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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XBMC is, without a doubt, the nest thing you can add to your Apple TV. XBMC opens your iOS device to a world of multimedia management, live streaming television, movies, sports, music, and much more. As amazing as XBMC is, until you learn how to utilize XBMC to its fullest potential, it can feel like a digital doorstop. It is with this in mind that we have decided to do a series of pieces that walk you through the essential parts of XBMC. So, if you are already a pro, read on and then correct my mistakes in the comment section. If, on the other hand, you are a novice/n00b… just read on!

General Navigation

Moving through XBMC is as easy as any system you can install on a PC these days. Though the process can vary dependent on the hardware you are using, the concept is the same. You have your default sections when you first boot XBMC:

• Weather
• Pictures
• Video
• Music
• Programs
• System

WEATHER

The first item in your menu is Weather. This gives you real time information on the weather for you area. By default, you are given the ability to track the weather for as many as three different locations. When in the Weather section of XBMC you can click to the left to open an extra screen that allows you to adjust settings within this section. This also allows users to cycle through options and locations. It is also worth mentioning that this special window that appears when clicking left is available in every section. It holds unique content dependent on which section you are in.

PICTURES, VIDEOS, MUSIC, PROGRAMS

Within any categories that offer content (Music, Pictures, Videos) you are given the same three options when you first open it: Files, Playlists, & Add-ons. Each option offers a unique set of features, choices, and functions for your Apple TV. It is worth noting that the Programs section only provides Add-ons. There is no option to add personal content.

Files

These all add some IMPORTANT functionality to your system. The first item, Files, is where we will go in order to addour own content to XBMC. So, if you have pictures, movies, television shows, or music on a hard drive/external drive and you want to add it to XBMC, this is where you go. From within the Files section you are given the option to view the files that are on your machine, or to add sources. This option will enable you to navigate to the content directory and scan it into your Apple TV.

Playlist

We will cover this in another article, but this option will enable you to view any playlists that you have already created.

(Content Type) Addons

This section enables users to view all of the addons/plugins that you have installed, or that have come preinstalled, onto your Apple TV. This section will always end with an icon, and text, that says GET MORE.

If you follow this GET MORE option, you will be taken to a list of all the addons/plugins that are available to you. The repositories that are installed on your device determine the addons that are available. If you would like to add more repositories, and addons, check out our list of Top 10 best XBMC addons for Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2.

SYSTEM

This section is where all of the settings, and customizations, are stored. Think of this section as the brains of XBMC. If you want to edit, change or adjust anything in XBMC, you can do it here. This section will open to a list of options, such as:

• Appearance:

Here you will find the ability to adjust things such as your time zone, sound effects, zoom in (zoom out), screensavers, and what skin you want installed.

• Video:

Here you will find the ability to adjust your library, playback, files, subtitles, and DVD options.

• Music:

Here you will find the ability to adjust your library, playback, files, subtitles, and song submission options. Here you can also activate Last.FM features within XBMC.

• Pictures:

Here you will find the ability to adjust things such as your file lists as well as photo slideshow options.

• Weather:

Here you will find the ability to adjust things such as your weather location and weather addons.

• Add-ons:

Here you will find the ability to adjust things such as enabled addons. You can install new addons, uninstall existing addons, and add repositories to XBMC.

• Network:

Here you will find the ability to adjust things such as your network options. This includes the ability to enable AirPlay, UPnP, SMB, and other file sharing options. You can also add proxy servers in this location

• System:

Here you will find the ability to adjust things such as your video output resolution, audio input/output methods, debugging features, and much more.

• Skin:

Finally, in the skins section you are able to edit the skin to your hearts content. The options that are made available vary from skin to skin but this usual includes customizing menus, changing backgrounds, home screen widgets, and much more. (Read also: How to change skins in XBMC on Apple TV)

As you can see there are a lot of options within XBMC. I highly recommend that you all dive in and get to know your system as well as you can. The more you know about XBMC, the better your Apple TV set will be. XBMC truly is a case of software that is so simple, it’s hard.

