Bose Stereosystem and an AppleTV

[famdav]

My parents (well, father) recently bough both an appleTV and a bose stereo system. Now, my father is letting the AppleTV go to the wayside because he apparently can't get it to run through the stereos system he just installed. Instead, he is using the clunky bose interface which won't even let you shuffle a playlist to handle his music. Is it really not possible to hook up the appleTV through the stereosystem or is he just being obstinant?

I'd go back there and look for myself, but I'd rather keep my two weeks home from college peaceful...

 

[Cave Man]

What is the model number of the Bose? If there's a link to its manual, I can tell you how it should be connected to maximize its utility.

 

[dangeresque49]

What a shame he bought a Bose system.

Although the substandard build and horrendous sound quality of Bose equipment is robbery at such high prices, they should at least be able to take a few inputs. A standard red and white male to male RCA cable should do the trick. I'm pretty sure all the new Bose systems have at least RCA input.

But seriously, his best option would be to return the Bose while he still can and get something that's a much better value and plays nicer with other equipment such as a Klipsch or Infinity system. He would be blown away by the difference in sound quality.

 

[pilotError]

Why can't he get it to work? The ATV has an optical out I guess you would need to either accept component or HDMI if it didn't have optical. It also has RCA jacks if I remember correctly...

You control the playlists through the Apple TV it outputs either over Optical or RCA, so you plug the optical/RCA from ATV to the Stereo on one of the AUX inputs.

Only issue over an iPod dock is that you need your TV on to select what you want to listen to. You can actually shut the TV off after you start playing though...

 

[Rooskibar03]

Even though I really can't stand Bose it was the best choice for a 2.1 system in my living room.

I have my Apple TV hooked up to my tv via HDMI and the tv out to Bose via optical.

 

[macidiot]

Assuming the Bose has normal jacks available, which is not an automatic assumption with Bose, you should be able to connect the appletv, probably through AUX or something like that.

And you should definitely give your father some grief about buying a craptacular Bose system. As payment for making you deal with it on your vacation.

 

[levitynyc]

Even though I really can't stand Bose it was the best choice for a 2.1 system in my living room.

I have my Apple TV hooked up to my tv via HDMI and the tv out to Bose via optical.

You are much better off getting a 2.1 System from Klipsch, which costs under $200. I own one for my computer and it sounds better than the 3-2-1 Bose System that cost my wife $1300. It doesn't even have an HDMI input/output. ( I would have returned it but couldn't as I didn't want to return a gift she bought me and hurt her feelings)

 

[zero_bit]

FWIW I have a Samsung Home-Theater-In-A-Box, and the sound won't work with the AppleTV if I connect the ATV to the TV via HDMI (acronyms ahoy!).

That is, my connections are as thus: ATV -> TV via HDMI. TV -> HTIB Receiver via optical. The sound is there, but it's absolutely horrid. Any other HDMI device works just fine, except for the ATV. My current temporary solution is to use the component output of the ATV.

 

[netdog]

I split my red and white audio signals at the AppleTV to get one set going to my LCD (pre-HDMI) and one set to the Bose. Remember that you access the music menus on the TV screen so you have to have it on. Otherwise he should just have an AirPort Express with AirTunes. Those work quite nicely too.