FireCore has surprisingly released a new version of aTV Flash for Apple TV 1 making it an “all-new platform for running the latest XBMC version 13.2 (Gotham)”. It includes support for the latest video add-ons, 1080p video, and more.

aTV Flash (xbmc edition) is finely tuned, optimized for speed, and provides a complete replacement for the standard Apple TV software.

The new version is different from the original aTV Flash (silver): while the older version installs add-ons alongside the native Apple TV software, aTV Flash (xbmc edition) replaces the Apple TV software entirely.

Each serves a different purpose, but if your main goal is to get XBMC on your Apple TV then aTV Flash (xbmc edition) is the one you want.

According to the developers, installation is done in about 5 minutes using a USB flash drive. They have also built in a special restore option, allowing the original Apple TV software to be easily reinstalled at any time.

By installing a special 1080p video card, the original Apple TV will be fully capable of playing most 1080p formats. 1080p video cards are available as an optional add-on when ordering.

Note: Installing a 1080p video card replaces the standard Apple TV Wi-Fi card. A directly connected ethernet cable or USB Wi-Fi adapter (also available as an optional add-on) will be required for network access.

You can find more details on aTV Flash (xbmc edition) here.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post FireCore releases aTV Flash (xbmc edition) for the original Apple TV appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

The final version of XBMC 13 Gotham (and in fact the final version of XBMC itself), is now available and ready to sneak into your Apple TV 2. XBMC 13.2 Gotham will be the last update of the popular software to bear the iconic name, as the team confirmed that all future updates will be known by the new name Kodi Entertainment Center.

The update, however, brings only a bunch of bug fixes & stability improvements, and not any new features. And so, you will be able to install it directly on top of your previous Gotham installations. Most of the improvements are directed towards OS X and Android while other general fixes (below) will appear on Apple TV also.

Fixes done in XBMC 13.2 Gotham

• Bitstream conversion fix for some BD mkv iso rips
• Fix labelcontrols with autowidth set were always marked as dirty (re-render)
• Update included PVR add-on
• Fix FTP TLS not working
• Fix onplaybackstarted event for external players
• GetText and delete sound option for add-on developers
• Fix wrong sample-rate selection on OSX
• Fix overlapping subtitles
• Fix accented letters. Example: “VARIéS” rather than “VARIÉS”
• Prompt for master pin in case the add-on manager is locked
• Update GUI translations
• Update included add-ons
• Fixed several bugs and memory leaks

Team XBMC has also included an Importance Notice section to the announcement, which we highly recommend you read before updating to XBMC 13.2 Gotham. You can find the post here.

Apple TV 2 users can download Gotham 13.2 here.

Apple TV 1 users can get XBMC 13.2 Gotham via OpenElec.

If you’re a developer or consider yourself a tech geek, you can also check out the Kodi 14 Helix Alpha 2 for Apple TV.

Related posts:

• How to install XBMC 13.0 Gotham on Apple TV 2
• How to get XBMC on your HDTV via Apple TV 3 (or non-jailbreakable Apple TV 2)

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post XBMC 13.2 Gotham for Apple TV 2 is out appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

As reported earlier, the popular open source software media player XBMC has changed its name to Kodi Entertainment Center, making Kodi 14 Helix the successor to XBMC 13 Gotham. It’s roughly been a week since the official announcement and the team has already rolled out the first iteration in the form of Kodi 14 Helix alpha 2.

Helix’s description states that Kodi 14 is more of a stability and performance update and is not directed to bring new features or an interface overhaul. Yet, a few noteworthy changes do find its way to Helix.

They include better codec support, especially h.265 and VP9, library improvements (like faster media scan and better UPnP communications), support for more Android chipsets, better AirPlay on the iOS app, backward compatible add-ons and a couple of new skins.

Besides, the clients on Windows, OS X and Linus will receive huge improvements.

The changelog for Kodi 14 is 12 pages long and contains 333 changes so far. Needless to say, they can’t all be summarized here, but a few additional items worth noting include:

• Update PVR add-ons
• Start of redesigning the PVR windows
• Various improvements to the Audio Engine, with the OSX platform as great beneficiary.
• Improvements to the GUI skinning engine
• Extended JSON-RPC interface
• Countless smaller and larger bug-fixes throughout the program and vast improvements in every area. This should improve memory usage, stability, speed and user friendliness.
• Add-ons are still compatible up to the Frodo versions.
• Skins are partially still compatible, however to fully function they will need to be updated to latest changes. Expect breakage here.”

