Take Control of Apple TV, Second Edition

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Take Control of Apple TV, Second Edition

Everything you need to know about the fourth-generation Apple TV!

About the Book

The Apple TV may be the smallest component of a home entertainment system, but its size is in stark contrast to the vast quantity of content that it can bring to life through your television. With it, you can consider cutting the cord to your cable company — and ditching that expensive monthly bill! But with the advice in Take Control of Apple TV, you can go far beyond watching movies and TV shows to making the Apple TV into the hub of your stereo system, displaying gorgeous slideshows of your photos, and playing iPhone and iPad games on the big screen.

Written by TidBITS managing editor Josh Centers, the ebook walks new owners through setup, and then dives into explaining how you can best control the Apple TV using the included remote, Apple's Remote app, or even your existing TV remote. You'll learn how to customize the icon grid on the main screen, enable parental controls, and make your screen saver look awesome. Josh also focuses on helping you understand and use AirPlay, the Apple technology that lets you beam audio and video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the Apple TV, and lets the Apple TV send audio to compatible speakers anywhere in your house.

When it comes to content, you'll tour the Apple TV's built-in video apps—iTunes Store, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, PBS, YouTube, and many more—plus get ideas for which are likely to offer what you want to watch. But you're not restricted to commercial video—Josh explains how you can best view your home movies and any DVDs or Blu-ray discs you own, listen to your music or iTunes Radio, use Home Sharing to display your photos via the Apple TV, and discover iOS games that are designed for playing via the Apple TV. If you're feeling geeky, Josh shows you how to use Plex to bring in even more video content, including free access to Comedy Central's The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Finally, the Apple TV isn't just about entertainment. Thanks to AirPlay, it makes a great device for giving presentations from a Mac, iPhone, or iPad using Keynote; it's the perfect accompaniment for a road warrior heading into unfamiliar conference rooms. Josh gives you all the details, including a list of what you'll need to handle any hardware you may encounter.

In Take Control of Apple TV you'll read about:

  • The one-button press for jumping immediately to the main menu
  • Hiding unwanted Apple TV apps that clutter your main screen
  • Must-know video navigation tricks (also in the free Cheat Sheet)
  • Enabling subtitles for foreign-language films or for the deaf or hard of hearing
  • Which is better, Netflix or Hulu?
  • Navigating with audio VoiceOver
  • Playing music from the Apple TV on every speaker in the house
  • The obscure way to transfer photos from a computer to the Apple TV
  • Two ways to show home movies on your TV screen
  • Using your TV screen as a second monitor for your Mac
  • Essential items to pack if you'll be giving a presentation via an Apple TV
  • What you can do with Conference Room Display mode
  • Improving AirPlay performance when playing games
  • Setting up an Elgato EyeTV HD to record live TV for the Apple TV

About the Author

Josh Centers
Josh Centers

Josh Centers is the managing editor of TidBITS and a freelance writer who has contributed to several publications, including Macworld, The Magazine, Boing Boing, and The Sweethome. He has been featured on Daring Fireball, The Loop, TUAW, and Scientific American, and is a frequent guest on MacVoices and The Tech Night Owl.

When not writing about technology, Josh likes to cook, play video games, read comic books, shoot Nerf guns, and generally act like an overgrown child. He lives in Tennessee with his wife, Hannah, and their son, Harris.

Table of Contents

  • Read Me First
    • Updates and More
    • What’s New in Version 2.1
  • Introduction
  • Apple TV Quick Start
  • What’s New in tvOS
    • What’s New in tvOS 10
    • What Was New in tvOS 9.2
  • Set Up Your Apple TV
    • Make the Connections
    • Initial Setup
    • Restarting, Resetting, and Restoring
  • Control Your Apple TV
    • Meet the Siri Remote
    • Use a Standard Apple Remote
    • Use a Third-party Remote
    • Run the Apple TV Remote App
    • Run the iTunes Remote App
    • Use the Remote App on the Apple Watch
    • Become an Apple TV Keyboard Jockey
  • Meet the Apple TV
    • Home Screen
    • Built-in Apps
    • Searching with Siri
    • Capturing Screenshots and Video
  • Master AirPlay
    • Turn On AirPlay
    • Lock Down AirPlay
    • AirPlay from iOS
    • AirPlay from Mac Apps
    • Mirror Your Mac Desktop
    • Use Your TV as Another Mac Monitor
    • Mirror from Lion, Windows, and Chrome
    • AirPlay from an Apple TV
  • Apple TV at the Movies
    • Control Video Playback
    • Buy iTunes Movies and TV Shows
    • Access Purchased Movies and TV Shows
    • View Videos with Home Sharing
    • Rip DVDs for Apple TV
    • The Blu-ray Bag of Hurt
    • Improve iTunes Import with iFlicks
    • Offload Movies to Another Disk
  • Rock Out with the Apple TV
    • Take the Sound to Eleven
    • The Music App
    • Listen to Music with Home Sharing
    • The Podcasts App
    • Rip CDs for the Apple TV
    • AirPlay Audio from a Mac
  • View Your Photos and Home Movies
    • The Photos App
    • View Photos and Home Movies with Home Sharing
    • Customizing the Screensaver
    • Making Slideshows
    • The iMovie Theater App
    • View Photos and Videos via AirPlay
  • Present with the Apple TV
    • Connect the Apple TV to a Projector
    • Make an Apple TV Presentation Kit
    • Run a Conference Room Display
    • Put Dead Trees on Big Screens
    • Conduct Remote Presentations
    • Browse the Web
  • A Look at Apple TV Apps
    • Paid Video Apps
    • Cable-activated Video Apps
    • Free Video Apps
    • Games
    • Other Apps
    • In the Plex
  • Cheat Sheet
  • About This Book
    • Ebook Extras
    • About the Author
    • About the Publisher
  • Copyright and Fine Print

About the Publisher

This book is published on Leanpub by Take Control Books

With its Take Control series of ebooks, alt concepts inc. covers a wide range of technology topics, with a special emphasis on Apple products and services. Our catalog comprises over 100 titles, and we’ve sold hundreds of thousands of ebooks in the process of providing expert advice and technical know-how to tens of thousands of readers around the world. Join us today!

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