

This feature is essential to using AirPlay with apps that don’t directly support it. In mid 2011, Apple added AirPlay Mirroring, enabling wireless beaming of the entire device screen onto Apple TV. There are now hundreds of AirPlay compatible devices, however, Apple TV seems to be the most popular.ĪirPlay has continued to evolve over time. Third party companies such as Marantz, Pioneer and Yamaha quickly jumped on board, creating AV receivers with built-in AirPlay support. Users could still configure different AirPlay receivers. The first version of AirPlay, launched in 2010, expanded on this functionality, offering wireless streaming video. WiDi only offered screen mirroring, which is just one aspect of AirPlay.ĪirPlay is actually an evolution of AirTunes, which allowed iTunes users to wirelessly beam audio to external speaker systems. Unlike Apple TV, the WiDi receiver only served a singular purpose.

WiDi was only offered on select computers and users had to buy a TV appliance to facilitate wireless streaming. Intel’s WiDi technology predates AirPlay by a few months, but it never gained traction. Using an iOS device or computer, users can beam video and audio content directly onto Apple TV.Īlthough AirPlay wasn’t the first wireless beaming technology, it is mature and feature-rich. What is AirPlay?ĪirPlay is Apple’s wireless audio and video streaming technology. You can use Spotify and other services by beaming them onto Apple TV using AirPlay. The good news is that you don’t have to wait. There are a lot of other holdouts, as content providers develop strategies for digital media and developers tackle the tvOS learning curve. This article examines using AirPlay with the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Windows PC and virtually any computer.Īpps are central to the Apple TV 4 experience, but not everything is available. AirPlay beams audio and video onto Apple TV 4, enabling access to a universe of content.
