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Anybody else find the Apple TV full of shortcomings?

Here are some things I would try, related to Wireless.
1) make sure you have set up the 5GHz network on the AEBS
2) make sure that you are extending the 5GHz network on the AE
3) move the AE (not the AEBS) to near the entertainment center
4) plug the ATV into the ethernet port on the AE - I think there is a seting in the AP Setup utility that you have to enable for this.

5) optionally, you could also check that the ATV is using the 5GHz SSID, but if the wire to the AE is working, you could just leave that.

I had similar problems streaming to my PS3 (only has wireless G), and the above setup made a huge improvement for me.

the 5GHz band typically has less interference than 2.4 GHz...
 
brayhite said:
Call me a troll if you want, but I find the Apple TV to be very shortcoming on the things it promises to do. Perhaps it's my wi-fi signal (which has been complained about in another thread, but that was Xbox-related). Perhaps it's the location of the device. Perhaps I got a faulty unit. But for the sole functionality I bought the Apple TV for - to stream music from my MBPs and iDevices to it and through my sound bar - it fails more than it passes.

And now, to top things off, the directions for resetting it per Apple's website don't work for me. I hold the Menu button and the Down button until the light flashes rapidly.. then nothing. The animal slideshow continues. Every button pushed via the remote results in a flashing light. My computer finds it on the network (THIS time it does, anyway) and plays music fine, for the most part (it skips and goes silent usually once or twice a song), but I still can't push a button. I'd rather not have to unplug the device for thirty seconds every time I wish to use it, as it seems to happen about that often.

Okay, so I ranted a bit. But as high as my expectations were for a device to work nearly perfectly, it's fallen way, way short. Heck, Netflix doesn't even always work on it. And AirPlay is hit or miss depending on whether my iDevice will find it without me having to restart the iDevice (which may not be a fault of the Apple TV, but happens with it and AirPlay regardless).

So am I the only one who faces these frustrations on a consistent basis with the Apple TV, or can someone share their disappointment (as my music stops playing completely.. again)?
Click to expand...

I never understood these threads. If its defective, exchange it. Problem solved. Mine works perfectly.
 
chrono1081 said:
I never understood these threads. If its defective, exchange it. Problem solved. Mine works perfectly.
Click to expand...

It hasn't been determined yet if the OP's ATV2 is defective yet. We're trying to assist him in the process of elimination first. He has a slightly complex wireless environment setup and it needs to be troubleshooted first.
 
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Panch0 said:
Here are some things I would try, related to Wireless.
1) make sure you have set up the 5GHz network on the AEBS
2) make sure that you are extending the 5GHz network on the AE
3) move the AE (not the AEBS) to near the entertainment center
4) plug the ATV into the ethernet port on the AE - I think there is a seting in the AP Setup utility that you have to enable for this.

5) optionally, you could also check that the ATV is using the 5GHz SSID, but if the wire to the AE is working, you could just leave that.

I had similar problems streaming to my PS3 (only has wireless G), and the above setup made a huge improvement for me.

the 5GHz band typically has less interference than 2.4 GHz...
Click to expand...

Can't. Not all wireless devices in the household run on 5 GHz band.
 
The AppleTV does the things it CAN do very well. But it's a shame that all the things it CAN'T do Are due to limitations set by Apple and we'll probably have to buy the next model in order to take advantage of it.
 
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brayhite said:
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Can't. Not all wireless devices in the household run on 5 GHz band.
Click to expand...

Airport Extreme runs 2.4 and 5 GHz at the same time. It is Dual band. Moving the things that CAN do 5GHz of the 2.4 GHz band will reduce the interference.
 
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Panch0 said:
Airport Extreme runs 2.4 and 5 GHz at the same time. It is Dual band. Moving the things that CAN do 5GHz of the 2.4 GHz band will reduce the interference.
Click to expand...

You're right, it is dual-band. But mine's not SIMULTANEOUS dual-band (not my model, anyway). So I can only run one or the other.

I suppose what I'll have to do is plug the Express in my room and behind my TVs and plug the Apple TV in directly and see if that improves the streaming.

For the record, I've acknowledged that it's most likely my network causing the issues. It just seems odd that all devices in my room (laptops, iPhones, and Xbox) show full bars on each device.. the Apple TV shows 4 out of 5 (or is 5 out of 6?) when looking at Network settings. So it very could be the wifi antenna inside the Apple TV causing the issues, but if a wired fix is all that's needed, I'll give it a shot.
 
brayhite said:
If I'm not mistaken, only channels 1, 6, and 11 are good on 2.4 GHz, correct?
Click to expand...