More on XBMC on Apple TV:

• Top 10 best XBMC addons for Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2
• How to install XBMC add-ons and plugins on Apple TV
• How to clone the XBMC installation on Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2
• How to install XBMC 12.0 Frodo (beta 1) on Apple TV
• How to change skins in XBMC on Apple TV
• Supercharge your current XBMC installation with XBMC Hub Wizard
• Watch live sports on Apple TV with SportsDevil XBMC video addon

 (This article is also available in Spanish / Este artículo también está disponible en español)

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For many of our reads, there is no question regarding what XBMC is or how to use it. That said, we never find a shortage of folks who don’t understand XBMC’s add-ons, plugins, tools, menus, skins, libraries, third party extras, etc. It was with this in mind that we have decided to dedicate a bit of time every month to breaking down ALL THINGS XBMC. Our goal is to give information that could greatly help new comers, and veterans, alike. I, personally, aim to bring tips and tricks to shed light on many items that have seemingly alluded many users of XBMC as a home multimedia solution. So, if you find yourself always helping fiends and family with their XBMC systems, bookmark this page, and stay tuned for the months to come! We are going to get the masses ready to use, and comfortable with, Xbox Media Center (XBMC).

Though this article may seem ‘to basic’ for the tech elite that frequent this pages, please note that this article is simply a launching point for our ALL THINGS XBMC series. We will not be breaking down any walls today, but rather shedding light on XBMC in general. We want to take a broad brush and give you all an idea of what XBMC is and does. We will then use this article as a guideline for the pieces to come.

What is XBMC?

XBMC is an award-winning FREE, open source (GPL), software media player and entertainment hub for digital media. XBMC is currently available for Linux, OSX, Windows, iOS, & even Android. XBMC has been designed to be the perfect companion for your Apple TV (1, 2, and someday your 3). Supporting an almost endless range of remote controls, and combined with its beautiful interface and powerful skinning engine, XBMC feels very natural to use from the couch and is the ideal solution for your home theater – multi media center.

Essentially, XBMC offers users the ability to watch personal content, as well as content found on the web, on their Television. It makes itself a central interface for thousands, if not millions, of playable content. It is built with the ability to install add-ons, skins, scripts, and more, all with the purpose of expanding its functionality. The software is, by far, the most feature rich solution on the market. XBMC is only limited by the lack of understanding of its users. This is a situation where the more you know, quickly equates to an unparallelled television experience!

Items We Intend To Cover:

- How to install on Apple TV
- How to navigate & understand XBMC’s menu options
- XBMC’s library: how to add, remove, & customize it’s content
- XBMC scripts? Yes, they are useful!
- How to stream content from the Web within XBMC
- How to install add-ons & repositories
- How to change & customize skins on XBMC
- Using AirPlay & mobile apps with XBMC
- Watching live television on XBMC
- Watching movies on XBMC
- Supercharging your current XBMC installation with XBMC Hub Wizard

Stay tuned for the next tutorial!  In the meantime, you can check out our list of Top 10 best XBMC addons for Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2.

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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!

Two weeks after iOS hacker and Chronic Dev-Team member Pod2g announced an untethered jailbreak for Apple TV 2 running 4.4.3 (and 4.4.4), FireCore made this jailbreak publicly available by releasing an updated version of Seas0nPass that supports an untethered jailbreak of the latest 4.4.4 (iOS 5.0.1) Apple TV software. Obviously, the new Seas0nPass uses Pod2g’s exploit.

All the most popular Apple TV 2 plugins, like NitoTV,  XBMC,  Plex (0.9.0 beta versions only), Remote HD,  Media Player,  Overflow, Couch Surfer, Last.fm, Rowmote, RSS Feeds and Weather are already supported on 4.4.4.

Here is a step by step tutorial on how to jailbreak Apple TV 4.4.4 untethered using Seas0nPass:

Note: If you’re already running a tethered version of 4.4.4 you will need to re-jailbreak using Seas0nPass to take advantage of the new untethered version.

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 AppleTV 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) AppleTV 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. Please proceed to the ‘tethered boot’ section below.

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.

Done!

You may also want to read:
iOS apps running on Apple TV
How to Watch Hulu on Apple TV 2
FireCore releases aTV Flash (black) 1.0 to supercharge the Apple TV 2
How to install aTV Flash (black) 1.0 on Apple TV 2

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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!

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

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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!

Patchstick.ca, a creator of Patchstick – software enhancement for the first generation Apple TV, has just announced that their first product for Apple TV 2 – Installer – is currently being tested and will be released very soon (“no later than February 15^th, possibly a few days earlier”). Installer will allow you to install and maintain 3rd party plugins (such as Overflow, XBMC, Groovy, Exposed, Plex, BT Stack and others) with the click of your remote.

You will need to have your atv2 already jailbroken and an active AppleTV 2G account at patchstick.ca in order to make use of this new software. Installer is already available for pre-order at the special price of $19.99 which also includes lifetime updates.

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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!