Read the complete changelog here.

The release includes Helix for Apple TV 2 too. You’ll find the links for the download and detailed instructions on setting up Helix here.

However, please beware that this is one of the earliest builds of the software you can get your hands on. This version might have some serious bugs and stability issues. So only users who know what they’re doing should attempt the installation and that too, after making sure that you’ve backed up all your contents – “ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR USERDATA FOLDER WHEN USING DEVELOPMENT BUILDS!”  Others are recommended to wait for the public release of Kodi 14.

Also read: 

• XBMC changes name to Kodi
• How to install XBMC 13.0 Gotham on Apple TV 2
• How to get XBMC on your HDTV via Apple TV 3 (or non-jailbreakable Apple TV 2)
• Top 10 best XBMC addons for Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post Kodi (former XBMC) 14 Helix alpha 2 for Apple TV 2 is now available appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Since its release, XBMC has completely changed the way we consume media through our devices. Originally standing for Xbox Media Center, this software media player has come a long way and the developers think it’s time for a name change – a name change to Kodi.

Team XBMC has written a detailed post on their blog, discussing the circumstances leading to this decision as well as on how it will affect the users. The most important cause is that the name simply didn’t make sense anymore.Though initially brought for Xbox, XBMC hardly works on hacked Xboxes now and has never run on the new Xbox 360 and Xbox one.

Also XBMC now runs addons, games and streams content than just videos, turning itself into an entertainment center rather than a media center.

In essence both the “XB” and “MC” simply don’t make a whole lot of sense any more.

Another reason cited by the team is the legal issues concerning the fact that their name XBMC is derived from Xbox which is a trademark of Microsoft. Though they have never faced any legal actions against this, it largely restricted the usage of the name. Also:

In the past few years, we have seen the mass confusion that resulted from this lack of control first hand. Users have been fooled into wasting money buying boxes running hacked and typically broken versions of XBMC. News sites and blogs have gotten caught in confusing language numerous times. Unrelated fan communities, often founded under the best of intentions, have found themselves under attack, simply because no guidelines existed to simplify the process of clearly distinguishing themselves from the XBMC Foundation

Hence, the devs decided to change XBMC to Kodi Entertainment Center. About the term Kodi and how the team came up with it – you can read that here.

Surprisingly, this is not the first time this has happened. In fact, XBMC has had three name changes since its release in 2002. But the team promises that Kodi will be the final one.

Kodi will take over the XBMC title staring with the next major release, Kodi 14. Team Kodi has also confirmed that the renaming won’t cause any difference to an average user and that they are neither selling out nor partnering with any other companies in the process.

Also read: 

• How to install XBMC 13.0 Gotham on Apple TV 2
• How to get XBMC on your HDTV via Apple TV 3 (or non-jailbreakable Apple TV 2)
• Top 10 best XBMC addons for Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post XBMC changes name to Kodi appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

With just a day left for the FIFA World Cup 2014 to kick off, everyone is busy buying popcorn and coke and figuring out the best way to enjoy the game. For Apple TV users, seeing the clash of legs on their HDTVs is a tempting option. So here is a guide on how you can catch all the World Cup action on your Apple TV.

Method 1. Watching FIFA on Apple TV from United States

This is probably the easiest way to watch the World Cup on Apple TV, thanks to WatchESPN, which is bringing the live coverage of all matches, previews and some related content to the native channel.

However, to access this stream, you’ll need an active cable subscription with any of the providers affiliated with ESPN or at least get a username and password from one of your friends.

According to CNET, the supported providers include:

AT&T U-verse, Bright House Networks, Charter, Comcast XFINITY, Cox, DISH, Google Fiber, Midcontinent Communications, Optimum, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon FiOS TV.

To watch the games, just fire up your Apple TV -> open the WatchESPN channel -> login with your cable provider ID -> find your match and enjoy!

Here is the official WatchESPN schedule for their live world cup coverage.

US Hispanics will be pleased to know that Univision will be broadcasting all 64 games in Spanish. They don’t have a native Apple TV channel, so you’ll need to either AirPlay them from their website (using OS X AirPlay Mirroring or from a PC using AirParrot) or via their exclusive iOS app for the FIFA World Cup.

