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Apple Fitness+ Appears to Be Incompatible With AirPlay
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I don't think this has to do with DRM. If it were about DRM they would have disabled Airplay completely on all devices, including newer Apple TV boxes, like Netflix did instead of discriminating between some devices and others, and then all we'd get is an error message like we do in Netflix when we try to AirPlay. Instead, airplay of Fitness+ videos does work 100% on the newer Apple TV boxes and partially on any other device including 3rd gen or older Apple TV boxes (i.e.,on my Apple TV 3rd gen I do get audio on the tv, but not the image).
It's also worth noting that these limitations on casting fitness+ videos to a tv screen are not exclusive to airplay, I got exactly the same results (audio but no video) when I tried connecting my iPhone or iPad to the TV using Apple's official lightning to HDMI dongle and an HDMI cable. No other videos have ever failed to display on the TV when I am using the lightning to HDMI dongle. None. Not even Netflix. Only the Fitness+ workouts.
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To be fair, Netflix is a poor example. Because while Netflix has DRM enabled, Netflix has enabled AirPlay for us to use.
Any app that doesn’t want you to use AirPlay won’t work for lightning to HDMI as well. Like Sky Go in the UK.
I meant the wireless AirPlay, not the wired AirPlay. Netflix definitely does not let you AirPlay wirelessly to an Apple TV or any other device. They used to, but not anymore. When Apple opened up the wireless AirPlay to devices from other manufacturers, Netflix argued that the current technology doesn't let them set up their app to be able to tell what kind of device the stream is being sent to, and based on the possible risk that it be sent to some recording device they disabled wireless Airplay altogether. Now all you get when you try to do wireless AirPlay from Netflix is an error message telling you it's not allowed and to use their app on that other device you were trying to airplay to. That's why I thought Apple may be disabling wireless AirPlay in Fitness+ for the same reason. As for wired Airplay, it does not work with Fitness+ using a Lightning to HDMI dongle, but I have read comments from a few people that using a USB-C to HDMI dongle does work with Fitness+ and there is even a video on YouTube showing it. So it looks like Apple disabled wireless AirPlay altogether and restricted wired AirPlay to only version 2.0, which would explain it working with USB-C but not lightning.
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I just inserted keys into my Corolla and am shocked it isn’t a Lexus.
Solution: buy a Lexus.
By the way, the preview workout videos worked fine. It wasn’t until I tried the actual workout that the screens went dead and the video options were unavailable in the AirPlay dialog.
I really wished that combination worked. So far, it seems the only cable solution that works is usb-c to hdmi from an iPad.
As it works with USB-C does that mean it's a bug that it won't work through lightning which may get fixed, or a limitation of lightning, or just Apple being Apple ?
No idea.
I've watch the iPhone logs at the moment the screen blacks out when using AirPlay. I do see errors but those errors could be entirely normal. One message I see a lot is "display 2 cloning failed due to protection mismatch".
Unfortunately, to see the logs I need my lightning port so I can't be testing the display using lightning to HDMI.
I suggest you buy apple’s official lightning to hdmi dongle. That one has a lightning port next to the hdmi port so you can have a charger and an hdmi cable connected to your iphone at the same time.
The fact that both ways of casting to a tv, airplay and using a cable, fail selectively on some devices but not others makes me think this is intentional and not a bug. Apple’s silence on this matter despite all the grousing also points to this being done on purpose.
I probably should have mentioned that I had the lightning cable plugged in so that the log entries were streamed to my Mac; I didn't need it for charging. Can the dongle handle log streaming while simultaneously displaying video over the HDMI?
I’m not sure, but it may as well be worth the try if it will help shed some light on these airplay and fitness+ issues. Nonetheless, the fact that the issues occur selectively with certain devices but not others and Apple’s absolute silence on the matter despite all the grousing makes me think that whatever it is, it is intentional and not an accident (i.e., it is not a bug).
Mmm no, I already tested using an iPad Pro 12.9" first Gen and an iPhone 12 Pro Max, using the lightning to HDMI Apple's original connector, there's no video on the TV, just the sound when the training starts.
No it won’t. Usb-c to hdmi works, but that is only available with the last two generations of ipad pro and latest ipad air. Lightning to hdmi, still used on older and lower cost ipads as well as all iphones does not work.
Correct. Using an HDMI cable only works for devices with a USB-C port (i.e., 3rd and 4th gen iPad Pros and the newest ipad air). It doesn’t work for all other devices that still have a lightning port (older and lower cost ipads and ALL iphones).
TL;DR: There is no actual reason to require Apple TV hardware to broadcast workouts on a TV. Period.
This whole thing is just so disappointing. I decided to finally activate the trial and learned what everyone else here already knew the hard way. It just seems so stupid to omit this feature.
