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Apple TV or Chromecast?
- Thread starter ghsDUDE
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OK, one more question. Given the specifications of the iPhone and iPad screens, what do the videos look like when streamed to an HDTV? I know when I tried mirroring using an HDMI cable the viewing area was much smaller than the screen size on the TV. With a closer aspect ratio, will the iPad fill the screen or come close?
If you are not using Airplay Mirroring, it depends on how the particular provider adapts the stream. In theory it could be streamed at maximum resolution, but in practice it does often seem to be dictated by the device. For example, Netflix from an iPhone may top out at 3000kbps but from an ipad air you can get the full 5800k stream. In any case, I almost never see anything but a full screen aspect ratio.
How come? iPad has a 4:3 (classic CRT) aspect ratio.
iPhone up to 4S has 3:2
and from 5 onwards have 16:9
Sorry I wasn't clear; I'm not talking about via providers like Netflix; I'm talking about showing video clips from Safari, and according to the thread above, I don't have to mirror if I'm watching a video stream via Safari.
That is true for Safari on iOS devices for sites that are HTML5 compatible. For other sites and on MAC that is not true (an exception on MAC are few sites like youtube, which can be sent to ATV without mirroring if ClickToFlash or ClickToPlugin extension is installed).
I own both and my current preference is Apple TV, partly due to the simplicity and partly due to my wife & her aversion to using some device other than a hand held remote control.
Chromecast is a great option for hotel / road warrior use if the hotel network has sufficient bandwidth. And the $35 price point is a no brainer IMNSHO.
Chromecast is a great option for hotel / road warrior use if the hotel network has sufficient bandwidth. And the $35 price point is a no brainer IMNSHO.
The aspect ratio of the remote device (iOS or OSX) is irrelevant if you are AirPlaying a video. The video will play in the provided aspect ratio. It would depend on the source.
If you are mirroring and just happen to be playing a video in some part of all of the mirrored screen, of course, you will be constrained by the device's aspect ratio.
If you are mirroring and just happen to be playing a video in some part of all of the mirrored screen, of course, you will be constrained by the device's aspect ratio.
Don't buy an Apple TV until they update the hardware. You don't want an iPod Touch 4 on your hands - selling it as top of the line, then support for it is dropped 8 months later.
RighteousNixon
macrumors newbie
Gotta disagree on this one. In my opinion, the best option out there right now is a 2nd gen jailbroken Apple TV. I have used Roku's, WDTV's, and a bunch of other devices over the years and the jailbroken 2nd gen Apple TV is BY FAR the best media device I have used yet. Its got the best user interface on the market and plays every media format and audio format you could want. I love it so much that I actually purchased 2 additional 2nd gen AppleTV's as back ups. I can't see myself using anything else for a very long time.
sure, jail broken with storage is fantastic. Buying one without the notion of jailbreaking is what I am advising against.
I'm sure somebody else has said this, but the ChromeCast relies on another device for it to work ( for example: sending content from your iPad thru the ChromeCast unit, onto your TV ). With the AppleTV, you just turn on your AppleTV and the built in apps are already right there on your TV screen. Meaning you can be watching content using your AppleTV, while freeing up your iPad or ( other tablet ) to surf the web, or do whatever else you are wanting to do with it.
So, yes, if you have an Apple ecosystem, get the AppleTV.
Once you cast the video on chromecast, you can go anywhere in your ipad and it doesn't interrupt your video. That said, I also have Apple TV and roku for other apps like pbs and amazon vid. Also mirroring. You mirror thru PC with airparrot.
Chromecast all the way. The ATV went to crap since November 9th 2013 during peak hours most of the time I can't achieve HD quality. The ATV is wired but I even tried it wireless on 5Ghz but no change.
I must have rested my ATV, disconnected and reconnected it more times than I can remember but it is still crap. I ended up buying another Roku 3 that I stupidly sold to buy a ATV. The ATV was fine for around 11 days until November 9th.
The Chromecast which I got this month on the other hand also has very few problems and it is even wireless on a very congested 2.4Ghz neighborhood with over 70 other AP networks I can achieve HD quality.
I must have rested my ATV, disconnected and reconnected it more times than I can remember but it is still crap. I ended up buying another Roku 3 that I stupidly sold to buy a ATV. The ATV was fine for around 11 days until November 9th.
The Chromecast which I got this month on the other hand also has very few problems and it is even wireless on a very congested 2.4Ghz neighborhood with over 70 other AP networks I can achieve HD quality.
OK. Got an ATV for home use and very happy with it so far, especially the fact that mirroring is really better quality than I expected if the source files are HD. Next question: I have a cabin and am thinking about trying a Chromecast since it won't be used that much and it costs less. While people have addressed some of these issues, it would be nice get the answers in one place:
1. I gather that you can only broadcast videos from the web through the Chrome browser on iOS. Not talking about Youtube or Netflix, but other websites with videos.
2. From the videos apps on iOS, will the Chromecast play videos stored on an iPhone or iPad?
3. Can you actually mirror the screen of an iPad or iPhone, and what is the quality?
Thanks....
1. I gather that you can only broadcast videos from the web through the Chrome browser on iOS. Not talking about Youtube or Netflix, but other websites with videos.
2. From the videos apps on iOS, will the Chromecast play videos stored on an iPhone or iPad?
3. Can you actually mirror the screen of an iPad or iPhone, and what is the quality?
Thanks....