Univision will stream the first 56 games without the need to sign in with a pay TV provider login. However…

…the quarterfinals, semifinals and the finale will only be made available to customers of pay TV providers the network has a deal with, which at this point include AT&T, Bright House, Optimum, Cox, DirecTV, Dish, Time Warner Cable and Verizon, but not Comcast.

Method 2. Watching FIFA on Apple TV from United Kingdom

In the UK, there is no native channel on Apple TV which will let you stream the matches live. However, if you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you can get the BBC iPlayer and iTV apps on it to AirPlay the content to the HDTV.

It’s been officially confirmed that BBC and iTV will be splitting the rights for the matches to be shown, with each streaming 31 and 34 games respectively.

The iPlayer also offers VOD for past matches and also a better commentary as claimed by many fans. And the best part is that it is free and doesn’t require any active subscriptions like WatchESPN.

Check this schedule for the live broadcast of World Cup matches for the two apps and get BBC iPlayer and iTV apps from the App Store for free.

When your favorite match is live, turn on Apple TV and open the corresponding apps -> select the live stream of the game -> pull up the Control Center and select AirPlay -> choose your Apple TV and enjoy!

Besides the official apps, the matches will also be available to stream from their official websites (iPlayer,  iTV). So you can just stream the match on your browser and AirPlay to the Apple TV (using OS X AirPlay mirroring or from a PC using AirParrot).

Don’t want to use your iOS device? Check out some other methods below.

Method 3. Via your country’s national providers

Most countries already have a specific cable provider who has the rights for streaming the whole World Cup. It is highly likely that these providers have their own iOS apps or atleast a dedicated website for broadcasting the matches. GigaOM has detailed on a few countries:

Australia: SBS will stream each and every game on its website as well as through its iOS and Android apps.
Canada: CBC will stream all 64 games of the World Cup on its website as well as through its iOS and Android apps — no pay TV subscription required.
Ireland: RTÉ will stream all 64 games live on its website as well as through its mobile apps, including 8 that won’t be broadcast on TV.

You can check this article to find which channel provider in your country has the world cup’s broadcasting rights and then a quick Google search should give you the links to their website or iOS app. AirPlay directly from their app or use OS X mirroring with Safari or AirParrot on PC with your browser, to get the World Cup matches on your HDTV.

Method 4. Using SportsDevil addon for XBMC

The best thing about this method is that it is completely free and works for just anybody. However, this method may not be legal in certain countries, so please check before you attempt to stream. It may also have below average quality for streams when compared to other official ones.

Here’s how you get this done:

A. For jailbroken Apple TV 2
Things are much easier when you have a jailbroken Apple TV because XBMC can be installed directly on it. You can follow our guide on how to install XBMC 13.0 Gotham on Apple TV 2.

B. For non-jailbroken Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3
In this case, you’ll need another device like a Mac, PC, jailbroken iOS device or an Android device to install XBMC and then use some third party software to AirPlay to Apple TV. Here is a detailed guide on how to get XBMC on your HDTV via Apple TV 3 (or non-jailbreakable Apple TV 2).

C. For Apple TV 1
In this case, you’ll be using a software called OpenElec and you won’t be able to install XBMC as a separate channel on your set-top box, but instead you’ll need to install XBMC as a stand-alone operating system on it. In short, your old Apple TV will boot directly into the XBMC home screen. Find our detailed tutorial here.

Once you have the perfect setup of getting XBMC to show up on your Apple TV, follow our guide on how to Watch live sports on Apple TV with SportsDevil XBMC video addon and access any of the hundreds of Sports Channels to stream the FIFA World Cup 2014 live.

If you’re having any issues with compatibilities, please check out this guide.

Method 5. Using UnoTelly

Unotelly is a DNS service, which will help you securely spoof your IP address and thereby your digital location, allowing you access to country specific websites and services from anywhere in the world. So in this method, we’ll change our iOS device’s location to UK and make use of the BBC iPlayer and iTV apps (Method 2) to stream and AirPlay FIFA matches to Apple TV.

The best part is that UnoTelly now has a World Cup offer by which you can avail a free trial of 8 days to view some matches and if you like the results, you can subscribe for just $4 per month. You can avail this offer here and get started with their guide here.

