Beamer

What’s new in Beamer 1.6.2?

• Fixed an issue where audio would sometimes be muted for the remainder of the movie.
• Fixed an issue where some subtitles would be parsed incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where some movie files would not open (since version 1.6).
• Added the ability to report movie files that cannot be opened.
• Added support for MPL2 subtitles.
• Added support for audio-only movie files.
• Various performance, stability and cosmetic improvements.

Read our review of Beamer.

Beamer for Mac is sold at $15.00 and you can get it from here. A free trial (limited to the first 15 minutes of each video) is available from here. The app is currently on sale on MacUpdate Promo (25% off).

Beamer requires a Mac (2007 and up), OS X 10.6+ (Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion) and Apple TV (2^nd or 3^rd generation).

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The Apple TV 2, Apple TV 3, iPad 2-4, iPhone 4-5, and some iPod touches have all shared one thing in common over the past few years and that one thing is AirPlay. Well, as of this year Apple has decided to updated its latest Mac OS X, Mountain Lion build, with support for the mirroring functionality as well. There is no arguing that AirPlay is one of the strongest growing features in Apple’s multimedia arsenal. For those of us who have the distinct pleasure of utilizing AirPlay to the fullest, we know that it is something everyone needs in their lives. That said, there is a large segment of the globe that is unable to take advantage of these features.

What about those of us who haven’t done the upgrade to the newest Operating System? What about those of us who have upgraded, but want to use AirPlay while still working on your Mac? What about those of us who have an amazing surround sound system and discover that the Mac’s AirPlay functionality only supports stereo? Well… your answer just may be in a tool for Macs known only as Beamer!

Beamer App For Mac (by Tupil) – Straight From The Source

Now you can play any movie from your Mac on Apple TV.

Features include:

• Drag, Drop, Watch

Drag any movie file onto Beamer and it will start streaming wirelessly to your TV with Apple TV instantly. No jailbreak required.

• No Conversion Needed

Beamer plays all (OK, almost all) movie files, so you don’t need to convert your videos. AVI, MOV, MKV, MP4, WMV and FLV files will play just fine.

• Wondering if it will support another File Format?

You can easily download the trial to test any obscure file format you may have. We strive to support as many movie files as possible. If you have a video that doesn’t work, we’d love to hear about it.

THE GOOD

Beamer could not be any easier to use or set up! It is important to note that I say this because there is NO SETUP! Users need only download the app and turn on their Apple TV. Yes, that is it. Now, in order to play a movie from your Mac to your Apple TV 2, or 3, you need only drag the file from your Mac and drop it in the window that appears when opening the Beamer application. Within seconds your Apple TV will be streaming your movie.

There are many benefits to Beamer that Mountain Lion’s implementation of AirPlay Mirroring does not account for:

1. With Beamer you can user your Apple TV Remote to control your movie. This includes all remote functionality such as Play, Pause, Skip, Fast-forward, and Rewind;
2. With Beamer you can continue to work on your Mac, as the Beamer app is “just another window” on your desktop;
3. With Beamer you can user your Apple TV’s complete audio setup. This means if you have a great surround sound system connected to your Apple TV, you can utilize it with your movie streaming;
4. With Beamer you can download and test the app before deciding to make the purchase.

THE BAD

I did have a somewhat poor experience with the app in two situations.

1. While the app handled all of the video formats I sent to it, I found that if I used larger .mkv files I wound up with very slow navigation.
   • As an example, when I played the 1080p release of BRAVE, by Pixar, I found that as I attempted to skip forward in the movie, my Apple TV would hang for a good 5 minutes or more while the App and the TV communicated.
2. In one instance (and only one) I found an .MP4 formatted video that would only play in intervals of 10 seconds, or so, at a time. Now, the app handled 3 other movies formatted in the exact same way so we can be sure it is not entirely and issue with its ability to read codecs. That said, the video does play via my Mac and AirPlay using Mountain Lion.

While I did have these two problems it is important to note that I did all of my testing while working on a 3MB connection speed, over a DSL line. This is not very good. So the fact is, this issue was likely caused by my internet connect more than the Beamer app itself. I would go as far as saying if you have at least a 6MB connection, this app will be smooth as butter… spread over your Apple TV.

THE UGLY TRUTH

In the end this app did exactly what it said it would do. Though the team behind the Beamer app is not trying to reinvent the wheel, they did find a way to do AirPlay without Apple’s supported method. To quote their reasoning for not being available in the App Store:

“It was turned down for using undocumented Apple technology. We use an undocumented way to talk to the Apple TV with AirPlay. While this is unsupported by Apple, it works well in practice.”

That aside, I was not disappointed with this app at all. There are many players in this field right now, but Beamer is by far the easiest option for users who have video content on their hard drive, or other local storage, and want to be able to share it on their Apple Televisions. All in all, if your set up is missing any of the features we have mentioned in this review, you should seriously consider Beamer. After all it is free to download and try.

