Quick start
1. Add a server
Enter only the NAS or computer address. User name and password are optional.
2. Choose a location
Select a discovered share, browse to the folder you want, and save it as a library.
3. Return instantly
Choose a saved library or use the recent card on Home to return to your last folder.
4. Pick a filter
Videos is the default. Switch to Photos or All when you want mixed playback.
Supported media
Common video containers include MP4, M4V, MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM, WMV, FLV, TS, M2TS, MPEG, and MPG. Photos include JPEG, PNG, HEIF/HEIC, WebP, AVIF, TIFF, BMP, and GIF on Apple TV. Actual decoding support can depend on the codec, profile, and device generation.
Sidecar subtitle formats include SRT, VTT, ASS, and SSA. Name the subtitle after the video for automatic matching, for example Movie.2026.mkv and Movie.2026.en.srt.
During video playback, press Select on the Apple TV remote to open playback controls. Choose Audio or Subtitles to use automatic selection, turn subtitles off, or select a specific embedded or sidecar track. EZPlayer remembers the choice for that video.
Troubleshooting
The SMB server does not connect
Confirm Apple TV or Mac is on the same network, file sharing is enabled, the account can read the share, and the address contains only a host name or IP address. Do not include a share or folder in the server field.
The library is empty
Switch between Videos, Photos, and All. Confirm the selected folder contains a supported file type and the SMB account has permission to list it.
Playback starts slowly
Large high-bitrate files and Wi‑Fi congestion can delay the first frame. Prefer wired Ethernet or strong 5/6 GHz Wi‑Fi and verify the NAS is not sleeping.
Text or subtitles look wrong
Choose the preferred subtitle language in Settings. For external subtitles, save the file as UTF‑8 and keep its base filename aligned with the video.
Posters, thumbnails, and TMDB
Add a TMDB v3 API Key or v4 Read Access Token in Settings → Metadata. EZPlayer derives a clean title and year from the filename, searches movies and TV shows, ranks likely matches, downloads artwork, and caches the result locally for 30 days.
Hold a video card and choose Match Movie or Show to correct a result manually. Videos without a poster use the default cover; photos display a downsampled thumbnail.
OpenSubtitles search and download
Create an OpenSubtitles API consumer, then enter its API Key in Settings → Subtitles. Use Test API Key before saving. Search works with the API Key; downloads also require you to sign in with your OpenSubtitles username and password so EZPlayer can obtain a session token.
The API key and session token are stored in the device Keychain. The password is used only for sign-in and is never saved. During video playback, open Subtitles → Search OpenSubtitles, choose a result, and EZPlayer will download, cache, and select it.
Contact support
Include the device model, OS version, EZPlayer version, connection type, file extension and codec if known. Never send a password, API token, or private media file.