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"Beamer" App - anyone seen this yet?
- Thread starter Chiefo
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Use beamer almost everyday to watch videos since I cut cable. Works with everything I've thrown at it.
What Mac are you using?
I've sold my MBA. Does anybody know of Beamer-like apps that run on Windows 8 in conjunction with an Apple TV? I'd be curious to try out a cheap Windows 8 laptop with a Beamer-like application. Or maybe just concede and use an HDMI cable.
I got new beamer app today. it s better quality than Apple AirPlay mirroring. but subtitle texts are too small and tiny fonts. Beamer support says "Can I increase the size of the subtitle text? Unfortunately, Apple TV currently does not offer a way to change the font size of the subtitles. If you like, you can ask Apple to add this feature by filling in their Apple TV feedback form."
I had heard about update app for custom subtitles soon. There are preset choices, but you can also create a new subtitle style from scratch. Available customization features include your choice of typeface (including the new newspaper style Lapin font), font size, color, opacity, text edge and video override styles and more.
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2013/06/17/apple-tv-conference-room-itunes-radio-custom-subtitles/
I hope Beamer supports custom subtitles.
I had heard about update app for custom subtitles soon. There are preset choices, but you can also create a new subtitle style from scratch. Available customization features include your choice of typeface (including the new newspaper style Lapin font), font size, color, opacity, text edge and video override styles and more.
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2013/06/17/apple-tv-conference-room-itunes-radio-custom-subtitles/
I hope Beamer supports custom subtitles.
To be accurate, Beamer only "AirPlays" movies, right? Not what ever is on your desktop (mirroring)?
I have torrent hollywood movies in my MacBook Pro to airplay to HDTV via Apple TV in using Beamer. I like VLC but movie streaming is some lag.
Correct, but it's merit is the ability to transcode the stream on the fly, if needed. E.g I can throw to it a MPEG-2 transport stream or a VC-1 in WMV and it will AirPlay it happily. Also, it will take external subtitles from file.
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Well, after so much adulation about Beamer, I thought I would give it another go. They have added surround sound since I last tried it and that is a nice addition. Unfortunately, it still buffers about every 20-30sec whether the source is dvd or BR. When it does play, the video seems smooth and the audio is fine.
Since it is doing on-the-fly transcoding, which is very CPU intensive, the problem probably lies with my duocore MBP not having enough transcoding capacity to keep up with the movie stream. I know the home network is fine as I never have a problem with iTunes movie buffering. AirParrot had the same, actually worse, problem in my hands. Those with multi-core Mac's seem to have no problem with AirParrot. Probably the same situation with Beamer.
Since it is doing on-the-fly transcoding, which is very CPU intensive, the problem probably lies with my duocore MBP not having enough transcoding capacity to keep up with the movie stream. I know the home network is fine as I never have a problem with iTunes movie buffering. AirParrot had the same, actually worse, problem in my hands. Those with multi-core Mac's seem to have no problem with AirParrot. Probably the same situation with Beamer.
I finally update Apple TV 6.0 last Friday then update Beamer for compatible Apple TV 6.0. Working subtitle with one movie steaming at any font, size, style, etc. but other movies won't work with subtitles.
I sent feedback to Beamer. I hope they fix it. I will wait for reply from Beamer.
I'm on the fence about buying this Beamer app it seems to have better sound quality than airplay off my 2011 MacBook Pro but the image quality seems to be not so great.
I use the 15 minute trial version to throw as many videos as possible and do it to see what it was like.
I do like the fact that allows 5.1 surround to go through my receiver something that airplay i wish had. The surround sound functionality is the only reason I'm really even contemplating it.
Has anyone else noticed poor image quality compared airplay??
I use the 15 minute trial version to throw as many videos as possible and do it to see what it was like.
I do like the fact that allows 5.1 surround to go through my receiver something that airplay i wish had. The surround sound functionality is the only reason I'm really even contemplating it.
Has anyone else noticed poor image quality compared airplay??
In which usage scenario don't you get 5.1 sound from AirPlay? Works for me every time, except for screen mirroring, of course.
PS OS X ML is even that smart, that if you play a movie in iTunes full screen and had mirroring turned on, it seems to revert back to simple movie streaming, instead of on-the-fly transcoding, mirroring would call for.
