Apple TV

Hi

I have an Apple TV2. The TV in our trailer is a Jensen 26" which, according to the online specs, has 2 x HDMI ports.

Anyone else use Apple TV2 in their RV? I assume that we need to HDMI connect our AppleTV to the screen and use a router to create a network for the server and laptop to speak to the Apple TV?

Any other issues I should think about?

We have one that was a gift from a relative. We have used it a few times. Its connected to the back of the RV with an HDMI cable. When you turn it on, it automatically detects WiFi and suggests a network. If you are at a campground, sometimes you can't use it because they have a restriction on bandwidth. You can get in to Netflix and watch streaming movies if there is a good signal.

New HD TV's have WiFi built in so its not necessary. If you have one that doesn't have WiFi, its a good alternative. We haven't had any problems with it.

I have a switch that runs Ethernet into my Apple TV. You then use an HDMI cable that plugs into your TV for audio and video, if your not using the optical out. If you plan to use 3G/4G to view movies be careful, you'll chew through your data pretty quick watching movies!

This streaming stuff is one reason many of the campground wifi systems are soooo slow and sometimes disconnect. Seems to me that streaming on a wifi like that should be a camping taboo and bad manners. Am I wrong?

I agree with you, Bruce. That shared bandwidth is supposed to be there for normal internet use (email, browse, etc.) for everyone, not to feed TV to one or two RVs.

Agree on the shared bandwidth. There is almost no chance of having enough from a camp ground connection to stream video anyway.

What I was suggesting was using a router to create a network within my rv only. Not using an Internet connection via the camp ground but just a simple internal network. Basically using a router to create the network but not a modem. I don't want internet access, just to stream music from my Mac to my Apple TV.

When on the road our ATV is a great way to display photos for friends. (They may not be for long if you show too many )

Hey Jeff

Do you just use a router and stream from the Mac product of your choice through to Apple TV? 

Jeff said:

When on the road our ATV is a great way to display photos for friends. (They may not be for long if you show too many )

Click to expand...

If your using "Airplay" from an iPhone/iPad streamed to your Apple TV it won't use any data because it's all local. I use that all the time to check videos I shoot when out on the trails.

JayPeeWhy said:

Hey Jeff

Do you just use a router and stream from the Mac product of your choice through to Apple TV?

Click to expand...

Yes, an Ipad.

Jeff said:

Yes, an Ipad.

Click to expand...

You won't use any data for that

You might even be able to configure an "Ad-Hoc" or peer-to-peer wireless network connection between your AppleTV and an iPad or iPhone, so you can AirPlay. One less device to power up (router). I should test this out...


Mylo

I think both devices have to be connected to the same local network for Airplay to work, which would require a router?

An ad-hoc network is between devices and doesn't require a switch or router.  I don't know if the Apple devices can establish an ad-hoc network.

Apple TV has to log onto a network. Unless you Hijack your Ipad so that it creates the hotspot I'm not sure I know how to connect them directly.

I am fairly sure they can't but would love to stand corrected.

Airplay works over a local network only, no direct link to ATV2, or 3 as far as I know. Without Airplay there is no method for ATV to receive from another device. An alternative option would be a Mac Mini, you would be able to set up an ad hoc network for that but at Round $99 the Apple TV is a bargain. The Mac Mini not so much.

I know this is an old topic, but, just to clarify, no jailbreak is needed if your service provider allows you to create a wifi hotspot on your iPhone (which many, if not all, do) then the Apple TV can log into this hotspot (referred to earlier in this thread as an "ad hoc" network, which it is) and allow AirPlay from any compatible device (mac, ipad, iphone) also on the network, or allow you to play streaming media accessed through the iPhone's data connection. Using the ATV to access streaming radio, for instance, is a good low-throughput option. Streaming movies from Netflix might get costly without unlimited data. If you turn on the hotspot and then just Airplay from local storage you will use almost no data. We load the iPad with several movies before a trip so that we don't have to rely on either the iPhone's data plan or tapping the shared bandwidth in a campground.

I'm investigating a software package called FireCore that works on a jailbroken ATV2 (no ATV3 support yet) and allows it to directly to a NAS (network attached storage) drive, which would be much faster to load and more capacious than the iPad. And with the prices of 2TB NAS drives plummeting it could be a pretty cheap proposition to have a few-hundred-title mobile movie library in your RV. I keep vacillating between this option and using a slingbox to access media stored on my home system (not to mention the contents of my DVR and live satellite!)... but this is a very bandwidth-dependent solution. Not that we watch much tv when camping, but it's nice to have options.

Beat you too it

I jailbroke my Apple TV 2 and installed ATV Flash from Firecore. I use it at home already too.

I have a router in the Rv for a private network, connect my Synology NAS server via Ethernet cable and then my Apple TV is just set up on that same private network. Works a treat. It does mean preloading your server with shows or films though.

The Synology stuff is excellent, works really well with Mac and has a great OSX like suite of programs installed to make set up and use very easy. It even has its own VPN controller and download station so you can download stuff direct to the NAS without your computer even being on.

Relying on campground bandwidth is simply not an option I don't think, they are usually below average if you are very lucky.

I also jailbroke my ATV2 with FireCore. I use it at home. Great product.

How are you guys powering your ATV and/or your NAS in your RV? You trust your inverter with those sensitive pieces of electronics? Do you have the fancy, "true sine wave" models?


Mylo

I have been running a Synology DS-213 NAS on our MSW inverter with no apparent problems.  Even when switching between shore and inverter power it keeps on running.  Most computer devices are using switching power supplies that aren't affected by the incoming waveform.