Possible to add movies to apple tv without itunes?

[Duch]

I am looking into buying an apple tv, but would prefer to use the apple tv as a hard drive with the movies. I would not want the movies on my macbooks hard drive, in Itunes. Is it possible (and how) to add movies to apple tv, and not have those movies in your itunes library?

 

[hitekalex]

I am looking into buying an apple tv, but would prefer to use the apple tv as a hard drive with the movies. I would not want the movies on my macbooks hard drive, in Itunes. Is it possible (and how) to add movies to apple tv, and not have those movies in your itunes library?

Yes it's possible, but not "out of the box".. You need to patch your Apple TV and install a piece of software called ATVFiles. This will allow you to copy the movies onto Apple TV filesystem independently of iTunes.

 

[Duch]

with ATVfiles, do you need to use the itunes format for the movies? it it free to use, or what does it cost? Also, I am technologically challenged, and prefer things that are very easy.

 

[hitekalex]

with ATVfiles, do you need to use the itunes format for the movies? it it free to use, or what does it cost? Also, I am technologically challenged, and prefer things that are very easy.

If you install Perian, you can play just about any media format. ATVfiles is free.

 

[mpshay]

Patching the ATV is not super hard, but it is a little more complicated that using it straight out of the box with itunes. There are also potential issues when apple releases upgrades to the ATV.

 

[OldGuyDave]

I am looking into buying an apple tv, but would prefer to use the apple tv as a hard drive with the movies. I would not want the movies on my macbooks hard drive, in Itunes. Is it possible (and how) to add movies to apple tv, and not have those movies in your itunes library?

Well I didn't want this as well so first I patched the aTV with a patchstick (not very hard) but for me everything didn't work and being in europe I couldn't use much of Boxee or Hulu so I just bought an external hard disc and ran an iTunes library from that. The movies are still on the hard disc AND the aTV but disc space is not a problem these days and at least I got the movies off my Mac. I have now two iTunes Libs. One for music and serials on my Mac and one on the external drive for movies. Start iTunes holding the alt key and choose which one you want to start.
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