CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

I went into buying a pair of 3rd generation Apple TV units with open eyes. I had never owned a media streaming device before and figured Apple was about as safe as one could get in the reliability department.

My initial experience was good. I purchased during the product's initial release. I bought one directly off of Apple's website (pre-ordered) and one from the nearest Apple store. The wife and I enjoyed watching movie trailers on the plasma and HT projector, and I also enjoyed Vimeo greatly.

Since purchase, there have been a couple of updates. The first one reset the units to factory, but the second one retained the device configurations (network, et al). But since the second (last) update, both units have developed their own individual problems that greatly take away from the use-experience.

Unit #1 (U1) was originally attached to a Panasonic plasma TV (about 1.8 years old) and seemed to have grown an HDMI handshaking problem. I no longer can watch 10-15 minutes of Vimeo before the problem presents itself and it strongly persistent.

Both the display and the U1 ATV3 are in open air in a cool environment (~73ºF). I've swapped out cables, cycled through HDMI inputs on the plasma, and finally started testing with other displays in the home--all exhibit this handshaking problem with U1.

I've tested on Panasonic, Vizio and Samsung flat panels and JVC and Sony projectors. Its the ATV3.

Unit #2 (U2) is attached to the JVC HD projector down in the home theater. U2's problem is one in which while watching a movie trailer or Vimeo video the unit will spontaneously reboot itself. It may do this 1-3 times in 60-90 minutes of use.

I have tried swapping out cables, taking it off of condition power, etc., but something occurs and just causes the unit to panic into reboot submission. Unlike U1 this unit is using wireless network connectivity, but I have never experienced an issue with playability outside of the reboot condition.

I've purchased both of these using Amex, which tags 1-year onto the original meager warranty. Unless I can identify and resolve these issues I'll seek Amex's help--they'll probably just refund me my money. Anyone got any ideas on what to try?

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:36 pm Post subject:

If they're ATV 3's, then they're in warranty, Wan... No reason to discuss the Amex, because Apple is typically very good about support and replacement. Take them both into an Apple store, tell them what's been going on, and they'll probably just swap them out with another for you.

As for HDMI handshake, I'm not surprised in the least. I know you said it was working before, but in my experience (with A LOT of sources, switchers, and displays), HDMI is a damn crapshoot. Everybody I know has had trouble. I was lucky up until now. Everything worked perfectly with my sources (PS3 fat, DirecTV HR-22, Apple TV 3, Toshiba HD DVD, HTPC) and the HD Fury 2/G70 as display, but since switching to the JVC RS45, HDMI has turned into a giant pain in the ass... I have to switch away from an input and back, power-cycle devices, and even when it does work, the handshake can take like 15 seconds. Crazy obnoxious and annoying!

I'm thinking about getting a cheap Denon receiver from Best Buy and throwing it in the rack temporarily just to see if it fixes the issue. If it does, I guess I'll just replace the Integra 9.9.

Stupid HDMI.

Still, the ATV shouldn't be rebooting... I haven't had any problems like that whatsoever. Take them to the Apple Store and get them replaced. I suppose you could try factory resetting them first before you take the time to take them back. General > Reset > Restore will restore it to factory config, and re-download the latest software update. Maybe something got corrupted in the last update download.

SC

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

Ok, I misread the ATV3 warranty when I purchased it. The inclusion of phone support is limited to 90-days, but the hardware itself is 1 year. Kudos. I'll take the handshaking one in tomorrow since I have to get the truck's emission test and annual registration done and its by the mall, too.

I say the handshaking one first since the problem seems to be able to replicate itself fairly easily.

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6635

I did find this. Quote

My ATV2 would re-boot sporadically until I changed the screen saver from starting after 5 minutes to starting after 30

So far my Roku 2 has no such problem. It could also be your ISP or interference from another wireless device or cordless phone.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

Well, the wife corrected me on one thing. Apparently I tested U1 was tested on two Samsung televisions (both exhibiting handshake issues) and not the Vizio, which is now in the basement family room. Sp, last night I traveled U1 to it and guess what? No handshaking problems.

Instead, like U2 this U1 worked fine for about 45 minutes and then spontaneously rebooted. LOL So, I now have two units with just a rebooting issue, which may just be handshaking induced. I guess I should take U2 out of the HT and try it on the Panasonic and Samsung displays and see if they exhibit a handshaking issue like U1.

Tom, nice find. I'll alter this setting, but when the reboot occurs it is right about the time it is accessing a video--initiating a stream. I suspect it may have something to do with this.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:15 pm Post subject:

Ahhh to be a beta tester!

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

I'm not sure why you label me as such. I actually didn't hold out waiting for the third generation Apple TV. I went in trying to buy the second generation, and being ignorant was not aware they discontinued it in prep for the new version to come out. Was I suppose to hold out another six months?

ecrabb · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 10:29 pm Post subject:

Wan, I don't think he was referring to you specifically as much as the general state of all things consumer electronics these days. HDMI, software updates, few (ifany) interoperability standards or testing, and we're pretty much all beta testers in a sense.

SC