Beamer for Mac is sold at $15.00 and you can get it from here. A free trial (limited to the first
15 minutes of each video) is available from here.

Beamer requires a Mac (2007 and up), OS X 10.6+ (Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion) and Apple TV (2^nd or 3^rd generation).

The post Beamer – a better way to AirPlay video from your Mac to Apple TV? (Review) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

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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With the introduction of iPad 2 and Apple A5 processor in March 2011 Apple TV fans got an amazing new feature called AirPlay Mirroring. A5 was powerful enough not only to send a separate picture or video to an HDTV via Apple TV (AirPlay), but also to wirelessly display everything what’s on the iPad 2 screen right on the HDTV, allowing to stream apps and play games on the big screen TV (AirPlay Mirroring). Since then, all the iDevices that got A5 chip or one of its more powerful brothers (A5X, A6) supported AirPlay Mirroring. Yesterday, A5-powered iPad mini and A6X-powered 4^th gen. iPad joined the family of devices that support one of the iOS coolest features.

Here is a complete list of iOS devices that support AirPlay Mirroring:

• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 5
• iPad 2
• iPad 3
• iPad 4
• iPad mini
• iPod touch 5^th gen.

AirPlay Mirroring is also supported on OS X Mountain Lion.

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With friends like AirParrot, who needs a jailbreak for the Apple TV 3? You are able to stream movies, watch TV, run XBMC, play music, and watch home videos – all on your Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3, without any hacking whatsoever. AirParrot is a fantastic little package that enables your Macs running 10.6.8 and up and your Windows machines running XP and up to AirPlay its screen to Apple’s little hockey puck. Yes people, Windows machines! Now we can take full advantage of these Apple TV’s, especially those 3rd generation units that are still, patiently, awaiting a jailbreak.

Now, obviously Windows and Macs have been missing out on the AirPlay fun over these past few years. That is until Apple recently added this exact functionality – AirPlay Mirroring – to its latest OS release Mountain Lion. That said AirPlay Mirroring is only available on certain machines and what about those of us who do not intend to upgrade or own Windows machines? Well, AirParrot is here as a digital savior to us all.

The GOOD

1)  Unlike so many applications out there, AirParrot works right when you install it. There was not a set up, no trying to adjust a million little settings that are far outside my realm of understanding. I just clicked the download link, installed, and was streaming my Mac to the Apple TV in a matter of moments!

2)  I love that fact that the audio streams to the Apple TV as well. You can actually choose where your sound is going: computer speakers or the Apple TV connected television (with dolby digital surround sound perhaps). This program can really make you forget you are using a computer, and with the help of a iOS remote you can forego the mouse and keyboard all together.

3)  I was able to stream video, in fullscreen, without stutters and/or freezes. This has not always been the case with this application. The AirParrot team has done some fantastic updates to get us where we are today.

4)  When you do decide to play with the settings, they are easy to understand. Everything was very self explanatory.

The BAD?

1)  There was only one thing I found wrong with my time using this program, and it was easily fixed. When I first installed AirParrot I attempted to stream a movie right away. This caused my television screen to stutter and everything began to slow way down. I then checked the settings and saw that I was streaming in 1080p to my Apple TV 2. Once I adjusted the picture quality I was sending to the television, everything smoothed out and I was watching The Daily Show in no time. Shout out to #JonStewart!

The UGLY TRUTH

In the end, AirParrot is a great option for work or entertainment, the home or office, the shed or your bathroom. It opens up a world of possibilities to your laptops and desktop computers. For me, I am all things XBMC and and therefore I am all things media, so my interest was in streaming movies, shows, and music and AirParrot handled it all. I then ran PowerPoint, Keynote, Chrome, and even iMovie: AirParrot knocked it out of the park. You haven’t lived until you have edited a movie on a 55 inch screen.

If you are one of the millions of owners of an Apple TV 3, I cannot see why you would not download and install AirParrot today. Load it on the computer in the other room, download a free iOS, or Android, or Windows 7 (soon to be 8) remote control for your computer, sit in the living room, and watch TV as if it your device had a glorious jailbreak. I did it, and so can you.

AirParrot is available from here with a single machine license for $9.99 USD and a 5-machine license for $29.99 USD. 10 minutes trial version is also available.

The post AirParrot: to stream or not to stream (Review) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Desperately awaiting the release of a jailbreak for Apple TV 3? It may take a while, you know that, right? Meanwhile, how about digging your old, already jailbroken 1st gen Apple TV out of the closet and supercharging it with the newest aTV Flash? FireCore has just released aTV Flash 4.5 for the original Apple TV that includes support for Mountain Lion as well as a handful of general improvements and fixes.

What’s new in aTV Flash 4.5?

• Added support for OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
• Added active memory management (to keep things running smoothly)
• Added ability to copy files between playlists
• Resolved Smart Installer bug
• Other miscellaneous improvements and fixes

FireCore has also said they are still working on a number of additional features for the ATV1 and plan to have additional updates available soon.

