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BridgeCo to Bring AirPlay Streaming Technology to Home Audio Equipment

tsirko said:
I wish apple was more open.

Anyway, I like this AirPlay thing a lot.
But I m not going to buy all my electronics again for this.
The first device that will let you connect your stereo to airplay is going to sell a LOT!
I know Airport Express can do that! But AE can do a lot more things too and cost 100 $/e! Something smaller, like a wifi-airplay adaptor from a 3 party with out :apple: tax...
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It's already out. It's called an Airport Express. AppleTV does it too.

What will be amazing will be if apple allows the video component to be transferred as well as indicated potentially here, effectively eliminating the need for the AppleTV if you're building from scratch (you might as well just buy a receiver that supports it).
 
QuarterSwede said:
I think their main point is that now that DLNA is in a lot of devices and is an open standard (it seems at least) why not use that?
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Because Apple have a lot invested in AirTunes, and because for the way that want it to work (push rather than pull), AirTunes is a better technology.
 
The Componentization of Wireless Entertainment

Like where this is going. There will definitely be a market for "dongles" that are smaller/cheaper than Airport Express. If someone has to build the "receiver" into their product. There is no reason the "receiver" couldn't be JUST a "receiver"...which means by by Airport Express.

Hope Apple hasn't put fine print to prevent this from happening. They are pretty sharkish about controlling all aspects of the whole Apple experience.

Wonder when Bose will jump on this.....
 
Mistrblank said:
What will be amazing will be if apple allows the video component to be transferred as well
Click to expand...

I thought it already did, hence the rename. If you're asking whether the video component is going to be open, well...

effectively eliminating the need for the AppleTV
Click to expand...

That'd be a no then!

Maybe in a few years, if AirPlay starts to make serious market headway. At that point Apple may have little choice, anyway, since they'll be running close to antitrust territory.
 
SeattleMoose said:
Like where this is going. There will definitely be a market for "dongles" that are smaller/cheaper than Airport Express. If someone has to build the "receiver" into their product. There is no reason the "receiver" couldn't be JUST a "receiver"...which means by by Airport Express.

Hope Apple hasn't put fine print to prevent this from happening. They are pretty sharkish about controlling all aspects of the whole Apple experience.

Wonder when Bose will jump on this.....
Click to expand...
I too want a cheap, maybe $29, dongle but I doubt that'll happen. I've been thinking about putting a set of marine ceiling speakers in my master bathroom for a long time and a cheap dongle would make it even more feasible for me.
 
QuarterSwede said:
I was just trying to clarify their point.
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On that score I'm not sure that everyone in this thread *does* understand the AirTunes has the longer pedigree. It's not like Apple worked particularly hard to market the technology.

I know people (IT literate people) who have spent serious money on Bose or similar whole home audio systems. Most have been quite shocked at how little I spent by contrast installing a system based around a few AEs, and ATVs.

Apple have, as is their wont, come dangerously close to squandering a huge lead on an emerging market because it wasn't large enough for them to care about. Now they're trying to catch everyones attention by peddling their own yesterday's tech as something new and shiny.
 
SeattleMoose said:
Like where this is going. There will definitely be a market for "dongles" that are smaller/cheaper than Airport Express. If someone has to build the "receiver" into their product. There is no reason the "receiver" couldn't be JUST a "receiver"...which means by by Airport Express.
Click to expand...

Given Steve Jobs' usual take on 'obsolete' tech, I suspect the thinking is that for smaller rooms you'd probably just replace the amp with one containing the AirPlay chipset, or that the streaming will be to a 'virgin' room. If you consider the average house, that's probably not so unrealistic. Update the amplifier/AIO in the garage, and install a new player in the bathroom. Maybe a new AirPlay aware boombox by the pool.
 
OC513 said:
Denon is on the list....they make a very solid receiver.
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As is Marantz.

There seems to be so much confusion about DRM, whether AirPort Expresses will work, etc. Is it not clear to everyone that AirPlay is just AirTunes 2.0, and the video streaming is all that's changed?
 
how exactly does airtunes work with B&W in this picture? anyone know how to set it up?
 
zxcvb said:
how exactly does airtunes work with B&W in this picture? anyone know how to set it up?
Click to expand...

It does not work with anything yet...

1. Apple have not yet released iOS 4.2 which is needed in iOS devices for AirPlay to work.

2. Manufacturers have not yet released any speakers that have AirPlay built in yet.
 
gerwitz said:
As is Marantz.

There seems to be so much confusion about DRM, whether AirPort Expresses will work, etc. Is it not clear to everyone that AirPlay is just AirTunes 2.0, and the video streaming is all that's changed?
Click to expand...

That's the point I was making above. Most people, including a large number here, have no idea about AirTunes 1.0. Of course they're confused by AirPlay.
 
Apple will need non-hardware revenue streams

Eventually hardware costs will come down so much that Apple will need to make money through services and software licenses. The App Store, iTunes Store, and now AirPlay will all contribute. And of course iAd will help immensely, especially when it's rolled out in HD on Apple TV. Not if but when.