Others DNS clients: HideMyAss, Unblock US

CONCLUSION

Did we miss any methods? Have you checked out any of these methods? Do share you thoughts in the comments below.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to watch FIFA World Cup 2014 live on Apple TV appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

XBMC is probably the most popular and versatile media managing hub out there, thanks to its supports for a variety of content, provision for third party addons and compatibility with almost all operating systems.

However, Apple doesn’t seem to think so, as there are no XBMC apps for iPhone or iPad nor any XBMC support on Apple TV, may be due to the misuse for piracy. But it seems unfair that the rest non-pirate good fellas have to suffer too.

And although there is a way to get XBMC working on the original Apple TV, as well as on jailbroken Apple TV 2 (see more details at the end of this post), there are still millions of Apple TV 3 (and non-jailbreakable Apple TV 2*) owners left without the ability to get XBMC on their little, black boxes.

But while we can in no way add XBMC directly to the Apple TV 3, there sure is a way to enjoy XBMC content on the HDTV using a 3rd gen. Apple TV. Here’s how.

XBMC on Apple TV 3

If you do have an Apple TV 3 and want to watch XBMC on your big screen, the best shot would be to make use of the AirPlay Mirroring feature of iOS devices and Macs and even Android and PCs with just the right apps and software. These methods can be used for older generation Apple TVs too. So read on.

1. Using iPhone or iPad

This method works only if you have a jailbroken iOS device. Find out more about jailbreaking your iDevice.

• Installing XBMC on jailbroken iDevice:

Step 1 – Open Cydia > Sources > Edit > Tap the plus button on left top > add this source and confirm
https://mirrors.xbmc.org/apt/ios/

Step 2 – Once the source is added, you can either search for XBMC or find it within the source. Tap on Install and Confirm.

Now your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch is running the complete XBMC suite. Just enable AirPlay Mirroring from the pull up menu and your HDTV will start the show.

You’ll notice that the app screen and media are showing boxed-in or with black pillars on its sides. Fear not! Within the app, just go into Settings > System > Video > Display mode and change it to FullScreen #2

XBMC will automatically detect that you’re on an Apple TV and turn the device’s screen into a gesture based remote and you can enjoy your movies in full screen on the HDTV.

2. Using a Mac

Download and install XBMC on your Mac from the official site.

Just enable OS X native AirPlay Mirroring to the Apple TV 3 and it’s done.

However, if you want to multitask simultaneously, like edit a document or surf the internet or watch another movie while your wife watches the XBMC media, you can get other mirroring apps like AirParrot, which helps to broadcast specific single apps. You can just hide the XBMC windows on the Mac and start using Safari or Keynote, without them showing up on the television.

3. Using a Windows computer

In this case we will use AirParrot, the only software out there that enables screen mirroring on Windows.

Step 1 – Get AirParrot for Windows
Step 2 – Download and install XBMC for Windows from here

Step 3 – Right click on the AirParrot icon in the bottom right toolbar and select your Apple TV.

Done! Your Windows computer’s screen is is now being streamed to your Apple TV. Open XBMC on the PC and start watching movies on the big screen.

4. Using Android phones or tablets

Koushik Dutta‘s Mirror app (currently in beta) can now mirror your Android screen to an Apple TV.

To try Mirror beta, you need to do the following:

1) Root your Android 4.4.2 phone (“not necessary in the future”)
2) Join the ClockworkMod community
3) Join the beta
4) Download the app from Google Play

Now, install XBMC on your Android device from XBMC downloads page. Fire it up and AirPlay to your Apple TV.

Sounds simple enough, but, since we haven’t tried this method ourselves yet (as this wasn’t possible until recently), we’d love to hear back from you guys on the results.

So these are the methods by which you can get XBMC to show up on your HDTV using the Apple TV 3 or non-jailbreakable Apple TV 2. Please try them out and let us know which one works the best for you.

XBMC on Apple TV 1st Generation

The process is a bit complicated for Apple TV 1 users. In this case, you’ll be using a software called OpenElec and you won’t be able to install XBMC as a separate channel on your set-top box but instead you’ll need to install XBMC as a stand-alone operating system on it. In short, your old Apple TV will boot directly into the XBMC home screen.

Find our detailed tutorial here.

The latest beta of OpenElec supports XBMC 13.0 Gotham.

