How to Play MP4 on Apple TV (4 Ways)

Yes.

Apple TV supports videos in MP4 format, and you can stream MP4 files on Apple TV.

You can do this by using services like AirPlay, Mirroring, Home Sharing, and dedicated streaming apps. Below, you can learn about 4 ways to stream and watch your favorite movies on Apple TV for free. Let's take a deeper look.

💡 Apple TV only supports playing MP4 files that are encoded using the H.264 or MPEG-4 video codec and the AAC audio codec. If your video won't play, converting it to one of these formats may resolve the issue.

#1. Stream from Mac via Home Sharing

Home Sharing is a free service that lets you share and stream media between multiple Apple devices on the same Wi-Fi network. After you set up Home Sharing on your Mac and Apple TV, you can easily browse the media library on your computer and play it on your Apple TV. Here's how:

• Step 1. Fire up the Apple TV app on your Mac.
• Step 2. From the top menu, go to 'File' > 'Import'.
• Step 3. Navigate to your MP4 file and click 'Open'. Or you can directly drag it to the app.
• Step 4. Still in the Apple TV app, go to 'TV' > 'Settings' from the top menu.
• Step 5. Click the 'General' tab. Scroll to 'Media Sharing' and click 'Turn On Home Sharing'.
• Step 6. Enter your Apple ID.
• Step 7. On your Apple TV Home Screen, go to 'Settings'.
• Step 8. Select ‘Users and Accounts’, click ‘Home Sharing’.
• Step 9. Select ‘Turn on Home Sharing’. Then sign in with your Apple ID.
• Step 10. Now, return to the Home Screen, open the 'Computers' app.
• Step 11. Select your Mac from the list of shared libraries.
• Step 12. Browse to 'Movies' > 'Home Videos'. Select your MP4 video and press Play.

#2. Stream from iPhone or iPad via AirPlay

AirPlay is a tool developed by Apple for wireless media streaming. It can easily transfer media files such as video and audio from iPhone or iPad to Apple TV or other AirPlay-compatible devices. Here are the steps to stream MP4 from your iOS via AirPlay.

• Step 1. Make sure your iPhone or iPad and Apple TV are under the same Wi-Fi network.
• Step 2. Open the video you want to stream on your device.
• Step 3. Click the 'AirPlay' button, or if you don't see the AirPlay button directly, click 'Share' > 'AirPlay'.
• Step 4. Select the 'Apple TV' you want to stream to. Your video should now be streamed to your Apple TV instantly.

💡 If both your device and Apple TV support 4K video playback, you can stream in resolutions up to 4K.

#3. Screencast from iPhone or iPad via Screen Mirroring

With Screen Mirroring, you can share what's on your device's screen with your Apple TV. Note, however, that the quality may be lower than direct streaming, and the maximum resolution is no higher than 1080p.

• Step 1. Ensure your device and Apple TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Step 2. Swipe down from the top edge of the device screen to open Control Center.
• Step 3. Click on the 'Screen Mirroring' button.
• Step 4. Select 'Apple TV' from the list that appears.
• Step 5. If you have a password, enter it on your device to start screen mirroring on your TV.
• Step 6. Play the video on your device and you will see the video playing on your TV simultaneously.

💡 When screen mirroring, you must keep the video playing on your device. If you change the screen, your TV will change the screen because it will display exactly what is on the device's screen.

#4. Stream MP4 to Apple TV via Plex

In addition to AirPlay, you can also use third-party media streaming tool Plex to stream MP4 to Apple TV. The great thing about Plex is that it can stream any video to your TV, even if your TV doesn't support it. Plex does this by transcoding the video to a supported format in real time. To stream media files through Plex, follow these steps:

• Step 1. Set up Plex server on your computer.
• Step 2. Add the library to your Plex.
• Step 3. Download the Plex app on Apple TV.
• Step 4. Sign in to Plex on your TV.
• Step 5. Browse the Plex library, find the MP4 video and start playing it.

If you use AirPlay to stream MP4 or play MP4 directly from the Apple TV media library, you may encounter video playback errors. This is due to MP4 using a codec that is not supported by Apple TV. The interesting thing about the MP4 format is that it can contain many more types of video files than the Apple TV can play.

To resolve this issue, we recommend encoding your MP4 with H264 video and AAC audio, which is a format supported by all Apple TVs. You can use WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro, a professional video converter application that comes with Apple TV profiles that allows you to convert videos to Apple TV compatible formats in one click. Download Download the software now and follow the tutorial.

Step 1. Open the software on your PC and enter the "Converter" program. Next, drag the MP4 file into the converter interface.

Step 2. Click the format picture on the right to open the output format page. Then, open the "Apple" device category and select the "Apple TV" profile that suits your TV.

Step 3. Finally, set an output folder at the bottom of the program and click "Run" to start conversion. Now, try playing the converted MP4 on Apple TV to see if it works.

1. Why is MP4 not supported on Apple TV?

MP4 is a video format compatible with all Apple TVs. However, your Apple TV might not support the codec used in MP4, so it won't be able to play the file. To fix this problem, you can use a video converter to change the MP4 files to an Apple TV-compatible format.

2. How do I put MP4 on Apple TV?

You can put MP4 files on your Apple TV through the Apple TV App on your Mac. Note that the Apple TV app only supports MP4 files encoded using the MPEG-4 or H.264 video codecs and the AAC audio codec.