How to Use Apple TV

Install Apple TV

Open the Apple TV box. Place it near the TV where there is power, and if using a wired network (optional), keep the Apple TV near the network port.

Don't place Apple TV on top of other electronic devices, and don't place anything on top of Apple TV. Doing so may cause the Apple TV to overheat and interfere with the wireless signal.

Connect the HDMI cable. Attach one end of the cable to the HDMI port on the back of your Apple TV and the other end to the HDMI port on your TV.

Note: This article describes how to connect directly to a TV. If you use an audio connection device, you can refer to the manufacturer's instructions for use. However, generally this device will be inserted between the Apple TV and your TV.

Apple TV also offers a TOSLink output digital audio port. If you are using this port, connect one end of the TOSLink cable to the Apple TV and connect the other end to the TOSLink digital audio input port on the TV.

Connect the ethernet cable. If you're using a wired network, connect your Apple TV to the ethernet port using the appropriate cable.

Apple TV has built-in 802.11 Wi-Fi: you can connect to a wireless network during setup.

Connect the power cord. Once you're done with the other connections, you can plug the small end of the power cord into the Apple TV's power port and the other end into a nearby electrical outlet.

Turn on the TV. Let's explore the world of Apple TV! Use your remote to select the HDMI port that Apple TV is using as the TV input.

If this is the first time you are setting up your Apple TV, the setup screen will be displayed. If that's not the case, double check that everything is plugged in correctly and that you've selected the correct input.

Apple TV configuration

Know how to use your Apple Remote. You will operate almost every function on Apple TV with it.

Use the black ring to move the cursor up, down, left and right.

The silver button in the center of the ring is the "Select" button: this button is used to select menus, enter characters, and more.

The Menu button is used to open a menu or return you to the previous screen.

Press and hold Menu to return to the main menu.

When watching a movie, you can hold down the Menu button to turn on subtitles.

Play/Pause button is used to run/pause the program.

Hold down the Menu button and Down arrow to reset Apple TV. When resetting, the Apple TV status light will flash continuously.

To pair the remote with Apple TV, hold down the Menu button and the arrow pointing to the Right for 6 seconds. Apple TV will not be controlled by any other remote.

Note that in the App Store there is a free app aptly named "Remote". In addition to all the features of the Apple remote, the app offers many more. If you have an iPhone or iPad, this is truly a perfect addition to your Apple TV experience.

Note that the Apple Remote is not a universal remote. You still need to control the volume and other functions on your TV or audio-connected device using their remote.

Connect to your wireless network. Based on the on-screen instructions, select your wireless network from the menu. If the network is hidden, enter its name. After selecting, enter the password (if any) and click Done when prompted.

If you don't use DHCP for your network, you now need to assign an IP address, network mask, router address, and DNS address.

Set up the Home Sharing sharing feature. To access music and videos on your computer from Apple TV, you will need the Home Sharing function.

Set up Home Sharing on Apple TV. From the main menu, select Settings then Home Sharing. Enter your Apple ID and password.

Set up Home Sharing on iTunes. From the File menu, choose Home Sharing > Turn On Home Sharing. Enter the Apple ID and password you used for Apple TV.

Enjoy content on Apple TV

Watch movies freely! With iTunes on Apple TV, you can enjoy the latest movies in 1080p (v3) and 720p (v2). Using the on-screen browser, you can preview, rent, or buy movies from the collection.

Although almost all content on iTunes is available for preview, many movies in their first weeks of release on iTunes are only available for sale, not rental. Sometimes, some movies only have one of two options: buy or rent.

iTunes also only allows purchasing TV shows, although you can subscribe to entire seasons. TV shows available on iTunes are usually released one to two days later than their original broadcast date.

Download content from your iOS device. You can use AirPlay to wirelessly download movies and photos stored on your iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. You can also use screen mirroring to use your TV as a big screen for your iPhone or iPad!

Use the Home Sharing feature. With Home Sharing, you can browse and play your entire iTunes library. Includes any playlists you've created and the Genius feature. You can also view photos with iPhoto on your computer or just drop the photos you want to share on Apple TV into a folder and then connect that folder via iTunes Home Sharing.

To access photos, music, movies, and videos on your computer from Apple TV, click the blue "Computers" button on the Main Menu screen. From here, you can access all relevant content on your computer.

To access all the music stored in iCloud using iTunes Match, press the orange "Music" button on the Main Menu screen.

Try Netflix and Hulu Plus. To view content, you need a Netflix and/or Hulu account. At that time, you can be immersed in movies from the past to the present and no longer be bored for the rest of your days. To access the content, press the Netflix or Hulu button on the main menu and choose your option.

If you have another iOS device, download the Netflix app. If you're watching a movie on Netfilx and want to go to bed to finish it and fall asleep (don't do that with action movies), turn off the TV (Apple TV will pause) and turn on Netflix on your iOS device. The movie will continue right where it left off! Hulu+ also has a similar feature.

Enjoy sports matches. If you love sports, you can subscribe to MLB.TV, NBA.com, and NHL GameCenter, watch games live in HD, and watch them again from "on-demand" storage. If you do not register, you can still update the match schedule, scores, rankings and summarize the main developments of previous matches.

Become a financial expert. Use Wall Street Journal Live to gather financial and market news, hear experts share their opinions, and see a roundup of the latest news. You can access it anytime, 24/7!

Enjoy content shared by others. You can access YouTube, Vimeo and Flickr from the Main Menu. There's a world of user-generated content out there, and you can easily access it with just the click of a button.

Enter the world of music. With Radio, you can choose from hundreds of online radio channels categorized into categories. Are you ready for some Classic Blue? Or classical music? What about radio talk shows? Click on the category you want to listen to and choose as you like. Some don't advertise, others do, but in general, they're completely free and of high quality.

Jessica Tanner

Update 17 May 2024