Does Apple prevent Amazon Prime from being on the Apple TV? One of the reasons I don't own an Apple TV. Well, that and I love Plex, which runs very well on my Roku.
Not anymore. Amazon's updated Instant Video app allows AirPlay to the ATV.
Does Apple prevent Amazon Prime from being on the Apple TV? One of the reasons I don't own an Apple TV. Well, that and I love Plex, which runs very well on my Roku.
I don't know what you monitored, but this is not technically possible for 3rd party apps (since the ATV has no way of authenticating itself as a playback device for protected 3rd party content such as Amazon's). So, unless you are talking about iCloud content, the video stream is relayed through the iOS device.
Is Amazon Prime available directly on the ATV?Not anymore. Amazon's updated Instant Video app allows AirPlay to the ATV.
Can you point me to the specific document on this page that explains it? I didn't find it.This is explicitly explained in the developer documentation linked to earlier in this thread.
Well, as already mentioned it's not as simple as just handing off a URL.If Amazon is choosing not to implement the handing off of the url of the content by the iDevice to the ATV then that is a concious choice on the part pf Amazon, not a technical limitation imposed by Apple on the SDK.
Can you point me to the specific document on this page that explains it? I didn't find it.
Well, as already mentioned it's not as simple as just handing off a URL.
To play a network stream whose URL requires access credentials, first create an appropriate NSURLCredential object. Do this by calling, for example, the initWithUser: password: persistence: method, as shown here:
NSURLCredential *credential = [[NSURLCredential alloc]In addition, create an appropriate NSURLProtectionSpace object, as shown here. Make appropriate modifications for the realm you are accessing:
initWithUser: @"userName"
password: @"password"
persistence: NSURLCredentialPersistenceForSession];
self.credential = credential;
[credential release];
NSURLProtectionSpace *protectionSpace = [[NSURLProtectionSpace alloc]Add the URL credential and the protection space to the Singleton
initWithHost: "@streams.mydomain.com"
port: 80
protocol: @"http"
realm: @"mydomain.com"
authenticationMethod: NSURLAuthenticationMethodDefault];
self.protectionSpace = protectionSpace;
[protectionSpace release];NSURLCredentialStorage object. Do this by calling, for example, the setCredential:forProtectionSpace: method, as shown here:With the credential and protection space information in place, you can then play the protected stream.
[[NSURLCredentialStorage sharedCredentialStorage]
setDefaultCredential: credential
forProtectionSpace: protectionSpace];
Note: Although you can create multiple MPMoviePlayerController objects and present their views in your interface, only one movie player at a time can play its movie.
Is Amazon Prime available directly on the ATV?
Thanks.From the developer documentation link in this thread here:
Well, it wouldn't work for content offered by the company I work for, since we use a different (more secure) authentication scheme which does not allow authentication with URL-embedded credentials. But yeah, I see how it can work for some services that use a setup like this.So you see, it is actually as simple as handing off the url to the stream to the ATV - it is all built into the API.
Does Apple prevent Amazon Prime from being on the Apple TV? One of the reasons I don't own an Apple TV. Well, that and I love Plex, which runs very well on my Roku.
Does it matter which device I Airplay from? I have a 1st gen iPad Mini and a iPhone 5s. I do not have the mirroring on though, but was just curious if one device would send a better picture to the Apple TV than the other. My assumption is that it should not matter (as long as mirroring is off).
Well, I wound up connecting a Roku 2 to the TV that already has an Apple TV and TiVo Mini. The sole purpose of the Roku is for Amazon Prime (which looks great). To me, aside from Amazon Prime, that Roku kinda sucks. HBO Go doesn't work with Comcast/Xfinity on the Roku (at least great on my Apple TV). Nexflix on the Roku 2 doesn't support profiles (also great on my Apple TV). ESPN app is ok, but already have it on Apple TV. Aside from Amazon Prime, I haven't found the Roku to be too impressive.
Roku 3 is better
Roku 3 is also 2x what I paid for the Roku 2.
Yes. And it's still better than the 2
And iPad 2 was better than iPad 1 and so on and so on. What's your point? Suggesting that I spend $90 just to watch Amazon Prime when I already have an Apple TV???
If have both. The only significant difference that I can see is that the menu navigation is more fluid on the 3. But otherwise, the 2 runs all the channels just fine. IMO upgrading is not worth it unless you want the headphone jack in the remote.You said you were unimpressed by the roku 2. Just letting you know the 3 is heads and shoulders above the 2.
Personally, I like the UIs of some of the apps better on the ATV (primarily the Hulu app).Even die hard Apple TV fans here will tell you it's UI beats the current Apple TV.
I subscribe to Amazon Prime and it's too bad that they don't have an app/channel for the Apple TV. I have an Apple TV and iPad/iPhone and see now that I can do the Airplay workaround to watch Amazon Prime videos on my TV. But is the picture quality really that good? Or should I just get a $50 Roku box and dedicate it for just watching Amazon Prime on my TV (assuming the Roku has better picture quality for Prime)?
I don't have one but did some research before buying a family member a Roku for Xmas. I really think Apple should allow Amaxon to have a Prime channel on the ATV. In my opinion that's the ATV's biggest weakness and a good reason to delay buying one. Netflix competes with iTunes yet Apple lets them on the ATV. Amazon has a huge library with some exclusive content that you shouldn't have to use a workaround to get on your TV.
You're quoting a post made long before Amazon's decision not to sell the new ATV.What makes you think that it's Apple preventing Amazon, when you see Amazon removing both chromecast, and appletv from their store?