aTV and Movies on Timecapsule?

[Macinposh]

Well, let´s put it this way.

TV and I aint getting a long that well...


The problem is about the movies..

I Just cant seem to get the movies library transfered to my Timecapsule...
Used the search where people said use option key to transfer stuff to iTunes (that it doesnt copy,just creates an alias?) but...

Stuff doesnt show up neither in iTunes Movies folder nor in TV.


So could anyone lend a hand to this dumb ****, how shall I do it.


So I have a :

iBook
TV
Timecapsule


Somehow after few tries I managed to transfer my music library to timecapsule,but the few music videos that I have dont show in TV.
Neither do I find them in the folders...??

 

[gwsat]

As I type, I am in the midst of copying 100 gig of movie files from an old FireWire drive to a new 1 TB Time Capsule. Once the files are on the Time Capsule I intend to make alias files of them, which I will place in my iTunes movie folder. From there, all I should have to do to watch them on my Apple TV is to either stream or sync the movies to it from iTunes. I see no reason why that should not work for you.

 

[Macinposh]

Ok.

So I finally managed to stream the vids from the Timecapsule..

Had forgotten to uncheck the "copy files to iTunes musiclibrary" thing so every time I tried to import the "aliases" they started to copy the files instead..

Now the films are in the iTunes Movies folder.

But 2 problems remain.

1. I have a iBook without a .n wifi, so the aTV tries to transfer all the films VIA the iBook,not directly from timecapsule... DOUH!! So,practicaly i am hosed now. A 1hr 1Gb clip takes about 10-15 minutes to download so that it wont stop during playback. So it defeats the purpose to have the films compressed to hard drive when I can walk upstairs,get the DVD,make a cup of coffee and start to watch the films faster than if I would try to stream them...
AND i could skip chapters without playback being stalled,stuck or having to wait 15 minutes more to reload the missing data...


2. The aTV dont recognize all the clips. They say that some of the films are in unknown format,even if they are all in the same format,same compression etc...


What a piece of junk.
Aargh.

 

[keeper]

Sorry i can't remember all the detail of how i did this, but what you want is for your time capsule to have its own wireless network and connect to you router via ethernet. Then connect your ibook @ ATV to the Time capsule via wireless.

You need to work through the wizards on the time capsule if you want to go this route..


Cheers Phil

 

[gwsat]

I have a iBook without a .n wifi, so the aTV tries to transfer all the films VIA the iBook,not directly from timecapsule... DOUH!! So,practicaly i am hosed now. A 1hr 1Gb clip takes about 10-15 minutes to download so that it wont stop during playback. So it defeats the purpose to have the films compressed to hard drive when I can walk upstairs,get the DVD,make a cup of coffee and start to watch the films faster than if I would try to stream them...
AND i could skip chapters without playback being stalled,stuck or having to wait 15 minutes more to reload the missing data...

I think that any movie your Apple TV can use is going to be either streamed or synced via the computer where iTunes is installed. Anyway, the only way to get maximum speed on a 5 GHz 802.11n network is for all the n router’s clients to be n devices. Because your iBook has only a g wireless client but is on your n network, I suspect that transfer speeds would be pretty slow even if direct communication between the Time Capsule and Apple TV were possible. I fear, however, that that’s not possible anyway, so your only option is probably to buy an add-on n wireless client for your iBook.

 

[mallbritton]

Why are you putting aliases of the movie files on the TimeCapsule in the Movies folder? Just hold down the Command+Option keys and drag and drop the files into the Library of iTunes.

There is absolutely NO reason to make physical aliases.

Regards,
Michael

 

[Macinposh]

Why are you putting aliases of the movie files on the TimeCapsule in the Movies folder? Just hold down the Command+Option keys and drag and drop the files into the Library of iTunes.

There is absolutely NO reason to make physical aliases.

Regards,
Michael

Sorry for being a bit vague. The way you describe is the way i did it,well,held down only the command key.. Sorry for the babble about making aliases...

Gwsat, thanks about the pointer that the g slows down the network, have to try to find a solution for that.. Maybe the "easiest" is to get a 1TB disk and make the eSata conversion so all the movies would be physically on the aTV. No need to stream them then..

Well, have to think.

 

[gwsat]

Why are you putting aliases of the movie files on the TimeCapsule in the Movies folder? Just hold down the Command+Option keys and drag and drop the files into the Library of iTunes.