Yes! stay away from the other channels. They will lessen your performance.

Also, there could be a possibility of neighboring wi-fi networks nearby on channels that could be interfering with your performance. (In other words, they could be on channel 2, 5, 9, etc). There are some programs available for Mac and PC that let you take a look under the Wi-Fi hood, so to speak, in order to see this data. The names are escaping me at the moment. Maybe someone else can recall them?
 
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Irishman said:
brayhite said:
If I'm not mistaken, only channels 1, 6, and 11 are good on 2.4 GHz, correct?
Click to expand...

Yes! stay away from the other channels. They will lessen your performance.

Also, there could be a possibility of neighboring wi-fi networks nearby on channels that could be interfering with your performance. (In other words, they could be on channel 2, 5, 9, etc). There are some programs available for Mac and PC that let you take a look under the Wi-Fi hood, so to speak, in order to see this data. The names are escaping me at the moment. Maybe someone else can recall them?
Click to expand...

I highly doubt this, as I live in a more rural area, where the closest house is about 60 feet away, the next closest is across the street about 40 yards away, and the next closest after that is in the other direction about 70 yards away, so you probably get the idea.

For a general update on my situation, I plugged the Express in behind my Apple TV (after doing some rearranging) and last night it played great, no problems at all. I'm still having an issue with my iPhone not finding my Apple TV all the time on my network, nor playing to it when it does, but that's probably more to do with my jailbroken phone, not the Apple TV. Thanks for all the responses and suggestions.
 
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brayhite said:
I could but that very well defeats the purpose of having wireless streaming capabilities. I mean, I know it's my own fault if I refuse to test that out, but the whole point of having wireless streaming capabilities is to be able to place it nearly anywhere within a reasonable distance of the router (given the quality of the router). Plugging it in directly to the router requires moving my sound bar which is hooked up to two tvs and the Apple TV directly. If it works, it proves nothing but the wireless quality is lacking, which apparently no amount of routers will fix because you suggest that streaming from two routers to the Apple may be too much. So it's either I rewire the broadband in the house to move the modem and thus the router closer to my Apple TV location (which is likely to move from TV to TV depending on circumstances).. or I accept that the Apple TV is the problem here.

Not trying to be rude or put down any help, I just think it's pointless to plug an Apple TV directly into a router to test it. Like I said, if it works, then great. I learned that I need to rewire the broadband into my bedroom then anywhere else I want to use the Apple TV. Either that, or I need to buy a much more quality router than a 2nd generation AEBS.
Click to expand...

I think the point of the original suggestion is just to get an idea as to whether or not the wireless signal is the problem or not. If you move it closer or hard wire it and it still has issues, it could just be a faulty ATV2.

But I don't think interference is the issue. I have mine sitting 4 inches from my TV and pretty much butting up to my DirecTV box and haven't had a single issue.
 
I, too, have had issues. Namely, I routinely have to turn Home Sharing off, and then on again on the ATV2 in order for it to find my computer. I have two ATV2s and they both do this. My iTunes library is on a new Mac Mini, which is hardwired to an Airport Extreme, so there shouldn't be hardware compatibility issues.

There are also features I wish I had, such as a shuffle for TV shows (or just the ability to have it play an entire series of something in sequence). Also more content, like Hulu for example.
 
I would love for the ability to play Pandora radio through the Apple TV. Or to be able to stream ALL audio to the Apple TV from my Mac (similar to what it does when I have AirPlay turned on on my iPhone and all audio decides to go through it.. though I think that's a bug. Could be wrong). I've been on Turntable.fm a lot lately and I've love to stream music from something OTHER than iTunes.
 
I wish the ATV2 would work without needing a remote. It should know what I want it to do by reading my thoughts. I also wish it would cook my dinner, make me money and satisfy my every need but as it stands, it's a bargain right out of the box. I would have paid the asking price just for AirPlay alone. Jailbroken and running XBMC, it's a little black box of all kinds of fun. I am a cheap bastard but $85 for a refurb is a downright steal for all it can do.
 
wifi interference

I do notice the OP seems to have fixed his reception issues: istumbler http://www.istumbler.net/ is an easy way to look at what's happening channel/noisewise in your environment.

kismac will give more information - but should be overkill for most people's needs.
 
brayhite said:
You're right, it is dual-band. But mine's not SIMULTANEOUS dual-band (not my model, anyway). So I can only run one or the other.

