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Safari 5, AirPlay and AppleTV (oh my!)
- Thread starter Fofer
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In my (admittedly limited) experience, no it does not…. at least not with the handful of videos I tried. ClickToFlash does replace IceFilms' flash player UI (the one that appears when you click "Watch in Flash") with a nicer HTML5 interface but the underlying videos are still .AVI or .flv and therefore won't play on the AppleTV. (For this AirPlay functionality to work, the file presented in the browser for playback has to be iTunes compatible, ie: .mp4 or .m4v. The extensions aren't doing any transcoding… they are simply doing their best to present/playback/stream the .mp4/.m4v video file if one already exists on the site.)
That being said, this is a bit off-topic but hopefully you can indulge me and help with my question... I followed IceFilm's instructions and installed DiVX Web Player 1.4 for Mac with Safari, as well as the "ICE Quick Stream" greasekit script. I'm hoping to get their "quick stream" (within the browser window) working. When I select a title to PLAY, I am given the "wait 40 seconds..." screen but then, when it's done, I only see a black window. Nothing plays back. I see I am not alone with this issue (but that thread is kinda old.) Against ICEFilms' recommendation I upgraded to the latest DiVX Web Player but then I could only hear audio… saw no video. So now I am downgrading back and trying again.
The other options presented per media file is "download" (which works, downloading the file locally for playback in QT player) and sometimes I also see "Watch in Flash" (which works, as mentioned, in conjuction with ClickToFlash to give me the nicer HTML5 controls.)
I'm going to try uninstalling Perian, a combo of different browsers, etc. But I'm just wondering if you could shed some light on how you're watching IceFilms, what combo if browser/plugin version is working best for you, and if you're able to get the "quick stream" (within the browser window) working reliably. Thanks...
No, because Hulu uses Flash as its DRM, it doesn't offer any MP4/M4V formats of its videos.
If you're interested in watching Hulu on your apple tv, the best way I know about is to jailbreak your Apple TV 2 using Firecore's Seasonpass utility.
Once you jailbreak and install NitoTV, you then use NitoTV to install XBMC. Then inside XBMC you download the bluecop repository, which has a "video add-on" to stream Hulu. (Regular Hulu AND Hulu Plus, if you're a subscriber).
I've been watching Hulu this way on my apple tv2 for the past month, and it works quite well. I know it seems like a hassle to set up, but once it is set up it works fine. As an added bonus, there are no commercials!
To get started, go to this site and look at the instructions posted by an anonymous commenter at Tue Aug 30, 2011 7:51 pm
http://blog.firecore.com/5180
Once you've got XBM installed, follow these instructions to get the bluecop Hulu add-on:
http://www.appletvhacks.net/2011/03/02/how-to-watch-hulu-on-apple-tv-2/
Ok, got mine working but have a couple questions:
--why does the source selection in the hover menu change by video?
--where is the Develop menu?
Thanks in advance!
--why does the source selection in the hover menu change by video?
--where is the Develop menu?
Thanks in advance!
Some videos on the web are already in HTML5/iTunes compatible format (.mp4) and play with Quicktime controls. The Media Center extension adds the "Send to Airplay" contextual menu item to these videos.
Some videos on the web in Flash but the site has an alternate HTML5/iTunes compatible version. The ClickToFlash extension can block/replace the Flash elegantly, and while doing so, adds a source selection menu appear when you hover on the left side of its window… and also adds some contextual menu items. The "Send to Airplay" command can be added to both of these.
You need to turn it on via Safari -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Show Develop menu in menu bar.
Cool, found it and understand what it should be doing. But it did not work for on these two sites (both of which have ipad apps):
http://www.ihop.org/prayerroom/archives/
http://www.ihop.org/prayerroom/
Any ideas?
http://www.ihop.org/prayerroom/archives/
http://www.ihop.org/prayerroom/
Any ideas?
no-one got any solution for the 1 minute playing problem?