There is absolutely NO reason to make physical aliases.

Regards,
Michael

What we have here is a failure to communicate. The action of dragging and dropping a file’s icon from one place to another creates an alias of the file. The OS X help section entitled, Shortcut for working with items in the Finder” says: “Action: Make an alias of a file instead of moving it” and “Shortcut: Command-Option-drag the file’s icon.”

Either the Music or Movie folder in iTunes will happily accept this action. Only the alias dragged into iTunes and nothing else is created with the action, so, it appears, the disagreement was over semantics and you were both right.

 

[mallbritton]

I think there is still a failure to communicate. The action of drag'n dropping a file into the iTunes library while holding down the Command+Option keys does not create a physical Alias file like it would if you did the same thing to a file in the Finder.

Remember, you aren't working in the Finder. You're dragging and dropping into iTunes. So referring to this action as "creating an alias" is inaccurate.

If people are creating physical alias files in the iTunes Music folder then dropping those Alias files into iTunes, this is completely unnecessary. All that is required is to hold down the Command+Option keys then drag and drop the audio or video file into the iTunes Library. This will not copy the file to the default library location, and will tell iTunes where to find the file. This method works for files on hardwired external drives or for wireless drives.

I'm not trying to be needlessly pedantic here but when a term like "create an Alias" is used to refer to an action that does not create an Alias it can cause misunderstandings.

Regards,
Michael

 

[gwsat]

That's fine. Let's just leave it that we agree to disagree and move on. What the hell, it's only iTunes.

 

[mallbritton]

You are correct, it is only iTunes and in the grand scheme of things not all that important.

But having worked telephone support for many years I've learned that it is important to be accurate when describing computer topics and using the correct terms for actions and items helps cut down on misunderstandings and facilitates better problem solving. That's why I stressed it so hard.

Regards,
Michael

 

[gwsat]

Rereading your earlier post makes me fear that you misunderstood what I said. I agree that dragging and dropping a placeholder for the movie file from the folder where it is stored into the Movie folder in the iTunes app itself is all that is necessary and that here is absolutely no necessity of creating a separate alias file in a folder on your computer.

I don’t want to be a hard case, either, and if you are right I would like to have a basis to understand why that is. In service to this goal I have given you a reference in OS X Help, which explains that dragging and dropping a file’s icon while depressing the Command and Option keys creates an alias. Consequently, I would appreciate it if you could give me a reference to a source that says the file pointers created in iTunes in just this way are somehow not aliases just because they were dropped in iTunes instead of another folder. I am willing to be convinced. In the meantime, please understand why I will continue to call the placeholders in iTunes aliases.

 

[mallbritton]

I don't want to get this thread too far off the original topic, but if the OP doesn't mind perhaps this discussion will help someone else understand what is going on when adding files to the iTunes library like this.

The reference you provided to how to create an Alias in the Finder is correct. However there is nothing that I could find in Apple's online KB that explicitly states that a physical Alias file is not created when dragging and dropping a file into the iTunes Library.

I suggest a simple experiment to test what I say.
1. Using a movie file drag and drop the file to another location on your HDD while holding down the Command+Option keys. This will create a physical Alias file that can then be used to launch the file, or launch the application that reads the file.

2. Using the same movie file drag and drop the file into the iTunes Library while holding down the Command+Option keys. Now do a Get Info on the file in iTunes. On the Summary panel you'll see a reference to the path where the file is located. If you will now go to ~/Music/iTunes Music/Movies (or wherever your default iTunes Library is stored) you will not find a physical Alias file anywhere in your default library to that movie file you just added to iTunes.

This lack of a physical Alias file is why I insist that calling this drag'n drop process "creating an alias" is inaccurate. A physical Alias file is not created. Hopefully this will help you understand my position.

Regards,
Michael

 

[gwsat]

Now I understand but still disagree with your contention that the placeholder put in iTunes by way of the same process that creates what Apple itself denominates "alias files" is still, somehow, not an alias file. I suggest that we leave it to others to decide whether your analysis or mine makes the most sense.

 

[mallbritton]

As long as I've helped you understand my position I'm satisfied. I think I've made my case effectively.

Regards,
Michael

 

[gwsat]

It’s indeed refreshing to have an exchange of views with a gentleman, who does not turn a good faith disagreement over a technical issue into an Affair of the Heart.