status light apple tv 2nd generation

[baxterboy]

Hi

At the risk of looking like the 'duh' I am when it comes to tech ......
I have a 2nd generation apple tv A1378 which hasn't been used in years.

When I plug in the hdmi and the power cable, the white status light on the APPLE TV does not come on.
No apple tv on the tv
The 3v battery in the remote is showing 2.6v (without resistor so might be lower) on multimeter.
The power cable is ok (you can see red lighting behind the optical audio section at the back of the unit)

Does the white status light always go on automatically when plugged in, or must it be turned on with the remote. I pressed what I believe is the power button on the remote but still no light. Pressed the menu button - no light.

any suggestions.
thanks

 

[-Gonzo-]

Generally as soon as it’s connected to a power source the white led should start flashing.
Depending on where you are in the world have you checked the fuse in the plug? (If it’s a UK plug that is)

 

[baxterboy]

Generally as soon as it’s connected to a power source the white led should start flashing.
Depending on where you are in the world have you checked the fuse in the plug? (If it’s a UK plug that is)

Thanks Gonzo.
I thought, as you say, the white led should start flashing as soon as its plugged into the wall; however, I read other sources saying it had to be turned on using the remote for the light to come on.
I'm in Canada.. so no fuse in the plug.

 

[Audit13]

I had a 2nd and 3rd Gen ATV and LED indicator would come on as soon as either unit was connected to a power source.

Try connecting the ATV to a computer and iTunes or Finder restore tvOS.

 

[baxterboy]

I had a 2nd and 3rd Gen ATV and LED indicator would come on as soon as either unit was connected to a power source.

Try connecting the ATV to a computer and iTunes or Finder restore tvOS.

Cheers Audit.
With another ATV I had the white status light would come on as soon as the unit was connected to a power source;however, according to chatgpt....

Apple TV devices typically do not have a visible status light that turns on immediately when the power cord is plugged in. The status light on an Apple TV usually becomes active when the device is in use or when it receives a command (e.g., via remote control).

When you plug in the power cord of your Apple TV, it should enter a standby or sleep mode, and the device itself may not be fully powered on. To turn on the Apple TV, you would typically use the remote control or press the button on the Apple TV unit itself

Also, I think, to restore tvOS in itunes, I'll need to put the Apple TV into DFU mode, and press and hold both the menu and down buttons for 6 seconds till light starts flashing. I'm not sure, if there's an issue with the light, if it will start to flash.

 

[Audit13]

Cheers Audit.
With another ATV I had the white status light would come on as soon as the unit was connected to a power source;however, according to chatgpt....

Apple TV devices typically do not have a visible status light that turns on immediately when the power cord is plugged in. The status light on an Apple TV usually becomes active when the device is in use or when it receives a command (e.g., via remote control).

When you plug in the power cord of your Apple TV, it should enter a standby or sleep mode, and the device itself may not be fully powered on. To turn on the Apple TV, you would typically use the remote control or press the button on the Apple TV unit itself

Also, I think, to restore tvOS in itunes, I'll need to put the Apple TV into DFU mode, and press and hold both the menu and down buttons for 6 seconds till light starts flashing. I'm not sure, if there's an issue with the light, if it will start to flash.

I've used iTunes on Win10 and Finder on Monterey to restore a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gen Apple TV. I connected the ATV to a power source, wait a few minutes, connect the ATV via USB, wait until it appears in iTunes or Finder, and perform a restore or update/restore. I don't even know how to put the ATV into DFU or recovery mode.

 

[baxterboy]

I've used iTunes on Win10 and Finder on Monterey to restore a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gen Apple TV. I connected the ATV to a power source, wait a few minutes, connect the ATV via USB, wait until it appears in iTunes or Finder, and perform a restore or update/restore. I don't even know how to put the ATV into DFU or recovery mode.

Thanks audit.
Did you have to put usernames in and or/wait for firmware to load in itunes, (like when you're restoring iphone with a lost passcode) or did you not require any of those?

 

[Audit13]

Thanks audit.
Did you have to put usernames in and or/wait for firmware to load in itunes, (like when you're restoring iphone with a lost passcode) or did you not require any of those?

Restoring with iTunes or Finder does not require any usernames or password because there is no iCloud lock for the AppleTV. Note that restoring will put the AppleTV back to the factory defaults which means all usernames and passwords will be removed.

 

[baxterboy]

After replacing the battery in the remote, the status light still didn't appear as it has done with previous 2nd generation ATVs.
So I decided to try and use airplay anyway after changing the battery. The status light is still off but it's working.