Of course, I'm sure Apple has at least 10 more years before computing power will be cheap and ultra high bandwidth wireless internet will be everywhere. But they're getting a head start on making money through software alone in that future world. They're innovating, patenting their innovations, and working with OEMs to help make their innovations into industry standards, open or not.
 
gerwitz said:
As is Marantz.

There seems to be so much confusion about DRM, whether AirPort Expresses will work, etc. Is it not clear to everyone that AirPlay is just AirTunes 2.0, and the video streaming is all that's changed?
Click to expand...

You know that for a fact?

1. That AirPlay will work with Airport Expresses, you can stream from an iPhone / iPod / iPad to an Airport Express?

2. That AirPlay will play DRM encoded tracks?

Where are you getting these FACT from?
 
callme said:
You know that for a fact?
Click to expand...

Have you used AirTunes?

1. That AirPlay will work with Airport Expresses, you can stream from an iPhone / iPod / iPad to an Airport Express?
Click to expand...

Can't speak for the iPod, but since I can stream to an Airport Express from iTunes, or from an aTV, I can't see any reason why not.

2. That AirPlay will play DRM encoded tracks?
Click to expand...

AirTunes does not care about DRM, so why would AirPlay?
 
adbe said:
Have you used AirTunes?



Can't speak for the iPod, but since I can stream to an Airport Express from iTunes, or from an aTV, I can't see any reason why not.



AirTunes does not care about DRM, so why would AirPlay?
Click to expand...

Yes I have used AirTunes since the Airport Express was first released.

The reason I don't expect you will be able to stream from an iOS device to an Airport Express is that Apple don't mention it in the info on AirPlay. They mention that you can stream to AirPlay devices, but will an Airport Express be classed as an AirPlay device, will it need to get a software upgrade, will it work at all. Will Apple release a new Airport Express with AirPlay? We don't actually know that AirTunes and AirPlay are the same, only similar.

AirTunes does not care about DRM because it only works on Apple manufactured devices (that all can deal with Apple's FairPlay DRM), hence no issue with having to license FairPlay to anyone else.

Apple to date have NEVER licensed FairPlay to a 3rd party. For AirPlay to work they would need to start to license FairPlay to 3rd parties, a major step.
 
callme said:
The reason I don't expect you will be able to stream from an iOS device to an Airport Express is that Apple don't mention it in the info on AirPlay. They mention that you can stream to AirPlay devices, but will an Airport Express be classed as an AirPlay device, will it need to get a software upgrade, will it work at all. Will Apple release a new Airport Express with AirPlay? We don't actually know that AirTunes and AirPlay are the same, only similar.
Click to expand...

Well Steve called AirPlay 'the new name for' rather than 'the replacement for' AirTunes.

AirTunes does not care about DRM because it only works on Apple manufactured devices (that all can deal with Apple's FairPlay DRM), hence no issue with having to license FairPlay to anyone else.

Apple to date have NEVER licensed FairPlay to a 3rd party. For AirPlay to work they would need to start to license FairPlay to 3rd parties, a major step.
Click to expand...

AirTunes does not use FairPlay. The audio has already been decoded from DRMd AAC before it is transmitted as an AirTunes stream. The protocol/format that is in use by BridgeCo is a separate one, and clearly they have very in depth access to that part of iTunes.
 
adbe said:
Well Steve called AirPlay 'the new name for' rather than 'the replacement for' AirTunes.



AirTunes does not use FairPlay. The audio has already been decoded from DRMd AAC before it is transmitted as an AirTunes stream. The protocol/format that is in use by BridgeCo is a separate one, and clearly they have very in depth access to that part of iTunes.
Click to expand...

You contradict your own answer here...

It it a renamed version of AirTunes or a new protocol / format from the 3rd party BridgeCo. It can't be both!

Why then have there been no 3rd party devices before today?

Remember Steve sometimes uses a version of reality different to what the rest of the world might understand.
 
lilo777 said:
It could be. It's hard to understand from available documents though. BridgeCo does mention DLNA on their site (not with respect to AirPlay though). Could it be a way for Apple to provide DLNA without mentioning it? Very confusing.
Click to expand...

In other words, you're going to jump to conclusions and bash Apple without full knowledge of the facts or a complete understanding of what this collaboration will ultimately yield?

No one here is the least bit surprised... :rolleyes:
 
Mistrblank said:
It's already out. It's called an Airport Express. AppleTV does it too.

What will be amazing will be if apple allows the video component to be transferred as well as indicated potentially here, effectively eliminating the need for the AppleTV if you're building from scratch (you might as well just buy a receiver that supports it).
Click to expand...

Did you read my whole post? I know it's there but it's much more than airplay! So it costs more than an airplay receiver!

I agree about the video! But they have to sell the bloody apple TV! :S
 
If I can attach it to my 20+ year old stereo system (2 RCA jacks would be best), I'll buy it.
 
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