Thinking about Apple TV but....

[safetyobc]

I am thinking about buying an Apple TV. I have several movies, lots of music and listen (or watch) several podcasts. However, my Macbook Pro only has about 20 GB of space left on it. That's not much room to build a media library around. I have a 500 GB USB hard drive but my iTunes library isn't on there. I guess what I am asking is there a way to add storage for Apple TV to use without a HD replacement in my MBP?

Is there a good way to store my movies on an external drive for Apple TV? Or will it just wipe them out everytime it syncs?

I think Apple needs to consider storage solutions for this media. I rarely buy movies from iTunes simply because I have no where to store them. I guess they want me to buy a shiny new iMac. LOL.

Any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[Tallest Skil]

My suggestion at this point? Wait four days and then come back with any questions that Apple has not resolved. I'm not saying that there will be an Apple TV update, especially since we've not heard anything on that front for a long time, but we did hear "media server" and "Mac Mini update" a lot recently, so if they all become one product, your questions will solve themselves.

Good luck, especially with the waiting!

 

[safetyobc]

Thanks, I was no doubt going to wait to see what comes out of Macworld. But I only have a $200 budget at this point. $300 at the most.

Thanks.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Thanks, I was no doubt going to wait to see what comes out of Macworld. But I only have a $200 budget at this point. $300 at the most.

Thanks.

Ah, well, if new things are released, and they're out of your budget, take comfort in the fact that you'll be able to pick up brand new old models for even cheaper than they are now!

 

[juanster]

yeah first of all, wait a coupel of days for MW and second of all, it's okay if you have all your movies and files in your external, there is a way to keep them there and still "be" in your library only when the drive it's plugged in.... i think its command options or somehting like that, someone more knowledgeable will come by and clear that up im sure...but there is a way, of course you ll still have to leave the mac and drive plugged in if you want to stream..

 

[safetyobc]

Soooo,

If I end up with a current TV. Can I have some of my media stored on my MBP and some on my external HD? For instance, leave all my music on my MBP and have all my movies on the external and stream them over?

 

[juanster]

yes i am pretty sure you can, same way as you can have an external with all your music and it pretty much being part of your library whenever it is plugged in...that i know for sure, the only think i a unsure it's if it will stream...I don't see why it would not tho...

EDIT: so i found out the way to do this is

Preferences > Advanced > General and untick "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library".

that will keep your library in your external but whenever you plug it in it will pop up in your library...

still gotta comfirm about the streaming part tho

 

[ichabodkky]

Soooo,

If I end up with a current TV. Can I have some of my media stored on my MBP and some on my external HD? For instance, leave all my music on my MBP and have all my movies on the external and stream them over?

Here is what I do with my White MacBook. I have all my music on my hard drive, and all my movies on my Time Capsule. I turn off the preference to "Copy files to my iTunes Music Folder" in the advanced tab of the Preferences. Then add the movie to the Library. iTunes looks for it on the Time Capsule AND will sync it to the Apple TV. I can't watch the movies when I am away from home, but this is a real space saver on the laptop. I can listen to music at the office because the music is on the hard drive.

If you don't have a time capsule, the AEBS will function the same way with an external HDD plugged in to it.

 

[juanster]

here you go, answer to your question....

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/500014/

 

[safetyobc]

Thanks!

Also, after I rip a DVD to my HD. Do I have to keep a copy of it. When I rip one, it leaves a copy on my desktop. I then drag it to iTunes and it puts it into my movies folder. Can I delete the one on my desktop or do I need to store it elsewhere?

Thanks.

 

[techfreak85]

for now, or if there is no media server at macworld, go to itunes settings, advanced, and uncheck copy to itunes folder. then move the movie files to the external, and add then to tunes from there.

 

[rayward]

Thanks!

Also, after I rip a DVD to my HD. Do I have to keep a copy of it. When I rip one, it leaves a copy on my desktop. I then drag it to iTunes and it puts it into my movies folder. Can I delete the one on my desktop or do I need to store it elsewhere?

Thanks.

I do this too, and yes you can delete the file on the desktop. Be sure to remember to empty your trash though - mine got up over 100GB and I had no idea!!