We are pleased to announce the release aTV Flash (black) Release Candidate 1 (RC1) for the 2nd generation AppleTV. RC1 is a major update for aTV Flash (black) and adds a number of exciting new features include a brand new 'grid view' browsing mode, huge subtitle related improvements, and countless other performance and playback related improvements.

Keep reading to learn more about what's new.

All-New Browsing Options

We've added an all-new grid view which allows you to browse through media by simply viewing a grid of posters, instead of a list.

From the grid view you can press the center (select) button to get more details about the movie through the 'Pre-Playack Screen' or if you're in a hurry just press play/pause to start the movie right away.

The list view has also gotten a healthy overhaul as well. Movies and TV Shows are now listed using the prettier 'fetched' name instead of the actual filename. Additionally metadata is fetched and cached in bulk, so there's no more waiting for cover art and metadata to load.

Note: You can switch between the Grid and List views through the Media --> Settings menu.

Full Changelog

  • Added grid view and pre-playback view options
  • Added bulk metadata fetching with growl-like status
  • Added fetched names in list view
  • Added hardware decoding for .m2ts files
  • Added support for embedded subtitles (MKV, M4V, etc...)
  • Added support for ISO (DVD) files
  • Added TV Show metadata fetching
  • Added metadata correction for Movies and TV Shows
  • Added movie title in Top Shelf (instead of filename)
  • Added DSI ping for better operation with AFP shares
  • Added folder tagging
  • Added metadata view indicator
  • Added support for metadata overriding using xml files
  • Added DVD menu buffering
  • Added support for subtitles with invalid timestamps
  • Added support for AppleTV 4.4 (iOS 5)
  • Added subtitle 'Weight' setting
  • Added option to show/hide local files
  • Improved data buffering and playback performance
  • Improved XSUB subtitle support
  • Improved network error handling
  • Improved filename parsing for metadata fetching
  • Improved NAS drives support and increased connection timeout
  • Improved video loading process
  • Improved DVD menu handling
  • Improved playback position detection
  • Improved memory footprint
  • Improved SMB share handling
  • Resolved DVD subtitle issues
  • Resolved Voiceover related issues
  • Resolved audio synchronization issues
  • Resolved problems when streaming from an AirPort Extreme
  • Resolved AFP related issue when resuming after a long pause
  • Resolved issues that caused the first subtitle section to be skipped
  • Resolved performance and crash related issues for certain DVD files
  • Resolved audio playback issues when the connection to Last.fm fails
  • Resolved potential issues in shares handling and filename processing
  • Resolved AFP related crashes
  • Resolved .dvdmedia extensions and folder images not hiding
  • Resolved floating crash during metadata fetching
  • Resolved various cloud backup issues
  • Many other miscellaneous fixes

Splendid! Where can I get it?

If you're already running a version of aTV Flash (black) the new RC1 version can be installed through the Maintenance --> Manage Extras menu. If you need to re-install aTV Flash (black) links for the new version can be found in your account under the Downloads tab.

New users can pre-order aTV Flash (black) here.

Note: Installing RC1 requires AppleTV 4.2 or later.

Enjoy! :-) 

Comments

Submitted by Phixtit on November 4, 2011 - 12:59am

I too noticed that Hawaii Five-0 doesn't fetch metadata. I believe TV metadata is fetched from TVDB.com

Submitted by chriscec on November 4, 2011 - 8:35am

When I want to browse a share with lots of photos it hangs. Have this happened to anyone else?

Submitted by andrewjohnstarrett on November 4, 2011 - 9:36am

Do we have a fix for this one., I am having the same issue...I have over 500 movies and growing..

Submitted by roguexxy on November 4, 2011 - 10:18am

I used to be computer literate back in the 80's, now-a-days I seem to cause more problems then solve them. I have a mixed media system, I love the apple products, but used to build PC's so I stuck with what I know, I know dumbarse, none-the-less currently I have two aTV RC1 black units and the software was very easy to upload "thanks a ton for that, greenpoisOn was a serious pain" any way all of your stuff is loaded, I have a four TB iomega media server about half full of movies and TV shows on my network running off an airport extreme router, most of the files are AVI, some are MKV, my problem is figuring out how to connect them to the Apple TV, I have run through the connecting support file you offer on this site, however it doesn't do anything, it tries to load the content and then just stops and jumps back to the mainpage, admitedly that is a lot of data, it doesn't seem to give me an option to load just any smaller folders as I do have them broken down in the iomega media server, as usual I will continue my efforts to SOLVE this problem, but if anyone knows a solution I am more than happy to listen and learn.

