Google to Take on Apple with Open AirPlay Alternative

I think that Apple should push on their airport stuff, an ad blocker directly inside them like the adless router kickstarter project.

Then we will see who will laugh with network stuff blocking all the google ads (revenue)

I love Airplay.
I use this to stream my music from my macbook pro/iphone/ipad to my speakers (connected to airport express) I hated my Samsung Galaxy SIII coz it couldn't do that....

I guess that means I'm really tied up to Apple's ecosystem =P

Nonetheless, it'll be cool to see what Google does.

landroverz7 said:

Google first update your youtube app and make it a universal app with support for iPhone 5 widescreen and ipad retina screens also fix the airplay and add background audio. After that you can think about your google devices.

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Maybe if Apple went with a standard resolution then it wouldn't be so bad. Be happy Google even programs anything for Apple anymore, considering the bold move of leaving Google Maps contract 1 year early for the incredible Apple "Maps".

Competition is always good.

Great! This should completely crush apple's hold on this aspect of the tech industry, like WebM did with h264!

ifij775 said:

Another me-too product from Google that's "open", who is driving innovation?

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I didn't knew that Airplay supported bidirectional flow of data that is not media

I cant see any point in having my TV send anything to my iPad. Airplay is meant for sending only and there is a reason for that. Televisions and speakers are output-only devices. iTunes can already share with other iTunes users. Airdrop makes throwing files around nearby very easy.

This is just a way for them to claim to be clever. "Look, I made something with no purpose!"

mentaluproar said:

I cant see any point in having my TV send anything to my iPad.

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That you can't see any point doesn't means that it has no point, only that you don't see a point. And it is not only for TV's.

mentaluproar said:

This is just a way for them to claim to be clever. "Look, I made something with no purpose!"

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No, this is just a way for you to bash something that has not been made by Apple.

Truffy said:

But, for the love of the children, why? There's a frikkin' standard already, why not use it? Or are Google as self-obsessed and retarded as Apple?

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They all want to be LIKE Apple, duh. They all want to be like Apple in being in control of both hardware and software. They all want to (subconsciously, and without realizing it) migrate towards a walled-garden control of their users. They all want to be like Apple in being in control of THEIR OWN (proprietary) 'standards' which are not enslaved/dependent/at-the-mercy to another rival company's 'standards'.

Look what happened to Microsoft. Once upon a time, it was the universal freewheeling software licensor to the PC world, and had left its hardware manufacturers alone without competing with them. Today? Microsoft is not shy in designing and selling its own hardware under its own brand and directly competing against its.... hardware partners (that also license Windows/WinMobile software). MS aped the Apple Modus Operandi.... intentionally or not, tho they probably are doing it to stay in the game.

For a company that allegedly doesn't innovate, it's amazing how everyone is making something like an iPhone, something like an iPad, something like a Mac Book, something like an iMac, something like a Mac Mini, and now something like Apple TV with Airplay.

Oletros said:

Does any device apart of Apple's have Airplay?

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There are some receiving devices, but why would you want a transmitting device that wasn't Apple ???

Apple really ought to open-source AirPlay; they've had their period of exclusivity, but anything that encourages wider adoption, which open-sourcing should do, can only benefit the consumer and give iOS devices more things that they can just go ahead and work with.

I really don't want to see two new competing wireless technologies for something that is supposed to be effortless; I've had my years of headaches with networking, I don't need yet another technology with constant compatibility issues.

DNLA is awful, and needs replacing.

But I'm not confident this is it (neither is AirPlay, being proprietary and having absolutely hopeless security).

I like Tangled.

I believe all healthy girls behave like that.

I have an Apple TV in the livingroom and a Samsung Smart TV in the bedroom.

Love my Apple TV no doubt about that, but would love a TV with the AppleTV build in, like my Samsung Smart TV has (Samsungs Version)

AppleTV.:
Love that little tiny box. Even my mother has one and knows how to use it.

Samsung SmartTV.:
Like it because it has more possibilitys. More apps. In Denmark Netflix is new and has little content. We have Viaplay with danish shows and the Samsung has an app for that... And many more.

But even with all the ekstra features in the Samsung TV (and that it reacts to your hand like xbox kinect and has a full keyboadrd with trackpad) I kind of like the AppleTVs simplicity.

But did I have to choose.... Hard.

Why would apple open up their airplay system to allow other devices to work on it?

That would mean they would lose money by allowing so, they don't make as much profit on Apple TV as they do on other devices so not going to happen.

haravikk said:

Apple really ought to open-source AirPlay; they've had their period of exclusivity, but anything that encourages wider adoption, which open-sourcing should do, can only benefit the consumer and give iOS devices more things that they can just go ahead and work with.

