According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is weighing up the possibility of extending its current licensing of AirPlay to include video. Currently third party manufacturers can use AirPlay but only the audio protocol. This is why we are seeing high end stereos and iPod docks with AirPlay but no products that can receive video streamed from an iOS device.
Under the new plan, according to “two people familiar with the project”, Apple will license AirPlay video software to consumer electronics makers this year. This could then be included in TV’s, Media Players, Blu-ray Players etc.
AirPlay is one of the killer features of the new Apple TV. If Apple decides to let other manufacturers use the technology it would surely lessen the attraction of the Apple TV for many. On the other hand, it would make owning an iOS device with AirPlay a very attractive proposition to many more potential users; and open more iTunes accounts too.
What do you think? Would you still buy an Apple TV if you could use AirPlay directly with your TV or Blu-ray ? Let us know in the comments!
Reader comments
Apple to extend AirPlay video streaming licence to third parties?
Like they did with facetime?
Haha, exactly! What on earth happened to that?? I still don't see Skype or anything other than Apple themselves supporting FaceTime, which is a shame.
Doesn't tango, skype, yahoo chat, and a few others support the front facing camera? Or did you mean just straight "FaceTime?"
Just facetime.
License??
I don't understand this at all. Why am I going to stream a video from my iPhone to my TV?
You have never had a video you wanted to show a few people? Don't pass your phone around " look at the tv" I would use it
I could see tv makers wanting to implement airplay service into their TVs. It would make an apple tv a tougher purchase to swallow.
I have a Denon AVR-3311, and use the Airplay feature a lot. To be honest I mainly use it to stream stuff from iTunes rather than my iPhone, but the ability to stream video as well (youtube, podcasts, movies, even apps!!)would be awesome.
YES!! FINALLY!! I alrdy have an atv, so this would be greatly appreciated to just "push" vids from the phone to it, instead of just the audio, which is useless.
This would be welcome in the home, but killer in the hospitality world. Id love to walk into a hotel room and be able to stream from my laptop, phone, or iPad to the TV in room. No special cable to lug around. It would be complicated though as the network in most hotels are not really robust, typically.
I don't know if it will hurt ATV sales. Airplay is a big part of the ATV, but I don't know if licensing Airplay means they license HomeSharing. If they include Home Sharing support then boom. I don't need an ATV, but I doubt they will go that far.
Since the only reason AirPlay interests me is to show the occasional video clip, photos, YouTube, and movie trailers on the TV without plugging in a cable .... yes, I'd (continue to) skip the AppleTV.
Airplay and the Air Video server for the Mac and Air Video app for iPhone and iPad are awesome. I no longer have to convert any video before streaming it to my ATV. XVID, AVI, etc. are all easy to stream from my computer to my theater room via my iPhone... Almost magical, almost......
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