Streaming to Apple TV4 Setup Help Needed

[Klaatu]

I’m using a Mac Mini, late 2012, Catalina, Apply TV4 connected to a Vizio TV. I have an external drive connected to the Mac where I keep all my media files.

The Mac is on a local network (Ethernet and WiFi). I want to stream the films from the external drive to my TV — VLC is asking for the URL and login/PW for access - and I want that to include the external drive.

How do I set that up? Thank you very much. Michael

[fkuehne]

You can enable File Sharing on your Mac. VLC will find it on the network automatically (so no need for a URL) and depending on the username/password entered, you'll be given access to the user folder as well as the external drive. Note that this implies that you run VLC on your Apple TV, not on your Mac.

[Klaatu]

I very much appreciate your help and I apologize for being so dense. How do I send you or post a JPG so I can show you what I'm seeing on my Apple TV (VLC) and my File Sharing set up?

[fkuehne]

I believe you cannot on this forum as a spam protection measure, but imgur should work.

[Klaatu]

What's "imgur"? The issue seems to be the Apple TV VLC app can't find the external drive connected to my Mac Mini...

I have Sharing via WiFi turned on and this is what the VLC TV app finds:

Network

THEJONAS-NETWOR (note: I think this is our local network)
FIle Servers (SMB)

MACMINI-1E582E
File Servers (SMB)

MichaelsMM
stp

MichaelsMM is my MacMini -- there used to be another option with MichaelsMM (smb) which did connect correctly, but it's no longer on the screen.