I really don't want to see two new competing wireless technologies for something that is supposed to be effortless; I've had my years of headaches with networking, I don't need yet another technology with constant compatibility issues.

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I really like this idea! They can keep things as easy to use as they want on their devices, and if another device, like a windows phone, has a ****** implementation of it, then it doesn't hurt apples image at all. Airplay is fairly mature and wont likely see any major revisions at this point, so they might as well let others in.

It isn't like Apple doesn't understand this concept. They did it with ALAC (far too late though) and with webkit. Hell, webkit really took off too! Airplay has that same potential.

iMikeT said:

Looks like the copy machines aren't just running in Redmond these days.

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*Sigh* This copying bollocks again. Apple weren't the first ones to come up with such technology you know...

smulji said:

They should. Communication protocols used in implementations like AirPlay, AirPrint, FaceTime, Skype, should be opened up or open-sourced. Interoperability benefits all users instead of being locked in. It's the right thing to do. And it doesn't hinder any company's ability to make profits.

Imagine of TCP/IP was kept proprietary, we probably wouldn't have the internet we know it today.

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Oh I know they should...but they wont. It's Apple we're talking about here, they are a big evil corporation.

nuckinfutz said:

After Google TV and Nexus Q debacles is anyone really going to trust Google?

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After Ping, MobileMe, Apple Maps, Apple Newton, "antenna-gate", eMate, recent regular iCloud/iMessage outages, Apple Bandai Pippin, QuickTake etc. etc. people still trust Apple, so what's your point?

Bezetos said:

After Ping, MobileMe, Apple Maps, Apple Newton, "antenna-gate", eMate, recent regular iCloud/iMessage outages, Apple Bandai Pippin, QuickTake etc. etc. people still trust Apple, so what's your point?

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I wonder sometimes the same - people give Apple a lot more credit than they deserve - given the price of their products (don't get me wrong, I love them) it surprises me how much "slack" we are supposed to give them (well, according to some member here anyway).

ArchAndroid said:

Google aren't copying Apple, they're bettering them. Look at the requirements for Apple's Airplay:

Apple iOS Device + Apple TV (One-to-One)

Google requirements look like being:

Android Device/Google TV/iOS Devices? + any HDMI-enabled display (Many-to-Many).

With Apple's implementation, if I were at a friend's house wanting to stream something to their TV, as well as having my phone, I would need them to have an Apple TV.

Google's iteration just requires a phone and a HDMI screen, much simpler.

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You KNOW you can actually use one of these:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD826ZM/A/lightning-digital-av-adapter?fnode=45
or
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD825ZM/A/lightning-to-vga-adapter?fnode=45

macrumorsuser10 said:

I'll bet the dozens of people with Google TV will love this new Airplay-like capability.

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That would require people to have a google tv to begin with. With googles track record they will product 5 and reserve 12 for a single shop putting the rest of the world on back-order

It's hard to tell from this article (surprise, surprise). But it's my understanding all Android 4.2 is doing is supporting the Miracast standard.

Google isn't pushing anything. They're supporting an open standard at the OS level that's evolving into an AirPlay competitor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracast

Miracast devices are pretty much non existent now. All current TVs would require a dongle or set top box to support the feature.

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haravikk said:

Apple really ought to open-source AirPlay; they've had their period of exclusivity, but anything that encourages wider adoption, which open-sourcing should do, can only benefit the consumer and give iOS devices more things that they can just go ahead and work with.

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I don't think they can open source (if they even wanted to) because AirPlay includes DRM required for iTunes content.

haravikk said:

I really don't want to see two new competing wireless technologies for something that is supposed to be effortless; I've had my years of headaches with networking, I don't need yet another technology with constant compatibility issues.

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If the article is referring to Miracast (like I believe), they're actually much different protocols. Miracast would be a competitor to the rumored AirPlay Direct (that would use Wi-fi Direct instead of your router).

smulji said:

They should. Communication protocols used in implementations like AirPlay, AirPrint, FaceTime, Skype, should be opened up or open-sourced. Interoperability benefits all users instead of being locked in. It's the right thing to do. And it doesn't hinder any company's ability to make profits.

Imagine of TCP/IP was kept proprietary, we probably wouldn't have the internet we know it today.

Click to expand...

During the original announcement for FaceTime Steve Jobs promised he would open up FaceTime and work with standard organizations.

Never happened.

landroverz7 said:

Google first update your youtube app and make it a universal app with support for iPhone 5 widescreen and ipad retina screens also fix the airplay and add background audio. After that you can think about your google devices.

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Yes, google, support your competition!