XBMC on Apple TV 2nd Generation (jailbreakable)

Apple TV 2 has a stable and popular jailbreak solution, which will easily enable you to install XBMC directly on the Apple TV. Seas0nPass JB for Apple TV 2 is very well accepted by users and it is evident with the too high asking price for used Apple TV 2 on eBay. So if you’re not already jailbroken, it is highly recommended that you do it by following our tutorial.

Once you’re jailbroken, you can follow this guide to install XBMC.

* Latest jailbreakable Apple TV software version is 5.3.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to get XBMC on Apple TV 3 (or non-jailbreakable Apple TV 2) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Nowadays it is hard to find something worth rejoicing for Apple TV 1 users. The best features, regular updates and the elegant looks are all for its black, tiny sisters, while the first gen. Apple TV is usually ignored. Surprisingly, even the jailbreak community has dumped this pioneer these days, but luckily enough, OpenELEC is a great side-route to take for everything-XBMC.

OpenELEC or Open Embedded Linux Entertainment Center is a lightweight Linux-based piece of code which turns computers, Apple TV 1, Raspberry Pi or other supported hardware into an XBMC Media Centre.

It enables you to install XBMC as an entire new operating system, and for Apple TV1 that means you’ll boot readily into a standalone media hub with all your XBMC contents, sorted efficiently and spectacularly. In short, the Apple TV 1 will become a XBMC set-top box.

You can find more on OpenELEC here.

The Beta 7 (internally known as OpenELEC 3.95.7) of their latest major update, OpenELEC 4.0, is now available for download.

Besides the usual bugfixes and package updates, the team behind OpenELEC has updated XBMC with the last fixes to XBMC 13 Gotham RC1, updated the kernel to kernel 3.14.2 and rebuilt the whole distro with the recently released gcc-4.9.0.

Previous betas added experimental ALSA support for RaspberryPi, as well as an experimental 4K support for supported platforms, brought fixes for some WLAN drivers, fixed AirPlay issues with iOS 7 devices, fixed issues with Youtube and other streams, solved some issues with AMD GPU hardware and added initial support for TTS (TextToSpeech) output.

You can learn more on all the OpenELEC betas here.

Be warned that this is not the stable version but only a beta release. The OpenELEC team aims to detect some bugs and glitches if any, from the beta with the help of their user base and roll out a stable 4.0 release, as soon as possible. So if you know what you’re doing and want to help these awesome developers (and only then), go ahead and get the beta version here.

Please make sure to back up the data first and here is the official tutorial on how to upgrade to this beta release.

If you are new to OpenELEC, check out our tutorial on how to install the latest stable version of the software (v. 3.2), then download the latest OpenELEC 4 beta and manually update following the instructions here.

At the end of the day, if you’re an XBMC-only guy or have an old Apple TV 1 lying in the store room, OpenELEC is surely worth a wide open look.

Also read:

• XBMC 13.0 Gotham Beta 1 is out and ready to sneak into your Apple TV
• How to install XBMC 13.0 Gotham on Apple TV 2
• Top 10 best XBMC addons for Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2

The post XBMC on Apple TV 1: OpenElec 4 beta 7 with support for XBMC 13.0 Gotham now available appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Last week XBMC released the beta 3 of their next major update – XBMC 13.0 Gotham that was released back in March with a support for 3D movies, improved UPnP capabilities, “dramatic” Audio Engine improvements and various visual changes that improve usability and logic (check out the full list of changes). Here is a tutorial on how to install XBMC Gotham (beta 3) on Apple TV 2.

Note: XBMC 13.0 will only works on jailbroken Apple TV 2 (latest jailbreakable Apple TV firmware is 5.3). If you have an Apple TV 1 and want XBMC badly, you can find out how to do it here.

Requirements

• Jailbroken ATV 2 running firmware 5.3 or older
• Mac computer (use Terminal app)  or Windows PC (use PuTTY app)

Step 1: Install the latest stable version of XBMC – XBMC Frodo (12.3). If you already have Frodo installed, go directly to Step 2.

• Launch the “Terminal” or “PuTTY” application.
• Ensure that your computer and your Apple TV are on the same network.
• Connect to your Apple TV via SSH using the following commands.

ssh root@[Your Apple TV’s I.P. Address]

Example: ssh root@192.168.2.18
This can be found under General/Network on your ATV’s main menu

Note: Should you receive an “Authentication Error,” copy and paste the following command into the Terminal window and press Enter, then continue.

rm ~/.ssh/known_hosts

• Agree to any security prompts by typing “yes” (without quotations), then press enter.
• When prompted for a password, type the word “alpine” (without quotations) then press Enter.

