PlexConnect

Just a random aside. You couldn’t download third party apps on the 3rd generation AppleTV, but without jailbreaking, the community made a Plex app, merely by running a Python script and redirecting DNS to your computer that intercepted calls to the Apple Trailers app. https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect I’m sure some inventive person could figure out a creative use for a ChromeCast. But overall, I agree with you.

And what few people know, is that Apple already had a platform where all of the “apps” were written with JavaScript + TVML (a proprietary Apple markup language) - the 3rd Gen AppleTV. If I’m not mistaken, you can still write apps for the ATV4 that way. Plex was ported to the 3rd Gen AppleTV as an unofficial app just by running a server on your computer and redirecting DNS to it. https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect/wiki/Install-Guide

Can it handle transcoding? When my current plex server meets its maker, I was thinking about replacing it with an Nvidia Shield since it can handle transcoding. The only thing stopping me is the ability to run Plex Connect[1] that lets me run a Plex app on my 3rd gen AppleTVs. But a Rasberry Pi should allow me to run the Python based PlexConnect server. [1] https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect

Why are you looking to cut cable? Most people claim its cost, but if you are an avid tv watcher, cable is not a bad deal, especially with the bundles available and in certain circumstances is cheaper than the streaming alternatives. We cut cable for a lot of reasons that may or may not make sense for most people. 1. My wife has a split shift and has a lot of down time during the day. When she isn't at the gym, she can just watch her shows on her phone. 2. We have unlimited gigabit internet for $70 from AT&T. If you have capped internet, it either costs extra to get uncapped internet or it's not available. 3. We have alot of TVs - our room and our son's room, the guest bedroom, home gym, living room, and my wife's study. That would be $50 a month by itself in set top box rental fees. Instead we have three Roku TVs, two Roku sticks, three t

I've tried a lot of things over the years, but my current setup consists of 3 3rd Gen AppleTVs, 3 Roku sticks and a TV with integrated Roku software. I'm running a Plex Server and Plex Connect (https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect). Plex Connect let's you run a real Plex client on a non-jail broken AppleTV by intercepting the Trailers app and serving up custom TVML (Apple's proprietary HTML like markup language).

Correct. You could actually modify the HTTP proxy settings and trusted certificates on the device and run your own applications using a man in the middle attack. Plex had a version that supported this: https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect

Let me introduce you to PlexConnect, if you'd like to use your current Apple TV as a Plex client: https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect

If you use Plex (and you really should:) https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect PlexConnect is a simple DNS server that rewrites requests to trailers.apple.com to your local machine (where a daemon is running that responds to requests from your Apple TV.) It then takes the place of the "Trailers" app, and requires only that you change your AppleTV DNS server config to your own machine, and that you install their SSL certificate in your AppleTV's certificate store. You can edit your AppleTV's certificate store with an Apple-developed program called Apple Configurator (in the OSX App Store for free) so at least it doesn't requires anything like jailbreaking.

I don't know if he had written anything up, but PlexConnect (https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect) uses a similar process to serve Plex up to the AppleTV via the Trailers app.