I don't believe for a second it's a DRM thing. This is Apple we're talking about, they control every aspect of everything they own (see: Apple v. Epic). There's no way trainers wanting broadcast restrictions (mentioned a few times in the thread) are dictating the availability of AirPlay workouts.
And I don't see how there would be any technical limitations with the Watch metrics overlay using screen mirroring from your device's core OS (vs. an AirPlay control tied to the video itself)–It's literally just broadcasting what appears on your iPhone/iPad screen on a TV.
I totally get that many love Apple TV hardware, and that's cool. But it's a choice, and in terms of functionality, generally redundant for anyone who owns a TV manufactured within the last 5-ish years. Or, for those who just need a few streaming apps, a gaming system. This is Apple trying to railroad people into buying another piece of hardware (I'm not trying to act surprised about this, just calling it what it is) for the full experience, even though the software alternative that could deliver the same experience is their tech and fully within their ecosystem.
My personal use case:
For space/logistical purposes, my bedroom is the best spot in my apartment to use for workouts like this. I have no actual need for a TV in there, but keep my old 2007 720p Dynex set up as a streamer just because it still works. I kept my 2nd Gen Apple TV (which was useful when this was my main TV) set up with it until it started randomly rebooting when streaming content a few years ago. Considering the age and sparse use of the TV, I opted for a $20 Fire Stick instead of a new Apple TV. I pulled the ATV out just for AirPlay (that function still works great) with this the other day, and you know the rest. There is absolutely zero need for me to buy another device, especially one that is way too OP for this tv, just to follow a few workouts a week on a larger screen. But there's also no reason for me to subscribe to a service like this when it's otherwise limited to a screen the size of an iPad at best.
And even if I were to use Fitness+ in my living room, I have a brand new Bravia wit AirPlay built in and, as much as I hate admitting it, a solid Android TV interface. An even without that, an Xbox to handle streaming and a spare HDMI cable/adapter for mirroring. 0 need for a new Apple TV there.
Again, I understand others' milage may vary. And in the end we're talking a one-time purchase under $200, but it's the slap-in-the-face/principle. We've all gotten along just fine without the service until now, and if Apple wants to let subscription money walk away over it, good for them.
This whole thing is just so disappointing. I decided to finally activate the trial and learned what everyone else here already knew the hard way. It just seems so stupid to omit this feature.
I don't believe for a second it's a DRM thing. This is Apple we're talking about, they control every aspect of everything they own (see: Apple v. Epic). There's no way trainers wanting broadcast restrictions (mentioned a few times in the thread) are dictating the availability of AirPlay workouts.
And I don't see how there would be any technical limitations with the Watch metrics overlay using screen mirroring from your device's core OS (vs. an AirPlay control tied to the video itself)–It's literally just broadcasting what appears on your iPhone/iPad screen on a TV.
I totally get that many love Apple TV hardware, and that's cool. But it's a choice, and in terms of functionality, generally redundant for anyone who owns a TV manufactured within the last 5-ish years. Or, for those who just need a few streaming apps, a gaming system. This is Apple trying to railroad people into buying another piece of hardware (I'm not trying to act surprised about this, just calling it what it is) for the full experience, even though the software alternative that could deliver the same experience is their tech and fully within their ecosystem.
My personal use case:
For space/logistical purposes, my bedroom is the best spot in my apartment to use for workouts like this. I have no actual need for a TV in there, but keep my old 2007 720p Dynex set up as a streamer just because it still works. I kept my 2nd Gen Apple TV (which was useful when this was my main TV) set up with it until it started randomly rebooting when streaming content a few years ago. Considering the age and sparse use of the TV, I opted for a $20 Fire Stick instead of a new Apple TV. I pulled the ATV out just for AirPlay (that function still works great) with this the other day, and you know the rest. There is absolutely zero need for me to buy another device, especially one that is way too OP for this tv, just to follow a few workouts a week on a larger screen. But there's also no reason for me to subscribe to a service like this when it's otherwise limited to a screen the size of an iPad at best.
And even if I were to use Fitness+ in my living room, I have a brand new Bravia wit AirPlay built in and, as much as I hate admitting it, a solid Android TV interface. An even without that, an Xbox to handle streaming and a spare HDMI cable/adapter for mirroring. 0 need for a new Apple TV there.
Again, I understand others' milage may vary. And in the end we're talking a one-time purchase under $200, but it's the slap-in-the-face/principle. We've all gotten along just fine without the service until now, and if Apple wants to let subscription money walk away over it, good for them.
100% agreement.
I did purchase the Apple TV for Fitness+ and it absolutely felt like a slap in the face. It's especially aggravating because my daughter says the iPhone version of the app has more features than the Apple TV one (something about saving workouts?).