Inside iOS 5: AirPlay Mirroring will be its "most exciting feature"

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
An overview of the new AirPlay Mirroring feature of iOS 5 demonstrates how the new operating system release breathes new life into mobile gaming by taking advantage of wireless HDTV integration via Apple TV.



While some existing iOS devices have the ability to wirelessly deliver video playback to HDTVs via the AirPlay feature, iOS 5 will support AirPlay Mirroring to use an Apple TV-connected screen to act as an external display for nearly anything on the mobile device.



The latest beta 6 release of iOS 5 demonstrates new proficiency in presenting smooth, realtime video from existing apps to an external display, according to a report by AppleNApps.



"Currently there are a few apps with HDMI out support so you can enter a special full screen mode as you transfer the iPad screen to the TV via a cable. The full screen modes automatically works wirelessly with AirPlay Mirroring, and should work even better once developers update their apps for the technology," the site notes.



"It?s also interesting that iPhone only apps with no iPad native app still work with full screen support via AirPlay Mirroring," the site states, noting that developers can still disable the feature, as Hulu does.



"The feature is simply amazing to use, and redefines not only iPad gaming, but gaming as a whole. It?s already great in iOS 5 Beta 6, and when iOS 5 public release hits in the fall, it?s almost beyond imagination."



Expanded support for AirPlay among iOS app developers should help bring attention to Apple's "hobby" of selling an iOS-based set top box capable of watching Netflix, MLB, Vimeo and YouTube and renting movies and streaming other iTunes content.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 42
    rolandgrolandg Posts: 632member
    While video mirroring is a very interesting feature opening a lot of very useful possibilities, I sincerely hope that it won't be "the" most interesting aspect of the upcoming version of iOS. How about a more iPhoto-like Photos app?
  • Reply 2 of 42
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    Sucks that this is an iPad 2 only feature. No reason the first iPad couldn't do this apart from Apples greed!
  • Reply 3 of 42
    akacakac Posts: 512member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Sucks that this is an iPad 2 only feature. No reason the first iPad couldn't do this apart from Apples greed!



    So you know that the CPU in the first iPad is powerful enough to push that many pixels without stuttering?
  • Reply 4 of 42
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Sucks that this is an iPad 2 only feature. No reason the first iPad couldn't do this apart from Apples greed!



    Buy a new iPad, Tekstud.
  • Reply 5 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Sucks that this is an iPad 2 only feature. No reason the first iPad couldn't do this apart from Apples greed!



    So if we had not had this feature on the otherwise nicely updated iPad2 - then Apple would not have been greedy. Only when they give it some, but not others, then they are greedy?

    I thought the hardware (graphics) upgrade was required for this Airplay.



    I was reading an old article demonstration that Airplay could not of games, due to the bandwidth required for real time (when you dream youtube it buffers. Having seen AirPlay work in realtime on some games - its very very very impressive
  • Reply 6 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RolandG View Post


    While video mirroring is a very interesting feature opening a lot of very useful possibilities, I sincerely hope that it won't be "the" most interesting aspect of the upcoming version of iOS. How about a more iPhoto-like Photos app?



    I already bought a 65 inch flat screen for the conference room, and an Apple TV. Using good reader to review spreadsheets and pdf docs is terrific. Its a pain right now when i want to show something else on an iPad - and have to dig out the hdmi cable. the HDMI cable and adapter really are not slick on an iPad.



    cable less presentations on a decent monitor work very well, the resolution is well matched - what you can read on your iPad shows well on a decent monitor with 5 to 10 people in attendance
  • Reply 7 of 42
    macvictamacvicta Posts: 346member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Buy a new iPad, Tekstud.



    Apple is still selling plenty of iPad 1stGens, not to mention the users getting one through third party means. To many people it is a new iPad.
  • Reply 8 of 42
    Does anyone have any insight whether the HBO GO app will be able to utilize this feature? I hope HBO goes a different route than Hulu and allows this. Has anyone with the beta of iOS 5 tried this yet? I've been wondering for a long time now thanks.
  • Reply 9 of 42
    irnchrizirnchriz Posts: 1,616member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pharter23 View Post


    Does anyone have any insight whether the HBO GO app will be able to utilize this feature? I hope HBO goes a different route than Hulu and allows this. Has anyone with the beta of iOS 5 tried this yet? I've been wondering for a long time now thanks.



    Neither the ABC app or the Sky Go app allow video to be mirrored, just audio.
  • Reply 10 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Sucks that this is an iPad 2 only feature. No reason the first iPad couldn't do this apart from Apples greed!



    Why do you believe this to be the case?



    I use AirPlay all the time on my iPad 1 to send full screen video to my Apple TV 2 using the Air Video app under 4.3.5 and it works just fine?



    Have they stated that they are deliberately not allowing the mirroring feature for the iPad 1?
  • Reply 11 of 42
    t0mat0t0mat0 Posts: 58member
    If iPad 3 could do Thunderbolt and also retina display - boy are some things going to get shaken up.



    The iPad as a master to slave other devices becomes even stronger - e.g. seeing it as a monitor for photo shoots - being able to look at focus on shots being taken. Actually tethering to the device - using as backup, instant review for focus, lighting, etc - being able to wired or wirelessly fire the camera - get a live view on a retina display screen - will be awesome.



    Means no more having to squint back to a tethered monitor - just bring the iPad round whilst setting up shot. Have one on a stand to view.



    It also sets the stage for any Apple TV (which will be more like a monitor with Thunderbolt connection, wifi and iTunes for video content) - this will be the device to see your Photostream on! Apple isn't that far from basically unterthering iTunes libraries on an external drive from a Mac, and just plugging if they wanted to your external library directly into your AE, ATV or Apple TV. Why not have iTunes running on an A6?



