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How to stream netflix onto my TV using Apple TV

G

godette

macrumors member
Original poster
Hi everyone...I'm thinking of joining Netflix, but I want to be able to stream the content from my computer to the TV in my hall. I've been told that Apple TV will do this. Is that true?

I have an older iMac - early 2009. Which version of Apple TV will I need.

Also, I don't have the best whiz-bang internet connection. Will I need a really good speed to get a good picture without it buffering endlessly? And if so, what kind of speed will I need?

Or maybe I'll have to hardwire the TV into my modem/router?

Thank you!
 
If you join Neflix, it will appear on the ATV's main screen. You are then good to go...A direct HSMI connection from the ATV to the TV, and a wired or wifi connection for internet access is all you need.
 
Macman45 said:
If you join Neflix, it will appear on the ATV's main screen. You are then good to go...A direct HSMI connection from the ATV to the TV, and a wired or wifi connection for internet access is all you need.
Click to expand...

Wow that was really quick!

And I won't get the horrible, endless buffering that I get when I try to stream using my TV;s built-in internet movie function?
 
The ATV 3 (current gen) supports netflix out of the box. As long as your broadband and wifi are stable it should be fine.

If it currently buffers a lot on the macbook then the Atv likely will be the same.

Generally the ATV will blow away most internet enabled TV's.

If you can cable it to the router; even better 🙂
 
For built-in NetFlix: Even when I was on 3mbps DSL it always started relatively quickly, then played though to the end with no pauses.

I'm now on 32mbps and they usually start instantly. So while their HD offerings might not quite be up to 1080p through Apple TV, it's very good (dependent on your bandwidth, of course).

I was always amazed how well they did on our slow 3mbps DSL, where they did get to the level of HD quality (not quite 1080, but it did do a good imitation of 720). Can't remember any pauses for re-buffering. And, as you might guess, never any stalls or hiccups after switching to the high-speed 32mbps pipe.

iTunes Movie Rental: renting movies through the :apple:tv in 1080p HD will be ready to play after ~6 seconds (just counting verbally - ymmv). It looks great on 50" Panasonic plasma at full 1080p. Not quite Blu-ray, but totally acceptable. Even for purchased movies, if you don't care about all the disc extras, the convenience factor might out weigh the difference for some.

Streaming from Mac: no problems (see sig for equip). Most of my large TV/movie files are stored on an external drive (FW800), but are still part of my main shared iTunes Library.

AirPlay to :apple:tv works flawlessly (iPad), though remember if you are mirroring in landscape, you will have pillars on your 16:9. With mirroring disabled, movies will play utilizing the full 16:9 area (depending on movie, as many are narrower, and, many are SD - so side pillars)

Connection to system is:
:apple:tv > 4x HDMI switch > HDMI > Plasma
:apple:tv > 4x FO TOSLINK switch > FO TOSLINK> Receiver/Amp
:apple:tv > WiFi 802.11(n) > AirPort Extreme 5th Gen​
 
Last edited:
Every box on the planet does netflix, Bought a BR player last 3 years, it probly has it built-in, but yeah ATV does it too.
 
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