Update Porthole to restore Apple TV compatibility

September 2013

I just released Porthole v1.4.4 which restores compatibility with the Apple TV. Apple’s latest update for the little black device changed some AirPlay protocol related things that stopped quite a few third-party AirPlay audio apps to work. The update makes sure Porthole plays by the new rules.

Putting out a fix came sooner than expected, very much thanks to Jason from Industrious One who found the solution and Quentin over at Rogue Amoeba who mentioned Jason’s fix to be “very very simple”, which in turn pointed me in the right direction :).

Have a look at their websites and products, both make excellent apps! Especially if you’re into listening to music or work with audio.

To update to the latest version of Porthole, Check for Updates in-app or download the latest version.

Apple TV v6.0 update warning

September 2013

This issue has been resolved. Update Porthole to restore compatibility. Read the follow up for more details.

The latest Apple TV firmware (version 6.0) adds a new layer of mandatory encryption for audio playback that wasn’t required before. This currently prevents unofficial audio based AirPlay apps to work like they used to.

I’m looking into the issue and trying to figure out a solution, if there is one. This requires some research and it might take a while to find a way around the encryption.

The best thing to do at the moment, is to not update your Apple TV to the latest version if you want to stream to it using Porthole. To stay up to date, follow @getporthole on Twitter. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Note that Apple TV’s running 5.3 or below and other AirPlay speakers are unaffected.