I'm having exactly the same problem. I've tried uninstalling both extensions, and re-installing them. Tried tweaking with the settings, all to no avail. Can anyone help me out, this is would be such an unbelievably cool way to enjoy watching online media on my tv.
cheers.
no-one got any solution for the 1 minute playing problem?
It works fine if your AppleTV is still on iOS 4.3.
I am hearing reports that iOS 4.4.x is what's broken it -- resulting in the 1-minute stoppages. Still investigating... and hoping Apple switches gears and fixes this (completely unsupported) function in yet-another update.
...and now I'm keeping my AppleTVs on iOS 4.3 for the time being.
One thing to look forward to, hopefully it comes to pass, as it will be more versatile:
Rumor: Apple looking to bring AirPlay Mirroring, iMessage application to Mac OS X
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Those sites aren't offering up HTML5 compatible video at all via the site (even if you change user agent to that of iPad.) It's just Flash they're presenting, so these extensions won't work. Their iPad app is the only thing, I guess, that they're allowing to get at that HTML5 video. Can you AirPlay from there? (Assuming you have an iPad.)
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I've come across a web page containing links to download previous apple tv2 firmware. I was thinking to download 4.3 and restore my apple tv2 to the previous firmware. Has anyone done this before?
I've been raking my head all day trying to sort this out. This is all i've found. I need this safari extension.
I've been raking my head all day trying to sort this out. This is all i've found. I need this safari extension.
I did it this week, one one of my AppleTV's that I'd updated to 4.4 the week prior.
However, I did run TinyUmbrella to record and playback the SHSH files.
I don't know if Apple's stopped "signing" the 4.3 version any longer, so this may be necessary (and perhaps, too late) for you.
I should say, it took me long time to finally get that box into DFU mode in order to restore. Got plenty of errors in iTunes along the way. Super annoying. But I finally did get it, and the result was worth it. Now both of my AppleTV's are on 4.3, jailbroken with Firecore's Media Player, XBMC and Plex... and also, compatibility with these extensions (which I love the most.) I think I may be staying here for awhile. Sucks that Apple broke this cool functionality in 4.4. I really, really hope it comes back.
can't get it to work. i have two apple tvs I'm just trying to connect to the bedroom one. but i changed the name to Bedroom Apple TV
i tried putting that in with dashes and still nothing. also in iTunes it says its Bedroom Apple TV(9) for some reason. can i put it in any other way? ip address? and 198.165 like so?
i tried putting that in with dashes and still nothing. also in iTunes it says its Bedroom Apple TV(9) for some reason. can i put it in any other way? ip address? and 198.165 like so?
To keep things simple, first I'd rename them (via the AppleTV menus) using the default options. So you'd have "Bedroom Apple TV" and "Living Room Apple TV"
In the settings for ClickToFlash and Media Center, those would translate to "bedroom-apple-tv.local" and "living-room-apple-tv.local"
Alternatively, yes, you could also use IP addresses.
If you have an iOS device with iOS5, just use that instead. All web videos playable on your mobile device are now Airplayable on the Apple TV as well by default.
That's true, but much easier to use a mac to do this plus no battery drain on my iPhone. Hopefully a fix will come soon because it a great way to stream content from mac to ATV2.
Agreed. Streaming from a web video on my iPhone or iPad is not the same as being able to do it straight from my main Mac OS X workstation. (I will say though, one clumsier workflow is to simply put the YouTube/Vimeo video you're interested in watching into a playlist, and then navigate to that playlist via the AppleTV's UI itself.)
That said, the fix for this now won't come from ClickToFlash, it'll have to come from Apple. All ClickToFlash is doing is sending a short command for the AppleTV to stream from a URL. It's the AppleTV that is stopping playback of the video on that external URL after a minute (on iOS 4.4.) ClickToFlash has nothing to do with it after it's sent the command. The developer of ClickToFlash won't be able to fix this and likely won't be working on it further until it starts working again on AppleTV's end.
