Anyone know how to turn it off? [Archive]

DVDSP

Apr 13, 2007, 07:03 PM

psychofreak

Apr 13, 2007, 07:04 PM

Unplug it :)

alexprice

Apr 13, 2007, 07:04 PM

psychofreak

Apr 13, 2007, 07:06 PM

Sorry, do you mean an iPod?

This is in the appleTV forum :)

alexprice

Apr 13, 2007, 07:06 PM

Just noticed it was in the Apple TV section.

So not an iPod.

As for turning off the AppleTV. I don't know. Is there a power button on the back?

DVDSP

Apr 13, 2007, 07:08 PM

Unplug it :)

Ha! I knew as soon as I clicked the submit button that I should have clarified that point. :)

Excluding unplugging it.

Well, at least it's out of the way now.

Sorry, do you mean an iPod?

No, I mean an Apple TV. I figured that was self-explanatory in the Apple TV forum. Guess I shouldn't assume...

DVDSP

Apr 13, 2007, 07:10 PM

Is there a power button on the back?

Nope. I can't find anything in the instructions either, although it does sometimes reference the unit as being "Off or in standby".

alexprice

Apr 13, 2007, 07:11 PM

Ha! I knew as soon as I clicked the submit button that I should have clarified that point. :)

Excluding unplugging it.

Well, at least it's out of the way now.

No, I mean an Apple TV. I figured that was self-explanatory in the Apple TV forum. Guess I shouldn't assume...

Yea my bad, didn't notice. On forum Spy mode. I need to sloooow down a little.

zim

Apr 13, 2007, 10:46 PM

Even if there was an off button leaving it plugged in could still cause it to pull an electrical current. If you want to save on your electrical bill then you should just unplug it. Lots of electrical devices continue to use power even when "off." Sleep mode would most likely use the same amount of power if there was an off mode.

Nicolasdec

Apr 13, 2007, 11:07 PM

Unplug it, it dosent turn off. it gose into standby i think.:) :) :) :)

DVDSP

Apr 13, 2007, 11:08 PM

Even if there was an off button leaving it plugged in could still cause it to pull an electrical current. If you want to save on your electrical bill then you should just unplug it.

Mostly I just don't want it generating so much heat when it isn't being used. My wife's iBook doesn't get this hot while it's in use, compared to the Apple TV in "standby".

Lots of electrical devices continue to use power even when "off."

I know, but the only one that gets hot when "off" is the Apple TV. My cable box and receiver don't stay hot when "off". When asleep, the iBook cools down and seems off except for that nice little glowing light giving the status away.

The Apple TV only has one light, it's lit while in use and then completely off when in standby. I find that a little odd.

I'm not trying to be argumentative here, btw, just trying to add a little more information.

MacNut

Apr 13, 2007, 11:10 PM

Stop playing porn on it.:p

zim

Apr 13, 2007, 11:20 PM

I'm not trying to be argumentative here, btw, just trying to add a little more information.

I know. I don't own one (yet) so I can't really give you any advice. But I do know that like with my external drives, even when "off" their power bricks are still drawing power... not a lot but they are still technically "on."

ethernet76

Apr 14, 2007, 04:27 AM

And I mean off, not sleep. I know I can hold the play/pause button and put it to sleep but I want it off. Even when it's asleep it still gets fairly hot. I don't want it running up my electric bill when it's not in use, know what I mean.

Any suggestions?

I'd just set up a power strip with the TV, DVD player, etc. It's easier to flick that off with your foot as you walk buy instead of physically removing the plug from the socket every time.

Conversely it's not that hard to install a switch to turn a plug on or off. I have three laptops running off an electric circuit that has a light switch.

Or there is the clapper. Don't see why that wouldn't work.

DVDSP

Apr 14, 2007, 06:50 AM

Stop playing porn on it.:p

How dare you even make a suggestion like that! If I stop playing porn on it my wife will get pissed, so no can do.

I'd just set up a power strip with the TV, DVD player, etc. It's easier to flick that off with your foot as you walk buy instead of physically removing the plug from the socket every time.