I do want to say a sincere; "Thank You" to the crew for this product and your continuing efforts to provide us with everything we desire, it is very nice to know someone cares enough to do what you all do, wish Apple felt the same, but their business plan is certainly sound, so Thank You for your efforts!

Ed

Submitted by james on November 4, 2011 - 10:21am

This is a known issue which will be resolved in the next update. Sorry for the trouble.

Submitted by james on November 4, 2011 - 10:23am

MP needs a few adjustments to parse TV Shows/Movies that contain dashes in the name. For now try using "Hawaii Five0" to see if that works.

Submitted by james on November 4, 2011 - 10:23am

DRM media is not currently supported. Sorry.

Submitted by james on November 4, 2011 - 10:24am

Hmm - can you send in a bug report and tell us a bit more about your file?

http://forum.firecore.com/topic/4291

Submitted by Anon on November 4, 2011 - 11:16am

As long as you're reviewing the parsing to include dashes... any chance of either a 'build your own parsing' feature where you can indicate format you're using (not that I have ANY clue how that could work) or including better recognition for variations so that the following:

Series Name - S01E04 - Episode Title.avi
instead of
series_name.s01e04.episode_title.avi

would work? I think all I'd need here for the current system to work is to allow [space]dash[space] to act as a separator like the period does. I spent a lot of time a while back redoing all my filename to make them better readable in file listings by removing the period or underscore separators and adding spacing and so on. I could change them back but really like the nicer looking lists.

Submitted by roguexxy on November 4, 2011 - 11:23am

Me again, something has to be said for a "fresh start on a snowy morning in Tahoe" I went into the iomega media server and set up an individual account log in for each of the Atv units and gave them access to only movies, TV shows and Itunes, as opposed too general access to the media server as I was doing last night... it worked and played all of the content I requested without incident, was able to favorite the Tvshows and Movies, works like I always wanted them too!!!! Excellent JOB Firecore!!! I have another friend who does what I do refuses to BUY TV through the local cable companies when the internet is the cheapest provider, yea maybe it is just DUMB LUCK that I stumbled upon this FIX, but just the same you all created the product I have always wanted, when I bought the apple TV units I figured they would do this, when I found out that they did not I was totally bummed and felt taken by the sales rep, thanks to you all I am a "happy camper!!!"

On a side note; I have an old RUKU that was gifted to me by an old friend who went back to cable TV up here, as you can imagine sats dont work so well in snow, anyway do you have any products to jailbreak them? just curious? would like to employ all products even if I re-gift it back to her.

Thanks SO VERY MUCH!!! This is AWESOME!!!

Sincerely,

Ed

Submitted by james on November 4, 2011 - 12:26pm

Awesome! Glad to hear you're enjoying it.

Submitted by james on November 4, 2011 - 12:37pm

The upcoming version will support a number of additional naming formats including:

  • Name Season# Episode#
  • Name.Season#.Episode#
  • Name s# ##
  • Name.s#.##
  • Name SE#EP# 
  • Name.SE#EP# 
  • TV Show/Any Folder/S##E##.mkv
  • TV Show/Any Folder/##.##.mkv

Just for fun I tried "The Walking Dead - S02E01 - What Lies Ahead.avi" in our internal dev version and pulls down the metadata just fine.

This along with a number of other features/fixes will be available in a new version sometime next week.

Submitted by james on November 4, 2011 - 12:39pm

We're working on adding watched markers to the grid view, but haven't found an adequate way to lay this out just yet.

Marking folders as watched/unwatched is in the works as well.

Submitted by james on November 4, 2011 - 12:40pm

Yes, this is planned for a future version.

Submitted by Anon on November 4, 2011 - 3:58pm

I upgrade atv2 to ios5, when upgrade after Dru mode it says "unsuccessful" season pass always grabs the 4.3 version not the 4.9... I've tried deleting the 4.3 but it always comes back. Help..... Love the upgrade telling all my friends. Thanks a lot

Submitted by Anon on November 4, 2011 - 6:42pm

Im having a problem connecting to my itunes media wirelessly. Im on the atv flash black RC1 and my device is 4.3 (2557) when i plug in the ethernet cable in to the apple tv i am able to access my itunes. Do you have any suggestions on how to access the itunes wirelessly?

Submitted by Anon on November 4, 2011 - 8:19pm

Ever since I updates all of my movies will gradually loose sync with the audio. If i rewind a few second it re- buffers and fixes the issue but only for a few seconds then issues starts again. I also get random freezing of the movies. Is this a known issue or just my setup.

