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Apple TV 3 and NAS

utazdevl

utazdevl

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2008
148
103
Hi All,

OK, here is my question. I am running about 5TB of data from my iMac to my various AppleTVs (all 3s). In order to watch any of the content, my iMac needs to be on with iTunes launched. Since my content can pretty much need to be accessed at any time (my family watching content at any various time) my iMac pretty much has to be one with iTunes open 24/7.

I was just wondering if there was any NAS storage option that might circumvent that. Basically, is there a NAS server that my AppleTVs can see as "iTunes running" and they can access the content from that storage, instead of from my iMac.

If NAS is not an option, I am probably going to buy Macmini and just set that up as a media server, but I ultimates don't feel I need a "full" computer in that role, just something that my AppleTV can access for content.

Thanks.
 
A

Alrescha

macrumors 68020
Jan 1, 2008
2,156
317
This does not answer your question, but rather a correction to your statement. Your iMac does not have to be running, it can be sleeping - the Apple TV can wake it up on demand, and it will go back to sleep when the Apple TV no longer needs it.

See: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3774

A.
 
utazdevl

utazdevl

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2008
148
103
Alrescha said:
This does not answer your question, but rather a correction to your statement. Your iMac does not have to be running, it can be sleeping - the Apple TV can wake it up on demand, and it will go back to sleep when the Apple TV no longer needs it.

See: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3774

A.
Click to expand...

Thanks, but this doesn't help me. I am looking to be able to turn off my computer, not just put it to sleep, and let it wake up automatically when needed. Sometimes I need to restart my machine or take it offline, and it would be great if I didn't have to plan these events around when someone is watching content based on my machine.
 
DaveN

DaveN

macrumors 6502a
May 1, 2010
906
757
I think you can only access things in your iTunes library from the Apple TV. You can put your iTunes Library on your NAS but I don't know if you can access it with your Mac turned off.

Do you have any iPads, iPhones, or iPod Touches? If you do, get a simple file viewer app which can access your NAS and then Air Play it to your ATV 3. I've done that and it works pretty slick.

If you have any ATV 2s, I recommend rooting it and installing XBMC. That would give you direct access to your NAS with no intermediary needed.

By the way. Here is the Apple support page for setting up home sharing on Apple TV 2 and 3.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4352
 
Last edited:
Boyd01

Boyd01

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 21, 2012
7,686
4,570
New Jersey Pine Barrens
After surverying the options for awhile, I got a base model Mac Mini for this ($550 at B&H). It works great, very responsive over gigabit ethernet on the Apple TV and also with 802.11ac wifi on my 2013 MBA via a Time Capsule.

From all that I've read, the "iTunes server" advertised by the NAS vendors only works as a shared library on a Mac, not with Apple TV. There's a hack for using a third party program with the Apple TV, but I didn't want to get into that - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1642275/

I have also read about a work-around where you use an iOS device to access the NAS and send video to the Apple TV, but again that wasn't what I wanted.

I'm sure you could use an older Core2Duo Mac running iTunes (many people here say that it works fine), but for the cost difference I decided the new Mini was the way to go and would provide many years of service.

My iTunes library is on a 3TB USB3 external drive and I rotate two identical 3TB drives for backups using Carbon Copy Cloner. As a bonus, I connected the Mini to an old 23" Samsung monitor I already had and a cheap wireless keyboard/trackpad, giving me another screen to watch my movies in the dining room. It is also connected to my stereo system and I use it for listening to music around the house.

I can manage it using screen sharing from my MBA which feels just like a direct connection over ethernet and I have file sharing enabled for adding content. I get around 100MB/s throughput with file sharing on the mini which is as good or better than any of the inexpensive NAS units that I considered.

I modified my stereo cabinet, removing the back to provide ventillation and the mini sits down there with the external drives, running 24/7. Nobody would even know it's there, it's out of sight and virtually silent. All around, I'm really happy with this setup - well worth what I paid. :)
 
utazdevl

utazdevl

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2008
148
103
DaveN said:
I think you can only access things in your iTunes library from the Apple TV. You can put your iTunes Library on your NAS but I don't know if you can access it with your Mac turned off.

Do you have any iPads, iPhones, or iPod Touches? If you do, get a simple file viewer app which can access your NAS and then Air Play it to your ATV 3. I've done that and it works pretty slick.

If you have any ATV 2s, I recommend rooting it and installing XBMC. That would give you direct access to your NAS with no intermediary needed.

By the way. Here is the Apple support page for setting up home sharing on Apple TV 2 and 3.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4352
Click to expand...

The XMBC option interests me, but I need the standard AppleTV interface, as my wife and kids are the once who typically access content, and (no offense to them) they need things AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

Not a fan of the Airplay option, unfortunately. A lot of my encodes are HD and the multiple streams (one from NAS to device, then one from device to AppleTV) tends to bog down with other network traffic.

----------
Boyd01 said:
After surverying the options for awhile, I got a base model Mac Mini for this ($550 at B&H). It works great, very responsive over gigabit ethernet on the Apple TV and also with 802.11ac wifi on my 2013 MBA via a Time Capsule.

From all that I've read, the "iTunes server" advertised by the NAS vendors only works as a shared library on a Mac, not with Apple TV. There's a hack for using a third party program with the Apple TV, but I didn't want to get into that - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1642275/

I have also read about a work-around where you use an iOS device to access the NAS and send video to the Apple TV, but again that wasn't what I wanted.

