ATV 2.3: streaming a library and the iPod Touch/iPhone remote

[Foxie]

Hello all,

Have been lurking here for some time and just registered to ask you this question. I did a lot of google-searching for an answer, but have been unable to find a recent answer (all threads are pre-version 2.3). I'm sure that ATV-owners can help ;-)

I'm in for an ATV, but I do want to use it with my iPod Touch (as remote control) *and* I'd like to stream audio from a large shared library.

I read in several forums that the iPod remote app doesn't work with the ATV when it is streaming from a shared library. Didn't find any recent info, so with v2.3 is it still impossible to control the ATV while connected to a shared library?
Because this basically is what I want (besides using the ATV for video): any workarounds?

Thanks in advance!

 

[srexy]

I have just been discovering the joys of the iPhone/itouch remote today. I used it to control both my atv (streamed from my 50gb shared library) & then, more impressively, to control an iTunes install pushing out airtines to my atv while blasting from my office speakers connected to that mac.

One way or another you should be able to get it to work!

Oh - I almost forgot. My wife's iPhone was added as a remote too so that she had control at the same time.

 

[netdog]

iPhone/iPod Touch Remote was the final piece in my music and video system. Fantastic.

 

[beafer]

I have just been discovering the joys of the iPhone/itouch remote today. I used it to control both my atv (streamed from my 50gb shared library) & then, more impressively, to control an iTunes install pushing out airtines to my atv while blasting from my office speakers connected to that mac.

One way or another you should be able to get it to work!

Oh - I almost forgot. My wife's iPhone was added as a remote too so that she had control at the same time.

let me get this straight...the iphone/ipod touch can control the atv while streaming from another itunes AS well as be used as available airtunes speakers from itunes from another machine? as in like the airport express?

thanks.

 

[iowamensan]

let me get this straight...the iphone/ipod touch can control the atv while streaming from another itunes AS well as be used as available airtunes speakers from itunes from another machine? as in like the airport express?

thanks.

It can control the iTunes of the computer pushing music to the airtunes speakers, but not be the airtunes speakers itself. You still need the airport express for that. (or Apple TV). I look at it as push/pull - I can either control the Apple TV itself, and use it to PULL music from my iTunes server, or I can control the iTunes on one of my computers, and use it to PUSH music to the Apple TV via AirTunes.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[beafer]

It can control the iTunes of the computer pushing music to the airtunes speakers, but not be the airtunes speakers itself. You still need the airport express for that. (or Apple TV). I look at it as push/pull - I can either control the Apple TV itself, and use it to PULL music from my iTunes server, or I can control the iTunes on one of my computers, and use it to PUSH music to the Apple TV via AirTunes.

Hope that makes sense.

yes it actually does. in the way you explained it, the apple tv can act like an expensive express while streaming from another itunes.

 

[kage207]

In iTunes you can change your speakers to just the AppleTV and connect to the iTunes with your iPod touch. I usually have multi-speakers, my MacBook is set up on my desk in my room that is set up with my stereo / speakers throughout my room in there. The second set of speakers is my AppleTV which is in a room outside my bedroom. Then I have my iPhone connected to the iTunes on my MacBook. Works great, so when cooking / working in my room on homework I can walk back and forth and not miss my music. Apple product just work well together, they did a great job on it.

Now, I recently haven't used the remote app on the iPhone/iPod touch and I'm not sure if you can control AppleTV unless the music / movies are directly on the library of the AppleTV. And I don't think you can buy movies using the iPhone/iPod touch app. Which made me angry cause I couldn't find that small damn white remote. I'm just that smart....

 

[quai007]

iphone remote not showing streaming media

I have just been discovering the joys of the iPhone/itouch remote today. I used it to control both my atv (streamed from my 50gb shared library) & then, more impressively, to control an iTunes install pushing out airtines to my atv while blasting from my office speakers connected to that mac.

One way or another you should be able to get it to work!

Oh - I almost forgot. My wife's iPhone was added as a remote too so that she had control at the same time.

I am streaming to my apple TV but cannot see any streaming items on my iphone remote - it just shows nothing is on my apple tv - how did you get iphone remote to show stuff you are streaming?

 

[ab2650]

...I can either control the Apple TV itself, and use it to PULL music from my iTunes server, or ...

I can't seem to do this. Like quai007 said, I only see empty artists/albums/playlists (since I've synced no content to the ATV.)

I seem to remember sometime in the past fiddling with it and getting to to pick up a internet streaming (i.e. shoutcast) channel that was added to a playlist, but I'm not sure if I was syncing or streaming that time.

With all that said, controlling an instance of iTunes that has AirTunes pumping music to the ATV all done on your iPhone/iPod is a beautiful thing! I only wish it worked for video files too.

 

[srexy]

I am streaming to my apple TV but cannot see any streaming items on my iphone remote - it just shows nothing is on my apple tv - how did you get iphone remote to show stuff you are streaming?

IIRC I had the TV set to shuffle by album so I was able to see the track name and artwork for the album, ff, rr stop and start. Using the remote to control iTunes and airTunes gives a lot more info - playlists, search etc.

Right now my TV isn't paired to the iTunes remote but when I've re-paired it I'll double check...

EDIT:

just double checked and indeed there's absolutely bugger all info provided when the iPhone is controlling the TV library. I do think that if you select an album or shuffle an album manually from the TV itself the remote will display the other songs in that album but haven't tested that out. It seems as if AirTunes is the way to go if you want to have all of the bells and whistles when streaming to an TV...

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

I am streaming to my apple TV but cannot see any streaming items on my iphone remote - it just shows nothing is on my apple tv - how did you get iphone remote to show stuff you are streaming?

You need the "Remote" app from the App store for your iPhone to control it all. You can either control the library (iTunes itself) with the app OR the Apple TV itself directly.

The bad thing about Airtunes is you cannot sync movies or music videos to all play around the house at the same time, only music. It'd be nice to be able to walk around the house and have a music video playing on all the TVs with the music playing in all the rooms that have Apple TVs or Airport Express units, tv or not, but sadly it doesn't work. You CAN stream movies to other computers through the shared library function, but oddly enough the chapter markers don't seem to transfer like they do to Apple TV units. But at least they will stream to any computer running iTunes, not just Apple TV units so a laptop in the bedroom can watch a movie over the wireless network, for example. Front Row will not see movies on the network, though, just locally stored ones (unlike AppleTV which can stream from both the primary iTunes server AND any secondary connected computers through the "Shared" menu option).