Apple TV not showing Library from MacBook

Question

Level 1

8 points

Apple TV not showing Library from MacBook

I have a MacBook Pro (2016) running Monterey 12.7.6 and an Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) running tvOS 18.5. Both are connected to the same wi-fi network

I want to play my movie/ video files from my MacBook on my Apple TV connected television screen.
I have enabled the Home Sharing option in both devices.
I copied some videos (MKV, MP4, AVI) files to [Mac OS/Users/<my username>/Movies/TV/Media/Home Videos]
I can open the "TV" app on my MacBook and there it shows the files under Library->Home Videos
These files can be played in the app on the MacBook
However if I now go to my Apple TV and open the "Computers" app
I get a screen that simply says "No Libraries Available"

How can I see the files that are on the MacBook and play them directly from the Apple TV device? I don't want to play it on my MacBook and then screen share / stream it to the Apple TV.

Apple TV 4K, tvOS 18

Posted on Aug 29, 2025 10:40 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

lkrupp

Level 7

21,979 points

Aug 29, 2025 1:52 PM in response to GaneshRG

I think copying those files to the Home Videos folder is the problem. The Apple TV app maintains a database of the library. Copying files to that folder does not update the database maintained by the app. As an experiment take one of those files and drop it on the TV app. Then see if it shows up.

In addition the Apple TV hardware does not support MKV or AVI formats. You would need to convert those files to a supported format.

Apple TV 4K - Technical Specifications - Apple

Video Formats

SDR video with AVC/HEVC (Main/Main 10 profile) up to 2160p, 60 fps

Dolby Vision (Profile 5) up to 2160p, 60 fps

HDR10+/HDR10/HLG with HEVC (Main 10 Profile) up to 2160p, 60 fps

H.264 Baseline Profile level 3.0 or lower with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 fps, Simple profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

HDMI Quick Media Switching (QMS) for seamless format transitions

Support for 21:9 and other cinematic aspect ratios when playing movies and shows on compatible projectors and displays.

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Answer 2

Urquhart1244

Level 10

146,112 points

Aug 29, 2025 12:04 PM in response to GaneshRG

Verify that both devices have the same matching Apple Account set for Home Sharing. Only matching accounts will be seen and be connectable.
Verify that both devices connect to the same home network. For Wi-Fi, that means the exact same SSID network name. Prefer not to differentiate between the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, as such would create two networks, where devices on one cannot communicatie with devices on the other. Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points - Apple Support

Please review: Use Home Sharing to share media from a computer to other devices - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Urquhart1244

Level 10

146,112 points

Aug 30, 2025 8:40 AM in response to GaneshRG

Should I force both to join 2.4GHz band?

No, you should let devices connect at their preferred band, and let the router bridge both Wi-Fi bands (and the wired part) as one logical network. On consumer routers, this would typically be done by having one SSID name for all bands combined.

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Answer 4

GaneshRG Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 30, 2025 8:10 AM in response to lkrupp

I will try the other formats. Could you recommend any free tool that I could use to convert the files to one of the formats which you mentioned?

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Answer 5

GaneshRG Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 30, 2025 8:15 AM in response to Urquhart1244

My 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands both have the same SSID. I’m not sure whether both devices are on same band or different. Should I force both to join 2.4GHz band?

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Answer 6

GaneshRG Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 30, 2025 10:17 AM in response to Urquhart1244

Thanks for your response. Both these things are already in place. Both devices connect to the same SSID, both are logged in with the same Apple ID. So I guess the problem lies somewhere else.

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