According to the developers, Apple’s new AirPlay protocol in iOS 9 let them create a “much improved version of AirServer” with new and powerful features.

New features include:

• Live streaming to YouTube Live: gamers can now stream their favorite iOS games in real-time and add personal commentary using a webcam and a microphone. Teachers can use this technology to spread their knowledge beyond the classroom.
• Retina quality mirroring brings drastically improved picture quality to AirServer. An iPhone 6 Plus can now mirror at full 1080 x 1920 resolution, which delivers over three times the previous pixel count in portrait mode.
• Ultra-high quality recording lets you create professional videos of your mirroring sessions in the best quality possible.
• Encrypted AirPlay protects your personal photos and videos as they are transmitted over the network. This important security feature is only offered by AirServer and the Apple TV.
• OS X El Capitan’s new AirPlay features are fully supported by AirServer. You can now stream your favorite videos directly from Safari via AirPlay.
• AirPlay from the YouTube iOS app is once again supported by AirServer for Mac. This feature is exclusive to AirServer and the Apple TV.

AirServer 6 for Mac and AirServer 4 for PC are available now and are offered as a free update for all existing users.

See AirServer in action:

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It appears that the time has come for the little black box to grow up and become a significant player in Apple’s ecosystem. Some reports even speculate that the Apple TV will be THE center of the Apple ecosystem in homes; connecting Internet of Things devices via HomeKit, showcasing iCloud & Photos content, playing games and eventually streaming broadcast television. While the iPhone 6s will undoubtedly take center stage at this Wednesday’s event, all signs point to the new Apple TV being the real star of the show.

First, the raw details that first leaked at 9to5Mac and have been quoted through out the web since. The device will run iOS 9 and include an updated remote, likely with an integrated touchpad and accelerometers for rough gesture based input.

The internal hardware will be significantly upgraded from the prior iteration with the inclusion of an A8 processor, 2GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac wireless capabilities resulting in a $149 price point. It appears the price may be tied to the internal storage space with several variants being considered, likely 8 and 16GB models.

While this will create a very formidable little box, the current rumor is that it will not support 4k video.

One of the biggest improvements with the new device is said to be the interface. While initially ‘clean and simple,’ the grid based icon layout of the current Apple TVs has become a sea of never ending icons and is far from pleasant to use. Frankly I have all but ditched mine as the speed to arrive at an application and then load it is easily surpassed by competitors such as the Roku 3.

Thankfully, iOS 9’s new Proactive Spotlight Search capabilities provide a handy tool for eliminating the need for endless icons. With so many options for streaming, the ability to ‘deep search’ into applications and immediately get to the content you want will be key for TVs of the future. This improved search along with upgraded Siri functionality is said to make the new Apple TV interface really shine.

In the past, this is where the updates would have stopped, a spec and UI bump. Sure there were people that had heard rumors or seen ‘Apple TV’ show up in Flurry results, but a true native App Store for the device never materialized… until now.

Finally, after many years of speculation, desire and even dedicated gamepad support in iOS, the new Apple TV version will have apps! Why now, why not years ago?  Only Mr. Cook knows the truth but I have several theories we can discuss over beers at WWDC next year.

What is most surprising to me is that until now, there has been NO visibility of this in the development tools. None. Apple isn’t about to release an App Store without apps, so what gives? This is complete speculation, but I believe this will be very similar to the iPad launch in that the new Apple TV will support much of the current App Store catalogue with few if any tweaks needed in the code base.

However, for those that have the resources, there will be a 30 day window in which to develop an Apple TV-‘optimized’ build of your application. Much like the iPad launch, these will get special billing in the store.

This actually brings me to one of my theories on the delay, I believe the remote was a big factor and this new remote enables the backward compatibility to fill the store from day one.

Either way, we will see for sure on Wednesday September 9th starting at 10am PST.

Rob Witman (@robwitman)

Read more about Apple TV 4: 

• Apple TV 4 specs and price revealed
• Apple TV 4: big focus on gaming and Siri, support for Bluetooth game controllers
• Apple TV 4 will cost $149-$199, available in October

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post No longer a hobby. Everything we know so far about Apple TV 4 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

We’re hearing from some developers that iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan use a new AirPlay encryption, which is not compatible with older Apple TV firmwares and software mirroring solutions like AirServer and Reflector.

In iOS 9 and El Capitan, Apple TVs running firmware version older than 6.2 appear as an audio only destinations:

In order for AirPlay to work, both iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan require Apple TV running firmware 6.2 and newer, meanwhile the latest jailbreakable Apple TV software version is 5.3.

People with jailbroken Apple TV’s running 5.3 will need to upgrade to 6.2 or newer to continue using AirPlay.

Of course, if you’re using a jailbroken Apple TV, you may choose not to update to iOS 9 or/and El Capitan and keep AirPlaying your content to the Apple TV.

Some developers told us they are re-implementing the encryption in their software to be ready for the final iOS 9/El Capitan update.

It is expected that iOS 9 will be released in mid-September. OS X El Capitan will launch sometimes in October.

This Wednesday, Apple is hosting an event where it is expected to unveil a next-generation Apple TV, which is rumored to be be thicker and slightly wider than the current-generation model and feature Apple’s A8 chip, a new, “drastically improved” remote with touchpad, more on-board storage, an improved operating system with support for Siri voice control and a long-awaited App Store.

Read more on Apple TV 4: 

• Apple TV 4 specs and price revealed
• Apple TV 4: big focus on gaming and Siri, support for Bluetooth game controllers
• Apple TV 4 will cost $149-$199, available in October

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

The post iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan won’t let you AirPlay to jailbroken Apple TV (or those running older firmware) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

It is highly expected that Apple will announce a new Apple TV model at its annual September’s event, which will very likely be held on Sept. 9th. 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman has recently provided some new details about the next-generation Apple TV:

• Apple TV 4 will be the first model to run a full-blown iOS core and it will run a TV-optimized version of iOS 9;
• it will look like the prior Apple TV, but will be slimmer and slightly wider;
• it is likely that it will retain a plastic body for the best compatibility with routers and Bluetooth remotes;
• the new remote control will not only include touch-based input but also gesture support. Perhaps it will also feature Force Touch technology;
• “the new remote will likely pack enough technology to deter users from losing the controller”;
• Apple is planning to include a support for a system-wide search on the new Apple TV (just like the Proactive search on iOS 9) but 9to5Mac was told that “the company may wait to integrate the new search features until the Apple TV is populated with third-party applications”;
• as for the Apple TV apps, Apple has fosuced on video-centric applications, “which would allow media companies to release new channels on the Apple TV on their own schedule”;
• the new Apple TV will include a refreshed, more iOS-like interface, however, “the general aesthetic will be similar to the current look”. 9t5Mac was told that the new OS looks somewhat like the mockup below:

• the new Apple TV iOS 9 builds internally run on both the current J33 (Apple TV 3) and future J34 (Apple TV 4) models, “but internal testing does not always accurately forecast public launch plans”;
• it appears that Apple’s long-rumored online TV service won’t launch until at least next year.

More about Apple TV 4:

• Apple TV 4 hardware, software, release date detailed by Mark Gurman
• Multi-touch Bluetooth remote for Apple TV referenced in El Capitan beta 2
• Apple working on its own web TV service
• WSJ: Apple to launch $30-$40/month online TV service in September
• Reading between the lines of WWDC 2015 keynote

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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