Apple TV 2 & iTunes library on Time Capsule

[bmorris]

We have 2 Macbooks, a 2 TB Time Capsule, 2 iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, and looking at the Apple TV 2.

We have all of our iTunes library on the TC so we can share our music for MacBooks, iPhones, and iPad. And save space on our MacBooks.

I was hoping if there was a way, jailbreaking or not, to play the iTunes content on the ATV from the TC with out using a MacBook. Wether it was using an iPhone, iPad, or directly from TC to ATV. But not transferring movies to an iPhone/iPad and using Airplay.

 

[fabian9]

We have 2 Macbooks, a 2 TB Time Capsule, 2 iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, and looking at the Apple TV 2.

We have all of our iTunes library on the TC so we can share our music for MacBooks, iPhones, and iPad. And save space on our MacBooks.

I was hoping if there was a way, jailbreaking or not, to play the iTunes content on the ATV from the TC with out using a MacBook. Wether it was using an iPhone, iPad, or directly from TC to ATV. But not transferring movies to an iPhone/iPad and using Airplay.

jailbreak and install XBMC. That works well for video content.

With regards to music content, the same thing works. I don't like playing music through XBMC, however, because it doesn't play playlists (as far as I'm aware).

In the future, I'm hoping that somebody will bring a simple media player to the Apple TV 2 which can read an iTunes library file stored on the TimeCapsule...

 

[bmorris]

In the future, I'm hoping that somebody will bring a simple media player to the Apple TV 2 which can read an iTunes library file stored on the TimeCapsule...

That should be built in! Both Apple products, only makes sense for families with large shared music libraries!

 

[bmorris]

jailbreak and install XBMC. That works well for video content.

Does XBMC require a computer to read iTunes?
Are there any other players like Plex that look better and don't require a computer to play media from TC?

 

[mstrze]

Do you have your iTunes Library backed-up someplace? What happens when your TC drive dies?

 

[sampdoria]

Do you have your iTunes Library backed-up someplace? What happens when your TC drive dies?

I have the same set-up, and also use the TC as a NAS for photos, music, movies, and documents, shared by Windows and Macs very happily. I back-up the TC by attaching a My Book to it about once a month. I then disconnect the My Book and store it in a safe place in the interim. I honestly don't understand why people would use the TC as a back-up. Since it is always on, one power surge is all it would take to kill it. Didn't mean to go off-topic here.

I do hope Apple will let this happen: TC to ATV2 w/o the need of a computer or Jailbreaking.

 

[blevins321]

It won't work without iTunes open somewhere on purchased movies and pre-Plus DRM song purchases. My Synology has an iTunes server emulator, and it works for all the outside movie content as well as purchased non-DRM songs from the iTunes store. For the rest, iTunes sharing only.

 

[mstrze]

I back-up the TC by attaching a My Book to it about once a month. I then disconnect the My Book and store it in a safe place in the interim. I honestly don't understand why people would use the TC as a back-up. Since it is always on, one power surge is all it would take to kill it.

Well, I have an external that is used with Time Machine and it's always on and I haven't had any issues in the last 18 months.

With a surge, one would hope that one drive or computer might fare better than another so that if the TC drive fails, the original computer might still be up and running...certainly better luck if the TC is in another room (and therefore on another circuit.) I have had surges here with electrical storms in Texas and my drives have all lived to see another day. All do reside on surge-protected outlets though.

Your setup is a good one if you keep the drive offsite, but having hourly backups has saved me more than once and I highly recommend TM for backing up. I don't really see an issue with using a TC as intended, but using it as a sharing drive is cool too, so I'm not complaining or trying to make you feel bad. Just think it's OK to use TC as a TM backup...and I think it's an absolute necessity to back up all of your drives.

I have two hard drives and a printer connected to my AEBS shared among my various computers. It's like having a TC, but with swappable drives.

 

[sampdoria]

Well, I have an external that is used with Time Machine and it's always on and I haven't had any issues in the last 18 months.

With a surge, one would hope that one drive or computer might fare better than another so that if the TC drive fails, the original computer might still be up and running...certainly better luck if the TC is in another room (and therefore on another circuit.) I have had surges here with electrical storms in Texas and my drives have all lived to see another day. All do reside on surge-protected outlets though.

Your setup is a good one if you keep the drive offsite, but having hourly backups has saved me more than once and I highly recommend TM for backing up. I don't really see an issue with using a TC as intended, but using it as a sharing drive is cool too, so I'm not complaining or trying to make you feel bad. Just think it's OK to use TC as a TM backup...and I think it's an absolute necessity to back up all of your drives.

I have two hard drives and a printer connected to my AEBS shared among my various computers. It's like having a TC, but with swappable drives.

In hindsite, I would've done something similar- an AEBS with two external drives (one for NAS, the other for back-up)

 

[bmorris]

I do keep backups of the TC, even if I just used it for Time Machine I would back it up.

 

[bmorris]

jailbreak and install XBMC. That works well for video content.

Does XBMC need a another computer to be on?
The Plex hack for Apple TV 2 still needs a server computer with the Plex Media Server and library on it.

 

[Le Big Mac]

That should be built in! Both Apple products, only makes sense for families with large shared music libraries!

Yes, this. Home sharing doesn't get it done. There should be an easy way to put a music library on NAS of whatever sort and have everyone be able to access it, add to it, base play lists on it, and so forth.