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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The FireCore team’s aTV Flash software, known as “black”, has recently been updated to version 2.2. This update incorporates support for Apple’s latest 5.2 software update (iOS 6.1), which officialy opened up support for Bluetooth devices to pair with your Apple TV. This is very exciting for those of you who had accidentally, or perhaps purposely, updated your black boxes in the past weeks. For those of you who have not yet updated your device, you need to consider one important question prior to clicking that software update option. The question before you is simply: “do I use Plex, Remote HD, Rowmote, or XBMC on my Apple TV?” If your answer is yes you may want to hold off on the Apple update as Apple’s latest software update also breaks these tools. We are sure this will be fixed, but as of now any Apple TV running 5.1 or higher will not have access to the items listed above.

That aside, aTV Flash (black) 2.2 has some exciting features for those of us already on the latest update. They have managed to integrate the Bluetooth keyboard functionality into all of their special features and additions to iOS. This means you get a fell keyboard experience while surfing the web, navigating their menus, and searching for content.

Other things we will see in aTV Flash (black) 2.2 update:

• Minor improvements to backups
• Minor improvements to DVD playback
• A handful of other bug fixes and improvements

WHAT DOESN’T WORK

3rd party plugins such as:

• XBMC
• Plex
• Remote HD
• Rowmote

are not yet compatible with the 5.1+ Apple TV software.

@thomashw, the developer of Plex client for Apple TV, has already confirmed on Plex forum that he will work on getting Plex working on the latest Apple TV software.

XBMC Developer Memphiz said on XBMC forum that the team is “trying their best” to make XBMC running on Apple TV 5.2. XBMC now available on iOS 6.1 for Apple TV

WHAT WORKS

Taking a look at the features/tools that typically comes with aTV Falsh (black), and subtracting the third-party software options/tools which are broken by Apple’s 5.1+ update, we are left with the follow list:

• AirControl
• Couch Surfer Pro
• Last.fm
• Maintenance
• Media Player
• RSS Player
• RSS Feeds
• Weather

HOW TO UPDATE

aTV Flash (black) 2.2 is compatible with any and all ATV2s running a minimum of 4.4 and up, so updating to 5.2 is not required. However, if you are wondering what the best way is to update, who better to listen to then the FireCore team themselves:

1. Backup your settings through the Maintenance > Manage Backups menu.
2. Run the latest version of Seas0nPass to update the Apple TV to 5.2.
3. Download and install the new 2.2 version of aTV Flash (black).
4. Install any desired items through the Maintenance > Manage Extras menu.
5. Restore the previously saved settings through the Maintenance > Manage Backups menu.
   
6. That’s it!

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

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Following the last week’s release of evasi0n iOS 6.0-6.1 jailbreak, FireCore has updated its Seas0nPass to provide an untethered jailbreak for Apple TV 2 running the latest 5.2 (iOS 6.1) firmware. Released in January, Apple TV software update 5.2  for the 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TV added Bluetooth keyboard support, iTunes in the Cloud and AirPlay audio for videos.

Some 3rd party plugins such as Plex, Remote HD and Rowmote are not yet compatible with the 5.1+ Apple TV software. The developer of Plex client is already working on getting its plugin working on the latest Apple TV firmware.

Update: XBMC now available on iOS 6.1 for Apple TV

aTV Flash (black) has also been updated and now supports Apple TV 5.2.

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

Here is a step by step tutorial on how to untether jailbreak Apple TV 2 5.2 using Seas0nPass:

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.

Step 6: iTunes will confirm the restore when complete – your Apple TV is now jailbroken.

Note: To confirm the jailbreak was successful a (temporary) red FC logo will appear in the lower right corner of the screen – as shown below.

Enjoy!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on Apple TV 3 jailbreak status.

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FireCorehas just announced on its forum that they are “hard at work” on a new version of Seas0nPassthat takes advantage of the evasi0n jailbreak. They expect to have it available “soon”.

aTV Flash (black) seems to be almost ready for 5.2 but there is still a lot of work ahead for the developers of other Apple TV software/plugins:

Please keep in mind that while the FireCore plugins will work on Apple TV 5.1, a few minor adjustments (which are currently in progress) are needed to ensure things continue to run smoothly on Apple TV 5.2. Things like Plex and XBMC do not yet work on Apple TV 5.1 and later, and will likely require A LOT of work by their respective developers in order to be compatible.