I'm not sure why Apple would have "broken" this (unsupported function) with iOS 4.4, but I can confirm it works perfectly with iOS 4.3 still. And I will stay on iOS 4.3 for this function alone, for as long as I need to. This direct-AirPlay-from-OS X-Safari is more appreciated by me than WSJ Live, Airplay Mirroring, iTunes Match or the reorganized Trailers menu. I'm not lying when I say, I use this function many times a week now, for many videos. I love it. I wish more people can enjoy it.
The problem is, as this is an unsupported function in the first place, it's not exactly a "bug" we can file.
I hope this was simply an unintentional bug (as opposed to a deliberate breakage) and that we'll see it start working again with some future update to AppleTV's iOS. iOS 4.4.3? 4.5? If not, our next hope is that this rumor comes to pass, and that it's implemented well. Airplay Mirroring from Mac OS X, as an officially supported function, would be a super cool substitute.
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All that said, it's good to know that iOS 5 "fixed" this issue. Previously in iOS 4 there were some web videos that would send audio but not video. And maybe some that wouldn't send any A/V at all.
There were two fixes for that, worked great if your iDevice is jailbroken. AirVideoEnabler is the one I am using now. The other one I'd been using previously is AllPlay.
Here's a post on why AirVideoEnabler is better.
But yes, native support for this in iOS 5, without the same issues as before, is great.
Still, this is quite a different experience from being able to send A/V right from Safari on my MacBook Pro.
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Well I guess it depends on your situation. I don't have a tv in my office anymore so I guess it would work well in that situation if I did. However, most people use their Apple TVs in a bedroom or the living room where there is a much higher probability you have your phone than a computer. I for one always have both my iPhone and my iPad with me when at the TV. The iPad is awesome for browsing the web so it gets a lot of Airplay use for web videos.
For most people, Airplaying from a computer to the TV means they have to get up and go to a computer (which may be in another room) while your mobile device is more often right by your side.
And then there's the "instant on aspect" of the iOS devices compared to a computer that make it that much simpler and faster to use for things like Airplay.
For most people, Airplaying from a computer to the TV means they have to get up and go to a computer (which may be in another room) while your mobile device is more often right by your side.
And then there's the "instant on aspect" of the iOS devices compared to a computer that make it that much simpler and faster to use for things like Airplay.
Don't get me wrong; AirPlay as an Apple tech is super cool.
I have an iPad and an iPhone too, and use them in the living room. And "instant on" is cool too -- but my MacBook Pro has "instant on" as well (it's never off, really, merely sleeping.) I'm not really sure what "instant on" has to do with this anyway, as in the situations where you come across a web video and you want to send that video to your TV, you're already on the device browsing around. There's no "slow startup" to contend with; you're already browsing.
That being said, yes, the iPad is awesome for browsing the web. So is my MacBook Pro. That's where I line up most of the videos I want to watch, and it's great to be able to send them to the bigscreen TV when I'm sitting right there. I've tried it both ways and sending/stopping short videos is just faster for me on OS X than the iPad's (or iPhone's) touch screen. Real Safari is better than Mobile Safari. It just is.
The point of this thread isn't to talk about AirPlay in general; that's an advertised and supported feature of iOS. We all know and love it. The point is that we've now gotten an elegant "hack" of sorts that brings the same thing to Mac OS X.
You rightfully say it "depends on your situation." Yes, folks that don't have a TV in the same room as their computer won't really appreciate it. But folks who do? Will appreciate THE HECK out of it! I know I do, and am keeping my AppleTVs (living room and bedroom) on iOS 4.3 so I can keep enjoying it.
FWIW, this extension (like all such extensions) is supposed to work on the Windows version of Safari as well. So if someone has no iDevice but has a cheap netbook running Windows... well... this presents a very compelling puzzle piece.
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Yeah I agree with Fofer. I really like to be able to Airplay from my Mac to my ATV. It is way more convenient as I am on my MBP pretty often. There are certain videos that can't be viewed through iOS devices that makes it a lot easier. I don't think I will ever update my ATV2 until at least Airplay Mirroring is released for the Mac itself *crosses fingers*