That was my thought, too, in the event that it isn't ever really off. The two things stopping me now (and only by a small margin) are 1) it takes a little while for the cable box to work itself out after killing power to it and it is on the same strip as the Apple TV, HT and HDTV and 2) the power strip is mounted behind my giant, oak entertainment center which I have to move away from the wall in order to move the strip to a spot that is reachable.

However, if it comes to that (and it looks like it is going to) I won't hesitate to do it. Seems like I may be breaking out the tools this weekend...

smokva

Apr 14, 2007, 04:01 PM

The two things stopping me now (and only by a small margin) are 1) it takes a little while for the cable box to work itself out after killing power to it and it is on the same strip as the Apple TV, HT and HDTV and 2) the power strip is mounted behind my giant, oak entertainment center which I have to move away from the wall in order to move the strip to a spot that is reachable.

Or you can unplug it from the Apple TV end ...

Doctor Q

Apr 14, 2007, 04:40 PM

Having to unplug the Apple TV is annoying, so I leave mine on all the time.

I have the screensaver set to show random photos, which must mean that it has to fetch them from the hard disk periodically. Since the Apple TV doesn't know whether or not the TV set is on, it must do this image fetching now and then, so the disk can't be asleep all of the time. Perhaps if I switched the screensaver to use the Apple logo, it would let the disk spin down for all the time I'm not using the Apple TV.

Edit: Reading the manual sometimes helps! If you hold play/pause down for 5 to 10 seconds, the Apple TV goes to sleep.

EricNau

Apr 14, 2007, 05:00 PM

Having to unplug the Apple TV is annoying, so I leave mine on all the time.

I have the screensaver set to show random photos, which must mean that it has to fetch them from the hard disk periodically. Since the Apple TV doesn't know whether or not the TV set is on, it must do this image fetching now and then, so the disk can't be asleep all of the time. Perhaps if I switched the screensaver to use the Apple logo, it would let the disk spin down for all the time I'm not using the Apple TV.
Is there a difference between the screen saver and standby/sleep on the Apple TV?

JonHimself

Apr 14, 2007, 05:08 PM

I used to have this thing I used with the fan in my room. It was a box that you could plug anything into (it just plugged into the wall and provided another outlet) that had a wireless remote to click it on or off. The fan was always on, but this plug dealie could cut the power to the fan via the wireless remote. If/when I get the Apple TV, this type of set-up seems ideal.

Doctor Q

Apr 14, 2007, 05:22 PM

Is there a difference between the screen saver and standby/sleep on the Apple TV?Yes. With the screensaver you get a display on the TV (you have a choice about what is displayed). With sleep mode you get no display.

The Apple TV is supposedly still able to sync with the Mac in either mode.

ogee

Apr 14, 2007, 05:25 PM

When you put it to Standby it will sync. Maybe thats why its hot?

aristobrat

Apr 14, 2007, 05:31 PM

Doctor Q

Apr 14, 2007, 05:51 PM

I don't know if you can necessarily equate the fact that it's hot to it using a lot of electricity.The Apple TV may be equivalent to an always-on lightbulb - drawing a small steady amount of power and converting much of it to heat.

At our house we're gradually replacing lightbulbs with more energy efficient ones, to avoid that waste of energy.

diehardmacfan

Apr 14, 2007, 06:25 PM

if you go to radio shack they have the remote control things

one end plugs into an outlet and the other one has an AC jack

plug ur apple tv into the plug and then when u press the 1 simple button on the remote control it will cut off the power

Doctor Q

Apr 14, 2007, 07:08 PM

It always makes me cringe to pull power on a booted operating system with a hard drive. But I suppose the Apple TV is designed to take it.

DVDSP

Apr 14, 2007, 10:13 PM

It always makes me cringe to pull power on a booted operating system with a hard drive. But I suppose the Apple TV is designed to take it.

I thought of that, too. In that regard, it makes me a little uneasy not knowing if it can be turned off.

By the way, yes, it does sync when in standby mode. It is even listed as a device in iTunes when in standby.

