AppleTV: Be Wary...

WARNING:  Geeks everywhere should be very wary before embarking on the path of Apple TV.  Normal people should avoid like the plague.

Everything was roses until a movie downloaded and would not play.  It refused to authorize.  I called Apple support but was informed that my 90 days of complementary support had passed.  If I wanted to speak to someone I would have to buy a $60 extended applecare warranty.  Frustrating, but hey.  I shelled out the cash. My apple tv was worth it, no?

Cut to the chase, tech support had me reset my device to factory defaults. This is after spending a total of 15 hours and 4 days downloading this movie 4 times.  But no worries.  This would fix it and while it would wipe the hard drive, I was informed that I would be able to download anything I had "rented" but not played yet.

Not the case. Anything but.

Reality is that if you have a problem with something you've purchased, you have to visit the iTunes store support website and fill out a service request form at which point you will be emailed back within 48 hours.

But wait, I paid for phone service.  Yup.  But this doesn't cover anything touching the iTunes store.  And everything you buy or rent on your apple TV comes from guess where?  Yup.  The iTunes store.  So I paid $60 to end up in an email scenario and all my rented (and paid for) movies gone.

(NOTE: If you are VERY lucky and get the Canadian Call Centre, they seem to have god-like powers and will contact iTunes on your behalf. Austin: nope. India: nope.)  My last call, however, ended me at the US call centre.  Which it turns out is bad news but also where the majority of calls go.

Here's the best part.  They still weren't sure if my movies would play assuming the iTunes store agrees to allow me to re-download them.  They want me to wait 2 days for the iTunes store to respond and then call them back if it doesn't play this time.

Let's look at the process.

• DRM is nasty in even the best scenario.
• If it fails, you have to re-download (2-4 hours for an HD movie and pray this time it will work)
• Email is fine if you bought an album and it won't play.
• Email sucks tiddle shit when you are waiting to watch a movie.

Imagine having your friends gathered to watch a geeky HD movie.  And you can't.  Furthermore, you have to wait 48 hours for a response from the iTunes store.

TAKEAWAY:

Avoid AppleTV.  Great idea, but a SNAFU from start to finish when it comes to service and support.  A product way in advance of it's time and way in advance of Apple's ability to adequately support at this time.

NOTE:  If you push and pull your way through 2 separate escalations, you can achieve a level 2 support technician who can contact someone from the iTunes store.  But it took me an hour on the phone (fourth call), refusing a free shuffle and then demanding escalation four times.  The path is: general AppleTV call centre, then Level 1 Product Specialist, then Level 2 Customer Care or some such named group (who can actually do something.)

Image Source: Midnight-digital

UPDATE:  Wait a minute.  The iTunes store got back to me in only 24 hours.  But wait.  They reset my account, disabling my AppleTV AND gave me next steps for re-downloading on my computer using iTunes.  But I didn't buy it on my computer.  I bought it on Apple TV.   There is no "Authorize Computer" button on my Apple TV.  Gah!!!

Dear Sean ,

I understand you were requesting assistance by phone to resolve the movie rental error you received. I'm sorry, but the iTunes Store normally doesn't provide assistance by telephone. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have via email and I will do my best to resolve this issue for you.

I apologize that you received an error message 5103 when trying to download the movies you rented. New copies of the movies you described have already been posted to your account. You should be able to resolve it by following these steps:

1) Quit iTunes.

2) Follow the instructions in the "Remove the SC Info folder" section of this article:
http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n306424

3) After removing the SC Info folder, reopen iTunes.

4) Choose Check for Purchases from the Store menu.

5) If prompted, enter your account name and password, then click the Check button.

6) After the movies finishes downloading, choose Authorize Computer from the Store menu.

7) Enter your account name and password, then click the Authorize button.

You should now be able to play the movies you rented.

To make sure these steps would resolve your issue, I reset the number of authorized computers for your iTunes Store account to zero. Therefore, if you use other computers to play the items you purchase or rent with this account, you may be prompted to reauthorize those computers to play the items.

If you follow these steps and still receive error messages when trying to download the movies you rent, please reply to let me know. I will be happy to provide additional assistance.

I hope the information was helpful and that you continue to enjoy the iTunes Store.
Movies, TV Shows, iTunes U, Music, iPod Games, Music Videos, Audiobooks, Pixar Short Films, and Podcasts all available at the iTunes Store.

Sincerely,

Morgana
iTunes Store Customer Support