BBC iPlayer – Apple TV Hacks

BBC iPlayer with Siri support now available on Apple TV 4

tomek — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:24:20 +0000

Christmas has come early for BBC iPlayer fans: the popular streaming service is now available on the Apple TV 4 in a form of native tvOS app.

BBC iPlayer on the new Apple TV lets you watch live channels from the BBC, rewind live TV, resume where you left off, catch up on the past 30 days and search for programms and browse them by channel, category, featured and most popular.

Other features include recommendations, parental guidance and the ability to navigate by voice using Siri.

The iPlayer also supports cross-device pause and resume, letting you start watching programms on one device and continue from where you’ve left off on another.

BBC iPlayer is only available on the 4th gen. Apple’s set-top box. AirPlaying content from iPhone/iPad to the HDTV will most probably remain the only option for Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3 users to enjoy iPlayer offer on the big screen.

Back in October, in his article at bbc.com, Leo Kelion noted that “the BBC understands that ITV has no plans torelease an app for Apple TV. Channel 4 and Channel 5’s intentions are unknown.”

According to BBC, 2014 was a record-breaking year for BBC iPlayer and BBC iPlayer Radio, which saw 3.5bn TV and radio programme requests across all devices and the catch-up window extend from seven to 30 days.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Best Accessories for Apple TV

Also read:

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

The post BBC iPlayer with Siri support now available on Apple TV 4 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

BBC iPlayer app coming to Apple TV 4

tomek — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 12:04:24 +0000

This is something Apple TV users in UK have been looking for for years: the popular BBC iPlayer is coming to the new Apple TV “in the coming months”, BBC confirmed on Twitter.

BBC iPlayer will be coming to the new Apple TV in the coming months…

— BBC iPlayer (@BBCiPlayer) October 29, 2015

According to BBC’s Leo Kelion, “the catch-up app is not ready to launch alongside the revamped set top box when it goes on sale this week, but the broadcaster signalled it would be soon.”

Altuought it hasn’t been confirmed by BBC, it very likely that iPlayer will only work on the 4th gen. Apple’s set-top box. AirPlaying content from iPhone/iPad to the HDTV will most probably remain the only option for Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3 users to enjoy iPlayer offer on the big screen.

In his article at bbc.com, Kelion notes that “the BBC understands that ITV has no plans to release an app for Apple TV. Channel 4 and Channel 5’s intentions are unknown.”

Giveaway: Win a brand new Apple TV 4!

More on Apple TV 4:

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

The post BBC iPlayer app coming to Apple TV 4 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Smart DNS for Apple TV [Sponsored Post]

editor @ AppleTVHacks.net — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:14:44 +0000

Here’s the issue: you live or are visiting a part of the world where you cannot access your favorite streaming sites. When you visit Netflix, the following shows:

Outrageous, right? There are many other examples of websites behaving this way, even Youtube will block certain videos in certain regions. As frustrating as this is, there is a fast and easy way to unblock websites like Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime and hundreds more, without using a VPN.

One of the most annoying aspects of this modern digital age where the internet should, in theory, make geographic differences an irrelevancy, is how media makers and distributers enforce arbitrary geographic restriction on who can access their content.

And the reason? Because lucrative licensing deals bring in more profits than treating netizens equally and fairly. This means that people in many parts of the world are only able to access content months after it is available to others (and sometimes not at all), and often only through unnecessarily highly priced channels (such a paying for a premium cable subscription, or even having to purchase DVDs).

Fortunately, getting around these geo-restrictions is easy. One way is to use VPN, but for simply accessing content from abroad, probably the best method is to use a Smart DNS service. One big advantageous favour (and unlike VPN), is that Smart DNS can be configured on any device that connects to the internet, including your Apple TV!

What is Smart DNS? The Solution.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is used to translate domain names (e.g. www.apple.com) into the numerical IP addresses that computers understand (e.g. 17.172.224.47). This translation service is usually performed by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), but it is possible to use a Smart DNS (also known as a DNS proxy) service to do this instead.

Smart DNS services run servers in different countries, and when a device is configured to connect to these, it appears to be located in that country. How many countries are supported depends on the service, but almost all have servers in the United States and the UK.

The US is a popular location as it allows access to streaming services such the Hulu and US version of Netflix (which has a larger selection of content than other regional versions of Netflix, and often makes content available to Americans before anyone else). The UK is popular for its BBC iPlayer, and 4oD streaming services.

What are the advantages of Smart DNS over VPN?

While it provides none of the security and privacy benefits of VPN (which also allows users to “spoof” their apparent location), Smart DNS is in many ways a better choice when streaming media content:

It works with Apple TV! (as well as devices such as games consoles and “smart” TV’s)
Less buffering issues – without the need for encryption and other computational overheads (DNS translation is almost instant), using Smart DNS results in less “lag”, so users will experience fewer buffering delays. Do note, however, that if you are streaming from the other side of the world there will still be some latency, as electrons take time to travel over large distances. Blame Einstein!
When using a computer, only programs configured for Smart DNS will take advantage of the DNS proxy (unlike VPN, where your entire internet connection is routed through the VPN server). This means that you can configure one browser to access the geo-restricted services you want to use, while allowing you do day-today computing using another browser – providing a lower ping rate (less latency), when accessing localized services.
Smart DNS is usually cheaper than VPN, and many traditional VPN services (such as IronSocket) throw in Smart DNS for free.

How to configure Smart DNS on your Apple TV

Note that is this just a quick summary – more detailed guides (complete with screenshots) are available here.

Apple TV (software version 5.1+)

Go to Settings -> General -> Network -> Wi-Fi (if using Wi-Fi) -> Configure DNS -> Manual
Enter the DNS settings supplied by your Smart DNS provider, and click “Done”
Go to Settings -> iTunes Store -> Location and choose the location you wish to access content from (this must match the location of the DNS server whose settings you entered in Step 2)
From the main Apple TV menu go to Settings -> Sleep now
Unplug you Apple TV, wait for 10 seconds, then plug it back in. You should now be good to go!

Apple TV (software version 5.0 and older)

Go to Settings -> General -> Network ->Configure TCP/IP -> Configure Manually
Change “DNS” field to the DNS settings supplied by your Smart DNS provider (leave any other settings alone unless your providers tells you otherwise). Hit “Done”.
Go to Settings -> iTunes Store -> Location, and choose the location you wish to access content from (this must match the location of the DNS server whose settings you entered in Step 2)
From the main Apple TV menu, go to Settings -> General -> Restart.

IronSocket‘s DNS Proxy service is a fast and easy way to unblock websites like Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Pandora and hundreds more.

It supports over 200 channels and utilize a technology called “Region Switching” for multiple regional channels such as Netflix regions: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Right now, IronSocket is offering a 40% discount coupon for Apple TV Hacks readers: “APPLEDNS“.

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

The post Smart DNS for Apple TV [Sponsored Post] appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

AirServer updated with support for projectors and iPad mini

tomek — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:22:20 +0000

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.

The post AirServer updated with support for projectors and iPad mini appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.