• Copy and paste the following commands into your Terminal or PuTTY app, pressing the Enter key after each. It’s important that you wait for each one to finish before moving onto the next. Don’t worry… you will know when each line is finished.

apt-get install wget

wget -O- https://apt.awkwardtv.org/awkwardtv.pub | apt-key add -

echo "deb https://apt.awkwardtv.org/ stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/awkwardtv.list

echo "deb https://mirrors.xbmc.org/apt/atv2 ./" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/xbmc.list

apt-get update

mkdir -p /Applications/AppleTV.app/Appliances

apt-get install org.xbmc.xbmc-atv2

mkdir -p /Applications/XBMC.frappliance

reboot

Step 2: Install XBMC 13.0 Gotham beta 3

• Launch the “Terminal” or “PuTTY” application.
• Connect to your Apple TV via SSH using the following commands.

ssh root@[Your Apple TV’s I.P. Address]

• When prompted for a password, type the word “alpine” (without quotations) then press Enter.
• Copy and paste the following commands:

rm -f *xbmc*.deb

wget https://mirrors.xbmc.org/apt/pre-release/atv2/deb/org.xbmc.xbmc-atv2_13.0-0~b3_iphoneos-arm.deb

dpkg -i *xbmc*.deb

rm *xbmc*.deb

Done! You should now have the beta 3 of XBMC 13.0 Gotham installed on your Apple TV.

To ensure the new build fits your screen:

• Launch XBMC from the main menu on Apple TV
• Enter the “Settings” sub menu under the “SYSTEM” heading.
• Select the “Appearance” tab from the left menu bar.
• Change “Settings level” from Standard (default) to Advanced

• Under the “Skin” menu,you’ll now want to choose “-4%” for the “Zoom” field so that your XBMC configuration will properly fit your television display.

Depending on the television, you might have to play around with this, but it should work flawlessly at the “-4%” setting. Press “MENU” on your remote to return back one level once this is done.

Congratulations! Your Apple TV now has XBMC 13.0 Gotham installed on it, and fitting on your screen.

Now, check out Top 10 best XBMC addons for Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2

More on XBMC:

• How to change skins in XBMC on Apple TV
• How to clone the XBMC installation
• Use XBMC to extend your Apple TV’s hard drive

.. and more.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post How to install XBMC 13.0 Gotham on Apple TV 2 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

It’s been a long time since the name XBMC echoed through our corridors. Apple TV 2 owners can start their celebrations as XBMC has released the Beta 1 of their next major update, v. 13.0. After Eden and Frodo, they’ve come up with Gotham as their codename, just to make sure it’ll never get unnoticed by movie fans.

Let’s see what XBMC 13.0 Gotham brings new to the table.

• Support for 3D movies: SBS, TAB, anaglyph and interlaced formats are supported but not 3D BluRays
• Improved UPnP capabilities: you can now send videos from your tablet or phone to your TV similar to AirPlay or Chromcast
• Massive improvements with the Audio Engine: simpler, faster, better quality and lesser breakage
• Better user experience with improved settings : categorisation of settings from beginner to expert, comprehensive descriptions with each setting and a ‘Reset to default’ button, in case you mess things up
• Better subtitle searches
• Better developer tools – means better add-ons in future
• Various visual changes throughout the skin which should improve usability and logic
• Numerous minor features and bug fixes

I have mentioned only the features relevant to Apple TV users here and in brief. You can read the complete changelog for Gotham here.

Note that Gotham is still in beta, which means it is not free from bugs yet and the public release is still some time away.

Soon, we will have a tutorial on how to install XBMC 13.0 Gotham on the Apple TV.

XBMC and Apple TV

For those who’ve no idea what I’m talking about, here is a little light on the context. XBMC is the major reason why most Apple TVs are jailbroken. It is basically an open-source software media player which can be used to browse and play videos, songs or pictures from your hard disk, network server or even the internet. It is available for all linux based devices, iOS, Mac, Android and PC and supports third party add-ons and skins/themes which makes it quite popular among its users.

