Apple TV 4th Generation with Siri Remote User's Guide: Your Media Tips & Tricks Manual (2 page)

While the Apple TV is relatively small and simple as a device, it’s important to understand what the various inputs and outputs on the back of the device are used for. Each input or output is described below based on the image below (from left to right).

• Power input – The first input is used for plugging the Apple TV into an available power source.
  
• USB-C port – This small output is right above the other three others. It is used for connecting a USB-C cable from your Apple TV to a computer (cable is not included with device). This is useful for troubleshooting and diagnosing problems with your device. (Apple Care technicians or other professionals generally do advanced troubleshooting and repair using this input/output).
  
• HDMI output – Located right beneath the USB port, this port is used for plugging an HDMI cable into your Apple TV and outputting hi-definition content to your HDTV set.
  
• Ethernet – The final input on the back of the device is used for connecting Apple TV to a home internet network. An Ethernet cable is plugged into your Apple TV, and the other end of the cable is connected to a modem. Ethernet is used in the absence of a wireless or Wi-Fi network.
  

Note:
You may notice that with the newest version of Apple TV, there is no longer an optical audio input or output. If you have any sort of component which uses this, you may want to look into an HDMI/optical audio splitter cable.

To get started with your Apple TV setup, use the following step by step instructions.

Step One: Connecting the Cables

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Choose the exact setup that matches the ports on your television or receiver.

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To connect a widescreen TV with an HDMI port:

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Adapt one end of an HDMI cable to the back of your television.

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Adapt the other end to the back of Apple TV in the proper position.

Step Two: Connect the Power Cord

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Adapt one end of the power cord into the back of Apple TV and the other end into an available power outlet.

Step Three:

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Turn on your television and select the input button, switching to the appropriate HDMI connection option for the Apple TV.

The first time you use Apple TV you will be met with a series of steps to get started, including choosing a language, selecting a network, configuring Apple TV to work with your network if necessary, and connecting to your iTunes or iCloud account.

You’ll move through steps on the Apple TV screens using your Apple TV Siri remote. Have your network password (the same one you use to connect other electronic devices, like laptops and tablets to your WIFI system) ready to go, so you can breeze through the setup effectively. You may want to have your login information handy for your iTunes and/or iCloud accounts you wish to use with the Apple TV.

If you use a wired Ethernet network to connect, Apple TV will automatically detect your network. If you are using a wireless network to connect, Apple TV will help you access the correct connection that will allow you to configure your network. Simply select your network from the list generated by the device, and enter your network password when prompted.

In order to access all of the items from a computer’s iTunes library on your Apple TV, you will have to set up home sharing. This is a pertinent step in getting the most from your Apple TV service. First you have to ensure that your iTunes is updated accordingly, as accessing the content in your iTunes library from Apple TV, will require an appropriate up-to-date version of iTunes installed on your computer.

Make sure you’ve updated your iTunes account to the latest version from your computer before proceeding with the Home Share setup. You can download the latest version of iTunes at
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download
.

After you set up your network connection, you can enter your

1. Open iTunes on your computer, and update to the latest version if you don’t have it already.
   
2. On your Apple TV go to Settings > Accounts and choose “Home Sharing.”
   

Select “Use This Apple ID” if you’ve already entered the ID on your Apple TV that is associated with your computer’s iTunes library. OR choose “Use a Different ID.” Enter the required information for the home sharing account you want to use (i.e. the iTunes account for the other computer you want to share).

1. Select “OK” when you have finished and home sharing should now be switched on.
   

Now in the future, any libraries (with the Apple ID you supplied) that have “home sharing” turned on, will show up on your Apple TV. You should be able to access music from your computer’s iTunes Library on your Apple TV for browsing and playback.

Watching Apple TV happens effortlessly once the setup is completed. You will see all of the options available to you, beginning with new movies and blockbuster releases at the top of your screen, while having access to the seemingly innumerable content listed below it, like television programming, sports, news and family entertainment. In order to navigate these options, you must first familiarize yourself with the remote.

The simplicity of the Apple TV remote provides intuitive functionality. Simply put, there are only so many buttons to use, so it is incredibly hard to go wrong. The upper touch surface makes navigation even easier than before!

1. To move through menu options or content choices, simply use the upper, smooth touchpad area of the remote. Move your finger on the surface with swipes, similar to how you might do on a touchscreen device. When you arrive at the item you want to select, press your finger to click the top surface (or use your thumb). It’s that easy!
   
2. To return to a previous menu or screen: Press Menu.
   
3. To the right of Menu is the Home button. Press this at any time to return to your main Apple TV home screen.
   
4. To use Siri interactive voice, press and hold the microphone button until you’ve finished speaking your request to the remote.
   
5. Use the play/pause button to play or pause media you may be using such as movies, TV shows or music.
   
6. Finally, you’ll notice the longer button marked with the + and – signs, which can be used to control a TV or monitor’s volume. To do this, you may need to “teach” the Apple TV remote to do so by using a compatible TV remote. There will be more on that later in this guide.
   

The Apple TV remote now provides intuitive Siri integration built into it so you can give spoken requests and get information or feedback. To access Siri, all you need to do is press and hold down the microphone button on the remote and speak your request. Once you’ve finished speaking, you can let go of the button and you should see the words you spoke appear on the TV screen. After a brief moment, Siri will process what you’ve requested and return your results or information on screen.

Some examples of requests you can make with Siri:

• “Find me Season 2, Episode 6 of Scandal.”
  
• “Find me some action movies to watch.”
  
• “Find me movies with Al Pacino.”
  
• “What is the stock quote for Apple?”
  
• “What time is the Redskins game today?”
  
• “Play me some Bon Jovi songs” (if you have these in your library)
  
• “What is the weather for today?”
  

All of the above are examples of the informative and helpful requests you can make with Siri. Others might include asking for what day a holiday falls on, the answer to a math equation, or asking Siri to give you the current time.

Once you’ve completed the spoken request, you should see information appear at the bottom of the TV screen, or the screen change to display movies, TV shows or music as request. In some instances, such as obtaining a stock quote or weather report, you can swipe your finger up on the touch surface of your remote to reveal a full screen with more information (such as a stock’s historical chart, or a full week’s weather forecast).

Note:
Keep in mind that Siri is smart, but it may not be able to handle all of your information requests, and these will be displayed on screen when unavailable. Also, you can enable or disable Siri interaction within the Settings area of your Apple TV.

On the Apple TV, channels are now referred to as “Apps.” When you first launch your Apple TV, you will not really see any channels or apps on the main screen with the exception of the seven main icons (movies, TV shows, etc.). So you’ll need to download the apps, channels or games you want to use on your Apple TV. There are many of them available for download, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the options that are available to you through the streaming device. While there are plenty of free app channels, you may be required to setup an account with the programming market itself to access their content.

Other subscription services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus and some of the sports channels that are available like MLB.TV, NBA and NHL will require you to pay for their services on a monthly or full season basis. If you already have a Netflix or Hulu Plus account and your subscription is current, you can access that programming by simply entering the username and password that is affiliated with each account.

Other channels, including HBOGo or WatchESPN will require you to enter your cable or satellite TV username and password information (or account information, depending on the source of entertainment), assuming you already subscribe to these services from the network providers.

The offerings available through Apple TV are quite comprehensive now in the App Store, and a few of the standout channels that are represented within the device are exceptional sources of entertainment. First let’s take a look at the main app/channel options that are already on the home screen.