How to Get the Most Out of Sharing on Apple TV 4

[MacRumors]

The newest version of Apple's set-top box has a lot of features that were not available in previous models, and while some things are fairly easy to figure out, other features are somewhat hidden and harder to find.

One great feature Apple has included with its fourth-generation Apple TV is a new App Store and the ability to have multiple accounts connected to the set-top box. Some sharing features connect automatically, but others take more work. We've got a guide for setting up various account and device sharing options so you can access the most content in the easiest way possible on the new Apple TV.

Home Sharing

With Home Sharing enabled, you can access your movies, music, TV shows, audiobooks, and more stored on a Mac or PC from any device that has the feature turned on and is on the same local network. If you haven't already turned on Home Sharing from your various Mac, PC, and iOS devices, here's how.

PC or Mac

On Mac, open iTunes and select File from the Menu Bar in the upper left corner of the screen. On PC, press the Alt key to access the menu bar and select File from the list.
Click Home Sharing and choose "Turn on Home Sharing." Enter your Apple ID and password, and then click Turn on Home Sharing.

iOS

Open the Settings app and select Videos or Music.
Tap Home Sharing.
Enter your Apple ID and password and tap Sign In.

Apple TV 4

Open the Settings app and click Accounts.
Select Home Sharing.
Enter your Apple ID and password and click Sign In.
To access content from your computers, open the Computers app on Apple TV. Content from all shared computers is accessible from the menu.


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Article Link: How to Get the Most Out of Sharing on Apple TV 4

 

[Yumbo]

Rentals don't work via Home sharing on new AppleTV.

 

[nelmat]

Rentals don't work via Home sharing on new AppleTV.

Why would they need to? You've rented it, just play it on your Apple TV.

 

[k1121j]

Rentals don't work via Home sharing on new AppleTV.

I dint think they ever did

 

[Yumbo]

I dint think they ever did

Um, rent on computer leads to download, in order to play that downloads on computer, you Home Share if wanting to watch on AppleTV.

New model doesn't work.
Home Share also limited to 5 minute buffer even via AirPlay.

Previous model wasn't gimped like this.
Also does not display rental expiry.

 

[Glassed Silver]

Why would they need to? You've rented it, just play it on your Apple TV.

Maybe you've already downloaded it, think of it as a way of caching or such, but you're on a data cap.
"But why would you download it, if you know you'll play it somewhere else?"

Why would Apple need to take that flexibility and vertical integration away from me?

meh, more half-bakedness and another moment eventually where you'll go "oooh... I thought this should work." in an ecosystem that's supposed to "just work". (oops, did I say the bad phrase and hold Apple to former valid standards they advertised? I should be fairer, they USED to run that slogan, not anymore, so... I guess I should lower my expectations?)

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[thingstoponder]

Maybe you've already downloaded it, think of it as a way of caching or such, but you're on a data cap.
"But why would you download it, if you know you'll play it somewhere else?"

Why would Apple need to take that flexibility and vertical integration away from me?

meh, more half-bakedness and another moment eventually where you'll go "oooh... I thought this should work." in an ecosystem that's supposed to "just work". (oops, did I say the bad phrase and hold Apple to former valid standards they advertised? I should be fairer, they USED to run that slogan, not anymore, so... I guess I should lower my expectations?)

Glassed Silver:mac

I don't think I've ever seen a post from you that wasn't a complaint. Your relationship with Apple seems unhealthy.

 

[sudo1996]

Maybe you've already downloaded it, think of it as a way of caching or such, but you're on a data cap.
"But why would you download it, if you know you'll play it somewhere else?"

Why would Apple need to take that flexibility and vertical integration away from me?

meh, more half-bakedness and another moment eventually where you'll go "oooh... I thought this should work." in an ecosystem that's supposed to "just work". (oops, did I say the bad phrase and hold Apple to former valid standards they advertised? I should be fairer, they USED to run that slogan, not anymore, so... I guess I should lower my expectations?)

Glassed Silver:mac

Yeah, Home Sharing has always seemed an utter mess to me whenever I've tried to use it. I gave up on it a long time ago.

 

[Glassed Silver]

I don't think I've ever seen a post from you that wasn't a complaint. Your relationship with Apple seems unhealthy.

Maybe the ratio leans towards negative criticism, but I try to highlight what they could do better instead of merely saying they goof up, which could be considered mere trolling or unthoughtful rambling.

My internet connection is uncapped by the way, but I like to think of use cases beyond my own ones or ones that I might not have now, but later potentially. (especially with net neutrality in the EU being practically dead soon enough)

What you find unhealthy I find a reflected view on an overhyped, over-glorified, but overall not bad-all-around company.
Unhealthy to me would be to troll and yell without being affected or caring for those who might be affected (= fanboys, of other camps, just as much as there are these sorts of fanboys in our camp who love to troll and non-constructively yell at Apple's competition)

Yeah, Home Sharing has always seemed an utter mess to me whenever I've tried to use it. I gave up on it a long time ago.