Due to the strict guidelines laid down by Apple, it cannot be made available to users in the App Store or Apple TV without dropping some core features. Which is why they’re currently only available for jailbroken devices. Read more – What is XBMC? and Why is it not officially available on App Store?

XBMC 12.0 and above works only on jailbroken Apple TV 2 (latest jailbreakable Apple TV firmware is 5.3). If you have an Apple TV 1 and want XBMC badly, you can find out how to do it here.

More on XBMC:

• Top 10 best XBMC addons for Apple TV 1 and Apple TV 2
• How to change skins in XBMC on Apple TV
• Use XBMC to extend your Apple TV’s hard drive
• How to navigate XBMC’s menus options
• How to clone the XBMC installation

.. and more.

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The post XBMC 13.0 Gotham Beta 1 is out and ready to sneak into your Apple TV appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

The power of XBMC is its ability to manage content weather on your Apple TV, N.A.S. device, or network connected computer. It does not matter if you have movies, television shows, music, or pictures XBMC is designed with the unique ability to incorporate this content into the software itself. This is an extremely attractive feature for those of us utilizing XBMC on our Apple TV, especially the Apple TV 2. With its limited storage and lack of USB drives, the Apple TV 2 is primed for taking advantage of XBMC’s custom Library features. Let’s start by looking at the primary libraries and what each offers.

VIDEO LIBRARY

The Video Library, one of the XBMC databases, allows the organization of your video content by information associated with the video files themselves. This information can be obtained in various different ways, like through Scrapers (ie. Movies, TV shows and Music Videos) and nfo files. Library view allows you to browse your video content by things such as; Genre, Title, Year, Actors and Directors.

MUSIC LIBRARY

The Music Library, one of the XBMC databases, is a key feature of XBMC. It allows the organization of your music collections using the information stored in your music file ID tags, like title, artist, album, genre and popularity. It also allows users to add network sources, such as Last.FM, to their library. Making this a much needed, and must have, feature.
Luckily, each library functions the same when it comes to Adding and Removing Content. So let’s take a quick look at the ins and outs of adding files to our libraries. If you are simply looking to remove items from your library you can skip to the bottom of this article.

ADD FILES

1) From within the correct category you will want to select “Files.” This will open a new window displaying any content that is already added. This will assuredly be blank.
2) Select the option that reads Add (content). Meaning, if you are in the Video section, you will choose Add Videos.

3) Here you will see a pop up window asking you to enter the path of your content. This best way to select this location is by clicking on the Browse.

4) You  see a long list of options on the right. From here you can navigate to any folder located on your Apple TV as well as any number of network locations. This is how you will add a folder to XBMC. If you are adding Network Storage then you want to know what protocol the source is using. Typically SMB (Windows) or UPnP. By selecting these options, XBMC will scan your network for devices. For example, I will scan my network for UPnP sources. The results are below.

5) Now it is a simple matter of navigating to the folder that contains to content you want to add. It is important to note that you must be viewing the content WITHIN the folder when you select OK. You don’t want to select OK while merely highlighting the folder itself. Once you select the correct folder you will need to name it again within XBMC. For this example I am naming the source Network Movies Folder.

6) We will need to tell XBMC what type of content is in the folder we are adding to our XBMC Library. This is of the utmost importance for you to get the full benefit of Fanart, backgrounds, posters, and thumbnails. For the sake our my example we are telling XBMC that I am scanning a folder of (Movies). The last thing:

7) Lastly, we will want to select the option RUN AUTOMATED SCAN. This will let XBMC know that you want it to scan the content into your library and then update your Library at the same time. When you click OK you will be met by a POP UP Windows – fear not and select YES!

REMOVING FILES

1) To remove items from your XBMC Library, you must first tell XBMC to allow this functionality. By default, it is disabled to prevent accidental content removal. So, how do we do this? From your home scree go to the System menu option.
2) You will want to select the top option titled Appearance.

3) Now you will have access to the settings options for the Files controls. Here you can adjust multiple options, but we are interested, specifically, in “Allow file renaming and deletion.” Select this option and make sure the circle on the right becomes illuminated.

4) Now that the hard part is done, we will simply navigate to any Library within XBMC. To keep with our theme of movie content I will navigate to my Movies Folder. once there, navigate to the file you wish to remove and while the video selected hold down your MENU button until the context menu pops up.

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