    You get used to iOS5 betas - but there are millions who are going to enjoy the improvements big and small, for free in a few weeks time
  • Reply 12 of 42
    Developers should not be able to disable a core feature of the device's OS -- AirPlay & AirPlay Mirroring!!!



    Update: Why would text sizes that are huge be available, if only to have your post edited by JeffDM?! What other purpose IS THERE for other text sizes?!
  • Reply 13 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Sucks that this is an iPad 2 only feature. No reason the first iPad couldn't do this apart from Apples greed!



    The video shows iPad 1 not 2 so where does your info come from.



    Currently I can play Chopper 2 on my iPad 1 connected to my TV using my iPhone as the controller.



    Video mirroring is actually supported on the iPad currently however it's expanded dual screen that isn't supported. They are two different things.



    Also it's the AppleTV that is getting the video mirroring capabilities as AirPlay requires an AppleTV.



    Might want to read a bit better than you are.
  • Reply 14 of 42
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member
    been using the HDMI dongle to do iPad 2 screen mirroring. as said before, it is clumsy - got a heavy 10 ft cable so i can sit on the sofa.



    but that aside, which iOS 5 will solve wirelessly, it is great. use it all the time with SlingPlayer app (streaming from a TiVo/cablebox at my other place) and the PQ is very good. only a few game apps take advantage of it now, like Real Racing, but no doubt many more will jump on for Holiday sales. and i'm sure developers will come up with a new wave of other kinds of apps that take advantage of it too.



    but the simplest use that may prove most popular is web browsing when you want to share what you are doing with several people (yeah it will be great for porn, but let's say shopping). it is the first time web browsing on a TV screen was ever any better than awful, and instead suddenly now it is super.



    what Google TV and all the rest don't get is the problem with "converging" digital life on the home TV is NOT lack of content like everyone says. there is actually plenty of digital content around already, huge amounts, more than ever, that you can get to your TV one way or another, free or maybe paid. HTPC users have know this for years.



    the real problem is the horrible UI's. ever since the first on-screen menus for TV's and VCR's about 30 years ago, all TV remote UI's of all kinds - including today's Apple TV - have been primative up/down/left/right cursor systems of some kind. which all utterly suck no matter what (look at the horrible remote Sony came up with for its Google TV). consumers hate them.



    but at long last iOS screen mirroring totally blows the LRUD TV remote out of existence. replacing it completely with the iOS' state of the art touch UI for whatever you mirror to your big screen TV.



    it was the iOS UI the revolutionized the cellphone, not the iPhone hardware. it was the iOS UI that revolutionized the tablet. now it will be the iOS UI that revolutionizes the TV.



    so this really is a "killer app." it finally makes "convergence" easy to do - and Just Works. Nearly all the "pundits" are so lame they don't see it coming. but soon they will.
  • Reply 15 of 42
    filburtfilburt Posts: 398member
    I am not sure how much bandwidth (over Wi-Fi) AirPlay Mirroring needs, but hopefully, we'll see 1080p Apple TV soon. Scaling iPad's 1024x768 to 1280x720 chops off some vertical pixels and rumored iPad 3's retina display will only make the matter worse.



    Not being able to see 1080p home movies and photos in 1080p is the #1 reason why I haven't jumped into Apple TV bandwagon. #2 is AirPlay Mirroring at 720p.
  • Reply 16 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by libertyforall View Post


    Developers should not be able to disable a core feature of the device's OS -- AirPlay & AirPlay Mirroring!!!



    Well, except some apps, such as good-reader can either mirror, or use the iPad as a nav aid, while displaying the pdf doc on the big screen..... But maybe this could be over-ridden by the big mirror button



    airplay mirror would be great if it replicated the functionality of the hdmi cable mirroring
  • Reply 17 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Sucks that this is an iPad 2 only feature. No reason the first iPad couldn't do this apart from Apples greed!



    Did you not pay attention to the end of the video? He was streaming from an iPhone 4. That has the same exact processor as in the iPad 1.
  • Reply 18 of 42
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member
    i got beat up in the comments when i posted the following here on December 31, 2009:



    "Clearly ATV needs a more compelling purpose to move out of the "hobby" category and become a really popular consumer product.



    of the many possibilities mentioned in the comments, IMHO the outstanding one is for ATV to become also a bridge box between your iPhone/touch/Tablet and your high-end HDTV. so you could mirror your apps and games wirelessly on your big screen TV and sound system. among many things, that would cement the touch's status as the leading next gen portable game platform (sorry, Sony and Nintendo). overall it would leverage booming iPhone/touch/Tablet sales into a lot of new ATV sales as well.



    but this will require a new generation of more powerful hardware (and some more RAM too), running a version of Leopard 10.5 OS, which would leave current ATV owners behind."



    so to all you guys that told me how silly and didn't know what i was talking about 20 months ago ...
  • Reply 19 of 42
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    The only feature I want is multiple email signatures.
  • Reply 20 of 42
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by irnchriz View Post


    Neither the ABC app or the Sky Go app allow video to be mirrored, just audio.



    That's just lame. How is just mirroring the audio going to be useful?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacVicta View Post


    Apple is still selling plenty of iPad 1stGens, not to mention the users getting one through third party means. To many people it is a new iPad.



    Buying a refurbished iPad doesn't count as a "new" iPad, even if it's reconditioned to be like new. I buy used items a lot, and have bought Apple refurbs in the past, but I don't buy into the delusion that it's new on the grounds that it's new to me.



    Whether it can work is very dependent on what you're trying to do. iPad 2 has dual CPUs and a much more powerful GPU than the original. Some mirroring can be done, but I don't expect that the original can mirror everything that the iPad 2 can.
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