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Mad Mac Maniac

macrumors 601
Original poster
I really want to love Airplay. I really want to buy an Apple TV just so that I can have the cool, alluring feature of Airplay... but when I start to really think about it, I just don't really see the use case being all that frequent.

1) Sure maybe you want to share some photo's or something you are browsing on your iPad with multiple people... but how often does that really happen?

2) Maybe you are in the middle of watching a video on your iPad, and want your TV to immediately pick up where you are... but how often does that really happen?

3) Maybe you are browsing your iPad and see a youtube video, etc that you want to watch. Is it really worth it to turn on the tv (or pause what your watching and switch input to Apple TV) just to watch a short clip on a bigger screen? If I wanted to show it to somebody else, sure it'd be worth it, but if it's just me it's more convenient to watch it on my iPad.

4) Sure I could listen to music on it but a) I could just listen to it on my iPad b) I could airplay it to an airplay enabled speaker c) I wouldn't be able to watch TV at the same time

5) It wouldn't really be beneficial to use apps/internet while using airplay because I need to be looking down at the iPad. Maybe if I wanted to show someone a special app or show them this cool site/article on the internet... But how often does that really happen?

6) could be useful for powerpoint or for any kind of presentation for small businesses... but doesn't apply to me.

Those are the main things I an think of, and when I look at that list I can't really imagine using Airplay more than once a month.

So tell me users, what do you use it for? Maybe I'm missing some use cases. Maybe I'm not really understanding the true usefulness of some of the above use cases. Describe an average day of using it and tell me some unique uses that you hadn't even thought of before you got it.
 

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
I really want to love Airplay. I really want to buy an Apple TV just so that I can have the cool, alluring feature of Airplay... but when I start to really think about it, I just don't really see the use case being all that frequent.

1) Sure maybe you want to share some photo's or something you are browsing on your iPad with multiple people... but how often does that really happen?

2) Maybe you are in the middle of watching a video on your iPad, and want your TV to immediately pick up where you are... but how often does that really happen?

3) Maybe you are browsing your iPad and see a youtube video, etc that you want to watch. Is it really worth it to turn on the tv (or pause what your watching and switch input to Apple TV) just to watch a short clip on a bigger screen? If I wanted to show it to somebody else, sure it'd be worth it, but if it's just me it's more convenient to watch it on my iPad.

4) Sure I could listen to music on it but a) I could just listen to it on my iPad b) I could airplay it to an airplay enabled speaker c) I wouldn't be able to watch TV at the same time

5) It wouldn't really be beneficial to use apps/internet while using airplay because I need to be looking down at the iPad. Maybe if I wanted to show someone a special app or show them this cool site/article on the internet... But how often does that really happen?

6) could be useful for powerpoint or for any kind of presentation for small businesses... but doesn't apply to me.

Those are the main things I an think of, and when I look at that list I can't really imagine using Airplay more than once a month.

So tell me users, what do you use it for? Maybe I'm missing some use cases. Maybe I'm not really understanding the true usefulness of some of the above use cases. Describe an average day of using it and tell me some unique uses that you hadn't even thought of before you got it.
Only would use it occasionally, but would be a nice thing to have in the "toolbox". Examples:
1) Share video our daughter produces with a group. It's really hard for a more than 1 person to watch an iPad
2) Have full size (60") streaming video from various websites (sometimes we watch streaming horse show competitions that stream for hours)
3) Play uncompressed mkv movies

Example 1 and 2, we do now, but requires us to hook up the MBP with HDMI/optical cable. It would be nice not to have physically hook up the Mac to the AV system.
 

MrXiro

macrumors 68040
Nov 2, 2007
3,850
599
Los Angeles
Great for watching movies stored on iTunes and I stream segments from attack of the show on g4 to my Atv every day. Also any long YouTube videos are better to watch on the tv.

Then there is youporn...
 

EmpyreanUK

macrumors regular
Mar 6, 2011
224
22
I very occasionally use AirPlay to watch a video I'm streaming to my iPhone on the TV. It's pretty rare for me to do this whilst casually browsing, because as the OP has stated, it's a lot of ball-ache to switch on the TV and change the input purely to watch a thirty-second clip. I use it slightly more often to watch BBC iPlayer content on the TV, as loading onto my iPhone and then pressing the AirPlay button is slightly less aggravation, and indeed much quieter than switching on the PlayStation (though the quality is worse).