@thomashw, the developer of Plex client for Apple TV, has already confirmed on Plex forum that he will work on getting Plex working on the latest Apple TV software.

You can jailbreak your Apple TV 2 running software version 5.2 using recently updated Sn0wbreeze 2.9.8 but jailbreaking is a bit pointless at this moment as most of the plugins are still not combatible with the latest Apple TV firmware.

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

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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 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!

FireCore released aTV Flash (black) 2.0 for the 2nd generation Apple TV. Version 2.0 adds a ton of new features “that make browsing and watching media on the Apple TV more enjoyable than ever.” aTV Flash (black) 2.0 adds new Library View, fully integrated search, trakt.tv syncing, Last.fm scrobbling and much more. Version 2.0 is a free update for all current aTV Flash (black) users.

Library View

The new Library View now indexes all your media (even if stored on multiple devices) and automatically organizes movies, TV shows and music into easy to use categories. TV shows will also be group by series/season automatically. The original file/folder based browsing will remain intact and working as an alternative option.

Fully integrated search

The new integrated search tool allows you to search by movie, TV series/episode, song, artist, album or filename. Just start typing and the results will start being displayed instantly.

Trakt.tv syncing

This is a great feature if you’re trying to keep multiple Apple TVs in sync, as if you watch a movie on the first device it will also appear as watched on the 2nd. Additionally, if you manually mark a movie or show as watched on trakt.tv, it will automatically get marked as watched on the Apple TV.

Last.fm scrobbling

Last.fm scrobbling allows you track music plays in your Last.fm profile.

Here is a full changelog for aTV Flash (black) 2.0:

• Added all-new Library View
• Added integrated media search
• Added trakt.tv 2-way syncing
• Added Last.fm scrobbling
• Added genre/artist based playlists
• Added Recently Added display option
• Improved handling of WTV files
• Improved handling of DVD audio tracks
• Improved AFP connections
• Improved filename recognition
• Improved subtitle handling
• Resolved various navigation issues
• Resolved rare DVD playback issues
• Resolved rare subtitles positioning issue
• Many other minor improvements and fixes

aTV Flash 2.0 doesn’t work on the 3rd gen Apple TV. According to FireCore and according to what we reported back in August, work is still ongoing on the Apple TV 3 jailbreak.

If you’re already running a version of aTV Flash (black), the new 2.0 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: 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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Do you want to feel like a wizard? Check the Kymera wand in Amazon: You can control your Apple TV waving a wand!

We have recently reached 10000 likes on Facebook. Thank you so much for being with us there on Zuckenberg’s land! We thought the best to say „BIG THANKS“ is to run a small giveaway of:

• 2 sets of: AppleTVHacks T-Shirt + AppleTVHacks Sigg Water Bottle + AppleTVHacks Mug
• 5 copies of aTV Flash (black)
• 5 copies of AirParrot (for Mac or Windows)
• 5 copies of AirServer

We’ll be picking the winners from among those of you who comment on this facebook post, like it or share on their timelines.

The giveaway starts right now and ends on Sunday, September 2nd. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, September 4th.

Good luck!

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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!

Remember last week when pod2g tweeted that neither he nor anyone he knows of was working on the Apple TV 3 jailbreak? We asked you to cool down and to never lose a hope since we knew there were people working on this. The confirmation that the work is ongoing on this particular jailbreak came from 9to5Mac, as they have learned that „a jailbreak for the third-generation Apple TV is indeed in the works from someone with close knowledge of the project“:

There are just a handful people working on the jailbreak, and while it’s not yet complete, at least one method to jailbreaking is currently being chased in hopes of big results.

Additinally, they got a comment from FireCore’s James Abeler who confirmed the news:

There is 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. While there is no telling how long this process could take, we remain optimistic that a jailbreak for this device will be available in the future. For the record, no one at FireCore is involved in the jailbreak discovery process.

Abeler also said that FireCore is already working on Seas0nPass and aTV Flash for the Apple TV 3 and they will be ready to release it when the jailbreak is out.

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

Also read:
News on the Apple TV 3 jailbreak out of JailbreakCon 2012
pod2g not working on Apple TV 3 jailbreak
iBoot 0day exploit would not work on ATV3
Apple TV 3 jailbreak status update: work is ongoing

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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!