So the Super Bowl Sunday is here and everyone is getting their popcorn ready. For those who haven’t been able to get a ticket into the stadium nor have a supported cable subscription, here is huge news: you will be able to live stream SuperBowl XLIX this Sunday and that too for free. It is all thanks to NBC Universal who are broadcasting the whole event for the public to promote their TV Everywhere service.

Not only the game, but also the pre- and post-match shows, a Blacklist episode and even the Half Time program featuring Katy Perry will be available for free streaming.

Unfortunately, no Apple TV channel has sufficient rights to distribute the game and hence, we will have to rely on AirPlay to watch the iconic event on the big screen.

In this post, we will be covering four methods to watch the Super Bowl 2015 on your Apple TV, using AirPlay from different devices.

A. How to watch Super Bowl XLIX on Apple TV using iPad or iPod touch

The NBC Sports Live Extra app can help you there. This official app from NBC will cover the event and it also supports AirPlay mirroring.

Sunday night, fire up the app, choose the game and play the video stream, slide up the Control Center and choose your Apple TV. Now sit back and enjoy the game.

Get NBC Sports Live Extra app from the App Store for free.

This is probably the easiest of all methods. Unfortunately, this service is available only on iPad and iPod touch but not the iPhone, thanks to Verizon’s exclusive broadcast rights for smartphones.

B. How to watch Super Bowl 2015 on Apple TV using Mac or Windows PC

NBC has confirmed that they will live broadcast the entire event on their website, too. You can browse the site on your computer and AirPlay the video from there to the Apple TV. Bookmark this link if you’re planning to use this method.

On a Mac, the AirPlay capability is built right in and you just need to select your Apple TV from the top bar to get things going.

But if you’re on a Windows machine, you’ll need a third-party software to do so. AirParrot is a fairly popular one and also comes with a 7 day trial. You can check out our review of AirParrot or download it here.

C. How to watch Super Bowl 2015 on Apple TV using iPhone

If you’re on a Verizon iPhone, you can download their NFL Mobile app. The app will surely cover the Super Sunday but as you can see in the screenshot above (right), many videos in the app block video playing over AirPlay. Hence, it is unclear if the app will allow broadcasting of the game to your Apple TV. If they do, even non-Verizon users can use it but for a $4.99 subscription.

The best part is that the app will support our favorite Super Bowl ads, too.

The NFL Mobile app is the simplest method for iPhoners but since its availability is uncertain, there is an alternative way: this would be to use the website stream like we did with the computers.

Just use Safari to reach NBCSports. Stream the event and simply turn on AirPlay Mirroring to your Apple TV. If you need a more intuitive experience, you can try AirBrowser, a browser app designed for Apple TV.

D. How to watch Super Bowl XLIX on Apple TV outside the US

1. Those who want to watch the game from abroad can do so by buying an NFL Game Pass from here, but it will cost you $9.99. You will be able to watch the game on your PC or Mac and AirPlay it to your Apple TV (see above).

2. On an iOS device, you can use apps like TunnelBear to VPN your iPhone into a US server, in under a minute. However, this would set you back 3 dollars for the month. Once your device is US-ified, you can follow any of the above (A and C) methods to watch Super Bowl XLIX this Sunday.

3. If you’re residing in a country where a channel is officially broadcasting this Super Bowl, it is likely than the provider has an iOS app which can be used to stream the game and AirPlay to your Apple TV.

Here is the list of various broadcast partners around the world.

E. Sources supporting Super Bowl commercials

Admit it, the ads make the Super Bowl more worth watching and I know that many of you’re wondering if they can be enjoyed on Apple TV. Unfortunately, only the NFL Mobile app will carry these commercials along the game.

Others will have to enjoy them later via this channel on YouTube.

Summing up

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The post How to watch Super Bowl XLIX live on your Apple TV appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

I have a YouTube channel where I upload gameplay videos of the games I find interesting. But it has been a bit idle recently thanks to the dearth of good screen capturing softwares. I have been researching to find an ideal one, but most of them are directed towards Mac. As a PC user, I finally got the desired results with AirServer.

I had heard about AirServer before, but it filled the headlines some time ago when it gained Miracast support and enhanced performance features on PC. This is why I decided to give it a try.

AirServer is now called AirServer Universal and it turns your Windows PC into a universal mirroring receiver, allowing you to mirror using AirPlay and Miracast simultaneously to the same screen.

Setting up AirServer

As with most mirroring softwares, the setting up was pretty smooth. Once I downloaded a seven megabyte file, I was ready to start streaming in less than a minutes.

Those who have a firewall enabled will however need to exempt AirServer from its settings, which might be the only hiccup you’ll come across. Don’t worry, the instructions for the same come bundled with the software and will pop up during the setup. Just follow them and you will do just fine.

Mirroring to PC

As for my use, how my iOS screen gets recorded is more important than how it shows up on the PC screen. And that is why I have been coping with the subpar mirroring quality and occasional flickering I’ve had with other softwares, because the final recordings looked good with them. Or somewhere deep within, I believed that there was a limit of clarity one could achieve in such situations.

But the belief was blown to pieces by AirServer as I have been getting excellent results, even with the live stream. The lag is almost negligible and the least of all the apps I have tried.

So if your requirement involves you showing off your app or a mobile website directly on a PC, AirServer should do the trick for you.

Miracast with AirServer

AirServer Universan can simultaneously mirror both AirPlay and Miracast.

The best part is that there is no setup needed from the Android device. Just like you connect your iPhone or iPad to an Apple TV, you can Miracast your WP or Android device directly from the Settings.

As it turns out, not every PC is supported: the Miracast services in AirServer will work on all computers with WiFi adapter which has NDIS6,4 drivers (Windows 8.1). This is not a hardware limitation but a software (driver) limitation.

Check out system requirements for AirServer Universal.

iOS screen recording with AirServer

For me, this is the very reason I bought AirServer in the first place and, fortunately, it din’t disappoint. Unlike other softwares I’ve used in the past, I have more control over how the recording is stored, its resolution, type of audio output, refresh rates, contrast and sharpness, and much more.

I remember turning off 1080p streaming with other clients, but AirServer manages full HD easily even on my ULV processor. The results were stunning and I never experienced any loss of connection, glitches or bugs while recording.

Conclusion

AirServer is undoubtedly the best at what it does.

It can mirror multiple iOS devices simultaneously to your PC screen with ease and elegance. Though I am converting my free trial into a paid license only for its powerful recording features, I am sure its excellence in mirroring makes the possibilities endless for professionals. Especially if you can connect your PC to a projector, thanks to the bring-your-own-device feature, anybody can show off his screen with just a tap.

If you’re looking for the Miracast function, you might want to make sure you have a reasonably recent PC and a supported phone to make use of it. You can just drop in a mail to the ever-friendly AirServer support team to find out if your configuration supports casting feature.

You can check the AirServer website to read more about the features.

AirServer Universal is sold at $14.99 (consumer license), $7,99-$11.99 (educational license) or $19,99 (business license) and you can get it from here.

A free 7 day trial of a fully featured version is also available.

The post AirServer Universal – AirPlay and Miracast receiver for PC [Review] appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.