Our polls for the “Apple TV Hacks Best of 2011 Award” closed on the 15th of February. The participation was amazing: we have received over 3000 entries. Surprisingly, the competition wasn’t stiff. It looks like it was pretty easy for you to decide who should have won as aTV Flash (black) has been clearly leading the competition from the very start to the end. As a result, FireCore’s flagship product won with 40 percent of the vote. XBMC for Apple TV 2 took the second place with 21 percent and the third place went to Seas0nPass with 9 percent of the vote.

Other strong candidates were IceFilms, Remote HD and nitoTV.

1^st place – aTV Flash (black)

In 2011, FireCore’s aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV 2 has finally left beta. Version 1.0 came with all-new Media Player, WebKit based browser, Last.fm radio, Weather, RSS feeds and gives you fast access to plugins like nitoTV, Remote HD, XBMC and Plex client.

Read: FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.0 to supercharge the Apple TV 2

2^nd place – XBMC for Apple TV 2

XBMC for Apple TV 2 supports a very complete spectrum of audio and video multimedia file formats and codecs right out-of-the-box. The 2011’s release also features full hardware decode for 720p/1080p movies as well as network files sharing. Add-ons like Icefilms, Bluecop and Navi-X make XBMC on Apple TV a must-have.

Read: XBMC for Apple TV 2 now available

3^rd place – Seas0nPass

Seas0nPass, a jailbreak tool designed by FireCore specifically and exclusively for the Apple TV 2, has been consequently updated during the whole year to jailbreak the newer and newer versions of Apple TV firmware. Both Mac and Windows, it also includes a simple tethered boot option when an untethered jailbreak is not yet available.

Read: How to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 using Seas0nPass – untethered (tutorial)

We’ve told you we had some cool prizes for those who voted and here are the winners:

iPod nano 16 GB (6^th generation) – Destery Hildenbrand

Apple TV 2 (newest version) – Miquel Valentijn

Kymera Magic Wand Remote Control (for Apple TV) – Ann F

Oregon Scientific RM901A Rainbow Clock – Harold Dufrene

Skin Sticker for Apple TV 2 – Eric Malenfant

Congratulations!

Thank you all for voting for you favorites and we hope there will be even more cool Apple TV hacks, jailbreaks, plugins and software to choose from for “Apple TV Hacks Best of 2012”.

You may also want to read:
AirPlay Mirroring coming to Mountain Lion, next version of Mac OS X
aTV Flash (black) 1.3 for Apple TV 2 released
Rogers and Bell already have the Apple iTV in their labs, controlled with Siri and hand gestures

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!

UPDATE: Winner of “Apple TV Hacks Best of 2011 Award” Announced

2011 was a good year for Apple TV. Although it seems that everyone is already waiting for Apple TV set (are you?), some hackers and developers have worked really hard through the whole 2011 on jailbreaks and software that supercharged our silver and black boxes. Various hacks, jailbreaks, plugins and add-ons convinced us the Apple TV is more than just a simple hobby device that only lets you buy movies on iTunes and listen to some odd radio stations.

It’s time to select the best of the best, to choose “AppleTVHacks Best of 2011”!

We are asking for your votes for the best Apple TV (both 1^st and 2^nd generation) hack/jailbreak/plugin/add-on/software of 2011.  We chose the nominees; the award is people’s choice. The winner will receive “AppleTVHacks Best of 2011 Award” and will be featured on our site.

Cast your vote for a chance to win the following fantastic prizes:

iPod nano 16 GB (6^th generation)

Apple TV 2 (newest version)

Kymera Magic Wand Remote Control (for Apple TV)

Oregon Scientific RM901A Rainbow Clock

Skin Sticker for Apple TV 2

Here are the nominees (in alphabetical order):

• AirPlay for Windows

AirPlay for Windows Media Center, Thomas Pleasance’s free addin, enables AirPlay streaming (video and pictures; music is not supported yet) to your Windows PC running Windows Media Player. Simple to install and use, works seamlessly.

• aTV Flash (black)

In 2011, FireCore’s aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV 2 has finally left beta. Version 1.0 came with all-new Media Player, WebKit based browser, Last.fm radio, Weather, RSS feeds and gives you fast access to plugins like nitoTV, Remote HD, XBMC and Plex client. The only drawback – it’s not free ($29.95).

Read: FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.0 to supercharge the Apple TV 2

• aTV Flash (for original Apple TV)

Luckily for the owners of the original Apple TV, in 2011, FireCore continued to develop the software for the old shiny Apple TV boxes. Released in November, version 4.4 of aTV Flash brought support for the new Remote HD features (iOS 5 AirPlay streaming, support for playing DRM protected media, support for doubleTwist + AirTwist add-on), as well as the support for Mac OS X Lion and NFS file streaming.

Read: aTV Flash 4.4 for original Apple TV now available

• Bluecop repository (Hulu on Apple TV)

Bluecop, a repository of XBMC video plug-ins, brings Hulu to Apple TV after fast and easy installation. It also features Amazon Prime, ESPN3, Free Cable, Cartoon Network, CBS, MTV, South Park Studios and The Daily Show plug-in addons.