I use it to listen to radio streams almost every day, however. I have my Apple TV connected to a stereo amp, and use an iOS app to access radio station streams. AirPlay is pretty useful in connecting the two, but if you have audio equipment with AirPlay built-in then an ATV is obviously unnecessary.

So yeah, limited usefulness.
 

VinWin15

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2010
15
0
I've used AirPlay for a few things. First being it is nice to be able to play music from my iPhone via my surround sound with out having to use wires or docking. Second is I always seem to have someone visiting the house, friends or family, and the topic comes up did you see such and such video, it is an easy way to have everyone see it on 55" TV as a pose to a 3.5" screen. Last is more with my family but I have a 2 year old and like most parents tend to take a lot of photos of him on my phone. This again is easier for everyone to sit on the couch and see everything together larger then life then passing around my phone for an hour while everyone looks at it on their own.

Granted that all of these things are used only a few times per month, but has made life easier, just like digital cameras did 10 years ago. I never used it every day, but when I did it was easier then film. Over time the digital camera has become integrated into more and more devices that you can almost forget that it used to be it's own thing. I think over time if TV Manufactures (or the much rumored Apple TV set) have this feature integrated into their models the idea of AirPlay-ing something from your phone, camera, tablet or whatever mobile device we're all using, to your TV will become more common place and second nature.
 

Mad Mac Maniac

macrumors 601
Original poster
AirPlay is why I'll switch to Mountain Lion when it's available.

YES. I definitely agree that ML will increase AirPlays utility many times over, because I will actually be able to use the large screen and not worry about where my fingers are. Heck I could maybe even use clamshell mode with an external keyboard.

What I would also like is to be able to use my TV as a second monitor through Airplay... any word on if that would be possible?
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
I really want to love Airplay. I really want to buy an Apple TV just so that I can have the cool, alluring feature of Airplay... but when I start to really think about it, I just don't really see the use case being all that frequent.
You most likely have more expensive things in your home that get used less than an ATV would ;)

1) Sure maybe you want to share some photo's or something you are browsing on your iPad with multiple people... but how often does that really happen?
A few weeks ago I had some people over, one of which had some vacation photos on his iPhone. We watched them on our TV.

When I browse photos on the iPad by myself, I like to watch the videos on the TV. Don't know why, it's just something I do :)

2) Maybe you are in the middle of watching a video on your iPad, and want your TV to immediately pick up where you are... but how often does that really happen?
I rarely watch videos on the iPad in front of the TV, but say I've been watching something in bed or maybe browsed through the movie catalogue on the iPad... Also, different channel's offerings through "on demand", "play" and such services.

3) Maybe you are browsing your iPad and see a youtube video, etc that you want to watch. Is it really worth it to turn on the tv (or pause what your watching and switch input to Apple TV) just to watch a short clip on a bigger screen? If I wanted to show it to somebody else, sure it'd be worth it, but if it's just me it's more convenient to watch it on my iPad.
Yes and no, it depends on the clip. If it's a low quality ten second clip, then no. If it's a high quality music video for instance, then yes.

4) Sure I could listen to music on it but a) I could just listen to it on my iPad b) I could airplay it to an airplay enabled speaker c) I wouldn't be able to watch TV at the same time
Watch TV and listen to music at the same time? How often does that really happen? :p

5) It wouldn't really be beneficial to use apps/internet while using airplay because I need to be looking down at the iPad. Maybe if I wanted to show someone a special app or show them this cool site/article on the internet... But how often does that really happen?
It probably never happens for some people, others might use it all the time. I've never even considered mirroring the whole screen to the TV.

So tell me users, what do you use it for? Maybe I'm missing some use cases. Maybe I'm not really understanding the true usefulness of some of the above use cases. Describe an average day of using it and tell me some unique uses that you hadn't even thought of before you got it.
A few times a month I will use airplay to look at pictures and home videos, a few times a week I will use airplay to watch TV shows online. Occasionally, airplay is used for music and when others visit and they want to show pictures or what not.

----------

Isn't that more a feature of the Apple TV than of AirPlay? Can't you play any movie purchased through iTunes automatically on your Apple TV and play any movie uploaded into iTunes through home sharing (assuming your Mac is open, running iTunes)??

iTunes -> iPad -> ATV doesn't work with videos, it will only send the audio.
 

