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Will AirPlay Stream Hulu or Other Video Apps to Apple TV?
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The point is third party apps appear to work with AirPlay. That is huge. AppleTV just indirectly got apps that make use of the touch interface of your iOS device.
It opens up a world of possibilities. I love my hockey, and the NHL has been considering an iOS app. Now if they make one, I can use it to watch any NHL game on my TV.
Any TV network can come out with an app and price it as they see fit.
Once established, you'll have a bunch of apps on your iOS device that would essentially serve as interactive channels allowing you to watch what you want, when you want it, and only pay for what you want.
The best part of this is that the apps are not on the AppleTV, which actually increases the chances of TV apps since networks are under pressure from cable providers to not rip their revenue stream out from under them, but they have no quams with allowing people to use other devices outside of the living room to watch video content (like on iOS devices). It's basically a sneak attack on the living room. Once it's established, it will be harder to take away, and ultimately set top boxes will be allowed to have more functionality. Traditional cable is going to have to change to compete.
Of course this is bandwidth dependent. I see a future where internet costs (hopefully just) a little more (more bandwidth, higher consumption), cable is dead and you stream your TV content off the internet, on demand, from the sources you choose instead of whoever your local cable provider happens to be. AirPlay could be the thing to really get this going.
It's a streaming divice! ... no computer required, at least for netflix, Apple's movie service and participating tv networks. What is silly about taking a HD movie with your iPod touch and streaming it directly to your tv via iTV .. err I mean Apple TV. How cool is that!?
JustinTV is a cool app to watch just about anything on an iPhone/Ipad. If we can stream that to a TV, that would be fantastic however, how will it look? JustinTV looks ok at best on my iPhone. What would it look like, from a resolution perspective, on my TV? My guess is not very good. Still I would like to try.
People are getting way too excited thinking airplay will stream anything besides video from the official video app.
First, Steve Jobs never mentioned the fact airplay could stream anything besides video from the video app. Don't you think he would have at least mentioned the fact other apps could stream video?
Second, video content providers, like Hulu, ABC, or MLB.com will probably not be too happy with the ability to stream directly to a TV through an app, since it might take away other potential opportunities they have with people watching their content on a TV.
Third, the fact its in the Beta means nothing, as it only shows audio can be streamed. Also, even that might be a mistake and Apple could easily take it out.
Those are the main reasons i think this is not going to happen, at least not anytime soon.
First, Steve Jobs never mentioned the fact airplay could stream anything besides video from the video app. Don't you think he would have at least mentioned the fact other apps could stream video?
Second, video content providers, like Hulu, ABC, or MLB.com will probably not be too happy with the ability to stream directly to a TV through an app, since it might take away other potential opportunities they have with people watching their content on a TV.
Third, the fact its in the Beta means nothing, as it only shows audio can be streamed. Also, even that might be a mistake and Apple could easily take it out.
Those are the main reasons i think this is not going to happen, at least not anytime soon.
It won't be mandatory for apps to allow this. Heck, it better not be. In the UK the Sky Sports iPhone live streaming app is £6 a month. On an iPad? £35 a month. Xbox? £35. Other IPTV set top boxes? £35. If there's no way to turn Air Sharing off Sky will either withdraw the service or put the price up to six times it's current price.
Phazer
Phazer
You mean like on the iPhone emulator? I was thinking the same thing... it's not as elegant as direct touch, but it'd do in a pinch... imagine also if you had two device controllers (ie, ipad and iphone), you could have two sets of inputs... crazy interactive... would be quite magical for multiplayer-friendly games like MultiPONG, Fruit Ninja HD, or Wurdle.
What about older Apple TV's
Any chance airplay is going to work on my existing 160gb Apple TV? It seems like I remember reading something about existing Apple TVs will not get any new updates.
Any chance airplay is going to work on my existing 160gb Apple TV? It seems like I remember reading something about existing Apple TVs will not get any new updates.
My question is for us existing AirTunes Apple TV users who stream music to AppleTVs and Airport Express units with stereos and speakers connected and use the iPhone or iPad Remote App (so badly needs an update) to control music and other media, turning on and off multiple speakers, will all that functionality still exist with Airplay? Will it exist on Apple TV2.0?
Well, you have to understand that this new AppleTV is radically different from the previous gen. Not only does it have all those new neat features, but the AppleTV used to have an intel chip inside it, and now it's using an ARM-based chip, and a ton of new hardware, requiring them to recompile the entire thing. It's pretty much the PowerPC-Intel transition for AppleTVs. I'd imagine that the old AppleTV will still get updates, but it may very well not get the new features. Plus, they want you to buy the new AppleTV, even if you already have the old one.
There may be licensing restrictions involving its internal hard drive too though... So that could be it also.
...I'd imagine that the old AppleTV will still get updates, but it may very well not get the new features. Plus, they want you to buy the new AppleTV, even if you already have the old one.
Yeah, I'm thinking it won't work on the older model(s) because of the differences in hardware between the old and new versions. I hate the thought of retiring my existing Apple TV when it works perfectly fine. At least the new one is only $99 so that makes it more affordable; but I spent $300 on the existing model. Although I've used it a lot, it still feels like a waste of money to buy the new one. The only compelling feature on it that is different is the airplay feature from other iOS devices.
I'm expecting audio to continue to work. I think Airplay is AirTunes + video support. I don't expect Apple to update the existing AppleTVs for video support, in fact I expect the pre-Arm AppleTV to die off from support.
I think I might buy my in-Law's old AppleTV from them though, the fact that it has a hard drive internal makes it attractive still for some applications in a multi zoned environment.
What we really need are some facts about what this ATV can really do. The rumors are great, no doubt, but so many questions remain unanswered that I'm starting to feel this is getting a little too over hyped with nothing to substantiate the facts.
Hopefully, some site's got an early review model and is putting this through the paces right now. I can't expect too many people are going to run out and buy this thing until it's capabilities are known and vetted.
Hopefully, some site's got an early review model and is putting this through the paces right now. I can't expect too many people are going to run out and buy this thing until it's capabilities are known and vetted.