How To's for Apple TV - Viewing Photos from iPad or Laptop

How to Setup Your iPad and/or Mac Computer or Laptop to View Your Photos on Your Apple TV

Connect the Apple TV to your wireless network, by following the next steps:

1. Connect your Apple TV box to your HDTV input connection on the back of your TV via a HDTV cable.
2. Using the remote (that came with the Apple TV). Aim at the white light on the black box, make sure it is un-obstructed view.  Select Menu
3. Use the right arrow on the remote's dial to move to Settings.
4. Press the middle of dial to select WiFi Set Up.
5. Then using the down arrow, select the Network Configure WiFi from the list of options.
6. Select the name of your wireless network and press the middle of the dial to select it.
7. If you don't see the name of the wireless network, select Other and then using arrow key, select Submit and enter password if needed.  Select Menu to go back to the screen saver.

Now for the iPad2 Setup -- for viewing photos from your camera roll and albums stored on your iPad, you will need to do the following:

1. Select the Settings icon from the iPad2.
2. Then select WiFi.  Make sure your device is connected to the same network.
3. To activate Apple TV on your iPad, Tap on the home button twice and swipe towards the right.  You should see the iPod orange icon and the controls for the music player and sound controls.  Look closely and you will see the Apple TV logo which is a box with black up arrow, next to the player controls.
4. When you click on this icon, you will be able to switch to and from your iPad, your network, and also the Apple TV and other devices.  Select Apple TV.
5. Now press the home button once, and select the Photos icon from your iPad.  You should be able to select or make sure that the Apple TV is selected from this app.  By clicking on an album and photos you should see these on your display connected to the Apple TV black box.  You can operate a slideshow, swipe photos and such from your iPad.  These will be mirrored (by using Airplay) onto your display.

NOTE: When you have finished viewing your photos on your Apple TV from your iPad, you will need to switch back to your network to resume using the iPad device with your other apps that require wifi.  However,  when connected via Apple TV you can actually play your music through your TV speakers, along with mirror any of the apps or games from your iPad to the Apple TV.
NOTE:  iPad 1 users will find AirPlay playback will be limited to certain system apps such as Photos, Music, Videos, Safari (for embedded videos), YouTube and FaceTime, along with a few other third-party apps.

You can listen to music and watch movies and videos from your iPad and other output devices. Your content is stored on your iPad, which you use to drive playback to any of the other screens or speakers in your house. The advantage is that you could start watching a movie at home using AirPlay streaming to your HDTV and then when you need to leave the room, you can switch the display back to your iPad and watch it from there. This also works for your music.
Another example -- you can output the Scrabble board from your iPad using Airplay to an HDTV, and then use the free Scrabble Tile Rack on other iOS devices for a local multiplayer Scrabble game.

To connect your Laptop to Apple TV you will have to follow these steps:

For those users NOT running Mountain Lion System software on their laptop or Mac computer. 

1. Run iTunes application on your computer, turn on Home Sharing under the Advanced Menu option. You will have to enter your Apple ID and password.
2. Using the Menu button on your remote that operates your Apple TV, select Computers tab and you will be able to select the Name of your shared library. 
3. You should be able to share or listen to  your iTunes music library or run Photos application on your computer and run a slideshow or view photos from the computer that are now displayed on the TV connected to the Apple TV box.

NOTE: As long as you leave Home Sharing on your computers, then they should be accessible under the Computer Tab of Apple TV.  Your computer does not have to be on to access this option and the photos to be displayed on your TV via the Apple TV box.  Movies and videos that you wish to watch must be stored in your iTunes library on your computer in order to play on your Apple TV. These must be playing on your computer and then they are played on your Apple TV if the Apple TV is selected from the Airplay drop down menu.

If you have Mountain Lion System and a computer with the right processor, it is much simpler to use the Airplay option available with that system to view your photos and mirror your computers screen.

1.  If your Mac supports Airplay Mirroring, an Airplay Mirroring menu appears in the menu bar when an Apple TV is on the same network.  Turn on the Apple TV options in the pop-down airplay menu.   Note: Airplay must be turned on via Systems Preferences&Displays
   From this systems preference, you can also set the mirroring resolution to be the matched to the computer's screen or the Apple TV's screen. 
2.  Once this option is enabled, you should be able to run any app or program to mirror what you see on your computer.

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