I know a lot of people like to discuss how to improve the apple TV, but all I really need is base functionality that is rock steady.
In this regard, the apple TV over the last few months has (for me) not fulfilled its primary mission - to stay connected to a running iTunes instance. Or maybe it's the other way around, but either way, the two won't stay paired and that means I can't stream or sync content between the two.
The overview of my setup is as follows: 100% GigE ethernet (except of course for the apple TV, as it only sports a 100 Mbps ethernet adapter). iTunes runs non-stop on a headless 2008 Mac mini on a dedicated basis. The cabling is all gigE-rated (including the patch cords and terminators). The switch is GigE rated. The router is a GigE capable Apple AirPort Extreme (of which the wireless component is turned off). The LAN was installed a few years ago by a guy that wires data centers for a living and has not been modified since. I'm 100% up-to-date with all of the relevant applications (Apple TV, AirPort Utility, Leopard, Java security patches, etc.) and firmware on the AirPort Extreme. It is 100% Apple (without any tweaks or hacks), excluding the cables and switch (which Apple does not make).
As a result of having such a strong and fast network, I run everything on the apple TV on a streamed basis. The content I serve up is over 1.5 Gigs and growing. The music was personally ripped by me from a nearly 1,000 CD collection using the uncompressed aiff format. The movies and TV shows are all via the iTunes store. Given the size of the data and the strength/speed of the network, syncing makes no sense for me.
The problem is not my network. It has functioned perfectly since it was installed a few years ago and despite my recent apple TV / iTunes problem, access to other machines in the house (4 other current Macs) and the internet continues not to be an issue.
My problem is that over the last few months, the apple TV just keeps disappearing from iTunes - something I had never previously experienced. I can temporarily get the two working together again by quitting iTunes and re-starting, but it's getting more than a little old doing so daily or more frequently (especially since re-starting iTunes causes all the content to have to be acquired again from the attached storage devices - and that takes 3-4 minutes to do).
For a more permanent fix, I've tried the home remedies that Google has brought to my attention courtesy of the seemingly large number of people that have written about the same problem. The remedies have included: (1) killing every iTunes plist file; (2) removing iTunes, downloading a fresh copy and starting over; (3) re-pairing the apple TV and iTunes with a new code; and (4) re-booting the apple TV. While these "fixes" all work temporarily, they never last long. The problem usually resurfaces within a few hours or less (sometimes in the middle of watching a movie - it's easy to tell when, as I begin to get stutters). Over the last month and a little, I haven't been able to keep the two connected for more than a day.
Anyone have any constructive ideas on how to correct the problem or advice as to where to seek an answer?
In this regard, the apple TV over the last few months has (for me) not fulfilled its primary mission - to stay connected to a running iTunes instance. Or maybe it's the other way around, but either way, the two won't stay paired and that means I can't stream or sync content between the two.
The overview of my setup is as follows: 100% GigE ethernet (except of course for the apple TV, as it only sports a 100 Mbps ethernet adapter). iTunes runs non-stop on a headless 2008 Mac mini on a dedicated basis. The cabling is all gigE-rated (including the patch cords and terminators). The switch is GigE rated. The router is a GigE capable Apple AirPort Extreme (of which the wireless component is turned off). The LAN was installed a few years ago by a guy that wires data centers for a living and has not been modified since. I'm 100% up-to-date with all of the relevant applications (Apple TV, AirPort Utility, Leopard, Java security patches, etc.) and firmware on the AirPort Extreme. It is 100% Apple (without any tweaks or hacks), excluding the cables and switch (which Apple does not make).
As a result of having such a strong and fast network, I run everything on the apple TV on a streamed basis. The content I serve up is over 1.5 Gigs and growing. The music was personally ripped by me from a nearly 1,000 CD collection using the uncompressed aiff format. The movies and TV shows are all via the iTunes store. Given the size of the data and the strength/speed of the network, syncing makes no sense for me.
The problem is not my network. It has functioned perfectly since it was installed a few years ago and despite my recent apple TV / iTunes problem, access to other machines in the house (4 other current Macs) and the internet continues not to be an issue.
My problem is that over the last few months, the apple TV just keeps disappearing from iTunes - something I had never previously experienced. I can temporarily get the two working together again by quitting iTunes and re-starting, but it's getting more than a little old doing so daily or more frequently (especially since re-starting iTunes causes all the content to have to be acquired again from the attached storage devices - and that takes 3-4 minutes to do).
For a more permanent fix, I've tried the home remedies that Google has brought to my attention courtesy of the seemingly large number of people that have written about the same problem. The remedies have included: (1) killing every iTunes plist file; (2) removing iTunes, downloading a fresh copy and starting over; (3) re-pairing the apple TV and iTunes with a new code; and (4) re-booting the apple TV. While these "fixes" all work temporarily, they never last long. The problem usually resurfaces within a few hours or less (sometimes in the middle of watching a movie - it's easy to tell when, as I begin to get stutters). Over the last month and a little, I haven't been able to keep the two connected for more than a day.
Anyone have any constructive ideas on how to correct the problem or advice as to where to seek an answer?