Take Control of Apple TV

Everything you need to know about the Apple TV!

The Apple TV may be the smallest component of a home entertainment system, but its size is in stark contrast to the vast quantity of content that it can bring to life through your television. With it, you can consider cutting the cord to your cable company — and ditching that expensive monthly bill! And with the advice in Take Control of Apple TV, you can go far beyond watching movies and TV shows to make the Apple TV into the hub of your stereo system, display gorgeous slideshows of your photos, and play iPhone and iPad games on the big screen.

Written by TidBITS managing editor Josh Centers, the ebook walks new owners through setup, and then dives into explaining how to best control the Apple TV with the included remote, Apple’s Remote app, or another TV remote. You’ll learn to customize the icon grid on the main screen, enable parental controls, and make your screen saver look awesome. Josh also covers uses of AirPlay, the Apple technology that lets you beam audio and video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the Apple TV, and lets the Apple TV send audio to compatible speakers anywhere in your home.

When it comes to content, you’ll tour the Apple TV’s built-in video apps — iTunes Store, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, PBS, YouTube, and more — plus get ideas for which are likely to offer what you want to watch. But you’re not restricted to commercial video — Josh explains how you can best view home movies and any DVDs or Blu-ray discs you own, listen to your music or iTunes Radio, use Home Sharing to display your photos via the Apple TV, and discover iOS games designed for playing via the Apple TV. If you’re feeling geeky, you can read about how to make Plex bring in even more video content, including free access to Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Finally, the Apple TV isn’t just about entertainment. Thanks to AirPlay, it makes a great device for giving presentations from a Mac, iPhone, or iPad using Keynote; it’s the perfect accompaniment for a road warrior heading into unfamiliar conference rooms. Josh gives you all the details, including a list of what you’ll need to handle any hardware you may encounter.

In Take Control of Apple TV you’ll read about:

• The one-button press for jumping immediately to the main menu
• Hiding unwanted Apple TV apps that clutter your main screen
• Must-know video navigation tricks (also in the free Apple TV Cheat Sheet)
• Enabling subtitles for foreign-language films or for the deaf or hard of hearing
• Which is better, Netflix or Hulu?
• Navigating with audio VoiceOver
• Playing music from the Apple TV on every speaker in the house
• The obscure way to transfer photos from a computer to the Apple TV
• Two ways to show home movies on your TV screen
• Using your TV screen as a second monitor for your Mac
• Essential items to pack if you’ll be giving a presentation via an Apple TV
• What you can do with Conference Room Display mode
• Improving AirPlay performance when playing games
• Setting up an Elgato EyeTV HD to record live TV for the Apple TV

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Read Me First
Chapter 2. Introduction
Chapter 3. Apple TV Quick Start
Chapter 4. Set Up Your Apple TV
Chapter 5. Control Your Apple TV
Chapter 6. Discover What’s on Offer
Chapter 7. Master AirPlay
Chapter 8. Apple TV at the Movies
Chapter 9. Rock Out with Apple TV
Chapter 10. View Photos & Home Movies
Chapter 11. Present with Apple TV
Chapter 12. Play Games on Apple TV
Chapter 13. Do More with Apple TV
Chapter 14. Cheat Sheet
Chapter 15. About This Book
Chapter 16. Copyright & Fine Print
Chapter 17. Featured Titles