Apple Seeking to License AirPlay for Video Streaming?

[RMo]

It would be nice if this worked in the other direction as well--i.e., from a computer to an iOS/AirPlay device. (Yes, I know about AirFoil and friends.)

EDIT: Wait, can Home Sharing in 4.3 do this? (I don't have a 4.3 device...yet.) If so, I guess I can expand my wishlist to include non-iTunes media...

 

[notjustjay]

One of my favourite features of the Apple TV is the ability to AirPlay a video stream from my Mac or from my iPad. I can watch a YouTube video, say "hey guys, check this out" and have it up on my big screen TV to show my friends in moments. Or I can purchase an iTunes movie or TV show, bring it to a friend's house, and play it on their TV.

Imagine a future where AirPlay is a ubiquitous standard. You could carry that iPad anywhere and beam your favourite videos to any of your TVs or video displays, without the need for an Apple TV at each one... that would be incredibly cool.

I'd want an AirPlay-enabled TV in my kitchen, so I could beam it cooking videos or recipe photos or otherwise put up stuff to watch while I'm working.

 

[strabes]

how bout let's make sure that airplay video playback works first before you try to license it out. has not work from day 1 on my appletv

Works perfectly for me (using Air Video and the latest beta server) since 4.3 came out.

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

License for $4?

Apple should license it for *free*.

 

[strabes]

It would be nice if this worked in the other direction as well--i.e., from a computer to an iOS/AirPlay device. (Yes, I know about AirFoil and friends.)

EDIT: Wait, can Home Sharing in 4.3 do this? (I don't have a 4.3 device...yet.) If so, I guess I can expand my wishlist to include non-iTunes media...

You should check out Air Video (the iOS app). It's the best solution I've found and with iOS 4.3 it works great for streaming all the .avi and .mkv movies on my HD to my apple TV via my iPhone.

It goes (Air Video server on computer) -> iOS device -> Apple TV.

It was probably the best $2.99 I've ever spent.

 

[drewyboy]

License for $4?

Apple should license it for *free*.

They pretty much will. They do it w/ Airplay audio. $4 is only to cover extra cost of overhead needed to provide it to OEM's. No profit being made.

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

"Now with airplay" seems too far down the benefit list to drive many sales of TVs. I doubt it would be touted in any mainstream way- just as another line item of something else the TV can do. I don't picture people choosing to buy new TVs because they come with that particular benefit.

Apparently you don't understand just how many iOS devices apples has sold.

 

[Diode]

I thought other players were also offering such technology... Hows airplay any different ?

Unless they want to copyright the term "AirPlay"

The difference is Apple get's $4 per device and the manufacturer has a widespread of devices that people already have ready to use with it.

I say it's a win/win

 

[addicted44]

"Now with airplay" seems too far down the benefit list to drive many sales of TVs.

Sure, but "Stream movies from your iPhone or iPad straight to the TV. Only on a Sony" sounds pretty great.

Makes a great commercial too.

 

[MacManTexas56]

Works perfectly for me (using Air Video and the latest beta server) since 4.3 came out.

hmmmm mine has never worked. the audio always works but i can never see the video part. pictures also work as well.

 

[ma5ter5]

how bout getting to work with all apple products first

It would be nice if Apple focused on getting airplay to work well within their own devices. I'm tired of dropping music from itunes or my iphone to my AE. It pisses me off because I purchased the AE with the sole intent of using it for airplay.

 

[henrikrox]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; nb-no) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

This will be a great feature for those countries who doesn't carry the apple tv.

But there is so many narrow minded Americans in here.

 

[logandzwon]

5 years ago Apple was pushing open standards with no licensing require (ie, zeroconf) and no one would buy in. Now they offer a standard with a fraction of the capability and charge for it and everyone wants it.

People are stupid.

 

[matt303]

Sounds a bit redundent given my Samsung TV, Sony Bluray, Humax PVR, XBox 360, Windows PC and my macs (with Twonky installed) already all play nicely together without needing a new standard.

 

[MacFly123]

Huh! Could be interesting so long as only Apple's devices are the hosts and not other devices like Android etc. That would follow the model they are using with AirPlay for audio, so it might make sense.

If that happens though and it is baked into TVs then it almost negates the reason to get an Apple TV box. Maybe this is when Apple would introduce a full on TV set with everything integrated!

 

[MacManTexas56]

Sounds a bit redundent given my Samsung TV, Sony Bluray, Humax PVR, XBox 360, Windows PC and my macs (with Twonky installed) already all play nicely together without needing a new standard.

and look at how many devices you have to do that lol

 

[marksman]

If the goal of Apple software is to sell Apple hardware, wouldn't it make more sense to give the airplay licenses away rather than trying to sell them?

