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Apple to Upgrade AirPlay to Allow Wireless Streaming Without Wi-Fi?

Its wifi direct, same as airdrop feature which has been in use from Mac OS X Lion. Apple is trying to eliminate routers for non internet wifi possibilities like data transfer and audio streaming for now. Next video streaming and wifi printers with no wifi network.

I kinda see them where they are going for Apple TV from here.
 
This will definately not go over Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a joke for anything involving serious data. Ad-hoc is a much more reliable and versatile option.
(sorry for sounding so corporate apple)
 
louiek said:
So does that mean I can turn my router off after the original connection is made? Not that I would, I just didn't know that.
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No, at least at the moment.

Just tested it with AirPlay Mirroring on a new retina iPad and a 1080P Apple TV, so the latest mobile devices Apple's released and the newest Apple TV. Furthermore, my iPad is running iOS 6 beta 4 and my Apple TV is running the latest software beta available for it.

Bottom line: Power down or restart your router, your AirPlay connection dies.

Now, if you're just streaming media such as audio or video, the Apple TV will play as much as preloaded/cached without stopping just because it loses the connection, but that's a very different thing.

Furthermore, I'm not sure I believe that there's a true ad hoc connection between device and Apple TV created either. First, it doesn't make sense then that Apple would suggest keeping the router close to the Apple TV's to improve wifi Mirroring latency issues. Secondly, and this one's the kicker, I just went to a spot in my family room that has a weak wifi signal due to interference with a certain wall and started having noticeable lag issues with AirPlay Mirroring from my iPad to the Apple TV, and the Apple TV has a clear shot to the iPad and was only 5-6 feet away.

This leads me to believe that currently, AirPlay data streams absolutely travel from device to the access point before being sent to the Apple TV.
 
RoboCop001 said:
Does this mean reduced lag? If so, I hope it reduces the lag for Mac AirPlay Mirroring as well.
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Not that I am an expert in wireless or a programmer but I guess if there are less steps between synced images and audio being generated on an iOS device and being displayed on a television screen then it would be faster. An Apple TV would definitely be more like a console if games streamed to it have no perceivable lag.

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BornAgainMac said:
This means throw away your speakers and make room for new Air Play 2 speakers.
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Keep your favourite speakers and use adaptors.
 
So will the iPhone 4S be able to do this or will it be an iPhone 5 only thing?

As sweet as it sounds, I've only once ever tried to use AirPlay, and it failed miserably, not on account of a wifi network, but because Apple's movie rental contracts suck. I rented a Pixar Movie on my iPhone, tried using AirPlay to play it on my TV via my AppleTV, and guess what it does? It streams just the audio. By design!

I feel that I've been misled by numerous ads from Apple, from their trademarked phrase of "It just works" to ads for the AppleTV, AirPlay, and movie rentals.

Rentals are expensive and suck. Redbox FTW (which is what I ended up doing that night... I complained to Apple, got my $5 back, and went to RedBox and got the same movie for $2, and "it just worked".)
 
So.. it's going to be like airdrop where it connects directly between the wifi cards? Perfect! No more slowing down internet and it can go faster than the internet we pay for :)
 
Desterado said:
newyorksole said:
Wait, WiFi has to be on to use AirPlay? Since when?
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Since always....
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CrAkD said:
Yes wifi has always been required for air play. the only difference is now you wont need a network to connect too which will make airplay in the car much more doable now. hopefully apple opens up the video standard for car systems.
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That's not true. My AppleTV has an Ethernet adapter. It doesn't have to be on WiFi.

I've got all my devices in my A/V cabinet going into a switch: TiVo, AppleTV 1, AppleTV 3, WDtv (Western Digital TV), Blu-Ray, my monitor and who knows what else; I don't need all those signals interfering (and irradiating me) when they're all going back to the same point anyways (TiVo, Blu-Ray and WDtv would all require separately purchased dongles to work, this is faster and cheaper and I don't think an adaptor is even available for my monitor/projector). Yes, I know this isn't normal, but it does not require WiFi.

If they're going to make this work with older equipment, it's logical that it'll support WiFi and you'll just be using some kind of computer/computer or peer-to-peer connection (just like your Mac will already do).

Don't forget, they just added AirPlay mirroring to the computers too.

The downside with WiFi peer-to-peer is now if you want to stream your screen you're probably not connected to the Internet anymore with that device....

Bluetooth would require some extra hardware that might not be in many devices (but Engadget says the AppleTV 2.0 had it and iLounge/iFixit says the AppleTV 3.0 had BT 4.0 in it).

Some people say the bluetooth audio standard isn't very good, but that doesn't mean IF Apple uses Bluetooth that they'll do it that way (they might want to push video too).

Yes, I'm aware that I mentioned video (and the article mostly mentioned audio), but people will want that. I want to take my AppleTV somewhere for a presentation but they won't let me connect to their WiFi network and I want to stream to it from my device (iPad, MacBook, etc.).

Gary
 
Amazing Iceman said:
Well, does this mean that my current New iPad will be compatible or do I need to buy a newer iPad?
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That's what I was wondering... will old iOS devices work with this? I feel the answer is no because it sounds like a hardware upgrade, but anyone else have any ideas?
 
People should stop mentioning Bluetooth. This is nothing like Bluetooth. It's a direct connection through wifi without an established network. There is not a 33ft separation limit.

