How do i get my apple tv to work in italy?

Question

     I am stationed in Sicily in the Navy and I recently purchased the apple tv from the Navy Exchange on base. I brought it home and hooked it up to my tv and it started up fine. I noticed that the language settings were in english but the movie titles were all in italian. When I previewded a couple movies I noticed they were in italian and when I tried to sign i with my itunes store account it told me I was only authorized to make purchases inside the u.s.. Can some one please tell me this is fixable, I am really lost right now. Thanks!

Answer 1

First off, I want to personally thank you for your military service, and wish you good fortune in your Tour of Duty.
Due to licensing restrictions from copyright holders throughout the globe, a lot of video content (especially newer movies and TV Shows) are locked to a specific iTunes Store, Account, & country.  That being said, many military bases make use of network trickery to look like they're from the US, for just this very reason.  If you're stationed on base, and the military provides a civilian network for use by Family Members, you may be able to bypass the region locks on the AppleTV and once again resume purchasing or viewing content from the American Store.  It's very important you do not plug the AppleTV into a military network, however, as this constitutes a major breach of security.
If the Exchange Shop is selling AppleTVs openly in the store itself, you may want to ask for help there.  It's possible one or more of your fellow servicemen/women can help you get it hooked up.  Alternatively, you may also ask Apple directly for help - mention you're an Active Duty member of the US Military, and would like to enjoy your AppleTV while on a foreign tour of duty.  They may be able to fix your iTunes account to point to the US Store, regardless of physical location, though I can't verify Apple can actually do this (they may not be able to).
Finally, the AppleTV will still be capable of streaming content from your local iTunes library or AirPlay compatible devices just fine, and the iTunes software itself may be able to bypass country restrictions and let you access the US Store.  It's cumbersome and not nearly as fun as couch surfing content from the AppleTV itself, though it is a last-ditch workaround.