I'm sure you could use an older Core2Duo Mac running iTunes (many people here say that it works fine), but for the cost difference I decided the new Mini was the way to go and would provide many years of service.

My iTunes library is on a 3TB USB3 external drive and I rotate two identical 3TB drives for backups using Carbon Copy Cloner. As a bonus, I connected the Mini to an old 23" Samsung monitor I already had and a cheap wireless keyboard/trackpad, giving me another screen to watch my movies in the dining room. It is also connected to my stereo system and I use it for listening to music around the house.

I can manage it using screen sharing from my MBA which feels just like a direct connection over ethernet and I have file sharing enabled for adding content. I get around 100MB/s throughput with file sharing on the mini which is as good or better than any of the inexpensive NAS units that I considered.

I modified my stereo cabinet, removing the back to provide ventillation and the mini sits down there with the external drives, running 24/7. Nobody would even know it's there, it's out of sight and virtually silent. All around, I'm really happy with this setup - well worth what I paid. :)
Click to expand...

I think you might be right, and a MacMini is the way to go. I actually have an old G5 tower but it is pre-Intel, so the latest OS I can get on it is Leopard, so the latest iTunes is 10.5.2, which seems to limit my HD options. I might have to bite the bullet and get the mini, but if I go that way, I might make that machine do a lot more than just function as a media server (like a rip station and security camera base).

Thanks for your help on this.
 
DaveN

DaveN

macrumors 6502a
May 1, 2010
906
757
utazdevl said:
I think you might be right, and a MacMini is the way to go. I actually have an old G5 tower but it is pre-Intel, so the latest OS I can get on it is Leopard, so the latest iTunes is 10.5.2, which seems to limit my HD options. I might have to bite the bullet and get the mini, but if I go that way, I might make that machine do a lot more than just function as a media server (like a rip station and security camera base).

Thanks for your help on this.
Click to expand...

Let us know how it goes with your system. Even though I have a system that works for me, I've been looking into a replacement to my 9 year-old MacBook and have toyed with the idea of replacing the laptop with a mini and making the mini a media server as I only really use the laptop in bed anyway.
 
utazdevl

utazdevl

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2008
148
103
Boyd01 said:
It works great, very responsive over gigabit ethernet on the Apple TV and also with 802.11ac wifi on my 2013 MBA via a Time Capsule.
Click to expand...

What option works great? A NAS storage device?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
utazdevl

utazdevl

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2008
148
103
plotters said:
Have a look at the Synology ds212j. I have a feeling this is what you might be after.
Click to expand...

Can you please elaborate a little? I am looking at a bunch of sites take talk about the Synology ds212j, but don't see any where the AppleTV can "see" it and run files from it without a computer running iTunes intermediary.
 
marzer

marzer

macrumors 65816
Nov 14, 2009
1,398
123
Colorado
utazdevl said:
but don't see any where the AppleTV can "see" it and run files from it without a computer running iTunes intermediary.
Click to expand...

That's because they don't exist. The only options for feeding content to the Apple TV is from a computer running iTunes or from iTunes purchases or Match content stored in iCloud. The iCloud option does not require a computer to be turned.

But there are no NAS or third party solutions on the market that can do what you are looking for.
 
utazdevl

utazdevl

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2008
148
103
marzer said:
That's because they don't exist. The only options for feeding content to the Apple TV is from a computer running iTunes or from iTunes purchases or Match content stored in iCloud. The iCloud option does not require a computer to be turned.

But there are no NAS or third party solutions on the market that can do what you are looking for.
Click to expand...

That is what I was afraid of. So it is pretty much "have a computer specifically set up as my media server" or "keep using my everyday desktop to stream content to my AppleTVs".
 
A

adit

macrumors member
Feb 25, 2007
44
0
I use a qnap 212 which has AirPlay options to stream straight to your Apple TV. You will need your phone ios or android to select what you want to watch and then it goes directly from NAS to Apple TV. The phone doesn't have to be on beyond selecting the programme. The Apple TV remote can forward/pause etc.

Hope that helps.
 
O

orestes1984

macrumors 65816
Jun 10, 2005
1,000
4
Australia
This is my biggest annoyance with the Apple TV 3. You must have an iDevice with some sort of AirPlay capability in the mix in order to AirPlay video content :rolleyes:

Your only other option is to buy an AppleTV 2 and have it set up with a Jailbreak to be able to play media directly off a NAS.

It's a crap set up, but you get used to it and I just hide iTunes in the background and pretend it's not running.

The day Apple releases an iTunes daemon for a NAS server I'll be a happy person.
 
A

Alrescha

macrumors 68020
Jan 1, 2008
2,156
317
orestes1984 said:
This is my biggest annoyance with the Apple TV 3. You must have an iDevice with some sort of AirPlay capability in the mix in order to AirPlay video content...
Click to expand...

Yes, it is shocking that you need an iDevice to use what is essentially an i-accessory.

It's a crap set up, but you get used to it and I just hide iTunes in the background and pretend it's not running.
Click to expand...

If you need a boat, you should buy a boat. Do not buy a bicycle and then complain that your feet get wet.

A.
 
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