“Computers” content in the TV App

[qtrim]

Hello,

I’m curious why local content from Home Sharing, which is currently found in the “Computers” app does not show up in the TV app. I have lots of TV shows ripped the I watch and it would be nice to see them there. Am I missing some setting or something?

 

[JBaby]

The TV app works with content providers. It hooks into their systems. Your personal library of content isn’t stored on ’s servers. There is no setting. The Computers app is accessing your iTunes library via your local network. That’s why Home Sharing works even when the internet is out. As long as you have your local network Home Sharing will work.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

As far as i'm aware, it never has been involved in the TV app. I believe that the TV app is 100% for content that is streamed (from iCloud etc) and not content from your hard drive - Apple doesn't make any money from stuff ripped to your hard drive from other sources

The new Apple TV App purely works with iCloud and Apple's chosen partners.

UPDATE: You beat me to it JBaby!

 

[NightStorm]

I see my full Home Share library, and it has movies in the “Watch Now” section that are from Blu-ray encodes I did using Handbrake... it even tells me to continue playing. However, when I click on one, it still asks me to buy it from iTunes. So we are perhaps a step closer (or this is an unintended side effect of how the files are tagged with iTunes Store data via subler).

 

[bryn0076]

Aw Jeez. I used Subler to remux my mkv files as M4V just so I could get a decent library of my own content in the TV app.

Seems a bit daft to have an “all-in-one-except-the-things-you-already-have” app.

Continued use of Plex it is...

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

I see my full Home Share library, and it has movies in the “Watch Now” section that are from Blu-ray encodes I did using Handbrake... it even tells me to continue playing. However, when I click on one, it still asks me to buy it from iTunes. So we are perhaps a step closer (or this is an unintended side effect of how the files are tagged with iTunes Store data via subler).

Yep. I think it's the tagging that's done that!
Don't get your hopes up. I've always seen the Apple TV as an iTunes Store box.

 

[Tech198]

Hello,

I’m curious why local content from Home Sharing, which is currently found in the “Computers” app does not show up in the TV app. I have lots of TV shows ripped the I watch and it would be nice to see them there. Am I missing some setting or something?

I guess there should be one place for everything.. even iTunes content "Movies app" too, Perhaps Apple will get to all this at one point.

No point in coming out of TV app is there if you can find everything you want. The only reason not to do this would be to differentiate.

 

[cynics]

Hello,

I’m curious why local content from Home Sharing, which is currently found in the “Computers” app does not show up in the TV app. I have lots of TV shows ripped the I watch and it would be nice to see them there. Am I missing some setting or something?

There are a few reasons.

The content you ripped and put into your iTunes might not be something you want in the "TV" app. The content might not even be "TV" related at all. Music, music videos, home videos, random iOS clips.

Music is a big one as it was Home Sharings original purpose. Why would I want my entire iTunes music library in the TV app. For perspective why don't we put it in the Music app? Splitting it all up causes fragmentation and since there is still other content like Home Videos that will need a home.

Your content doesn't have a database for the TV app to leverage nor does it have Apple assigned metadata. Regardless of how good of a job you did ripping and adding metadata it doesn't have the Tv app API's for live cover art, extra features, movie selections, etc.

With Home Sharing you can rip movies but depending on your transcode you can have certain devices that can't play them back. Therefore some movies in your library might play on the ATV 4K fine but not on your iPhone at all. Home Sharing being device agnostic requires it having device specific copies of the video for maximum quality vs transcode complexity vs file size OR a file that is tailored to the lowest common dominator which isn't good QoS for an average consumer.

TV app is sync'd across devices and one of your devices might not have access to your Home Share all the time. So your recents won't consistently work. Or if your Home Sharing from a laptop your home won't have access to the iTunes server if that laptop leaves the house.

You could put a tab at the top of the tv app for "computers" that is isolated from the rest of the app but that doesn't make too much sense. Not everyone uses Home Sharing and if it was incorporated it would lag as it looked for a local server. But more importantly a box you click on that is isolated from the TV app is exactly what it is now....a separate app on the home screen called Computers.

In the end there are just too many variables outside of Apples control that will ultimately lead to a hassle for those that know the in's and outs of video files and its codec as they try to work around iTunes limitation and it would be an utter disaster for those that don't and just expect it "to work".

 

[WebHead]

I've been reading with concern reports that iTunes will be broken into apps for the various media types. Does this mean there might not be a place for local library streaming? Will I have to switch to Plex or similar?

 

[luy]

In the TV App for iOS you can now found your "home sharing files" inside the library menu item. Would be great if we could see that for tvOS as well.

 

[WebHead]

Here's hoping!

 

[NightStorm]

I've been reading with concern reports that iTunes will be broken into apps for the various media types. Does this mean there might not be a place for local library streaming? Will I have to switch to Plex or similar?

I’m starting to prepare for that eventuality.

 

[JoeShades]

I've been reading with concern reports that iTunes will be broken into apps for the various media types. Does this mean there might not be a place for local library streaming? Will I have to switch to Plex or similar?

Plex is good for video but does not work well for photos on Apple Tv

 

[WebHead]

Thanks for the tip. Fortunately for me photos aren't a priority.

 

[Mr Todhunter]

I’m using iTunes to stream mp4 and m4v files from my Mac, and I use the Beamer app for mkv files. No problems at all.