All movies are in video_ts folder ripped with Rip It. Movies are on a western digital NAS. I have 2 apple tv both with wired connections and both having problems. One apple tv is 4.2 firmware and the other is 4.3.

Submitted by dank.4269 on November 4, 2011 - 8:54pm

AirPlay no longer seems to be working. I can no longer share either my iPhone or iPad screen on my apple tv 2. Any ideas?

Submitted by eugenel.6216 on November 5, 2011 - 1:18am

I keep getting the following message after DFU mode

"itunes restore script failed!, selecting IPSW in finder"

what am i doing wrong?

Submitted by Anon on November 5, 2011 - 4:04pm

thats great! glad i didnt go crazy and rename a thousand files here ;-)

you guys are doing great work... i sincerely hope that you can finalize the software and deliver an untethered jailbreak as a package soon so you can sell a bunch for the upcoming holiday gadget buying season. I think this software addon to the appleTV is the 'killer app' that makes the ATV2 a very desirable product!

Submitted by Anon on November 5, 2011 - 7:34pm

flac support pls

Submitted by Anon on November 5, 2011 - 11:23pm

if you start the atv flash while the tav is plugged into power and usb plugged in, then after the flash has done its job and iTunes is restoring, disconnect the power and iTunes finishes the restore, it worked for me but there is still the issue with "AFP connection failed: unreachable network or incorrect login/password" whenever i try to access my hard drive that is connected to airport extreme, everything else works fine,

any help on that?

Submitted by gustavom.6141 on November 6, 2011 - 11:46am

Air play works occasionally in my system but mirroring in iPad2 does not work.

Submitted by majjam13 on November 8, 2011 - 1:16am

great work

what happened to the ability to hide movies and tv and any unwanted tab?

 

keep up the good work

Submitted by greekos on November 9, 2011 - 3:32am

Hi James

I was wondering about a grid view with displayed movie posters even though I have my movie files inside sub-folders.

in the current way, I see folder Icons instead and in order to see the posters, I have to get inside each subfolder.

(this is also true for the normal view - can you make MP read the files inside the sub-folders and display the name of the movie and not the subfolder's name?)

 

Thanks!

Submitted by eugenel.6216 on November 13, 2011 - 5:54pm

I upgraded my bedroom ATV to IOS5, when it try to jailbreak it
I keep getting the following message after DFU mode
"itunes restore script failed!, selecting IPSW in finder"
what am i doing wrong?

Lucky I have 2 ATVS, I didn't update the family room atv to IOS5 yet

 

please reply as this is my 3rd post on this issue

 

 Love the upgrade telling all my friends. Thanks a lot

Submitted by sfbayrealtor on November 14, 2011 - 2:15pm

I activated iTunes match earlier this morning. The library is all synced up.

Problem: Every couple songs or so, the AppleTV crashes back to the main ATV screen (and of course stops streaming icloud music). Is this just happening to me? or is anyone else experiencing this issue?

Thanks in advance!

Submitted by sfbayrealtor on November 14, 2011 - 4:46pm

After going through and troubleshooting by turning apps on and off, including the NitoTV software apps; I think I've located the culprit: Screensaver Settings. I uninstalled it, and it seems to have fixed the seemingly random menu reboots. 

Kinda makes sense, that every few minutes it would crash...right about the time the screensaver should become activated. 

Submitted by Anon on November 16, 2011 - 4:25pm

.

Submitted by Anon on November 28, 2011 - 4:45pm

It appears when using a fullstop at the begining of a thumbnail image, the first file is grabbed for the folder image.

i.e ".american dad s01e02.jpg" will be the folder art instead of ".folder.jpg"

Submitted by Anon on December 1, 2011 - 2:16am

+1 Same thing for me

Submitted by Anon on December 4, 2011 - 4:56am

Do you have something like Clean My Mac "running"?
I had the same problem and (after a search on Google) I found out that this program could cause some probs. I deleted it and everything went as described!

Good luck!

Submitted by adg.0734 on December 22, 2011 - 12:52pm

any news on this?

All my subs are in yellow, the color option is greyed out. This is the case with all subs in movies converted by handbrake (subs not burned in)

Submitted by thomasb.8913 on December 27, 2011 - 2:47pm

Same here...

Submitted by Anon on February 11, 2012 - 6:17pm

"Marking folders as watched/unwatched is in the works as well."

Any idea when?