Apple TV

[grawk]

You want to sync 600 movies to your ipad but want your apple tv to only see 200 of them? I have to say that makes no sense at all to me.

[Grahame]

Get Another Mac.

Not that big of a deal.

Steve

Sent from my iPhone

Seriously. Create another "View" of your library in iTunes. Point your Apple TV at that view.

Expensive hardware based solution.

Buy another Mac. (call it Mac2). Install iTunes. Copy across only files you want to see in Apple TV to Mac2 iTunes Library. Point Apple TV at iTunes library on Mac2. Problem solved.

Cheap Software based Hack.

Create File system with iTunesRoot as top level folder , with AppleTvRoot as a sub folder

Move All iTunes content below iTunesRoot . Move AppleTV specific content below AppleTvRoot

Point main iTunes library iTunesRoot - hence all content.

Now install VM and OS that allows you to run Itunes.

In VM instance of itunes, point it at AppleTvRoot (you did make it visible to the VM didn't you )

Now point appleTV at the instance of itunes running on the VM.

Problem solved.

[HeadphoneAddict]

You want to sync 600 movies to your ipad but want your apple tv to only see 200 of them? I have to say that makes no sense at all to me.

No. I want to be able to choose only 20-30 of the 800 movies to sync to the iPad, but NOT have to first go see if they are checked off or not every time I want to sync. I don't want to find out that they have been unchecked and not sync'd when I go to watch one.

When I buy the kids a deluxe LP on iTunes with a large music video included, we sometimes uncheck the video so it doesn't sync to their iPhone and take up space. This frustrates them if I forget to re-check the box after their phone is sync'd, because then when the ATV syncs they don't get the video there where they want it. Unchecking items so they do not sync is a PITA.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Get Another Mac.

Not that big of a deal.

Steve

Sent from my iPhone

Seriously. Create another "View" of your library in iTunes. Point your Apple TV at that view.

Expensive hardware based solution.

Buy another Mac. (call it Mac2). Install iTunes. Copy across only files you want to see in Apple TV to Mac2 iTunes Library. Point Apple TV at iTunes library on Mac2. Problem solved.

Cheap Software based Hack.

Create File system with iTunesRoot as top level folder , with AppleTvRoot as a sub folder

Move All iTunes content below iTunesRoot . Move AppleTV specific content below AppleTvRoot

Point main iTunes library iTunesRoot - hence all content.

Now install VM and OS that allows you to run Itunes.

In VM instance of itunes, point it at AppleTvRoot (you did make it visible to the VM didn't you )

Now point appleTV at the instance of itunes running on the VM.

Problem solved.

Thanks, I've thought about a separate Mac, but likely wont do that. I also like iTunes to keep the content organized, so iTunes will move things around and wreck that hierarchy of iTunesRoot and AppleTVRoot. Plus the iMac is an older core 2 duo that only supports 3Gb RAM, and with two users logged in all the time we can't leave a VM running. So that makes the software solution less viable as well.

There is another software solution that might work. I could possibly launch iTunes under my wife's log-in and open a separate library database, and set it's preferences to NOT move the original files that are added to iTunes. The media files would stay in their original location in "Users > Shared > iTunes" when I drag them onto the new iTunes library window. I'd then try to share my wife's limited library with the 2nd Gen ATV, while I still have iTunes open in my account and sharing everything with my Macbook (and syncing iPods and older ATV). I don't know if the 2nd Gen ATV would like having both users logged into iTunes with home-sharing turned on, but it would be worth a try.

I use a similar method (but not identical) when I want to use my Macbook at a meet without people having access to my personal data, or being able to delete songs and playlists from within iTunes. I keep all the music and video files in the users > shared folder so they are available to more than just my account, but I set privileges for the folder so only administrators and I can modify the contents. For everyone else the media files are "read only". I load iTunes under my name and share only my lossless music playlist, then I switch to a generic user with few privileges and launch iTunes to open the shared playlist. Then everyone can play the shared playlist, but there are no actual files in the user's library to accidentally delete.

Basically, I know that two users on the same mac can be logged into iTunes at the same time, as long as they have different library databases. It doesn't matter if they use the same media files. This might be the trick. Thanks!

[The Monkey]

Did you try the playlist idea yet?

[grawk]

You can tell it it can sync unchecked items to the ipad while not syncing unchecked items to the appletv...

[HeadphoneAddict]

Did you try the playlist idea yet?

