Apple TV Tip #2
Sure all the music videos, movies, TV shows, and video podcast from the iTunes Store show up in iTunes and automatically play on the Apple TV. But what about your own home videos? Can you watch these on your living room TV too? Sure you can.

Here’s how:
The process is you must convert the video to the correct format (if it is not already). Next you need to add it to iTunes. Then it can be played by the Apple TV and viewed on the connected TV.

There are several ways to convert videos into a format that the Apple TV (and iTunes) can understand. In the most basic form the Apple TV can play whatever your iPod can. But the Apple TV can also play higher quality video up to 720P. Depending on where you want to view your videos (iPod, Apple TV, or both) you can decide what quality you want to convert your videos to.

Apple TV Video formats supported are:

• H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): Up to 5 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps)
• iTunes Store purchased video: 320 by 240 pixels or 640 by 480 pixels
• MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps)

Apple TV Audio formats supported are

• AAC (16 to 320 Kbps)
• Protected AAC (from iTunes Store)
• MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps)
• MP3 VBR
• Apple Lossless
• AIFF
• WAV

Apple TV Photos formats supported are:

• JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PNG

Converting Using QuickTime
Apple has readied QuickTime for converting video and audio for the AppleTV in the recent QuickTime updates. QuickTime now has a new export option, “Movie to Apple TV.”

The export creates a M4V file with H.264 the recommended file format and resolution for AppleTV. There are no options for this export choice.

Although, this option does not exist within iTunes like the “Convert Selection for iPod.” But iTunes now sports a feature located in the iTunes Preferences for finding and “syncing” iTunes content to AppleTV(s).

Converting Using iMovie
If you are editing your movie within iMovie you can select File -> Export. You can use either iPod if you want to view it on the iPod also or select QuickTime and then select Expert Settings from the “Compress movie for” drop down menu. Then click the “Share” button. A QuickTime dialog will open and then select “Movie to Apple TV” or Movie to iPod” from the “Export” drop down menu. Select a location and click the “Save” button.

Converting Using Third-Party Software
There are many available freeware and shareware applications that can be used to covert your movies. If you have a lot of videos to convert I would recommend VisualHub $23.32 shareware. With VisualHub’s batch converting feature and its Apple TV settings, this makes conversion easy. VisualHub will even automatically add the videos to your iTunes library.

MPEG Streamclip free (Windows and Macs) can also be used to do the conversion.

Adding Videos to iTunes
After your video is in the correct format for iTunes and the Apple TV you may need to add the video to your iTunes library. Luckily, this is quite easy. Just launch iTunes and go to File -> Add to Library.

From the dialog window navigate to your converted video and click on the “Choose” button. Your video is now copied to your iTunes library.

ID 3 Tags
From within iTunes Control + click or right + click on your video and select Get Info.

Now fill out some information about your video in the dialog window.

Make sure to click on the “video” tab and add the the “Video Kind.” This is how Movies and TV Shows show up in the correct section in iTunes (iPods and Apple TV also).

Now enjoy your new video on your big TV in your living room with the Apple TV.

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