AirPlay

Netflix and YouTube working on an open AirPlay alternative

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 23, 2013

AirPlay, a wireless media technology from Apple featured on the Apple TV, iPhones, iPads, iPods and newer Macs running OS X Mountain Lion, is a major selling point because it allows users to seamlessly beam their photos, music and video from their computer or iDevice to a TV set via an Apple TV set-top box. However, Netflix teamed up with Google's YouTube on an AirPlay alternative and today the two have released official details.

DIAL, as it's called (an acronym for DIscovery And Launch), is an open second screen protocol which automatically discovers compliant devices to stream media. The new standard has impressive support from key content owners and consumer electronics makers, including the likes of BBC, Sony, Hulu and of course Samsung...

When AirPlay is too laggy for games, use DisplayOut with a wired AV adapter

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

There is recent post on Reddit where a user was attempting to play classic NES games from an iPhone 4S, using a Wii remote for controls, with the whole thing mirrored to a TV through AirPlay. The redditor asked if there was any way to compensate for the 1 second lag he was experiencing through AirPlay, and I thought some of our readers might have come to the same question. Unfortunately, without resorting to time travel, it's not possible to technologically compensate for latency in current version of AirPlay.

While wireless displays are now feasible for gaming, just ask anyone with a WiiU, AirPlay mirroring is not your best option for streaming fast-paced games. A better solution is to plug your phone directly into a TV...

Student converts Raspberry Pi into a wireless AirPlay speaker

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 28, 2012

If you're not familiar with the Raspberry Pi, it's a mini computer which packs in a 700 MHz ARM 11 processor with 128MB of RAM that runs Debian Linux. In addition, a proof-of-concept hack turns the gizmo into an HDMI-enabled AirPlay video receiving machine. It's so small you’ll almost forget it’s there and costs only $25.

That's $75 cheaper than an Apple TV set-top box, the only official solution that provides wireless media streaming functionality from Mountain Lion Macs and iOS devices to a TV set.

Oliver told you in January that one of the Raspberry Pi developers had successfully created a hack that let him stream video from his iPad to a TV via the credit card-sized computer. And now, Cambridge engineering student Jordan Burgess has successfully converted the device into a wireless AirPlay-enabled audio receiver...

YouTube app goes iPad, adds AirPlay, iPhone 5 support

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 4, 2012

Following up on its sweet Gmail refresh earlier today, Google's just announced with a post over at the official YouTube blog a long-expected update to its nice YouTube iPhone app. For starters, the program finally runs on the iPad natively, which means you can now search for kitten videos using your beloved tablet and enjoy them in high-definition on that beautiful 9.7-inch Retina display.

The software also takes full advantage of the iPhone 5's bigger display and lets you stream YouTube clips to your badass TV through the Apple TV hockey puck and using AirPlay, a wireless media streaming technology from Apple. Accessibility, video playback improvements and other perks come included with the package. But first things first...

Google looking to take on Apple with AirPlay alternative

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 7, 2016

Despite the fact that Tim Cook continues to refer to it as a hobby, the Apple TV continues to sell fairly well thanks to its low price tag, access to services like Netflix and Hulu+, and most of all, its wireless AirPlay technology.

And it sounds like Google wants to replicate that success with Google TV. According to a new report, the tech giant is working on rolling out a new AirPlay-like open wireless technology for its TV and Android devices...

Xiaomi Box, an Apple TV knockoff, does AirPlay at a very tempting price

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 16, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=jKLeqv_GQw8

Tempting ability to wirelessly beam whatever is displayed on your iPhone or iPad to a big-screen TV set has a major downer: it requires Apple's $99 set-top box to decipher encrypted AirPlay streams and then feed video to your telly via HDMI. And for many, Apple TV is just not a very useful set-top box so parting with their hard-earned $99 just to get AirPlay is not an option.

But what if you could get AirPlay functionality at a very tempting price plus choice of other popular video formats and apps, none of which Apple's device supports? That's what Xiaomi Box does for you. Basically an Android set-top box, it'll run you somewhere in the $60-ish. The thing's compatible with DLNA, Miracast and Apple’s AirPlay, letting you wirelessly stream content from Apple’s iPhone and iPad, personal computer and Android phones with MIUI installed...

Apple patents Airplay mirroring for touchscreens, putting Siri in context

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Apple's patent attorneys are busy again. The Cupertino, California company has filed two patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, related to extending AirPlay mirroring to iPads and iPhones, as well as describing how Siri scans through databases to match searches.

In the first application, entitled "Gesture Visualization and Sharing Between Electronic Devices and Remote Displays," Apple talks of protecting technology allowing a touch screen device to share its screen with a second, larger display. Because the patent application mentions a touch interface, reports suggest the patent is limited to the iPhone and iPad...

Apple to reportedly unveil new ‘AirPlay Direct’ feature next month

Cody Lee ∙ August 29, 2012

Citing sources familiar with Apple's plans, a new report is out today claiming that the Cupertino company is looking to launch a new version of its popular AirPlay feature next month, called AirPlay Direct.

What's the difference? Well, as it stands, the current version of AirPlay requires an active Wi-Fi network. But AirPlay Direct, however, allows for a direct connection to a device, without the need for Wi-Fi...

New jailbreak tweak lets you watch restricted premium videos via AirPlay

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Doesn't it get under your skin when you try to watch a video on the big screen via AirPlay, and at the most, all you get is sound? Sometimes companies decide to restrict users from using AirPlay or HDMI output, which results in the frustrating scenario just mentioned.

This prevents certain apps like Amazon Instant Video, HBOGO, and DirectTV from being enjoyed on your television set via AirPlay using an Apple TV.

It's actually surprising that it took this long for a Cydia developer to come up with a fix for this, but it's finally here. UnrestrictPremium is a tweak that allows you to watch video via AirPlay mirroring or HDMI output, even if the developer of the app restricts users from doing so. Want to see how it works? Then step inside and watch our hands-on video walkthrough...

iOS 6 beta 3 brings new AirPlay feature to Apple TV

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 4, 2018

On Monday, Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 6 to developers. The update includes bug fixes, added stability and a handful of new features.

Apparently, among those additions is a new AirPlay feature for the Apple TV. In iOS 6, users will have the ability to stream audio from their set-top boxes to external AirPlay-enabled speakers...

Brightcove outs SDK for dual-screen Apple TV apps as Google TV update looms

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 26, 2012

The epic battle for the living room is about to get a lot more interesting in a matter of days. Brightcove, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-headquartered online video platform provider, today released its App Cloud platform on an open-source basis. The SDK lets content owners create dual-screen apps that stream high-definition video to a television set through an Apple TV and AirPlay protocol.

While streaming, these apps can render a bunch of useful information on your iPhone or iPad, turning your iOS device into a glorified remote control of sorts. Meanwhile, Google is expected to issue a significant update to the Google TV platform at its upcoming developers conference tomorrow, said to give the Apple TV a run for its money...

Airfoil Speakers Touch back in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ June 6, 2012

Last month, the folks of Rogue Amoeba made headlines when they announced that their app, Airfoil Speakers Touch, was removed from the App Store. Apple pulled the app, after more than a month of support, without giving the team much of an explanation.

Speculation flew about regarding the mysterious removal, eventually settling on the idea that maybe Apple was looking to implement a major feature from the title in its upcoming iOS 6 release. But, as Rogue Amoeba tells it, that wasn't the case at all...