Airplay and Apple TV

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://gigaom.com/apple/you-wanted-apps-on-your-apple-tv-apple-delivers-with-airplay-mirroring/' target='_blank'>http://gigaom.com/apple/you-wanted-...play-mirroring/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Since the second-generation Apple TV was released back in September of last year, people have wondered if and when apps would arrive on the device. After all, it runs on iOS software, so the underpinnings of app support are already present. But Apple hasn't opened up the Apple TV to third-party developers; or at least it hadn't before it unveiled iOS 5 on Monday."</em></p><p><img height="201" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1307927387.usr105634.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Well you can't exactly get support for apps to run natively on the Apple TV, but the author found with AirPlay Mirroring that it was almost as good. You could do this with the Digital AV Adapter with iPad original and 2nd version, but with the wireless option it makes it an even better option. All you have to do is select your Apple TV as your output source in the multitasking menu bar and it works as designed. Anything you do on your iPad 2 from this point on will be reflected on your display connected to the Apple TV. Pretty slick.&nbsp;</p>

[Dyvim]

The mirroring I think is missing the point a bit.

The big deal (to me) is that you can do wireless video-out at up to 1080p and simultaneously show different content on your iOS screen. Case in point: see Firemint's Real Racing 2 HD: it outputs 1080p video to your TV while you use your iPad as a controller and displays auxiliary information on the iPad's screen. I bet this is more the direction that Apple has in mind: the iPad/iPod/iPhone as not just the controller, but as the console itself.

[djdj]

If I weren't under NDA, I'd post why it doesn't "just work." It has been a pretty frustrating experience.

[Tim Williamson]

I've been pretty impressed with AirPlay, when it was first released it was a little buggy, but seems fairly solid now. It will be really interesting to see if the mirroring works as well as it seems (djdj's comment makes me think otherwise though). I'm hoping they support mirroring with the iPad 1 though.