Not yet, I'm still using two 160Gb 1st Gen ATV. But I'm looking at getting a 2nd Gen in addition to those (three total for master bedroom, family room, home theater) - my other option was to find a 3rd 160Gb 1st Gen ATV. I believe I'll just have to get one and try it, and return it if I don't like it. I could always use VNC on my iPad to remote control my iMac iTunes app, and play to the ATV via airplay.

You can tell it it can sync unchecked items to the ipad while not syncing unchecked items to the appletv...

Thanks, I do appreciate all the suggestions. I have been unchecking a small percentage of our files so that they don't sync to any of the iPods and iPad when they get caught in a playlist. If I uncheck a huge number of files so they don't sync to the ATV, then it means even more wont go to the iPad or iPods.

But I suppose I could turn syncing of unchecked files to iPad and iPod back on, and just redo several of our music playlists so that those files don't appear in the playlists themselves. Then when the playlists sync the files will still not be included. Usually for every album we buy or rip I make a smart playlist for it, and I could just add more criteria to the playlist to exclude certain files instead of unchecking them. That way whether they are unchecked or not would only matter for the ATV. Unfortunately having 18,000 files in the 823 Gb itunes library makes this more time consuming. (My macbook pro has 9,500 files taking up 208 Gb).

[The Monkey]

Why won't you try the playlist idea?

EDIT: in 15 words or less.

[grawk]

He doesn't want a solution, he wants to show how much he has, and why he can't use what he has the way he wants. I'm posting suggestions for the benefit of whoever finds this thread in a seach later looking to solve similar problems.

[The Monkey]

In that case, perhaps he should smash all 10 of his AppleTVs to little bits.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Why won't you try the playlist idea?

EDIT: in 15 words or less.

Because I don't have the 2nd Gen ATV to try it out yet. I'll buy one on black Friday.

[HeadphoneAddict]

He doesn't want a solution, he wants to show how much he has, and why he can't use what he has the way he wants. I'm posting suggestions for the benefit of whoever finds this thread in a seach later looking to solve similar problems.

No, I can use what I have the way I want. It's the 2nd Gen ATV I'm trying to decide about, which I don't have yet. Well, actually I do want the airplay and netflix that Apple won't add to my 1st gen ATV through an update, but not all the headaches that go with not being able to sync only the content that I want viewable on that ATV.

[The Monkey]

Try playlists with the 1G AppleTV. Then report back. In 15 words or less (which you almost were able to do in response to my last query...but not quite).

Edit: I also don't understand what 1g v 2g has to do with the Playlist suggestion. In fact, if you don't try it today and report back your success, I might ban you. Happy thanksgiving! : )

Edited November 25, 2010 by The Monkey

[Dusty Chalk]

In that case, perhaps he should smash all 10 of his AppleTVs to little bits.

Aren't the new ones already little bits?

[The Monkey]

No.

[luvdunhill]

No.

It's tomorrow somewhere in the world, isn't it?

[HeadphoneAddict]

Try playlists with the 1G AppleTV. Then report back. In 15 words or less (which you almost were able to do in response to my last query...but not quite).

Edit: I also don't understand what 1g v 2g has to do with the Playlist suggestion. In fact, if you don't try it today and report back your success, I might ban you. Happy thanksgiving! : )

I'm out of town for thanksgiving, so unable to test until Saturday. Sorry.

[n_maher]

I'm out of town for thanksgiving, so unable to test until Saturday. Sorry.

Well then, you're on the clock.

[blessingx]

Falling in love with AirPlay (with various interweb stations). While people are testing, mind if I ask current model AppleTV owners if audio AirPlay streaming with iPhone or iPad keeps an interface going on the iDevice (normal iTunes, etc.) not blank out (with simple controls) as video streaming appears to do in Apples AirPlay vids? Trying to decide between an AppleTV or another AirPort Expess and for this use may not have a TV turned on when playing music.

[HeadphoneAddict]

I tried streaming video playlists to 1G ATV but can't find them on ATV.

[The Monkey]

Go get a new Apple TV. And a MacBook.

[Salt Peanuts]

Go get a new Apple TV. And a MacBook.

Nice, but no new iMac?

[MexicanDragon]

Go get a new Apple TV. And a MacBook.

Why not just get a new Mac Mini and hook it up to the TV through HDMI and blahbity bloop?

**BRENT**

[Salt Peanuts]

Why not just get a new Mac Mini and hook it up to the TV through HDMI and blahbity bloop?

**BRENT**

Because new Mac Mini costs $699 as opposed to $99 for a new Apple TV? Not to mention it would be bit difficult to use Mac Mini as a laptop.

Edited November 27, 2010 by Salt Peanuts

[HeadphoneAddict]

I already considered those options or 64Gb Touch, but couldn't post it after 15 words.