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How would you change the second-generation Apple TV?
No one said that hobbies were easy to throw away, and it's pretty clear that the Apple TV still holds a dear piece of Cupertino's heart. In fact, we'd argue that the box's streaming abilities now tie into Apple's overall mission more than ever before, and with iOS 4.2.1 for the iPad (and the accompanying introduction of AirPlay), it's feeling less like an afterthought and more like a focal point. That said, we're curious to know if early adopters feel satisfied by their $99 box. Have you found it to function as-advertised? Still fuming over those output and / or color issues? If you were given the keys to the design kingdom, how would you turn the Apple TV into your perfect media streamer? Ditch the iTunes integration? Offer access to more content portals? Paint it pink and line it with LEDs? It only costs $0.02 to play, and the deposit slot's just below.
Apple TV 4.1 update is apparently resulting in loss of 720p output for some unlucky souls
We've been monitoring a growing thread on Apple's support discussion forums where users are complaining about their recently acquired Apple TV only outputting 480p after updating the OS to 4.1 last week. That's obviously a big step down from the 720p resolution touted at launch, and if the plight of these posters is indicative of anything, it seems the perpetrating update has somehow changed the HDMI resolution negotiation of the device -- which rears its ugly head in specific setups. Speaking of setups, though the issue was originally shared by a user who directly connected the device to their TV via HDMI, it appears the vast majority of posters are using an HDMI-to-DVI cable. This latter complaint offers an easy out for Cupertino since the Apple TV's fine print clearly states DVI isn't supported -- meaning if it worked perfectly with the previous OS, it was just a lucky coincidence. So how bout' it readers? Are any of you experiencing this issue with your shiny new hockey puck without involving DVI? Let us know in the comments below.
Apple TV Hacking: Spelunking into the AirPlay video service
When Apple announced its new iOS 4.2 feature set, Apple TV's AirPlay video service really caught our attention. That's why we were particularly disappointed when 4.2 debuted on Monday -- only Apple's own applications could ship video from iDevices to the 2nd generation Apple TV; third party applications were limited to audio transport only. We contacted Apple PR to ask for a statement about that, asking why the feature shipped without third party support -- and whether it had to do with performance licenses or similar legal matters. TUAW has not yet heard back from Apple at the time this post went live. Mike Rose asked if I could poke into the situation and see what's going on under the hood. Here's what I found. Big Massive Update: Thanks to Steven Troughton-Smith, the code has been reduced to a single line with no YouTube work-arounds needed. Details appended to the bottom of the post...
Apple TV hacking: Wiimote footage
Do you remember about a year ago when we showed you a Wiimote working as an iPhone input device ? Jump forward to the new era of Apple TV 2. Developer hacker Tom Cool from the #awkwardtv channel on irc.moofspeak.net has cross-compiled that demo for the ATV 2. You can see it in action in this newly posted YouTube video. Like the keyboard hack we posted about a few days ago, this mod is based on activating a custom stack (via Matthias Ringwald's BTstack implementation) that enables the Apple TV's built-in Bluetooth functionality. The Wiimote communicates over Bluetooth to the Apple TV unit, and displays a virtual representation that concurrently mimics the Wiimote's orientation. We're still a bit ways off from full Wii-style gaming on the Apple TV 2, but it's getting closer every day as this demo shows.
Plex arrives on jailbroken Apple TVs (video)
Boxee might get all the attention but Plex is without a doubt one of our favorite Mac media center apps. So it's with wide-eyed interest that we tell you about the Plex client making its first tentative steps onto the second generation Apple TV platform. Naturally, Cupertino's not behind the initiative to replace Apple's own "Lowtide" 10-foot user interface -- this work is being done by the Apple TV jailbreak community. The ATV2 build is still just a proof of concept so it's buggy and limited to video playback (no music, images, or app management) for now. But hey, it's another iOS app for ATV2 and it does work as evidenced by the video after the break. Man, we're getting all tingly at the thought of scattering a few $99 boxes around the house to serve up the wide variety of codecs supported by Plex in addition to Apple's more limited AirPlay.
Pwnage tool 4.1 released
Pwnapple heads rejoice. The iPhone dev team has just released PwnageTool 4.1 for Mac OS X. Updated to use the recent geohot limera1n exploit, the new tool provides 4.1 jailbreaks for the Apple TV 2G, iPad (3.2.2), iPod touch (3G, 4G), and iPhone (4, 3GS, and 3G). For download details, please hop over to the team's announcement post to grab a copy of the official torrent or to find an unofficial mirror. Thanks to Brad for the heads-up.
Apple TV Hacks: Ports and wikis
The Apple TV jailbreak community remains in a holding pattern. As yet, the greenp0ison and limera1n jailbreak tools do not install command-line/full file access to the box, a precondition for most kinds of application development. That doesn't mean there aren't interesting events going on, however. If you're a hardware hacker, iFixit has a great DIY project for you. Step 8 of their teardown suggests that it shouldn't be hard to solder on a standard iPod docking connector. Over at the #awkwardtv channel of irc.moofspeak.net, hobbyist davilla (of atv-bootloader/atv-creator fame) is attempting to make that hack a reality. We'll report back on its success, should he succeed. The default Apple TV hardware does not allow you to use the HDMI port and the micro-USB port at the same time. Adding an iPod dock to the side of the enclosure will bypass this hardware restriction, allowing both hacking and viewing. In other news, the AwkwardTV Wiki has a new Apple TV 2 page, which is just getting started. This will provide a central knowledge gathering point for anyone working on ATV 2 frappliances and custom applications. Interested developers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with previous ATV development. A sample frappliance template has already been added, along with headers and a link to Dustin Howett's beigelist project. While not a lot has happened over the last week or so, interest in the Apple TV platform remains high, and TUAW will continue to keep you posted. Thanks, davilla, Kevin "nito" Bradley
Apple TV hacking update: Bluetooth, white lists, ports, cables
We continue to keep track of Apple TV's hacking potential; here's another quick update of the new hardware. iFixit confirms that there's an on-board Bluetooth chip: "The Broadcom BCM4329XKUBG 802.11n Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/FM chip on the Panasonic board is exactly the same as the one we found on the iPad." iOS developer Matthias Ringwald tells TUAW that it shouldn't be hard to get his custom Bluetooth stack running on Apple TV once it's openly jailbroken. "I managed to hook the communication between BlueTool and BT chipset before, so I can record that exchange on iPad which sets up the Bluetooth chipset and just do a playback. Chances are good." Read on...