It's a shame, because it's a lovely concept and the only pressing reason besides AirPlay I would buy an Apple TV for, but not without H.265.

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[freediverx]

The article neglects to mention that Home Sharing on the Apple TV 4 shares the same anemic, list-based user interface we've been stuck with for years. No beautiful grid of poster art, no Siri universal search.

If you have a library of movies and/or TV shows (non-DRM'd) at home, get Plex server and the Plex app for Apple TV. It's Home Sharing on steroids, with a slick interface and streaming for all your iOS devices as well.

 

[TheralSadurns]

I am more pissed about a Windows 10 style move Apple did.
Language, Region, Store Account all have to point to the same country. Otherwise Siri won't work.
Too bad that I live in Germany, but run all my devices in English.
iPhone, iPad → German Store, German Region, English Device Language, Siri works in English as it should.
Apple TV → German Store, German Region, English Device Language, yields "Siri is not available in English"...

Say whaaaaat?!
I ain't gonna run it in German... wtf.

 

[Glassed Silver]

I am more pissed about a Windows 10 style move Apple did.
Language, Region, Store Account all have to point to the same country. Otherwise Siri won't work.
Too bad that I live in Germany, but run all my devices in English.
iPhone, iPad → German Store, German Region, English Device Language, Siri works in English as it should.
Apple TV → German Store, German Region, English Device Language, yields "Siri is not available in English"...

Say whaaaaat?!
I ain't gonna run it in German... wtf.

It really seems like they want you to have a miserable, compromise-filled experience.
Of course I'm open to an explanation why they didn't include this in Apple TV, but quite honestly if it works on iOS, why not there?
Surely it's largely reused code, so...?

Glassed Silver:ios

 

[nicho]

i think the whole segment on home sharing is very badly worded. it suggests you can access media on any device from any device (ie i could play a video stored on my iphone on an ipad or even a pc with home sharing enabled). you even talk about accessing "content from your computers and iOS devices, open the Computers app on Apple TV. Content from all shared devices is accessible". Come on guys, the clue is in the menu name - Computers. iOS devices can access other content, they cannot share their own.

only a computer can share it's content.

it'd be nice if your writers knew how to do something so basic, say, as to access apple's support website on the topic for some easy fact checking (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202190)

 

[nimbusthegreat]

I'm still waiting for them to address the ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL USER EXPERIENCE WHEN TYPING IN PASSWORDS! No remote app for my phone, no way to pair a keyboard. Just a dozen apps that require 30 character passwords. If this is the new Apple, dude, I'm getting a Dell.

 

[Sill]

If you have a library of movies and/or TV shows (non-DRM'd) at home, get Plex server and the Plex app for Apple TV.

My experience with Plex has soured me on their software forever. I can't recommend strongly enough to stay away from that beast.

 

[galrito]

It really seems like they want you to have a miserable, compromise-filled experience.
Of course I'm open to an explanation why they didn't include this in Apple TV, but quite honestly if it works on iOS, why not there?
Surely it's largely reused code, so...?

Glassed Silver:ios

They explained why: http://9to5mac.com/2015/11/04/siri-apple-tv-countries-movies-tv-shows/

 

[Glassed Silver]

They explained why: http://9to5mac.com/2015/11/04/siri-apple-tv-countries-movies-tv-shows/

That only explains parts of this debacle, why they don't promote the feature in more countries, but it doesn't explain why a US-American coming to country X is busted in his plans or a German preferring an English interface, but German Siri or hell, even English Siri but of course on a system that's located in his own walls and connected to iTunes Germany.

If anything, didn't they promise that Siri learns on a per-user basis?
Couldn't they just not take these "oddities" into account for their teaching algorithm? They can obviously detect what not to offer, so they could just as well detect not what to process for the teaching system.

Again, a very half-assed approach that focuses on their dreaded and infamous "if you go one step away from our very clear cut scenarios you're SOL" approach. meh

It's not like they don't do it all the time with Siri.
Often enough Siri understands and responds that it can't do something specifically, having understood very clearly what I tried to accomplish, meanwhile I get to learn that another sports statistics feature got added or whatever. Whoohoo. (Don't get me wrong, that's AWESOME for sports fans, it'd be more awesome if their selection of sports and the actual usefulness was better. I digress...)

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[TheralSadurns]

They explained why: http://9to5mac.com/2015/11/04/siri-apple-tv-countries-movies-tv-shows/

All true... BUT...

Siri should just respect it's OWN language setting... like it does on iOS.
In the sense... if Siri is set to German → expect a German-style pronunciation.
If Siri is set to English → expect U.S. style pronunciation.


Just because Germans would call it something like "Sous Paak" rather than "South Park" doesn't mean that by just RESIDING in Germany... you start sounding like them.