It's seems like Apple might be leaning toward allowing DLNA integration with its products, which allows wifi direct.
 
Ajrmatt said:
That's what I was wondering... will old iOS devices work with this? I feel the answer is no because it sounds like a hardware upgrade, but anyone else have any ideas?
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It's Apple, so even if the hardware is compatible, they will probably restrict the feature to an arbitrary few products.
 
Michael CM1 said:
I tried AirParrot and it is almost flawless, but not as easy and featurey as AirPlay mirroring.
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Really?

I've not tried AirParrot yet, because I had read of so many issues with it.

But then again, there's a lot of people complaining about products online. Reading these forums you'd think most devices out there don't work for squat because of all the weird glitches, errors and defects a few people get.
 
NeverhadaPC said:
That seems like it should have been a given from the beginning. Enable a local network and "stream" between devices. Should improve transfer speed dramatically.

Maybe using WiFi was just the quick-and-dirty way of getting something working fast...
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I agree on both points. I've never understood why even my latest ATV requires my iPhone 4S to stream through my router when I'm 11 feet from the tv. Many wireless device technologies allow devices to talk to each other directly instead of via a router.

This would also allow me to put a few movies on my iPhone/iPad and take my AppleTV with me on vacation and allow the kids to watch movies. Not sure if the iPhone or iPad could stream a 2 hour movie on a battery but it would be nice!

I hope this is a software/firmware upgrade and not a new set of physical products.

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ArtOfWarfare said:
So will the iPhone 4S be able to do this or will it be an iPhone 5 only thing?

As sweet as it sounds, I've only once ever tried to use AirPlay, and it failed miserably, not on account of a wifi network, but because Apple's movie rental contracts suck. I rented a Pixar Movie on my iPhone, tried using AirPlay to play it on my TV via my AppleTV, and guess what it does? It streams just the audio. By design!
Click to expand...

Although I don't know if your comments are accurate, this is another great example of why physical media will never die. There was also a great article recently asking what happens to all 10,000 digital/cloud movies/books/songs when you die...Apple and Amazon would not comment. They should, as most people would argue, be "transferred" to whoever is in the will.

Back on topic, I find it sooooo much easier to buy the Bluray for $10-$15, rip it to iTunes format, and play it on my ATV. I only do this for movies that will be watched a zillion times like Disney movies for kids. The 99% of other movies I buy I just plop in the player and sit back and enjoy...no "rights" issues, no timeframes to watch my movie, no excuses about video/audio quality, no risk of annoying my ISP with hundreds of gigs of bandwidth, no promises of "instant movies" which take minutes to load, no menus to sift through to "purchase" my movie, etc.

Digital/cloud movies have their place and for certain audiences. Until it is far more robust, move attractive to customers (price, licensing, ownership, transfership, etc), and easier to use, physical media will reign.
 
garylapointe said:
Yes, I'm aware that I mentioned video (and the article mostly mentioned audio), but people will want that. I want to take my AppleTV somewhere for a presentation but they won't let me connect to their WiFi network and I want to stream to it from my device (iPad, MacBook, etc.).
Click to expand...

This!

I don't understand why I have to either join some dodgy WiFi network or bring my own Airport Express just to stream content and presentations from my iPad/iPhone to my AppleTV 2.
 
Skika said:
So...what will it use then? Bluetooth 4.0?
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Doesn't Bluetooth 4.0 have much better support for lower powered devices than before? It uses much less power on the device side.

At the same time many devices are shipping with multichannel wifi "n" radios. Allowing one antenna to be pulled out for a different software connection. That's how AirDrop works now. "Dumb" wireless "b" chips are really cheap now with plenty of bandwidth for one streaming device.
 
Risco said:
So like, are there any surprises left to be revealed? I thought Tim Cook said they were getting tougher on secrecy? So far it seems he has left the front door open and allowed everyone to invite a friend...
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There are surprises if you don't obsess over rumor sites like this. Seriously I don't understand. If there aren't leaks it's a slow news day, if there are Tim Cook failed to 'double down on secrecy'. You all should do yourself and us a favor and shut down the computer.
 
Sol said:
Not that I am an expert in wireless or a programmer but I guess if there are less steps between synced images and audio being generated on an iOS device and being displayed on a television screen then it would be faster. An Apple TV would definitely be more like a console if games streamed to it have no perceivable lag.
Click to expand...

Oh, this probably would make the games be much faster and with less lag.

But if it's WiFi, they need a better way (than currently) for it to switch between networks (on both my iPhone game and the AppleTV). Having to switch networks on both devices before and after would be annoying.

Gary
 
Iconoclysm said:
The way Airplay works is that it establishes the two devices over your WiFi network then creates an adhoc connection between the two devices with WDS. From that point forward, your router shouldn't be involved with the streaming.
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I tried using wires to improve the reliability of my setup. I have two new Airport Expresses wired to a router and an old one in client mode. Doesn't work well. Worked better when 2nd new express extends the network wirelessly. Don't understand really.

Do you have any links to further reading on the perfect AirPlay setup?
 
Isn't this just a Peer-To-Peer network?

Whilst it'd be good for some people, I'm happy with how it is. My Aiport Expres connected stereo, and HTPC that's pretending to be an Apple TV, are both connected via gigabit ethernet. My iPhone/iPad then just connects via WiFi to the strongest access point, and a couple of switches later the packets arrive at the AirPlay device. Far more reliable than peer-to-peer would be!
 
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