Also, I find it a little odd that they have that nice start up movie the first time you turn it on but if it is never truly off you will only see that movie once, or after a power failure. So, why go to the trouble of putting that movie on it (not to mention using up (admittedly only a little) more HD space) for something that will be seen rarely?

Doctor Q

Apr 14, 2007, 10:38 PM

Also, I find it a little odd that they have that nice start up movie the first time you turn it on but if it is never truly off you will only see that movie once, or after a power failure. So, why go to the trouble of putting that movie on it (not to mention using up (admittedly only a little) more HD space) for something that will be seen rarely?First impressions are important, so a splashy welcome gives people a warm fuzzy feeling right away. Mac models have done the same thing, playing a friendly animated welcome during first-time setup. Luckily, the size of the mini-movie is insignificant for that size disk.

EricNau

Apr 14, 2007, 10:44 PM

It seems like Apple should make the sleep mode for Apple TV the same as every other Mac - everything with the exception of RAM is powered off ...or like an iPod - have it remain in sleep for a certain number of hours, and after that time it hibernates.

Then there really wouldn't be the need for a power button.

johnee

Apr 14, 2007, 10:44 PM

put it on an automatic timer so it turns off every night at a time you know you won't ever be using it, like at 1 am, then come on at 3 pm the next day (or what ever time you think you will be using it).

DVDSP

Apr 14, 2007, 10:55 PM

Mac models have done the same thing, playing a friendly animated welcome during first-time setup.

I have to admit, I like setting up new Macs 'cause of that. When I was setting up my mom's Mac mini last year she got all annoyed by it, rolled her eyes and said "Oh, no. Am I going to have to put up with THAT every time I turn it on?". She was relieved to hear that she wouldn't. Then she became annoyed that she couldn't find Solitaire preloaded on it. Seriously.

Forced Perfect

Apr 15, 2007, 01:19 AM

I think it's hot because to make it a virtually silent device, it doesn't have a fan blowing air out of the case.

I don't know if you can necessarily equate the fact that it's hot to it using a lot of electricity.

The Apple TV does have a fan. I guess it just turns on when the CPU/GPU temp is too high. Or it's so quiet it sounds like just the drive spinning.

Piarco

Apr 16, 2007, 11:40 AM

The sheer volume of heat it emits along with the hdd access noise periodically - combined with the fact I don't like yanking out the power cord - has made me invest in some remote controlled power-off switches (http://www.wirelessretail.co.uk/wireless_remote_adapters.php). I would love to say that I was going to do this anyway being green-minded! :o

Nice simple switch to put on the wall, and it'll turn off: :apple:TV, iPod/dock/charger, HDTV, xbox 360, high gain aerial & 2.1 speakers. I'll be getting the same set for the lounge if I'm impressed. £20 well spent, which I may see saved in energy bills in the next year.

flemingljr

Apr 18, 2007, 11:10 PM

I just plugged my Apple TV into my Watt meter. Here are the readings...

In Menu mode, nothing playing = 20 Watts
Widescreen Movie Trailer (HD?) playing = 22 Watts
In Standby Mode = 17 Watts

It's dissapointing that Apple TV doesn't power down to 4-5 watts in standby mode, like the mac mini. Also, It should self power down after a set time of non-use. I guess the good news is that 20 watts isn't a huge power draw, and shouldn't put a large amount of heat in your house. Remember, In winter time these devices actually assist your homes heating needs a little.

clevin

Apr 19, 2007, 10:30 AM

most interesting question. I would categorize this as a design flaw. lol,

funny nobody ever thought about it in more than 2 weeks?

spencecb

Apr 19, 2007, 11:51 AM

I really hope this is not the way Apple intends to move all of their products towards in the future. Electronics that use standby power consumption (collectively) consume mass amounts of electricity, thus contributing to carbon output.

There really should be an option offered if the user wants to turn off their :apple: TV.