Read: How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2

• greenpois0n rc6

Developed by Chronic Dev Team (with a contribution from nitoTV), greenpois0n RC6 allowed us to perform an untethered jailbreak on Apple TV 2 running iOS 4.2.1. The development has not been continued for further Apple TV software updates.

Read: How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 with greenpois0n rc6

• IceFilms

The most popular XBMC plugin gives you an instant access to the library of dozens of thousands movies and TV shows that can be streamed directly to your Apple TV.

• nitoTV

@nitotv, one of the first Apple TV developers, not only contributes to FireCore’s Seas0nPass but also continues his great work on developing his own plugin – nitoTV (recently updated to version 0.8.1-3). NitoTV features Weather and RSS functionality and lets you install other add-ons and software, like XBMC, RemoteHD, Overflow, openSSH, BT Stack, Rowmote Helper and more. NitoTV is also available for the original Apple TV.

• PwnageTool 4.3

PwnageTool 4.3, a custom IPSW creator and jailbreaking tool created by iPhone-Dev Team, supported untethered jailbreak on Apple TV 4.2.1 and Apple TV 4.3. The tool has not been updated to support Apple TV 4.4 firmware.

Read: Untethered iOS 4.3.1 Jailbreak for Apple TV 2 Released (updated)

• Remote HD

Remote HD, an Apple TV plugin that works with a dedicated iOS app, gives you complete access to your Apple TV. It works like an Apple Remote, but it can do a lot more – one of the greatest features is Remote View that brings your Apple TV’s display to your iPhone/iPad or iPod touch. In 2011, Remote HD added support for Apple TV 2 and brought AirPlay functionality as well as iOS 5 and iTunes DRM-encrypted video support to the first generation Apple TV.

Read: Remote HD now supports Apple TV 2
Remote HD 5.0 plugin keeps old Apple TV kicking with iOS 5 support

• Seas0nPass

Seas0nPass, a jailbreak tool designed by FireCore specifically and exclusively for the AppleTV 2, has been consequently updated during the whole year to jailbreak the newer and newer versions of Apple TV firmware. Both Mac and Windows, it also includes a simple tethered boot option when an untethered jailbreak is not yet available.

Read: How to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 using Seas0nPass – untethered (tutorial)

• Sn0wbreeze 2.5.1

Considered as the unofficial PwnageTool for Windows, sn0wbreeze works with Windows XP, Vista and 7. Version 2.5.1 supported untethered jailbreak for Apple TV 4.2.1. Further Apple TV software versions are not supported.

Read: How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.3 with sn0wbreeze (untethered)

• XBMC for Apple TV 2

In 2011, XBMC has finally been released for the Apple TV 2. XBMC supports a very complete spectrum of audio and video multimedia file formats and codecs right out-of-the-box. The 2011’s release also features full hardware decode for 720p/1080p movies as well as network files sharing. Add-ons like Icefilms, Bluecop and Navi-X make XBMC on Apple TV a must-have.

Read: XBMC for Apple TV 2 now available

Let the voting begin!

Here is how to participate:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

Update (10-Jan-2012): Still working!

Although the developer of Bluecop said that Hulu is not working with his XBMC add-on anymore, I decided to write this tutorial because many users report they are still able to get Hulu on Apple TV 2 via this plugin. The developer claims it won’t last but you can check it out by yourselves and try your luck. We’ll be updating this post to provide you with the latest on this topic.

So how to watch Hulu on atv2? Here is the step-by-step guide.

Note: it requires you to have your Apple TV 2 already jailbroken with nitoTV, XBMC and openSSH installed.

1. Download Bluecop repository (zip file)
2. SFTP into your Apple TV  (username “root”, pass “alpine” if you haven’t changed it already; find your atv IP address in Settings ->General -> Network)
3. Copy zip file to /private/var/mobile/Media folder
4. In XBMC on your atv go to System -> Add-ons -> “Install from zip file”
5. Browse to var/mobile/media, find “repository.bluecop.xbmc-plugins.zip” and press OK (Bluecop is already enabled)
6. Go to System -> Add-ons -> get add-ons, find “bluecop Add-on Repository” click OK, choose video add-ons, find Hulu and install it
7. Head to Videos -> Video add-ons, find Hulu and enjoy (should work with both regular Hulu and Hulu Plus).

Tell us in comments if it works for you. Don’t worry if not, Bluecop offers a few other add-ons you may want to check out (Cartoon Network, CBS, MTV, South Park Studios, The Daily Show and more).

You may also want to read:
How to Jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.2.1 Untethered with Seas0nPass
How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 with greenpois0n rc6
How to install XBMC on Apple TV 2

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!

Firecore has released an updated version of Seas0nPass that includes an untethered jailbreak for the Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.2.1 (Apple TV 4.1.1). It’s Mac only for now (OSX 10.6 or later) but according to Firecore, Windows version is also being finalized with the untether and will be available soon. If you’ve already jailbroken with greenpois0n (RC 6 or RC 6.1) you do not need to re-jailbreak – both Seas0nPass and greenpois0n contain the same jailbreak components.

