
• iOS 6 support
• Many other bug fixes and improvements

If you’re already running a version of aTV Flash (black) the new 2.1 version can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu. Links for the new version can also be found in your FireCore account under the Downloads tab.

If you’re not yet using aTV Flash (black) you can get started here.

Here is a tutorial on how to install aTV Flash (black) on your jailbroken Apple TV 2.

IMPORTANT: aTV Flash 2.1 requires an ATV2 running Apple TV version 4.4 or later. It doesn’t work on the 3rd gen Apple TV. Once the Apple TV 3 jailbreak is available, your aTV Flash (black) license will cover both Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3.

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The folks at appletv3jailbreak.com have recently announced that they will be releasing the first Apple TV 3 jailbreak. For those of you who pay attention, it was not even a month ago that the jailbreak community was buzzing with word of the Dream JB that was set to be released in December of 2012. It was no shock to us, or others, that this news was FAKE! Apple TV Hacks reported on it then, and it seems we need to do it again now. So, boys and girls, it is time for Jailbreak Scam Watch 2013!

Let us go ahead and break this story down for you, our dear readers. This news is FAKE. There is a simple rule that I learned long ago, and I have decided to share it with you today, “if it looks to good to be true, it likely is.” There is always one thing to look for when it comes to jailbreak releases, regardless of the device. If you are looking for jailbreak news for Apple TV’s, iPhone’s, iPad’s, or any other devices you need to consider your sources.

The jailbreak community, in regards to developers and coders that work for the good of us all, has become a well-established group of trustworthy people. If you think about it, the name pod2g was not one that was big in our community for a long time. Then suddenly, and seemingly out of the blue, there was this developer breaking down walls with iOS 5. He did not release information by circumventing the established community. Instead, the folks who were in the game since the beginning acknowledged pod2g, and our community benefitted.

Be cautious. Be careful. Be skeptical. Above all – don’t pay for a jailbreak. In the end, if a real jailbreak for Apple TV 3 comes out, we here at Apple TV Hacks will have a confirmation story, links, and guides.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ to be first to know when the real Apple TV 3 jailbreak comes out.

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The Apple TV 3 jailbreak isn’t out yet, but FireCore, the maker of Seas0nPass jailbreaking tool for Apple TV, has just shared some info on the status of this jailbreak:

As you may recall we were very optimistic about the ATV3 when it originally launched back in March, and while this optimism remains unchanged it’s clear things have not progressed as quickly as anyone would have liked. The biggest hurdle that has yet to be overcome is also the most essential – the jailbreak. While we tend to think of ourselves as pretty resourceful, the security related expertise that is required in order to release a jailbreak for iOS based devices like the ATV is just not in our wheelhouse, and we’re simply left to encourage the capable few as best we can. No one is more anxious than us to get the ATV3 opened up to 3rd party apps, but due to the reasons mentioned above we’re not able to provide any kind of release timeline right now.

Back in August we reported that there was a group of “very bright and talented individuals” working on “a lead that could result in a usable jailbreak for the 3rd gen Apple TV”.

At JailbreakCon 2012, nitoTV announced that there has been some progress made with the injection vector, but no further specifics were offered an no further details have been shared since then.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ to be first to know when the Apple TV 3 jailbreak comes out.

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If you have already checked out our list of Black Friday 2012 deals for your Apple TV, here comes another deal for your little black box: FireCore is offering a 25% discount on aTV flash (black) for Apple TV 2 and the rest of its products. The coupon code is “BLACKFRIDAY” and it’s good for 25% off starting today through midnight on Monday.

aTV Flash (black) is a collection of software that supercharges your Apple TV 2 turning it into a powerhouse of entertainment. It features a Media Player, web browser, last.fm integration, RSS reader, weather widget and lets you install XBMC, nitoTV, Remote HD and Plex client with just one click.

Note that once the Apple TV 3 jailbreak is available your aTV Flash (black) license will cover both Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3.

More Black Friday 2012 deals:
Black Friday 2012 Best Deals For Apple TV
Best Black Friday Deals on iOS Apps
Black Friday 2012: Deals on iPhone, iPad and iPod Accessories!

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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!

Fans of the Apple TV who prefer to make their own rules have been waiting patiently for news of a jailbreak for the Apple TV 3. But while JailbreakCon 2012 had a lot to offer for many, fans of the Apple TV were left with very few hard facts. There were obviously no demonstrations of any new jailbreak, and nitoTV had even less information to share on future availability.

The only plus side was the announcement that there has been some progress made with the injection vector, but no further specifics were offered. The only hard information nitoTV was able to share is that users considering jailbreaking an Apple TV 3 at some point down the line should stay on iOS 5 (Apple TV 5.0.x) and not upgrade to iOS 6 (Apple TV 5.1).

Of course, anyone who has already upgraded the firmware shouldn’t stay up nights worrying about it. Since specific jailbreak details have yet to drop, there’s no telling if this will end up being a real problem for users or not. nitoTV didn’t seem terribly concerned, but if you’re 100% certain you will be performing a jailbreak on your Apple TV 3, your best bet is to hold to iOS 5.

Back in August we reported that there was a group of “very bright and talented individuals” working on “a lead that could result in a usable jailbreak for the 3rd gen Apple TV”. No further details have been shared since then, the only thing we know is that the work is still ongoing.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ to be first to know when the Apple TV 3 jailbreak comes out.

Update: State of the Apple TV 3 Jailbreak

[via iJailbreak]

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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!