Two Quick Apple TV Questions....

[tjkahn]

1. Can it simultaneously output audio from the optical and analog audio jacks? I'd like to hook it up to both my home theater and my whole-house amplifier.

2. Is Apple TV in the Harmony database so that it's easy to add to a Harmony remote?

Thanks.

 

[GoCubsGo]

1. No. Either or.
2. Yes and a wonderful guide was also posted here. Oddly, I used the search feature and found the aforementioned wonderful guide.

Oh snap here's another fine article found via this weird search engine online.

 

[thunderclap]

1. Can it simultaneously output audio from the optical and analog audio jacks? I'd like to hook it up to both my home theater and my whole-house amplifier.

I'm not 100% sure on this but my guess is no.

2. Is Apple TV in the Harmony database so that it's easy to add to a Harmony remote?

You have to do a little tweaking but yes... you can control the ATV with the Harmony remote.

 

[Alrescha]

1. Can it simultaneously output audio from the optical and analog audio jacks? I'd like to hook it up to both my home theater and my whole-house amplifier.

1. No. Either or.

That's very definitive. And wrong. The Apple TV has no way of knowing whats at the other end of the optical connector, or the analog connector for that matter. It outputs on all audio jacks simultaneously.

A.

 

[GoCubsGo]

That's very definitive. And wrong. The Apple TV has no way of knowing whats at the other end of the optical connector, or the analog connector for that matter. It outputs on all audio jacks simultaneously.

A.

Show me because I tried and it wasn't working. I had optical through a receiver and analog through a TV and it didn't output through both. Actually, I think the optical trumped it.

Perhaps this is semantics. Sure it doesn't know, but one surely overrides the other.
No?

 

[tjkahn]

1. No. Either or. .

So what happens if you have both outputs connected (to two different receivers) - No sound?

2. Yes and a wonderful guide was also posted here. Oddly, I used the search feature and found the aforementioned wonderful guide.

Oh snap here's another fine article found via this weird search engine online.

I saw that first link too but it looks frustrating and a lot more complex than just adding the device from the Harmony database - so I was just wondering if ATV was in the harmony database and then it would take all of 30 seconds to add it and have all of the commands on the LCD screen of the 890. The second link was much better.

Thanks for the help.

 

[tjkahn]

That's very definitive. And wrong. The Apple TV has no way of knowing whats at the other end of the optical connector, or the analog connector for that matter. It outputs on all audio jacks simultaneously.

A.

That does make more sense to me. I have just about every a/v component in my house hooked up digiatally to a surround sound processor, and via analog jacks to a different receiver for whole-house playback. I've never heard of a device that could not simultaneously output both a digital and an analog signal.

 

[GoCubsGo]

No I get sound but not out of both.
As for it being in the DB, I'd have to log into an account I set up for someone and see, but AVForums.com and AVSForums.com probably have the answer since it'd be more widely discussed.

 

[tjkahn]

No I get sound but not out of both.
As for it being in the DB, I'd have to log into an account I set up for someone and see, but AVForums.com and AVSForums.com probably have the answer since it'd be more widely discussed.

So, if I understand you correctly, the optical output trumps the analog, thus you can have both connected, but if you want to listen via the analog cable, you need to disconnect the optical?

Probably not a deal breaker for me, but it would be a bit of a pain to have to disconnect the optical cable to listen to i-tunes.

 

[Alrescha]

Perhaps this is semantics. Sure it doesn't know, but one surely overrides the other.
No?

If it doesn't know, how could it possibly decide which output to use?


The Apple TV outputs audio on both the analog and optical outputs at the same time. I know this because my Apple TV is connected to my television via analog and to my A/V receiver via optical. Both outputs are active, I can adjust the volume on either device and hear audio.

A.

 

[tjkahn]

If it doesn't know, how could it possibly decide which output to use?


The Apple TV outputs audio on both the analog and optical outputs at the same time. I know this because my Apple TV is connected to my television via analog and to my A/V receiver via optical. Both outputs are active, I can adjust the volume on either device and hear audio.

A.

Well, this is strange because you and Jessica seem to be doing the same thing with different results.

What Jessica mentions does make a little bit of sense - the HD Tivo's (before DirecTV went to their new HR 20's and HR 21's) used to only output video from either HDMI or component - not both. The HDMI would trump the component outputs. I have a DVD player that is the same way (although instead of having to disconnect cables, there is an output selector on the front panel - much better).

I've just never seen a device that couldn't output digital and analog audio signals at the same time.

 

[mchalebk]

With my previous (non-HDMI) receiver, I ran the optical for the living room and the analog for the rest of the house. It worked like a charm.

With my new HDMI receiver, I'm running HDMI for Zone 1 and analog for zone 2. Works great.

I can't think of any reason why running digital and analog outs together should be a problem.

And AppleTV is in the Harmony database, so it's very easy to add.

 

[mchalebk]

2. Yes and a wonderful guide was also posted here. Oddly, I used the search feature and found the aforementioned wonderful guide.

Oh snap here's another fine article found via this weird search engine online.

When the AppleTV first came out, it wasn't in the database. Since the remote was the same (or close to the same) for Macs, people found ways to make it work. The online guides that make it sound like it's a big deal no longer apply. The AppleTV is in the Harmony database and I didn't have to do any tweaking whatsoever to get it to work.

 

[tjkahn]

When the AppleTV first came out, it wasn't in the database. Since the remote was the same (or close to the same) for Macs, people found ways to make it work. The online guides that make it sound like it's a big deal no longer apply. The AppleTV is in the Harmony database and I didn't have to do any tweaking whatsoever to get it to work.

Yep, that's pretty much what the second link that was posted said - Harmony took a while to add it to their database, but eventually they did.

The method of adding it in the first post, while it would certainly work, defeats the purpose (i.e. the simplicity) of the Harmony remote in the first place. My Harmony controls 15 devices, and I've never had to take more than a minute to add any of them with full functionality right away. If Harmony now has it in the database, I can't imagine I'd ever use the apple remote (especially if you need RF).

 

[tjkahn]

With my previous (non-HDMI) receiver, I ran the optical for the living room and the analog for the rest of the house. It worked like a charm.

With my new HDMI receiver, I'm running HDMI for Zone 1 and analog for zone 2. Works great.

I can't think of any reason why running digital and analog outs together should be a problem.

And AppleTV is in the Harmony database, so it's very easy to add.

According to Amazon, my AppleTV arrives today, so I'll report back.

 

[Studawg7]

optical and analog stereo

You can have both connected and work at the same time. I currently have my atv setup this way: optical connects to my avr and analog connects to my tv. I have it this way so that when the sig other watches recorded shows on the atv she only needs to turn on the tv.

 

[gregorybret]

Both work for me at the same time

I have the optical connected to my receiver and the analog hooked up to an outdoor speaker (antenna). They both work fine at the same time. I have the ATV Software set for the Digital Out.