AppleTV-How do I copy content to it without syncing?

[RickR]

Now that the 160GB version of the Apple TV is out I'm interested in upgrading to that from my 40GB version. The only problem I see is how to handle the data.

I used to steam my data from my Mac but now simply sync it. I have almost 20GB of video and music files. In the future once I get the 160GB version I want to use far more video. The problem then becomes my MacBook's Hard Drive space. It is almost full.

With my iPod I'm able to simply drag files from my Mac to the iPod in addition to syncing. I'd like to be able to drag files from my Mac to the AppleTV in addition to syncing. That way I can put a lot of videos onto the 160GB hard drive even though they don't all fit on my MacBook. I store a lot of them on cd's and dvd's when not being used. How do I go about doing this?

[DylanG]

Sadly, this can't be done without hacking the AppleTV to get direct network access. I'm very disappointed with AppleTV's syncing and streaming model. I want my AppleTV with a big hard drive to be an aggregrator of all the digital media from multiple machines.

[iRye]

Yeah, it sucks that Apple TV can't do that.

[Ryan13]

Sadly, this can't be done without hacking the AppleTV to get direct network access. I'm very disappointed with AppleTV's syncing and streaming model. I want my AppleTV with a big hard drive to be an aggregrator of all the digital media from multiple machines.

I wish it was like that too....

[k2snowboards88]

how easy or hard is it to hack it to allow direct network access? if you have a link then that would be a great answer.

Thanks
Dan

(prospective buyer)

[kaidomac]

how easy or hard is it to hack it to allow direct network access? if you have a link then that would be a great answer.

Thanks
Dan

(prospective buyer)

http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/NitoTV

http://plugins.awkwardtv.org/det.php?recordID=nitoTV

http://plugins.awkwardtv.org/det.php?recordID=perian

[MMMII]

If you have an external drive this should work:

If your movies are on an external disk you can go to preferences in iTunes and uncheck the add files to my itunes library option. Then you drag the files to iTunes. My understanding is that it just creates shortcuts to the files so that you can control them in iTunes.

Once you sync the files to TV it will import the files from your HD and from the external disk.

Once you have imported all your files (that you don't want taking up HD space) you can recheck the option for other media.

[snoslicer8]

If you have an external drive this should work:

If your movies are on an external disk you can go to preferences in iTunes and uncheck the add files to my itunes library option. Then you drag the files to iTunes. My understanding is that it just creates shortcuts to the files so that you can control them in iTunes.

Once you sync the files to TV it will import the files from your HD and from the external disk.

Once you have imported all your files (that you don't want taking up HD space) you can recheck the option for other media.

This is exactly the setup I use. My MBP hard drive is 120 GB. I have about 50 GB in music stored on the internal drive. I also have 2 external HD each with 300 GB of video. I added these video files to the iTunes library with the "Copy to iTunes Music Folder" unchecked...that way it pulls each file from the external HD as it needs it. My Apple TV streams it all just fine. I still have it set to sync the newest TV episodes so I can watch Apple TV without my computer being turned on.

In short, an external HD and the aforementioned way of adding files from there to iTunes may be a better solution to your problem than upgrading to the 160 GB model and hacking it for direct network access...cheaper too.

[JeffreyLloyd]

Thanks MMMII, that is awesome info and answers my thread in this section too! Kudos!

[steven11]

Does that mean, YES, I can use an TV as a hub and basically leave the content off my dwindling 160GB MacBook?
I want to take my content off my laptop and store it in the TV. Thats the only way I'd buy one. And if that is the case I want one NOW!!
My goal is to take alot of my vids and clean up my HD on my notebook and deposit the content on the TV.
Is this possible through any kinda of work around?
I'm not sure if I'm clear on the methods described above. Its sounds like I need to put all the content I want to put on the TV on an ExHD then import then leave kinda a blank spot in my iTunes.
Ideally I'd like to use the device as an iPod attached to my TV. I want to drag/import content to it and zap it off my notebook. Possible or pipedream?

[le premier]

This is exactly the setup I use. My MBP hard drive is 120 GB. I have about 50 GB in music stored on the internal drive. I also have 2 external HD each with 300 GB of video. I added these video files to the iTunes library with the "Copy to iTunes Music Folder" unchecked...that way it pulls each file from the external HD as it needs it. My Apple TV streams it all just fine. I still have it set to sync the newest TV episodes so I can watch Apple TV without my computer being turned on.

Does the iTunes "Music folder location" have to be changed as well..ie to the external hard drive location?
Tks...

[snoslicer8]

No, I keep the "Music Folder Location" set to the music folder on my hard drive, where my music is stored. The movies/TV Shows are stored on the external drive, and I just uncheck the "Add files to music folder when adding to library" box when I add files from the external drive to the library. If I want to use those files, the external drive needs to be plugged in, that's it.

[le premier]

I added these video files to the iTunes library with the "Copy to iTunes Music Folder" unchecked...that way it pulls each file from the external HD as it needs it. My Apple TV streams it all just fine. I still have it set to sync the newest TV episodes so I can watch Apple TV without my computer being turned on.

Hi again, thanks for your last reply and sorry to hammer this topic to death but......by adding the video files to the iTunes library... you mean downloading from the iTunes Store and they go automatically to the iTunes library but not to the iTunes Music folder as long as the box remains unchecked.
How do you then get the video files to your external hard drive (removing them from the iTunes library??) and then sync to your Apple TV. How does the Apple TV know where to find them?

[MMMII]

If you download movies from the ITMS then they go into the default iTunes library location and take up local HD space... This happens regardless if the Copy to iTunes Music Folder is checked or not.

If we are talking about these downloaded iTunes movies.... I bet that you could download them from iTunes... Move the downloaded movie to an external drive... Uncheck Copy to iTunes Music Folder... then drop the file into iTunes.

Then as long as you are connected to your external drive and you sync to your TV you should have the downloaded content..

How does it know where to find them? You are storing the file on the external drive... by unchecking the above mentioned option and dragging the file into iTunes you are basically creating a shortcut (alias).. iTunes sees the alias and fetches the file from the external drive.

Basically this would work the same way for content that is backed up or home movies that are converted into the correct format for TV viewing but instead of downlading them from iTunes you just place them on an external drive and follow the same steps.

Hope that helps.