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Tag: airplay

  • AirPlay Mirroring Versus AirParrot

    One of the biggest perks of Mountain Lion, Apple’s latest operating system release, is that it gives Mac users the ability to mirror whatever is on their screen straight through to their HDTV with an AppleTV. It’s great for presentations, broadcasting the iTunes visualizer, or streaming online video and games right onto the big screen. But it won’t work correctly for everyone.

    As long as you have a Mac that was manufactured in 2011 or later, AirPlay mirroring will work perfectly. But what if you have an older device? For those users, a startup called Squirrels offers an app that successfully mirrors off of older devices. But does it work just as well?

    It’s incredibly easy to use AirPlay Mirroring with a modern device. With a couple of quick menu selections, you’ll see your Mac monitor on your HDTV in perfect 1920×1080 resolution. If you want to adjust it, you also have that option.

    According to experts testing the device, it worked very well. The streamed video was sharp and clear, and the frame rate was smooth enough for any type of viewed material. It’s basically a wireless extension of the computer’s display.

    If you’re running an older device, all you need is to pay Squirrels $10 for a license to their shareware called AirParrot. Download it onto your desktop, and after a simple install you’ll select the AppleTV option for mirroring.

    You can run AirParrot using Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion, and it will run on any Mac that is powered by Intel. If you do have significantly older hardware, you might occasionally notice choppy steaming. But AirParrot even has a version that runs on Windows, for those users who haven’t yet made the full switch to Apple.

    AirParrot also has some neat extra features. You can set up your HDTV as an additional monitor for your computer, instead of a straight mirror. You can still adjust the frame rate and resolution, and switch out audio if necessary.

    The bottom line is, either one is a great option based on your current hardware. Although AirPlay will work more seamlessly and AirParrot will significantly tax your device, either one will fit the bill for your mirroring needs.

    [source: arstechnica]

  • Mirror Your iPad on a HDTV

    Love all that your iPad has to offer and want to share it with a group in a home theater setting? All of those apps, movies and games look great on the iPad if it’s just you, but if you want everyone at home to enjoy it, you’ve now got options. Mirroring your iPad’s display onto a HDTV is as simple as running it through an adapter. Here’s a quick look at how to get it done.

    The most seamless connection will work in conjunction with Apple TV and it’s cutting edge AirPlay technology. If you expect to often connect your iPad to your HDTV, spending the $100 on Apple TV is the best, most seamless method. As long as your iPad 2 or 3 is running iOS 5 or a later version, and your Apple TV is running version 5.0 or later, you’re basically good to go. You’ll link the iPad to the Apple TV through a Wi-Fi network. Then just hop on your iPad, access the AirPlay icon, and connect to the Apple TV with Mirroring turned on.

    Although it won’t be quite as elegant, you can link the two through a digital adapter set-up. Pick up a HDMI adapter for around $40, and then drop another $40 for the Apple Digital AV Adapter, which you’ll find in most technology retailers. The adapter plugs into the iPad, and then links to the HDTV with the HDMI cable. If your HDTV doesn’t have that port, you could use a VGA adapter or composite plug-in as an alternative. Just remember that you’ll need the latest iPad and upgraded adapters to make it all work. And you’ll only see video up to 720p with this set-up. But for a cheaper fix, and one you can take with you wherever you go, it’s quite solid.