Seas0nPass is open source (the source code is available on Github) and is available for free.

Here are the instructions on how to use Seas0nPass to jailbreak the Apple TV 2:

Pre-launch checklist

1. Download and install the latest version of iTunes.
2. Download Seas0nPass
3. A micro USB cable will be required to complete the jailbreak.

Jailbreaking

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

Step 2: Select ‘Create IPSW’ (“Boot Tethered” is for old, tethered jailbreak).Step 3: The latest AppleTV software will be downloaded and used to create a custom ‘jailbroken’ software file.

Step 4: When prompted, connect your AppleTV using a micro-USB cable (leave power disconnected), and hold both the ‘MENU’ and ‘PLAY/PAUSE’ buttons for 7 seven seconds.

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

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

You may also want to read:
How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 with greenpois0n rc6
How to install XBMC on Apple TV 2
Seas0nPass Troubleshooting Tips
aTV Flash (black) for Apple TV 2G Now Available (+giveaway)

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!

Greenpois0n RC6 has finally been released by the fantastic Chronic Dev Team. This magical piece of software jailbreaks your Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.2.1 (Apple TV 4.1.1) in a flash. And this is untethered jailbreak, meaning you don’t have to connect your atv2 to your mac/pc every time you need to reboot it.

Here is the step-by-step tutorial on how to jailbreak your Apple TV 2 using greenpois0n rc6.

Step 1: Download greenpois0n rc6 for Mac or Windows.

Step 2: Run it and select “Yes” when asked if you’re jailbreaking an Apple TV.

Step 3: Click “Prepare to Jailbreak (DFU)”.

Step 4: Follow the onscreen instructions to enter DFU mode.

Many people report having problems entering DFU mode when following GP instructions; here is the alternative method that worked for me (after 3^rd or 4^th try):

-          Plug USB end power cables into atv before you even run GP.
-          When the program asks you to follow the instructions to enter DFU mode just hold down MENU and PLAY/PAUSE buttons for 17 seconds (7+3+7) (7 second should be enough but it’s better not to release the buttons earlier)
-          Release both buttons when the program says that.

You can find other alternative methods as well, one of them will work for sure.

Step 5: Click “Jailbreak!”. Greenpois0n will now begin jailbreaking your atv. It should not take more than a few minutes to complete.

Step 6: Your Apple TV is now jailbroken.

Note: do not unplug atv for at least 40 seconds to a minute after the “Jailbreak complete!” button appears (greenpois0n may be still finishing the process on your device).

Step 7: Unplug USB cable, connect the device to your TV, navigate to “greenpois0n”, select “Inject Software” and install Cydia package.

Step 8: After the installation is complete press MENU button to reboot.

Step 9: nitoTV will appear instead of “greenpois0n” heading. You can now install third-party software and plugins, such as XBMC, Exposed, Overflow, BTStack, Weather, etc. (NitoTV->Install Software).

Many users report having WiFi issues after jailbreaking. If it’s your case, you can try to fix it by restarting Lowtide (NitoTV->Settings)

(note: greenpois0n commands and onscreen notifications vary between mac and pc versions)

You may also want to read
How to install XBMC on Apple TV 2
How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.2.1 with Seas0nPass
AirFlick Streams Non-iTunes Data to Apple TV 2 (video)

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!

We’ve been waiting for this jailbreak since November, but it’s finally here: Chronic Dev Team, with great contributions from nitoTV, has released greenpois0n RC6 that allows you to perform an untethered jailbreak on your Apple TV 2 running iOS 4.2.1. It’s available for both Mac and Windows and can be grabbed from here.

Note: make sure you restore to fresh 4.2.1 before running greenpois0n rc6.

Let us know in the comments if you have any issues. A detailed how-to tutorial will be posted soon. Here is the step-by-step tutorial on how to jailbreak your Apple TV 2 with greenpois0n rc6.

You may also want to read:
How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 with greenpois0n rc6
Patchstick.ca to Release Installer for Apple TV 2
How to install XBMC on Apple TV 2
How to jailbreak Apple TV 2 on iOS 4.2.1 with Seas0nPass

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!

We don’t want to enter “Jailbreak Wars”, so we will stick to the facts: geohot, a developer who released limera1n jailbreak for iOS 4.1 devices, has just updated his page to announce that “AppleTV is technically supported, but theres no apps yet.” TUAW’s Erica Sadun confirmed that when she put her atv2 into DFU mode she 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,” she said. Chronic Dev team, that was supposed to release its greenpois0n jailbreak on Sunday, said they will have to delay the release in order to have time to integrate the exploit used in limera1n into greenpois0n to “save SHAtter for future devices that may still be vulnerable to it.”

Update: according to this AwkwardTV page, “limera1n doesn’t work because of ramdisk issues, it never mounts or installs anything, ostensibly not making any changes at all to the AppleTV filesystem.”

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!