Beamer, a popular AirPlay video player for Mac, has been updated to version 3.0 (public beta) that features a brand new interface, sub/idx file support, option to skip movies with the Apple TV remote and support for Chromecast.

Here’s what’s new in Beamer 3:

• Chromecast support

Beamer 3.0 supports streaming directly to Chromecast.

This includes subtitle support for all formats supported by Beamer: external files, embedded in movies, text based, picture based.

• Redesigned interface

A new, modern interface that makes commonly accessed options such as selecting the audio track or subtitles easier.

Integrated in the player window is a queue. The queue also includes a history when you scroll up, so it’s easy to see what you watched previously and put it back into the queue.

• Skip movies with the Apple TV remote

Skip to the next movie in the queue by double-clicking the play button on the Apple remote. Just like skipping a track with the Apple headphones clicker.

• Improved subtitle support

In addition to subtitle files such as SubRip (.srt) and MPL, Beamer 3.0 also supports BluRay (.sup) and DVD (.sub/.idx) subtitles as external files.

Beamer is a ‘drag, drop & watch’ solution. You don’t need to convert files to the “right” file format – the app handles it for you on the fly. Simply drag and drop a movie file and start watching immediately.

Beamer 3 also supports HQ streaming (1080p, 5.1 Surround Sound). The app streams video directly so it will be played natively on Apple TV and Chromecast. The developers promise no glitches, clicks, pops or other shenanigans.

The video looks just as good as it would on your desktop.

Read our review of Beamer.

For existing Beamer 2 customers, Beamer 3 is a free upgrade. Beamer 3 will cost $19.99, but during the beta it can be purchased for only $15.

Beamer requires OS X Yosemite (10.10) or later.

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FireCore has surprisingly released a new version of aTV Flash for Apple TV 1 making it an “all-new platform for running the latest XBMC version 13.2 (Gotham)”. It includes support for the latest video add-ons, 1080p video, and more.

aTV Flash (xbmc edition) is finely tuned, optimized for speed, and provides a complete replacement for the standard Apple TV software.

The new version is different from the original aTV Flash (silver): while the older version installs add-ons alongside the native Apple TV software, aTV Flash (xbmc edition) replaces the Apple TV software entirely.

Each serves a different purpose, but if your main goal is to get XBMC on your Apple TV then aTV Flash (xbmc edition) is the one you want.

According to the developers, installation is done in about 5 minutes using a USB flash drive. They have also built in a special restore option, allowing the original Apple TV software to be easily reinstalled at any time.

By installing a special 1080p video card, the original Apple TV will be fully capable of playing most 1080p formats. 1080p video cards are available as an optional add-on when ordering.

Note: Installing a 1080p video card replaces the standard Apple TV Wi-Fi card. A directly connected ethernet cable or USB Wi-Fi adapter (also available as an optional add-on) will be required for network access.

You can find more details on aTV Flash (xbmc edition) here.

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NBC fans and Apple TV users – if you’re a member of both these categories, it’s time to celebrate. NBC has finally updated its iOS app with AirPlay. So if you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you can start streaming your favorite TV episodes on your HDTV, starting today.

This is huge for NBC lovers because it eliminates the need of an active subscription to watch some of their popular shows on television. Till now, these TV shows wanted you to sign into Hulu or to a cable subscription service, before you could catch their frames on Apple TV.

Now, with the iOS app, you can watch all of the full-length videos for free, once they’re aired via the cables.  In short, you can enjoy popular NBC TV shows like “The Voice, The Blacklist, About a Boy, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Days of our Lives” in full HD on the big-screen and for free.

This is the NBC app’s complete changelog:

*AIRPLAY MIRRORING – Finally! Wirelessly transmit whatever’s displaying on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch to your big screen via Apple TV.

*TRENDING CLIPS -Watch previews and highlights from NBC’s late-night shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers and Saturday Night Live – lots of new videos every day!

Get the updated NBC iOS app for free from the App Store.

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

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As part of their Black Friday discounts, both Amazon and Staples are offering the 3rd generation Apple TV for $89.

