Getting started on AppleTV (Trying to Stream from 2 computers)

[hersheytx]

Let me start by saying I love Apple TV.
I decided to get it on the spur of the moment while buying a MACPRO last week. I really wanted to intergrate everything from my IPOD to my new MAC.
Getting into picture stuff and I want to see it all on my HDTV.

Setup of AppleTV. First everything I have (75Gig) of music is on my PC laptop. I do this to share my music with friends who have an IPOD. Plus have a program to RIP all the music to any PC computer.
It was easy setting up the AppleTV after I figured out which of the four wireless signals was mine from my wireless DSL.
Took a bit to figure out how to stream and not sync. BUT it works so good I am almost giddy.
Now here is the problem. My MACPRO has ITUNES. I set it up with my IPOD as my fourth computer. It is directly connected to my DSL service. It has WIFI and Airport wireless. The problem I am having at the moment is figuring out how to stream stuff from it without loosing the connection from my laptop.
I have updated Itunes. Update TIger. Updated everything Apple tells me to do. But I cannot see the AppleTV icon on my Itunes when I want to connect.
Do I shut down the laptop? Go back to setup and pick the option that syncs up another computer? Will I then have two computer libraries? Going back and forth on the menu screen?
I really want to make the MACPRO my primary. Its got two 500Gig drives. All the space I will need for pictures, Podcasts and my Music. But I also want to be able to stream my laptop in case I find things out on the road that I download on the fly.
Right now my computers are not networked together even though they are on the same DSL and Router system. One direct the other over the wireless.

Also I guess PodCast do not work the same way as Music streaming. I have to send the Podcast to my appleTv to view them (Put the stuff on the hardrive). I am not sure I like this if it is true. I guess I can live with it.

Thanks for all the help. My first time to own a MAC. I fell in love with the IPOD and figured AppleTV was just a step away from Internet TV.
I must say I am really hooked on the PodCasts. Its like being on the internet in 93 when most of my friends did not even understand what it was all about.

 

[i.Feature]

Its like being on the internet in 93 when most of my friends did not even understand what it was all about.

That statement is dead on when i try to explain the apple tv to non "techy" people. But coverted two people to it already when they saw it in action.

I wasn't a big fan of podcasts before. But have really started getting into them more now that i can watch them on the big screen. The quality of some is really surprising.

 

[jsw]

On the system that isn't showing the icon: do you have iTunes->Preferences...->AppleTV set to look for Apple TV's?

Did you then go to the Apple TV's Sources menu and tell it to connect, then go to your system and connect?

 

[hersheytx]

On the system that isn't showing the icon: do you have iTunes->Preferences...->AppleTV set to look for Apple TV's?

Did you then go to the Apple TV's Sources menu and tell it to connect, then go to your system and connect?

Nothing is showing up in that box. I am wondering if I have to go back to the AppleTV setup and choose a different connection. Maybe figure out the WIFi that the Mac is putting out.
Its seems strange that my PC uses the wireless feature of my DSL modem and can hookup without a problem, but the Mac is direct connected to the same modem cannot be seen.
I am going to try to turn off the laptop and redo the AppleTV setup. Just to see if I can get the Mac up and running.
Thanks for your suggestion....it should have worked.