The iPhone appears to work the same way, without a clear answer if you can turn it completely off or not. This product is a little different, since it is still consuming power when asleep, it is not (technically) contributing to carbon output because it is using rechargeable batteries which are more environmentally friendly.

markfc

Apr 19, 2007, 12:17 PM

I'd like to see a restart option in the settings menu too!
that way i can show off the fancy splash video without having to unplug it from the wall!

emotion

Apr 19, 2007, 12:38 PM

I really hope this is not the way Apple intends to move all of their products towards in the future. Electronics that use standby power consumption (collectively) consume mass amounts of electricity, thus contributing to carbon output.

There really should be an option offered if the user wants to turn off their :apple: TV.

Absolutely. If Apple want Greenpeace off their backs they need to sort this out. It's abolutely rediculous in this age of hightened environmental awareness that the device can't be turned off.

johnee

Apr 19, 2007, 12:45 PM

soup4you2

Apr 19, 2007, 01:10 PM

MacRookie714

Apr 19, 2007, 04:22 PM

Has anyone noticed the :apple:TV turning on by itself?

2pac

Apr 20, 2007, 01:55 PM

push the red big button just in fron of the screen! it will help :D

DVDSP

Apr 21, 2007, 08:14 PM

Has anyone noticed the :apple:TV turning on by itself?

As a matter of fact, yes. Yesterday my wife was working from home. At lunch she turned on the TV and the Apple TV was on with the screen saver running. I am positive that I turned it off (OK, to standby) on Thursday night and she says she went nowhere near the remote all day. She had started up iTunes earlier though, I'm wondering if that had anything to do with it (although, it usually doesn't).

MacRookie714

Apr 21, 2007, 08:42 PM

As a matter of fact, yes. Yesterday my wife was working from home. At lunch she turned on the TV and the Apple TV was on with the screen saver running. I am positive that I turned it off (OK, to standby) on Thursday night and she says she went nowhere near the remote all day. She had started up iTunes earlier though, I'm wondering if that had anything to do with it (although, it usually doesn't).

I just tried putting my :apple: TV to sleep, and then when I opened iTunes, the light on the :apple: TV came on. If only it shut itself off.

rodti

Apr 26, 2007, 10:15 AM

I just tried putting my :apple: TV to sleep, and then when I opened iTunes, the light on the :apple: TV came on. If only it shut itself off.

I think holding down the play/pause button disables the video output, but the unit it still on.

Forced Perfect

Apr 26, 2007, 10:19 AM

I think holding down the play/pause button disables the video output, but the unit it still on.

Yeah, the Apple TV never really "sleeps". The only thing it does is kill the video and power down the drive. However, the unit is still running normally. This can be quite easily verified by the fact you can still see it in iTunes at all times. Plus pinging works while it's sleeping.

rodti

Apr 26, 2007, 06:41 PM

Yeah, the Apple TV never really "sleeps". The only thing it does is kill the video and power down the drive. However, the unit is still running normally. This can be quite easily verified by the fact you can still see it in iTunes at all times. Plus pinging works while it's sleeping.

Confirmed. I'm connected to my AppleTV right this minute via SSH and mucking about in the file system, but the light on the front of the unit is off.

Scarpad

Apr 27, 2007, 08:43 AM

I've set the Screensaver to off, then I put the unit to sleep, this morning it was still hot to the touch but not blazing as it was before. When I go on vacation I will definately yank the Plug.

rodti

Apr 27, 2007, 08:47 AM

Confirmed. I'm connected to my AppleTV right this minute via SSH and mucking about in the file system, but the light on the front of the unit is off.

Also, this morning I added a new album to iTunes and it synced to the AppleTV, but the light was still off. It appears to run 24/7 unless you unplug it, with the play/pause button doing nothing more than disabling output. I expect this would work nicely with a TV which will enter or come out of standby state when a signal appears/disappears from the AppleTV.

markfc

Apr 27, 2007, 09:33 AM

Has anyone noticed the :apple:TV turning on by itself?

Yup, mine turns itself on too. I'm wondering if it's picking up a infrared signal off my TV remote/Satellite/DVD!

jhgibbs

May 29, 2007, 03:13 PM

I'd just set up a power strip with the TV, DVD player, etc. It's easier to flick that off with your foot as you walk buy instead of physically removing the plug from the socket every time.