NewbieCanada

macrumors 68030
Oct 9, 2007
2,574
37
I don't have cable/satellite, and I never watch OTA TV live, only recorded on my Windows PC.

My bedroom TV used to have a PC dedicated to it, but now it just has an Apple TV. My recorded TV is MPEG2, of course, and 90% of my archived content is MKV. I can't play any of it directly on Apple TV (at least until I can jailbreak again), but Airplay combined with AirVideo Server lets me watch whatever I want with no muss or fuss.
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
I'm not sure I follow you here. Why would you use the iPad as an intermediary? Are you talking about home sharing? Can't you directly play content in iTunes on your ATV?

You asked about airplay from iPad to ATV, MrXiro answered that it was great for watching movies stored on iTunes. I'm just saying it can't be done that way.
 

Mad Mac Maniac

macrumors 601
Original poster
You asked about airplay from iPad to ATV, MrXiro answered that it was great for watching movies stored on iTunes. I'm just saying it can't be done that way.

So you're saying if a movie is installed on my iPad I could airplay it to my ATV.

OR

if a movie is in iTunes (with iTunes running) I can use homesharing on my ATV to play it

BUT

I can NOT use homesharing from iTunes to my iPad and THEN airplay that to the ATV??

I guess that issue could come up if I was watching something throught homesharing on my iPad in another room then walked into my living room and wanted it to continue immediately on my TV.
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
So you're saying if a movie is installed on my iPad I could airplay it to my ATV.

OR

if a movie is in iTunes (with iTunes running) I can use homesharing on my ATV to play it

BUT

I can NOT use homesharing from iTunes to my iPad and THEN airplay that to the ATV??

I guess that issue could come up if I was watching something throught homesharing on my iPad in another room then walked into my living room and wanted it to continue immediately on my TV.

You got it :)
 

marzer

macrumors 65816
Nov 14, 2009
1,396
120
Colorado
I really want to love Airplay. I really want to buy an Apple TV just so that I can have the cool, alluring feature of Airplay... but when I start to really think about it, I just don't really see the use case being all that frequent.

1) Sure maybe you want to share some photo's or something you are browsing on your iPad with multiple people... but how often does that really happen?

2) Maybe you are in the middle of watching a video on your iPad, and want your TV to immediately pick up where you are... but how often does that really happen?

3) Maybe you are browsing your iPad and see a youtube video, etc that you want to watch. Is it really worth it to turn on the tv (or pause what your watching and switch input to Apple TV) just to watch a short clip on a bigger screen? If I wanted to show it to somebody else, sure it'd be worth it, but if it's just me it's more convenient to watch it on my iPad.

4) Sure I could listen to music on it but a) I could just listen to it on my iPad b) I could airplay it to an airplay enabled speaker c) I wouldn't be able to watch TV at the same time

5) It wouldn't really be beneficial to use apps/internet while using airplay because I need to be looking down at the iPad. Maybe if I wanted to show someone a special app or show them this cool site/article on the internet... But how often does that really happen?

6) could be useful for powerpoint or for any kind of presentation for small businesses... but doesn't apply to me.

Those are the main things I an think of, and when I look at that list I can't really imagine using Airplay more than once a month.

So tell me users, what do you use it for? Maybe I'm missing some use cases. Maybe I'm not really understanding the true usefulness of some of the above use cases. Describe an average day of using it and tell me some unique uses that you hadn't even thought of before you got it.

Yes. Everything you listed in your post, except #6. :)
 

fabian9

macrumors 65816
Nov 28, 2007
1,147
146
Bristol, UK
So you're saying if a movie is installed on my iPad I could airplay it to my ATV.

OR

if a movie is in iTunes (with iTunes running) I can use homesharing on my ATV to play it

BUT

I can NOT use homesharing from iTunes to my iPad and THEN airplay that to the ATV??

I guess that issue could come up if I was watching something throught homesharing on my iPad in another room then walked into my living room and wanted it to continue immediately on my TV.

You got it :)

I don't understand... why would you go through the iPad if you can access your iTunes library straight from the :apple:TV?
______________________

I use AirPlay all the time. Don't have space in my living room for a TV, so the TV lives in my bedroom where I haven't got a TV cable. So I use TVcatchup.com on my iPad and AirPlay it on the TV - works great!
 