 

[priitv8]

...I use the Beamer app for mkv files. No problems at all.

But isn't it so, that you can not connect to beamer from aTV, you need to be on your computer for that?

 

[Mr Todhunter]

But isn't it so, that you can not connect to beamer from aTV, you need to be on your computer for that?

I don´t get what you mean. What I say is that I use Beamer to stream mkv files from the Mac to the Apple tv.

 

[Juicy Box]

The Computers app is accessing your iTunes library via your local network. That’s why Home Sharing works even when the internet is out. As long as you have your local network Home Sharing will work.

Slightly off topic, but this is not entirely accurate.

While you might be able to temporarily use the ATV’s Computer app to view iTunes content from your Mac/PC, the ATV will occasionally attempt to authenticate the iTunes account, which requires the internet, if there is no internet, then it won’t authenticate, and you will no longer be able to watch your iTunes content, even content that you created yourself.

I found this out the hard way when my community’s internet line was severed by accident during construction.

I figured that my family would be fine for entertainment due to my large collection of movies and TV Shows on my Mac’s iTunes library.

I was wrong....

 

[JoeShades]

Can you authenticate by connecting the Apple tv to your computer?

 

[Juicy Box]

Can you authenticate by connecting the Apple tv to your computer?

No, it uses Apple's servers.

But, you can AirPlay content from the Mac to the ATV without needing to re-authenticate.

 

[JBaby]

Slightly off topic, but this is not entirely accurate.

While you might be able to temporarily use the ATV’s Computer app to view iTunes content from your Mac/PC, the ATV will occasionally attempt to authenticate the iTunes account, which requires the internet, if there is no internet, then it won’t authenticate, and you will no longer be able to watch your iTunes content, even content that you created yourself.

I found this out the hard way when my community’s internet line was severed by accident during construction.

I figured that my family would be fine for entertainment due to my large collection of movies and TV Shows on my Mac’s iTunes library.

I was wrong....

We aren’t talking about iTunes Store content. OP is talking about ripped content. Ripped content doesn’t have DRM. So what I said is accurate.

 

[Juicy Box]

We aren’t talking about iTunes Store content. OP is talking about ripped content. Ripped content doesn’t have DRM.

Me either:

if there is no internet, then it won’t authenticate, and you will no longer be able to watch your iTunes content, even content that you created yourself.

So what I said is accurate.

Nope, like i said, you should be able to play content, regardless of if it is DRM or not, for a period of time, but the ATV will attempt to re-authenticate the iTunes account, and when it can't it disables Home Sharing.

I think I read the period of time in between authentication is 24 hours, but I don't know if this is accurate. Also, I think if the devices are powered off, like the event of a power outage, when they power back on, they may need to re-authenticate.

 

[priitv8]

I don´t get what you mean. What I say is that I use Beamer to stream mkv files from the Mac to the Apple tv.

I mean exactly that! You need to operate your actions from Mac.
You can not browse Beamer content from appleTV like you do with Home Sharing. That is a major inconvenience.
Then again, in 95% of the cases MKV is just a different container. It still contains iTunes-friendly AVC or HEVC video and can simply be re-wrapped into m4v without recoding. Just a file copy operation.
Even if the MKV contains lossless or DTS audio, for AirPlay Beamer still needs to recode audio into AAC or DD5.1 on the fly, because these are only formats that AirPlay supports.
OK, it also supports DD+7.1 but I’d besurprised if Beamer coud do DD+7.1 encode at all, let alone in real time.
Long story short - I re-mux all those MKVs into m4v using Subler.
If I’m interested in lossless audio, I may keep them as MKVs, but then I take a different player, not the aTV.

 

[JBaby]

Me either:





Nope, like i said, you should be able to play content, regardless of if it is DRM or not, for a period of time, but the ATV will attempt to re-authenticate the iTunes account, and when it can't it disables Home Sharing.

I think I read the period of time in between authentication is 24 hours, but I don't know if this is accurate. Also, I think if the devices are powered off, like the event of a power outage, when they power back on, they may need to re-authenticate.

My mistake. I’ve never experienced this. iTunes is always running for me. My Mac is on 24/7 so it’s always authorized. I didn’t have internet for 4-5 days and Home Sharing worked the entire time for me. I only streamed my own ripped content. Maybe it’s changed. This was years ago when it worked for me.

 

[Mr Todhunter]

I mean exactly that! You need to operate your actions from Mac.
You can not browse Beamer content from appleTV like you do with Home Sharing. That is a major inconvenience.
Then again, in 95% of the cases MKV is just a different container. It still contains iTunes-friendly AVC or HEVC video and can simply be re-wrapped into m4v without recoding. Just a file copy operation.
Even if the MKV contains lossless or DTS audio, for AirPlay Beamer still needs to recode audio into AAC or DD5.1 on the fly, because these are only formats that AirPlay supports.
OK, it also supports DD+7.1 but I’d besurprised if Beamer coud do DD+7.1 encode at all, let alone in real time.
Long story short - I re-mux all those MKVs into m4v using Subler.
If I’m interested in lossless audio, I may keep them as MKVs, but then I take a different player, not the aTV.

I also re-mux some mkv hevc video files using subler because ff-Works has problems with some hevc files but in the end it’s more convenient for me to use Beamer. I don’t need to browse Beamer content from Appletv.