Increasing Apple TV storage

Why bother?

Add a NAS with iTunes Sharing, keep the noise to a minimum. Kinda defeats the purpose of an Apple TV in the first place....

I do agree with David.

However the first option is not messy, there is USB stcik creator, download it, install it onto a USB stick. Put usb stick in back of ATV and reboot, Job done.

hi David,

i'm using a NAS with iTunes services running on it (Qnap) but i can not connect atv to that because atv wants me to enters a 4-5 digit numbers on the NAS system.
This works with itunes on my Mac (after entering the digits, you can share your library) but not with my NAS.
Any idea?
Thanks
Ralf

So a few things

1. On the USB stick, you have to redo it every time there is an update and the user reports seem somewhat finicky. Gary have you done it yourself or are you reporting what others have done?
2. On the NAS idea I simply don't understand how this works and am probably being a bit of an idiot here. The ATV is the only computing platform that runs all the time. For the rest I use a PC based laptop that spends most of its life in my work bag. If I connect a NAS to the router, can I get an Apple TV to dig out the data from it? If so, that would be super elegant.

Thx!

Ralf,

I found the following thread which may be of interest.....suggests what you are trying to do will not really work without a machine always running

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=471181

hi David,
thanks for this!
Yes,,,looks really as you already mention- you need a pc/mac with itunes running all the time to stream music to atv...
ralf

@on: guess atv can only play (optic) 16/48?

That's right, ATV maxes at 16/48.

Using a ReadyNAS Duo, and I'm sure there are other options too, there is an option to enable firefly.

By enabling it I can play tunes via an ATV using an iPhone and the Remote app direct from the NAS.

No PC running.

HAcking the ATV is very easy I have installed both the hack and a hardware hack which is a Crystal Broadcom chip for hidef.

However I use the ATV differently from how Apple wants, their software is incredibly restrictive in what it allows you to do. Installing the hack above as I described installs XBMC which can happily read your music library, infact it will read just about any music format in any folder on any computer or nas on your network, and indeed multiple folders if you wish. It will also read any video formats and play them formats back to you, no need for messy and slow conversion into itunes.

So install the hack. Once installed there is an option to switch off apples auto updates so you don't have to reinstall it. Run XBMC, load your music libraries and never use the crap apple software again, it can also be controlled by iphone/ipod

And Boxee is a useful addition too. Also controllable via an app.

Great stuff,

Is the 16/48 a limit that comes from using optical period? Or is it ATV specific?

How much do you lose vs higher bandwidth?

Now I think I am finally arriving at the conclusion you were already likely at. At 16/48 ATV is not good enough. Incidentally MacMini has the same issue. The optical port streams at a max of 24/96.

So it seems Apple do not provide any "headless" solution that will do the job easily.

What other options have folks used

- Soundbridge / squeezebox + NAS
- PC
- Other?

What music you got thats above 24/96?

quote:

Originally posted by David Quigley:
Now I think I am finally arriving at the conclusion you were already likely at. At 16/48 ATV is not good enough. Incidentally MacMini has the same issue. The optical port streams at a max of 24/96.

So it seems Apple do not provide any "headless" solution that will do the job easily.

What other options have folks used

- Soundbridge / squeezebox + NAS
- PC
- Other?

Why not add a M2Tech HiFace USB adaptor to a MacMini if you need higher than 24/96.

One issue with the MacMini isn't that it doesn't support higher than 24/96; but that it DOESN'T support 24/88.2 which some downloads are in so these are resampled to 24/96 (bad!).

Squeezebox + NAS doesn't provide access to greater than 24/96 (with Transporter or Touch) or 16/48 (other versions).

Eloise

Thx all,

I mistyped, no aspiration to go beyond 24/96 for now. I really like the converter idea, Eloise, how jitter free is that?

Best

Sadly this whole thing is a like flies to shite now.

I challenge anyone to tell the difference between a native streamed 24/88.2 and 24/90 sampled.

It such a sorry state of affairs that the audiphillia has got to this, and will prevent people from experimenting and trying all those options out there, on the off chance they will 'miss' 1.8 bits of data.

My next dumbo question

If all I want to do for now is listen to ripped CDs, do I lose anything with Apple TV streaming at 16/48 vs something else streaming at 24/96?

Thx

I think I just answered my own question with a little use of the internet. All CDs are recorded in 16/44 except HDCD which with some jiggering manages to get close to 20bits through some jiggering. So, maybe for my few HDCDs I lose a touch using my current Apple TV as a platform.

The ApplTV is great for streamed music, especially with XBMC or Boxee as you can choose music folders anywhere with FLACs as well as other media.

When your ready for upgrade mac minis are as silent as minis. And perhaps by now there is a PC that is as quiet, there is a new dell that is trying to be a mini although it only has digital out via hdmi, so FAIL then. Haha

hi garyi,
is it the small dell looks like a mini mac? i'm not a dell fan but you could have it with 1tb drive, a blue ray player and such think as a usb to digi converter- or is this rubbish?
thx ralf

Gary,

Can you give a bit more detail on the Crystal Broadcom chip for hidef that you put in - would really appreciate it.

Thx

hi dave they are available on eBay for around 16 quid. In essence you open the appletv and remove the wireless chip and replace with the broadcom one.

XBMC are developing the software side of things, its up and running but is still a little glitchy as the iron out the creases.

Its dead easy to do, you just click on a download in XBMC to install the drivers and you have HiDef available.

FOllow it on the XBMC forum. For the sake of 16 quid its worth a punt as the mod is totally reversible.

Just a couple of points if you decide to do the Crystal HD mod:

You'll void the warranty (if it's still under one) and you'll lose the wireless capability.

I think the HD is only available using XBMC?