I suppose what I'll have to do is plug the Express in my room and behind my TVs and plug the Apple TV in directly and see if that improves the streaming.

For the record, I've acknowledged that it's most likely my network causing the issues. It just seems odd that all devices in my room (laptops, iPhones, and Xbox) show full bars on each device.. the Apple TV shows 4 out of 5 (or is 5 out of 6?) when looking at Network settings. So it very could be the wifi antenna inside the Apple TV causing the issues, but if a wired fix is all that's needed, I'll give it a shot.
Click to expand...

I guess one thing you could try is to try to update the Airport software on your Mac via Software Update if it's not completely up to date already, and try updating your AppleTV software as well if you can get a consistent enough system. Even updating to Lion wouldn't necessarily update Airport software - I know I always get prompted to whenver I go for a software update that way [I don't have an Airport, so I patchily update them].
 
brayhite said:
So am I the only one who faces these frustrations on a consistent basis with the Apple TV, or can someone share their disappointment (as my music stops playing completely.. again)?
Click to expand...

Same issues with me. I am, however, running a 1Gbps Cat 6 cabling to it, so this is not a bandwidth issue. Then there is the "hit the remote button and get either instant responsiveness or up to 8 second wait (then responds)". iTunes usually doesn't see it. I now have ATVFlashed it, and do everything via FTP, bypass iTunes completely. When it freezes, I SSH into it and reboot (unit is in my equipment room). It's very disappointing. 9 years ago I hacked an x-box, ran XBMC, etc. and got everything but rentals working perfectly. Much more functionality as well. I have all apple hardware in my home and office, love it, but the AppleTV doesn't measure up. Upgrading to the mac mini, and will see if that goes any better. I'm guessing it will be perfect (but no internal DVD drive unfortunately).
 
MattG said:
I, too, have had issues. Namely, I routinely have to turn Home Sharing off, and then on again on the ATV2 in order for it to find my computer. I have two ATV2s and they both do this. My iTunes library is on a new Mac Mini, which is hardwired to an Airport Extreme, so there shouldn't be hardware compatibility issues.
Click to expand...

I have the same problem with my 27" iMac and two Apple TVs. It all started about 2 updates ago and I'm a bit disappointed that they still haven't fixed it in an update.

I still love my aTVs though. The whole household uses them a lot and it's the first item that got a 9/10 on the WAF scale ;)
 
MattG said:
I, too, have had issues. Namely, I routinely have to turn Home Sharing off, and then on again on the ATV2 in order for it to find my computer. I have two ATV2s and they both do this. My iTunes library is on a new Mac Mini, which is hardwired to an Airport Extreme, so there shouldn't be hardware compatibility issues.

There are also features I wish I had, such as a shuffle for TV shows (or just the ability to have it play an entire series of something in sequence). Also more content, like Hulu for example.
Click to expand...

I'm going to ask the stupid question - you leave iTunes running on your Mini all the time?
 
While I'm not sure how to address the OP's issues, I can tell you that I've got no trouble supporting a household presently running 2 AppleTV 1's, 5 AppleTV 2's and two Airport Express speaker sets.

Wireless connections are via a 5GHz 802.11n Time Capsule and a 2.4GHz 801.11g-only Airport Extreme. The ATVs are via the 802.11n and the AP Expresses are via 802.11g (though actually one of the original AppleTVs is connected via ethernet; the other devices are all wireless).

While I've never had them ALL streaming content at the same time, I have had 3 of the AppleTVs playing SD video plus one of the AP Express speakers going without dropouts.

All content served from a 2.93GHz Core i7 iMac connected to the Time Capsule via gigabit ethernet. The 801.11g Airport Extreme (in bridge mode) is then connected via ethernet to the Time Capsule. Each wifi base as a unique ID name.

So, without question, it is doable - without dropouts.
 
MattG said:
I, too, have had issues. Namely, I routinely have to turn Home Sharing off, and then on again on the ATV2 in order for it to find my computer. I have two ATV2s and they both do this. My iTunes library is on a new Mac Mini, which is hardwired to an Airport Extreme, so there shouldn't be hardware compatibility issues.
Click to expand...


Yes, me too. Half the time when i go in to watch something I have to get up and go back to my imac, turn off home sharing then turn it back on to get it to see the library. Aggravating.

Also, sometimes the ATV2 does not wake up properly. I've had to unplug/replug a few times to get it to respond to the remote.
 
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