Staples were the first to offer the Apple TV at $89 with free shipping, and whilst it doesn’t seem like much of a discount, money off Apple TV’s doesn’t happen very often. Amazon quickly followed and will price match Staples, which might appeal to users more if signed up for the Amazon Prime service.

Purchase the Apple TV now for $89 at Staples here or Amazon here. At 10% off it’s the perfect chance to pick up the best media streaming device currently on the market.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ to be first to know about all Black Friday 2013 deals.

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Netflix has quietly added a few 4K videos to its ever growing repository of on demand streaming videos as it prepares itself for a wider rollout of the Ultra HD service in the upcoming months.

The videos that have been added in 4K only seem to be test content. There have been a total of seven videos added to the catalog, one of which being entitled El Fuente: 24 MP, which provides an example of content shot in 4K at 24 frames per second.

Netflix has already added a Super HD option for 3rd Gen Apple TV in partnership with ISP’s, providing a direct connection to Netflix content servers to enabling users to stream super crisp images. It works by applying less compression than 1080p content receives, ultimately increasing the size of the stream.

However, with the partnership with ISPs, it appears Netflix are in a position to facilitate 4K streaming and believe consumers have the bandwidth for it. Netflix wants to be one of the big suppliers of 4K next year, whether that be with it’s own produced content, or content from its licensing partners.

The main obstacle for distributing 4K was always the bandwidth available to consumers (the other being an expensive hardware), but with the success of Super HD and the partnership with ISPs, it seems Netflix are ready to make 4K content streaming a reality.

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Netflix announced that it will be providing a feature called Super HD to all compatible devices, including the Apple TV 3. The company initially rolled out Super HD in January to ISPs with a direct connection to Netflix, and now this has been expanded to give all subscribers the new quality option.

The Super HD higher bit rate stream offers better quality by applying less compression to the 1080p stream, so the image looks crisper than a typical 1080p image, but also obviously uses more bandwidth, which is why it was done in partnership with the ISP’s.

Netflix had this to say on their blog:

All Netflix members, regardless of their internet service provider (ISP), now have access to the highest quality HD streams available on Netflix.

This means that the great TV shows and movies on Netflix will look even better on HD screens with a higher bit rate stream, Super HD, that applies less compression to the 1080p image.

We initially rolled out Super HD in January only through ISPs with a direct connection to Netflix. Based on the performance data we’ve seen, and in response to member requests, we are now expanding availability to give all our members the ability to enjoy Netflix in the best possible quality.

As Netflix mentions, the Super HD option is dependant entirely on your internet connection, and because they use adaptive quality, your connection may mean the quality is always scaled depending on the available bandwidth.

If you want Super HD and it doesn’t seem like your ISP supports it, or your connect isn’t fast enough, Netflix recommend to investigate ISP performance by consulting the Netflix ISP Speed Index.

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

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This box, alone, does not reveal much regarding Apples plans for what is to come next other than the fact that, in true Apple fashion, this device is half centimeter smaller than its predecessor and that it will be powered by Apple’s A5X processor and will use the same Broadcom WLAN+Bluetooth antenna/chip that the iPhone 5 uses. As of now, the largest change Apple made between its last  two “hobby” devices is the fact that one supports 720p and the other supports true 1080p. Could the next iteration be a similar jump? I foe one am hoping not! I am sure we can all agree that Apple needs to get back to innovating and get away from simply resizing.

To add a bit more fuel to the curiosity flame, 9to5Mac revealed that the latest Apple TV firmware (5.2), released this week, seems to include mention of a mystery Apple TV, named “3,2.” Our current Apple TV 3’s are known as “3,1.” It would seem that Apple has something coming quite soon. The question is if this a completely new box with some cool new capabilities, a peek at what Apple has in store next, or perhaps a simple rearrangement of internal hardware, now that parts are a bit cheaper?

What do you think? Let us know below.