Conversely it's not that hard to install a switch to turn a plug on or off. I have three laptops running off an electric circuit that has a light switch.

Or there is the clapper. Don't see why that wouldn't work.

Do you have a stereo receiver? If so you could plug it in to it and when you shut off your stereo the Atv would shut off as well.

just a thought

nippyjun

Feb 4, 2008, 02:20 PM

Since apple designed this to be "on" all the time weather truely on or in standby mode, could there be any harm with unplugging it every day?

imlucid

Feb 4, 2008, 03:39 PM

Since apple designed this to be "on" all the time weather truely on or in standby mode, could there be any harm with unplugging it every day?

Shouldn't be. Some people plug the ATV into a powerstrip and just turn it off/on that way.

Kevin

Avatar74

Feb 4, 2008, 04:43 PM

http://www.bandar.com.au/images/support/steamroller.jpg

PROJECT359

Feb 4, 2008, 04:55 PM

Yup, mine turns itself on too. I'm wondering if it's picking up a infrared signal off my TV remote/Satellite/DVD!

Perfectly normal. The AppleTV checks for updates every week. As such, the unit will wake from sleep until you put it back into sleep mode.

whynot83706

Feb 4, 2008, 06:24 PM

Yes. With the screensaver you get a display on the TV (you have a choice about what is displayed). With sleep mode you get no display.

The Apple TV is supposedly still able to sync with the Mac in either mode.

If the :apple:TV is in the sleep mode, does it generate same amount of heat?

Doctor Q

Feb 4, 2008, 06:54 PM

If the :apple:TV is in the sleep mode, does it generate same amount of heat?Since it should certainly be "less than or equal" heat, I put it to sleep when not in use. I can't find any statement about it by Apple, and I haven't done an informal experiment on it.

Interestingly, Apple's Knowledge Base Article 305356 (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305356) ("Apple TV may feel warm to touch") saysIt is normal that your Apple TV may feel warm when touched. Your Apple TV is designed to operate quietly in an environment warmer than room temperature, including within media cabinets. while their Apple TV Safety and Regulatory Compliance Information (http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/AppleTV_safety_info.pdf) manual saysDo not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
I guess they don't think amplifiers are ever in media cabinets!

Sean Dempsey

Jun 1, 2008, 12:47 AM

I'm going to plug it into the outlets on the back of my receiver, a yamaha RX-V663.

I'll post back in a week and let you know if it had any negative side effects.

EricNau

Jun 1, 2008, 12:52 AM

It's been driving me crazy. It doesn't bother me that it draws a small amount of power (does this make me a bad person?), but it really does bother me that the HDD is always spinning. ...I wish sleep mode would at least power down the HDD.

Does sleep mode do anything other than disable the output?

Scott6666

Jun 1, 2008, 04:09 AM

Since apple designed this to be "on" all the time weather truely on or in standby mode, could there be any harm with unplugging it every day?

It would make me uncomfortable pulling out the plug every day. I once told a "Genius" that I very occasionally pulled out the plug on my iMac when my kid is too slow to log off when being told it's bedtime or time to go somewhere (and I mean she takes 15-20 mins to log off) and the Genius cringed and said its a bad idea to pull the plug on computers; will ultimately damage it. Not that I typically believe that the Geniuses have any particular technical insight into anything complex but...

Sean Dempsey

Jun 1, 2008, 06:10 PM

It would make me uncomfortable pulling out the plug every day. I once told a "Genius" that I very occasionally pulled out the plug on my iMac when my kid is too slow to log off when being told it's bedtime or time to go somewhere (and I mean she takes 15-20 mins to log off) and the Genius cringed and said its a bad idea to pull the plug on computers; will ultimately damage it. Not that I typically believe that the Geniuses have any particular technical insight into anything complex but...

Doubt that is the same with the ATV. How are you supposed to move it if you can't unplug it? There's no off option, so if you move, want to use it in a different room, whatever, it has to be unplugged with on.