Version 4.5 of aTV Flash is available through the Downloads tab in your account. If you’re already running aTV Flash on your Apple TV you can update through the Maintenance –> Manage Plugins menu.

Also read: How to install XBMC 11.0 Eden on first-generation Apple TV

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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.

The post Why you’ll need a new Mac to use AirPlay Mirroring in Mountain Lion appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Also known as “the game console for Mac/PC”, AirServer lets you mirror multiple iOS devices simultaneously in multiplayer split-screen mode so you can play iOS games against your friends.

AirServer comes with an impressive frame rate of 70+ FPS and features on-the-fly video post processing which means that the entire post processing happens in the GPU of the Mac and there is no loss in frame-rates. Picture quality setting are customizable and give you control over the sharpening, brightness, contrast, saturation and hue.

AirServer is the first software that can mirror your iPhone/iPad to your Windows PC.

AirServer also supports AirPlay streaming to Mac from Android devices running doubleTwist+AirTwist.

Read our review of AirServer to find out more about this great piece of software.

AirServer is sold at $14.99 for Mac version or $7.99 for Windows version (there is also free 7 day trial) and you can get it from here.

The post AirServer update adds Mountain Lion desktop mirroring support appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Mountain Lion, a new version of Mac OS X that has been unveiled in February, is now available to download from the Mac App Store for $19.99. Mountain Lion comes with more than 200 new features including the all new Messages app, Game Center, Facebook integration, Notification Center, Power Nap Dictation and Gatekeeper. But the coolest feature of Mountain Lion is undoubtedly AirPlay Mirroring that lets you wirelessly send an up-to-1080p stream of what’s on your Mac to an HDTV using Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3 or send audio to a receiver or speakers that use AirPlay.

With AirPlay Mirroring built into Mac OS, you are able to stream whatever is on your desktop – webpages, photos, videos, presentation – directly to your HDTV, with only one click on an AirPlay icon on the OS X menu bar.

Mountain Lion automatically detects an Apple TV when it’s on the same network and AirPlay icon simply appears in the menu bar. Mirroring sends up-to 1080p video stream with stereo audio. All information sent using AirPlay Mirroring uses encryption.

Game Center

Now that Mountain Lion also includes Game Center, and thanks to AirPlay Mirroring, your Mac becomes a game console! At this year’s WWDC Apple showed a very impressive demo of an iPad and a new MacBook Pro (yes, Game Center for Mac is cross-compatible with iOS) playing CSR Racing head-to-head, with the Mac streaming to a TV with little to no lag.

Apple TV set

PCMAG‘s Edward Mendelson believes AirPlay Mirroring built into Mac OS X could be another evidence that the Cupertino-based company will unveil its own television soon: “Apple of course didn’t say anything about the much-rumored Apple-branded television, but I somehow doubt that AirPlay Mirroring got into OS X only because Apple wanted to sell a few set-top boxes,” he said.

Download Mountain Lion [iTunes link].

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Apple announced yesterday at WWDC that Mountain Lion, a new version of Mac OS X that has been unveiled back in February, will be available in July for $19.99.  Mountain Lion introduces more than 200 features including the all new Messages app, Notification Center, Facebook integration, Dictation, Game Center, Gatekeeper and Power Nap. But the coolest feature of Mountain Lion is undoubtedly AirPlay Mirroring that lets you wirelessly send an up-to-1080p stream of what’s on your Mac to an HDTV using Apple TV 2  or Apple TV 3 or send audio to a receiver or speakers that use AirPlay.

With AirPlay Mirroring built into Mac OS, you will be able to stream whatever is on your desktop – webpages, photos, videos,  presentation – directly to your HDTV, with only one click on an AirPlay icon on the OS X menu bar.

Mountain Lion automatically detects an Apple TV when it’s on the same network and AirPlay icon simply appears in the menu bar. Mirroring sends up-to 1080p video stream with stereo audio. All information sent using AirPlay Mirroring uses encryption.

If you are dying to give AirPlay Mirroring a try and you don’t feel like waiting until July, you can check out AirParrot, an app that can bring AirPlay Mirroring to your Mac and Windows PC right now.

Game Center

Now that Mountain Lion also includes Game Center, and thanks to AirPlay Mirroring, your Mac becomes a game console! Apple showed  a very impressive demo yesterday of an iPad and a new MacBook Pro (yes, Game Center for Mac is cross-compatible with iOS) playing CSR Racing head-to-head, with the Mac streaming to a TV with little to no lag.

Apple TV set

PCMAG‘s Edward Mendelson believes AirPlay Mirroring built into Mac OS X could be another evidence that the Cupertino-based company will unveil its own television soon: “Apple of course didn’t say anything about the much-rumored Apple-branded television, but I somehow doubt that AirPlay Mirroring got into OS X only because Apple wanted to sell a few set-top boxes,” he said.

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