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AirServer, an AirPlay receiver that enables you to stream audio, videos and photos, to your Mac, Windows PC or iOS device, has been updated to version 4.6 that features support for projectors, iPad mini and onscreen passcode (very useful in classroom environments). New AirServer also add a new audio player with remote playback controls, support for Remote Speaker output and Mountain Lion mirroring support on older 32-bit Snow Leopard Macs.

Here is what’s new in AirServer 4.6:

• Added all new audio player with remote playback controls.
• Added audio only receiver in lossless quality.
• Added onscreen passcode/password.
• Added projector optimizations.
• Added support for Remote Speaker output Winamp plugin by Eric Milles.
• Added side by side connections for photos, videos and slideshows as well.
• Added Mountain Lion mirroring support on older 32-bit Snow Leopard Macs.
• Added always on top window option.
• Added option to turn off automatic check for updates.
• Improved video playlist support.
• Fixed random disconnects while mirroring.
• Fixed audio crackling issues
• Removed alert sound when starting audio playback.
• Fixed red icon.
• Fixed Syphon recorder bug on Macbook Pro Retina.
• Fixed IPv6 related issues.
• Fixed various other bugs.

The update for AirServer is free for existing users.

AirServer delivers full 1080p HD mirroring and allows you to mirror your display from your iOS devices or Mountain Lion.

AirServer also supports 3rd party media players, such as the BBC iPlayer, 4oD and Netflix. This new breakthrough means you can now Mirror content from popular media apps to your HDTV or Mac via AirServer (local restrictions imposed by media players still apply).

AirServer for Mac or Windows is sold at $14.99 (there is also free 7 day trial) and you can get it from here.

Check out our review of AirServer.

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Amazon is selling the new 1080p Apple TV for $89.99 with free shipping. That’s the lowest price ever offered by Amazon for Apple TV 3.  Get the little hockey puck now, since this offer may not last long.

Although the jailbreak for Apple TV 3 is not available yet, the Apple TV community is working hard to bring it to you as soon as possible.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on Apple TV 3 jailbreak status.

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Apple’s new operating system OS X Mountain Lion is now on the scene, giving us Mac fans yet another reasons to profess our undying love for our favorite devices. Probably the most anticipated new feature is that Mountain Lion gives users the ability to take advantage of AirPlay Mirroring, which allows for wireless video and audio streaming from your computer right to your Apple TV. But not all Apple owners will be so lucky.

You’re going to need an iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or Mac Mini from 2011 or later to make it work, even with Mountain Lion installed. So what’s the deal? Some conspiracists believe it’s Apple forcing people to upgrade to newer machines. Others think that the Intel chips are to blame, as the DRM technology required for Mirroring to work wasn’t available in these computers until last year.

But according to the good folks at Cult of Mac, the truth is much simpler. The graphics in Mac computers prior to 2011 just aren’t up to the challenge. In order for AirPlay Mirroring to work, the computer must be able to compress video on the graphics chip without using the CPU. Since the hardware can’t handle it alone, the CPU would be forced to work overtime, and the performance would degrade to the point of uselessness.

And Macs aren’t alone in this obsolescence. On the mobile side, you’ve got to have an iPad 2 or later, or an iPhone 4S to use AirPlay Mirroring. With those devices, it still comes down to the encoding issue. AirPlay Mirroring is much more complicated than you would think. There’s encoding, scaling, and color conversion, translating the audio and video from your wee monitor to the HDTV hanging on the wall.

It’s not impossible for the dedicated programmer, however. AirParrot has an app that allows Mirroring even with old Macs. But the image is compromised, and we all know how Apple feels about settling for less than perfection. It will work more often than not, but you’re still pushing your older device further than is comfortable, resulting in high fan usage and more than a little bit of heat.

And the issues aren’t hardware-based alone. The network you’re working over is also an important consideration. You’re going to need a high-end internet network and rock star wireless router for smooth Mirroring, especially if you’re streaming a web-based video player. And you’ll have to let your device focus on that one task. If you’re trying to surf the internet or BitTorrent at the same time, you’re going to be one unhappy camper.

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