Mad Mac Maniac

macrumors 601
Original poster
I don't understand... why would you go through the iPad if you can access your iTunes library straight from the :apple:TV?
______________________

I use AirPlay all the time. Don't have space in my living room for a TV, so the TV lives in my bedroom where I haven't got a TV cable. So I use TVcatchup.com on my iPad and AirPlay it on the TV - works great!

Yeah it's kind of a weird thing, but as I mentioned in my post it could be possible. Imagine you were chilling on your couch in your living room (with no TV) and started watching a movie on your iPad (because you were too lazy to get up). You didn't have your movie on your iPad so you used home sharing from iTunes. Then later you decide to get up and finish watching the movie in your room on the TV, it would be simple to just airplay the movie from your iPad. Especially because (I don't know) if you directly used homesharing from your ATV it may start the movie from the beginning. A rare use case, but not impossible

is TVcatchup free? How many shows are on it?
 

fabian9

macrumors 65816
Nov 28, 2007
1,147
146
Bristol, UK
Yeah it's kind of a weird thing, but as I mentioned in my post it could be possible. Imagine you were chilling on your couch in your living room (with no TV) and started watching a movie on your iPad (because you were too lazy to get up). You didn't have your movie on your iPad so you used home sharing from iTunes. Then later you decide to get up and finish watching the movie in your room on the TV, it would be simple to just airplay the movie from your iPad. Especially because (I don't know) if you directly used homesharing from your ATV it may start the movie from the beginning. A rare use case, but not impossible

is TVcatchup free? How many shows are on it?

tvcatchup.com is free (and legal!), but it's UK-only unfortunately (if you're not in the UK). It streams all channels that are available in the UK on Freeview, so it's quite a few to choose from - great service!
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
I don't understand... why would you go through the iPad if you can access your iTunes library straight from the :apple:TV?

I sometimes browse my movie library on the iPad through home sharing to find something to watch, those times I'd like to be able to just press play instead of having to put it away, pick up the remote, find the movie and hitting play.
 

fabian9

macrumors 65816
Nov 28, 2007
1,147
146
Bristol, UK
I sometimes browse my movie library on the iPad through home sharing to find something to watch, those times I'd like to be able to just press play instead of having to put it away, pick up the remote, find the movie and hitting play.

Yeh I've just tried that and can't believe it doesn't work - seems like a bit of an oversight on Apple's part. At least I can't think of a good reason why this shouldn't be possible?
 

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
Yeh I've just tried that and can't believe it doesn't work - seems like a bit of an oversight on Apple's part. At least I can't think of a good reason why this shouldn't be possible?

I thought you could use their iPad/iphone remote control app and do that?
 

Che Castro

macrumors 603
May 21, 2009
5,878
676
I use AirPlay to watch stuff from my computer without iTunes

With apps like air video, I watch MKV videos without converting them for iTunes


Also or videos from the net on safari , AirPlay is great

I use the ATV mostly for Netflix & AirPlay until the jailbreak comes out
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
Yeh I've just tried that and can't believe it doesn't work - seems like a bit of an oversight on Apple's part. At least I can't think of a good reason why this shouldn't be possible?
I think it's to be kind to the network. Otherwise the film would be sent from the computer, through the router, to the iPad, back to the router, then to the ATV.

I thought you could use their iPad/iphone remote control app and do that?
It's not really the same thing, because that's pretty much just telling iTunes to send the movie to the ATV from the computer, whilst airplay is sending the movie from the iPad to the ATV.

But your post gave me an idea. Instead of just sending the video, I reckon the Video app should send an Apple remote command so that the video is playing through home sharing...
 

newagemac

macrumors 68020
Mar 31, 2010
2,091
23
I use Airplay all the time for watching videos on the web on my TV. Most of these videos aren't available on TV normally.

Prime example is I was learning some Javascript and Photoshop CS6 training videos the other day on lynda.com and Airplayed all the videos to my 60" tv rather than watching them on my iPhone or iPad.

It's not just Youtube videos that Airplay works with. Any video on the web that iOS devices can play can be Airplayed now.
 

fabian9

macrumors 65816
Nov 28, 2007
1,147
146
Bristol, UK
But your post gave me an idea. Instead of just sending the video, I reckon the Video app should send an Apple remote command so that the video is playing through home sharing...

Yeh that's exactly how it should work… might leave some feedback on the apple website. :)
 
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