How To Jailbreak Apple TV 2G 5.0 (iOS 5.1) Using Seas0nPass On Windows And Mac

FireCore, the guys behind the Seas0nPass jailbreak tool have pushed out an update that provides a tethered jailbreak on the latest iOS 5.0 (iOS 5.1 – 9B179b) firmware. The update to the popular jailbreak tool currently only supports the second-generation Apple TV unit and therefore will not provide any jailbreak on the 1080p capable third-gen Apple TV. The tethered nature of this jailbreak obviously means that every time the unit needs to be rebooted, it will have to be connected to your PC or Mac to be put into a jailbroken state.
 
The current version, Seas0nPass 0.8.3, doesn’t support some of the more popular plugins such as XMBC, Plex or Remote HD but it seems that the developers are working hard on their compatibility. Media Player, nitoTV and things like Last.fm are supported, although we are pretty sure that non-functioning items will be updated by the authors in the coming weeks.

How to jailbreak Apple TV 2, iOS 5.0 (iOS 5.1 – 9B179b) using Seas0npass

Step 1: Make sure that the latest version of iTunes is installed on your computer (currently 10.6.1). If not, then simply head over to this link and download.

Step 2: Download the latest version of the Seas0nPass tool (Mac / Windows).

Step 3: Grab the Apple TV unit as well as the required micro USB cable and make sure that all
additional iPhones, iPods or iPads are not connected to your PC or Mac via USB.

Step 4: Locate the downloaded Seas0nPass zip file and extract the contents.

Step 5: Launch Seas0nPass and select the ‘Create IPSW‘ option to begin the jailbreak process.
  
Step 6: The utility will download the latest Apple firmware for the device (iOS 5.0) and create a custom firmware for the restore process. 
Step 7: Seas0nPass will produce an on-screen prompt that will require you to connect the Apple TV to the computer using the micro USB cable (do not connect the power cable).


Step 8: Using the supplied silver remote control, press the MENU and PLAY/PAUSE button together for seven seconds until the small light on the front of the Apple TV flashes rapidly.

Step 9: iTunes should recognize the device and automatically open and start the restore process using the custom firmware created in step 6.
 
Step 10: As per standard restore process, iTunes will confirm that the device has been restored, leaving you with a beautifully jailbroken Apple TV 2.

Because this version of Seas0nPass currently only provides a tethered jailbreak option for the latest firmware, every time the device needs to be rebooted; it will need to be connected to the computer to be booted into the jailbroken state.

Using Seas0nPass to achieve a tethered boot

Step 1: After the above restore process has been completed, the Apple TV unit must be disconnected from the computer for a brief second at least. Open up Seas0nPass and select the “Boot Tethered” option.

 Step 2: When Seas0nPass gives the prompt, connect the Apple TV unit to your PC or Mac via the micro USB cable. When the rapid flashing light appears on the front of the device, connect the power cable before holding the MENU and the PLAY/PAUSE buttons together for seven seconds.
 Step 3: The tethered boot process will be handled automatically by Seas0nPass. Once this process has completed, the power and USB cables can be removed and the Apple TV can be used normally as you would, at least until the next reboot is required when the process will need to be followed again.
 
So there you have it. A jailbreak solution for the second-generation Apple TV on the latest firmware – albeit a tethered one. One thing to remember is that timing is paramount to the success of this process. The Apple TV has no visual display like any iOS devices, so it can be difficult to tell when it is in the required state. If at first you don’t succeed, exercise some patience and try again. Good luck.
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