Archive:Apple TV 1 FAQ

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This is the FAQ for the original Apple TV 1 (silver). For the Apple TV 2 (black) see: XBMC for iOS specific FAQ

Original OS modification

How do I install XBMC on Apple TV 1? Link See: HOW-TO:Install XBMC on Apple TV 1

How does it work? Link Apple TV 1 runs so called Apple OS which is a specialized version of Mac OS X that XBMC for Mac can run on. However in order to install XBMC on Apple TV it has to be "patched" to turn on certain software options required for XBMC to run. The "patching" is done by using ATV USB Creator that let you make a so called "patchstick", a bootable USB flash drive which you boot your Apple TV with to install XBMC for Mac to run natively on Apple TV OS. After you "patch" your Apple TV a new Launcher menu will appear that allows you to download and install XBMC on your Apple TV.

What happens to original Apple TV software after the XBMC installation? Link XBMC is installed onto the Apple TV built-in harddrive but you will still be able you use your Apple TV software as normal, XBMC will only be an extra option that you can launch from the Apple TV's original menu when you want to utilize the extra features and functions that are available in XBMC compared to the original Apple TV software. So XBMC will not replace the original Apple TV software, it instead works as complement the existing Apple TV software.

Is XBMC running natively on the Apple TV or under an Linux environment? Link On the 1st generation Apple TV, XBMC for Mac is a native Mac OS X application, (Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger to be precise), this does not run under a Linux environment. It is possible to install a Linux environment with XBMC. Doing so will allow for 1080p output and a more responsive XBMC GUI.

Will the Apple TV playback 1080p videos encoded with the H.264 codec (like Blu-ray rips)? Link Yes, the latest version of XBMC (version 10 'Dharma') allows Apple TV to play HD H.264 encoded videos however the original Apple TV hardware is only capable of decoding 720p videos unless you install a Linux OS. To watch 1080 HD videos the Broadcom Crystal HD card must be installed into Apple TV along with the corresponding driver.