Support
Quick answers below. If something isn’t working, send a message. Replies usually come within a day or two.
What can FolderVideoPlayer play?
The formats Apple TV supports natively (MP4, M4V and MOV), streamed straight from any SMB share on your network. There’s no transcoding and no bundled codecs, so if tvOS can’t decode a file, the app won’t play it. MKV, WMV and DivX-encoded AVI are not played.
Do I need an account, an internet connection or a NAS?
None of the three. There are no accounts, and the app works fully offline on your local network. A NAS is the most common setup, but the share can be on a Mac, a Windows PC, or a router with a USB drive — anything that serves SMB.
Does my SMB account need read and write access?
Browsing and playing work with a read-only account. To save tags and share thumbnails between devices, the app writes to a .FolderVideoPlayer folder on your share, so use an account with read & write access.
Will it slow down with a very large library?
No. Thumbnails are made once and kept, on the TV and next to your files on the share, so browsing stays fast even with 5,000+ videos.
Can I use the same tags on my Mac and my Apple TV?
Yes. Tags and poster frames are stored in the .FolderVideoPlayer folder on your own share, so every device pointed at that share sees the same tags. The free Mac app reads and writes them too.
Is this for my own videos, or for streaming services?
Your own files: home movies, camera footage, family archives and downloads you’ve kept. FolderVideoPlayer isn’t connected to any streaming service. It only reads what you point it at on your own network, and nothing leaves home.
The Mac app has AI features — are my videos uploaded?
No. Suggested tags, look-alikes, faces and the safe/not-safe verdict are all worked out on your own Mac with Apple’s Core ML. There’s no server, no account and no upload. The only network use is the one-off model download you choose in Settings → AI. See how the AI works.
How much does it cost? Is there a subscription?
The Apple TV app is free until 31 Oct 2026 as a launch offer, then a one-time $1.99. No subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases. The Mac app is free.
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