How do I play a DVD on Apple TV 3? For an Apple fan who is keen on image and audio quality, this is a common question just the same as an amateur tennis player asking how to pick a top-north bat - both expecting to get better performance. It is not easy to find programs capable of converting DVD to Apple TV 3 compatible format without quality loss. Nonetheless, some qualified and top-rated programs still stand out and to our surprises, these are handy programs that provide professional DVD to Apple TV 3 conversion services with zero quality loss.

Part 1: Introduction to Apple TV 3

Known as a digital media player, Apple TV 3 (3rd generation) features a small network appliance and entertainment device capable of receiving digital data such as music or video from specific sources and streaming it to a television that has HDMI input. Thus, Apple TV 3 is an HDMI-compliant source device. In order to use it for viewing, it has to be connected to an enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen television via an HDMI cable. Basically, Apple TV 3 has no integrated controls and can only be controlled externally, either by an Apple Remote or Siri Remote control device. Apple TV 3 has supported a variety of video formats, as shown below.

  • H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High or Main Profile level 4.0 or lower, 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 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
  • Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

With above introduction, you may have a basic idea that DVD cannot naturally comply with Apple TV so that we have to convert DVD to Apple TV 3 compatible format for playback. Read on to find out the best solution to play DVD via Apple TV.

Apple TV 3

How to convert DVD to Apple TV 3

How to convert DVD to Apple TV 3 amounts to convert DVD to Apple TV 3 compatible format, for example, MP4. Leawo DVD Ripper is a program to rip and convert DVD to any other format, which covers more than 180 formats. It handles DVD-5/DVD-9 disc, DVD folder, and DVD image file at ease and better than that, it preserves the original file quality without causing any quality loss after ripping and conversion. It accepts all kinds of DVD discs, even DVD discs protected by CSS encryption or region codes. The processing speed is 6X faster than its counterparts in the category. Other than converting DVD to video, you can also use it to convert DVD to FLAC or other audio formats. We can have a look at common steps to convert DVD to Apple TV 3 compatible format MP4 using this ripper.

   

Step 1: Download and install the program

Click the button above to download and install the program on your PC. Then launch Leawo Prof. Media, which houses Leawo DVD Ripper and other programs in one suite.

Load DVD Ripper

Step 2: Add source DVD files to the program

Here offers three options for you to import the source DVD files to the program, DVD disc, DVD folder, and ISO image file, respectively. Choose one accordingly. If you do not bother to click buttons, just drag and drop your DVD files to the program. This is an effortless option for users like me.

Add DVD

Step 3: Choose video in the disc to convert

You might not want all the videos in the disc and the program offers you with the option to exclude the videos you don't need. On the following interface, use the 3 buttons on top of the left sidebar to have different videos chosen for ripping. The Full Movie button will help you have all the videos selected for conversion. If you choose Main Movie, then only the main movie will be converted. You can use Custom Mode to pick out the videos you need manually from the video list on the left sidebar. After choosing the needed videos, click OK and the program will load them to a new video list for further settings.

select videos

Step 4: Change the output format to MP4

Click on the format drop down menu, and click Change, where you will navigate to the Profile panel. You can search for the target output format from the right panel. Here we directly go for Device > Apple TV, meaning that we will choose Apple TV compatible format MP4 as our target output format.

Choose output format

Step 5: Edit the DVD file

Note that this step is completely up to you and it is optional. You can click Edit from the format down menu to set video and audio parameters for the output MP4 file, such as video codec, resolution, bit rate etc.

edit video

Step 6: Rip and convert DVD to Apple TV 3 compatible format - MP4

Finally we get close to rip and convert DVD to Apple TV, before that we have to set a directory to save the output MP4 file. Then, click the Convert button at the bottom to start the process immediately. The displayed green progress bar will tell you the completion status. When it is done completely, transfer the converted file to your Apple TV. Here is a simple procure for you to do that.

Start conversion

Here's a video guide of Leawo DVD Ripper for your reference.

Launch iTunes and click files, then select add files to library option to add the converted MP4 to your iTunes library. After that, drag the converted file from iTunes library to Apple TV that is available in the device source list. After that, you will be able to play DVD movie on Apple TV. Have fun!

Stream MacBook contents to Apple TV 3

To stream DVD contents on Apple TV 3 is easy to fulfill with the help of Leawo DVD Ripper, while if you need to stream what you watch on MacBook to Apple TV 3, it is another story. Normally we have two options for you, either with AirPlay or with physical connection - Mini Display Port that looks identical to Thunderbolt. Now it is time to follow me to see how you can achieve that with ease. Remember that there should be Wi-Fi accessiblity for both MacBook and Apple TV.

AirPlay

To begin with, make sure your MacBook supports AirPlay. If possible, upgrade your systems to the latest one. Follow below steps to enable AirPlay and stream MacBook contents to Apple TV 3.

  • Step 1: Turn on your Apple TV.
  • Step 2: On your MacBook, go to Preferences > Display. Click the selection bar and choose Apple TV. This allows you to synchronize your MacBook and Apple TV.
  • Step 3: Stream MacBook contents and enjoy them on your Apple TV with ease.

Mini Display Port

If your MacBook is too old to support AirPlay, you will have to connect your Apple TV with your MacBook through mini display port. It enables you to connect your Mac to an HDTV using an HDMI cable, the same interface the Apple TV uses to connect to the Mac. Bear in mind that both MacBook and Apple TV connect to the same network.

Conclusion

Apple TV 3 is a compact device that allows users to enjoy thousands of Apple media contents with high quality. The cinema-like experience cannot be ignored that many people seek ways to convert DVD to Apple TV 3 for such extraordinary experience. Among a variety of possible solutions, Leawo DVD Ripper offers a simplest yet strongest way to rip and convert DVD to Apple TV compatible format for playback. It is a handy and professional media processing tool, offering users with one-stop solution to rip and convert DVD to every possible format and device. For any DVD with special protection or region codes, this ripper is fully capable of removing the protection and thus making sure the converted files can be playable even outside the region where the DVD is released. It is an industry magic and a user friendly assistant to rip and convert DVD disc, DVD folder, and DVD image files to any other common format. Besides Leawo DVD Ripper, this post also introduces two simple ways to let you stream MacBook contents to Apple TV with superb movie experience. That means if your MacBook allows AirPlay, you can simply connect your MacBook with Apple TV using AirPlay. If your MacBook is too old to support AirPlay, you can use the mini display port on your MacBook to connect to the HDTV, which also connects to Apple TV. Both options allow users to stream whatever they watch on MacBook to Apple TV simultaneously. Just imagine how fun it could be if you stream YouTube videos on MacBook to Apple TV! If you have any comments about this post, leave them here for us to follow up.