1. Free is a very appealing price motivating more TV makers to adopt the standard.
2. It's a TV benefit that only works with Apple iDevices.
3. Sell more iDevices so TV buyers can take advantage of the feature.

"Now with airplay" seems too far down the benefit list to drive many sales of TVs. I doubt it would be touted in any mainstream way- just as another line item of something else the TV can do. I don't picture people choosing to buy new TVs because they come with that particular benefit.

I don't find fault with the concept at all- it would be great for airplay to work with TV's without having an TV middle man requirement. I just question the sensibility of trying to make money on this particular thing, when entrenchment might yield far more revenues on the iDevice sales side.

TVs are being marketed because they have Facebook on them. If you don't think electronics manufacturers would not heavily promote that it supported Apple Airplay, just for the halo benefit alone, you are mistaken.

 

[blondepianist]

...it worked reliably from my Mac Mini (2010) to my iPad 2 without saying "you are not authorized to play this video" every other time, I would care.

I'm assuming you're using AirView or the like? If so, realize that it's a third-party hack - of course it doesn't work.

 

[Swift]

I'm a big fan of Airplay

I thought I'd hate the Apple TV 2, but, hey, it was cheap so I tried it. The part that makes it superb is its implementation of streaming. It is so cool to take out your iPhone, or your iPad, or to your Home Sharing network, and click on that little icon, choose a target device, and then start streaming. It pops right up, and plays perfectly on my Samsung 50" TV. I wonder if it will be possible to redirect a stream: I start watching a stream to my iPhone, and I can relay the stream to the computer or iPad or TV or audio device or whatever. WiFi is a wonderful thing.

Yes, it makes the job of decryption harder for pirates, but recording a direct stream -- if it's got a url -- is easy as pie. At any rate, this is really what the home ecosystem needs. Instant pairing with a number of devices.

 

[hismikeness]

It would be nice if this worked in the other direction as well--i.e., from a computer to an iOS/AirPlay device. (Yes, I know about AirFoil and friends.)

EDIT: Wait, can Home Sharing in 4.3 do this? (I don't have a 4.3 device...yet.) If so, I guess I can expand my wishlist to include non-iTunes media...

For your non iTunes video, check out this app. I have it and really like it. You set it up on your computer, tell it where to look for supported video files, download the app on your iDevice, and streaming begins.

There is even functionality for converting to iTunes format, though I haven't messed around with that much, so I can't speak to its effectiveness.

Best 3 bucks I've spent on the App Store.

EDIT: Didn't see this response ahead of mine. Almost word for word...

You should check out Air Video (the iOS app). It's the best solution I've found and with iOS 4.3 it works great for streaming all the .avi and .mkv movies on my HD to my apple TV via my iPhone.

It goes (Air Video server on computer) -> iOS device -> Apple TV.

It was probably the best $2.99 I've ever spent.

 

[matt303]

and look at how many devices you have to do that lol

Yes and they quite happily play the same media from any of my devices with media on without needing a new 'revolutionary' apple standard, why not make apple devices support DLNA out the box.

 

[marksman]

Sounds a bit redundent given my Samsung TV, Sony Bluray, Humax PVR, XBox 360, Windows PC and my macs (with Twonky installed) already all play nicely together without needing a new standard.

This trend on these forums of people making posts without apparently reading the original post or any other posts in the thread before making a post is getting a little annoying.

Which of those things allows you to stream video and audio from an IOS device?

Which of those things are the least bit portable? It really seems like you spent no time trying to understand what this is and how it works before just trying to be cool-man dismissive.

It would be like someone saying "Well this new car will get 100 miles per gallon" and you saying, "Well we already got cars with four wheels, so I don't really think we need that."

 

[Thunderhawks]

Since it was in beta testing forever, one would think it should have been working before it got released!

There, if you are waiting for it from FoW!

 

[whooleytoo]

It probably makes a lot of sense for Pioneer to pay the $4, as it gives them a USP. "One of the few (only?) receivers to which an iPhone/iPad can stream".

If it becomes more widely licensed, it's no longer a USP. It's probably not worth $4 any more, and competing standards will become more common.

 

[JAT]

Meh. Integrated stuff always fails first. See VHS/TV and DVD/TV combo units, or the lack of updates (and eventual phase-out) for TVs with built-in cable or sat tuners. I'll take it separately, thanks. My $8 HDMI cable is an amazing computer-to-TV device, does a great job.