Quality is fine (even beter than iTunes as is has DTS). Your issue is either a bad file or an old computer. Beamer does a great job up to 5 to 6 GB. Bigger files tend to stutter,
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Used to convert MKV to iTunes format which took hours just to find out the movie was rubbish. With Beamer just drag and drop and watch the movie. Next to this with Beamer I can enjoy DTS which is not supported by iTunes. You can also drag and drop SRT files (sub title files) in Beamer easily.
Only real problem I have is with large MKVs (more than 6GB) they tend to stutter (interruption in the play-back.
Hope that with the new WI standard the big-file problem with Beamer disappears
Thumbs up for Beamer
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Subtitles work fine over here, you are probably doing something wrong.
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No problems with subtitles, works fine. Sometimes movies are 'cut', so you are missing some time at the start, this makes that the SRT file is out of syn. This is not a Beamer problem, but the problem of a 'bad copy' of the movie. Most movies work fine with SRT subtitles.
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Just compare the difference in picture quality and sound and your sold.
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Beamer is on version 1.7.1
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The image is as good as the file you are playing, I get 1080p on my ATV3; it is far better than normal airplay which is about 480p.
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But you don't get DTS, with Beamer you do.
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OSX Only
I guess I should've elaborated I'm interested in getting 5.1 mirroring I don't want to put everything into iTunes every time it's just simpler just a click on the file and airplay with mirroring. Since I have a large ripped DVD collection on my server.
Are you sure, DTS does not get transcoded to DD5.1? I'm asking because I don't get how AirPlay receiver side in AppleTV could possibly handle DTS in current state of things?
EDIT: Beamer FB page reveals the truth:
So, in essence, you don't get DTS, you can just spare the preflight conversion of audio and Beamer will do it on-the-fly. But you won't get DTS sound quality. Now, it remains to be seen, to what bitrate do they transcode. In HB I can at least convert DTS to DD5.1 640kbps.Facebook/Beamer.for.Mac said:
EDIT 2: just tested, it converts to DD5.1, 448kbps@48kHz (or possibly @source sample rate)
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I play the same file on Beamer and the then on Airplay Mirroring using Movist as my Media player, for comparison sake, playing one and then trying the other way. I have an ATV3 . With Beamer the picture quality appears granier. I've tried a dozen or so files, in various formats. MP4, AVI, MKV. Results are the same each time. The sound is vastly superior with Beamer though. Loving that 5.1 throught my Harmon Kardon/Klipsch Setup. Overall Beamer is worth the money I spent.
I haven't tired putting in the subtitles SRT file for movies yet. How do you play subtitles if needed? Thanks
I use it constantly and it's perfect. I ran a cat 5e cable between my Mac and Apple TV. Don't like wireless so have not tried it. But quality is AMAZING! Only con is it doesn't do VOB files . But no matter I bought it even though I could have got it for free. We HAVE to support apps like this because, frankly, with out financial support these apps could not exist!
If the .srt file is in the same folder with the movie (and O think with the same name) it gets picked up automatically if you have such option selected on preferences.
If the .srt file is somewhere else, you just go to menu Controls > Subtitles, and load the file.
I agree.... this app is AMAZING. Basically the only reason I recommend an Apple TV instead of other boxes. Without it, my apple TV would be almost useless, since I've ripped all my tv series and movies into hard drives. It lets me bypass the nightmare that is managing iTunes, and create playlists with a simple drag and drop. It works for almost any file format, plays surround sound, and the support team is incredibly helpful.
I couldn't recommend it enough. Seriously.
cheers!
Update on the grainy picture quality, I've used handbrake to re-rip much of my library to a better quality of .mp4 file and it has have had no problem with the quality.
Beamer has been the best app I have ever installed.
Beamer 2.0
Beamer FINALLY has been updated to included playlist creation, so no need to drag and drop one video at a time. You have to pay $6 for the upgrade if you're a current license holder but to me it's worth it as it was a must-needed feature.
Beamer FINALLY has been updated to included playlist creation, so no need to drag and drop one video at a time. You have to pay $6 for the upgrade if you're a current license holder but to me it's worth it as it was a must-needed feature.
