Apple TV functions as Airplay target, not independently I have a setup that looks like this:

+-------------------+                          +---------------+  
|                   |     +---------------+    |               |  
|  Apple TV         |     |               |    |      TV       |  
|                   +----&gt;|               +---&gt;|               |  
+-------------------+     |               |    +---------------+  
                          | AV Receiver   |  
+-------------------+     |               |    +---------------+  
|                   +----&gt;|               +---&gt;|               |  
| Cable box         |     |               |    |  Speakers     |  
|                   |     +---------------+    |               |  
+-------------------+                          +---------------+  


The Apple TV is only a few months old.

Using the Apple TV as an Airplay target for audio or video works fine. And if I power-cycle the Apple TV, everything else works fine for one or two sessions. But after a while, when I try to access the Apple TV's internal features, I get a black screen. I can hear the feedback sounds as I navigate around with the remote, so it seems clear that something is happening—I just can't see it. The same is true when using the iOS Remote app. Also, when using the Remote app, I can't "pull" media from my computers' iTunes library, I can only "push" it from iTunes to the Apple TV.

The scrolling-photos screensaver, however, does kick in correctly. That seems like the one internal feature that will show up on my TV.

I would like to get everything else to work consistently. It has occurred to me that the Apple TV might not like being routed through the AV receiver, although I haven't tested whether changing it would make a difference; I'd prefer to keep it set up this way if possible.
As mentioned by cloneman it sounds like there is a Communication Problem between Apple-TV and the Reciver or the Reciver and the TV.

Maybe its like on my Setup (i have an older TV which doesn't Support a Resolution as high as the AV-Reciver)

So if i turn on The TV first than the Reciver than Apple-TV it works as it should. (cause the Reciver starts after TV it knows what Resolution the TV supports - he can ask if not)

If i turn on the Reciver first than the TV it doesn't show but audio works (cause the Reciver directly plays the Audio also it gets the Video and passes it out but in a to high Resolution so the TV can't show it)

Maybe you can try out different sequences of turning on (and find a way that works for you)

If not try this (most of todays TV's have more than one Input and also most of the AV-Recivers have at least one SPDIF Input) assuming yours also. Connect Apple-TV via SPDIF to the AV-Reciver and via HDMI to one of the HDMI Inputs of the TV direct.

So you give the Apple-TV and the TV the possibility to directly communicate and they should be able to handle out a resolution that works for both.