mirroring
Latest
HTC Media Link HD review
More Info HTC reveals Media Link HD at MWC 2012 HTC videos show off Media Link HD Media Link HD approved by the FCC As wireless technology becomes more advanced, the demand for more sophisticated options to stream media from your mobile device to your HDTV steadily increases. It's hard to keep track of the various solutions companies are using to deliver this feature to their customers. DLNA, the most popular standard, is compatible with an army of dozens -- if not hundreds -- of products, while giants like Apple and Samsung have chosen different routes. After an arguably unsuccessful attempt at offering the DLNA standard via the original Media Link, HTC has decided to fly solo with the Media Link HD in the hopes that the accessory will add value to the company's high-end One handsets. We have little doubt that HTC is trying to keep the Media Link HD small and simple: it's a credit-card-sized dongle that easily fits in the palm of your hand, and only takes a smooth, three-finger gesture to pair it up with your One X or One S. Once connected, it gives you the opportunity to stream movies to your television and perform other tasks on your phone at the same time. A solid concept, to be sure, but is it worth shelling out at least $90 for this little darling? Tune in below to find out.
AllShare Cast wireless streaming dongle for Samsung Galaxy S III -- hands-on (video)
If you're looking to pair up a brand new GS III with a bigger screen, but you're not yet part of the Smart TV generation, then this little accessory could get you out of a fix. It's palm-sized with a single blue LED light indicating a connection, but honestly you don't ever need to look at it: it doesn't need line-of-sight to your handset because it uses a wireless protocol called WiFi Display, which means you can happily leave it dangling out of the way behind your TV. The unit has two cables: one for power and the other for the HDMI connection to your TV, which can transmit up to 1080p video and audio. As you'll see in the hands-on video after the break, it works for direct mirroring, so you can watch movies, play games or reel off holiday slideshows. But it also has a more enterprise-focused feature, in the form of a slideshow function in cahoots with the Polaris Office app, which means you can use your GS III as a controller for a presentation. It's a simple idea, but it all seemed to work smoothly and we can imagine it coming in pretty handy.
HTC Media Link HD display mirroring box gets FCC rubber stamp
Amid the rush of news during HTC's presentation at MWC was a brief mention of a Media Link HD accessory for wireless big-screen mirroring from the One S or One X. Fresh FCC paperwork suggests the device is on track for an April release and also highlights that it's been revised since HTC's first foible-prone attempt at a DLNA dongle: the Media Link HD does 1080p over 802.11n to any HDMI-equipped TV, instead of just 720p, and promises to mirror games as well as videos, photos and music. Pricing hasn't been made official, but retailers have it on pre-order for around $120 -- potentially still too expensive, even if this one works better than the last.
AirServer adds mirroring for supported iOS devices
Earlier this week Erica told you about Reflection, a new AirPlay client for the Mac that supports mirroring from capable iOS devices (the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S). For anyone capturing iOS screens for video or webcasting use, Reflection's capability means you can do away with complex cabling and expensive hardware in favor of a $14.99 app. Now one of the previous entrants in the AirPlay client market has released an update to add mirroring support: AirServer, which Steve reviewed back in October of 2011. Also $14.99, AirServer includes hardware accelerated video and works with Android devices running the doubleTwist utility as well. Existing AirServer users can update to version 4 for $3.99. Here's a brief demo video from our buddy Doc Rock: Unfortunately, AirServer doesn't offer a demo version, while Reflection does let you test for 10 minutes per day in demo mode. Nevertheless, if you've got a preference or if you're already an AirServer user, check out the new version. [Per Reflection developer David Stanfill, the mirroring code in AirServer is the same as it is in Reflection; it was licensed.]
Texas Instruments dual WiFi module lets your tablet connect to your TV and the web simultaneously (hands-on)
Texas Instruments is helping to lead the way when it comes to mobile computing -- when we want an early look at what's to come months and even years down the road, TI is always one of our first stops. At this year's Mobile World Congress, the semiconductor leader wasn't shy about showing off its latest innovations, including those from its manufacturing and design partners. Today's demo focused on wireless video streaming -- a concept that engineers are approaching from every imaginable angle, and that is bound to make its way to consumers in a very big way within the next few years. TI's flavor is based on WiFi, and offers a dual-connection solution, letting you pair a tablet with a TV using peer-to-peer while also creating a second link between the tablet and a wireless router for Internet.We took the tech for a spin using one of TI's development platform tablets and an external WiFi dongle (shipping versions will be integrated), and everything worked as described, though the video stream was noticeably choppy and compressed. TI reps explained that they dialed down the bitrate in order to maintain a connection at the MWC expo hall, which, as you might imagine, probably had a wireless signal density greater than any other room in the world. The tablet we saw was running a very slick context-aware UI that displays one of three home screens based on your current location -- there's one for work (that displays your calendar), one for home (media and home automation controls) and another for travel (restaurant reviews and weather). Pushing content from the tablet to the TV seemed to be seamless, and while both the UI and wireless functionality may appear to be ready to make their way into your home, TI isn't making any announcements about availability. There's no need to wait for a teaser, however, which you'll find just past the break.%Gallery-149212%
Reflector app goes live, brings iOS screen mirroring to your Mac
Ever wanted to use AirPlay mirroring to show the screen of your iPad 2 or iPhone 4/4S on your Mac? Just released, Reflection (now renamed Reflector, $14.99 for a single license, $39.99 for a 5 pack) offers a well-featured mirroring receiver for OS X, ideal for education and demos -- and a great way to eliminate the Frankencable for iPad video capture. I've been beta-testing Reflection for several weeks. I watched as David Stanfill (developer of AirParrot, which I introduced a few weeks ago on TUAW) refined and stabilized this app. With Reflection, you can project app demos to your Mac in real time. This is a great feature for any developer or teacher, or even for business folk who would like to bring along their presentations on their phone. I first wrote about Reflection a few weeks back on TUAW, and it received quite the warm welcome -- many of our readers asked when it would debut, and how they could purchase a copy. At that point, the app was just in its initial alpha release. It barely supported multiple resolutions and provided few options. What you get today is full mirroring, including audio, with orientation updates and many video optimization features as well as pseudo-frames that make the video on your desktop look as if it's running on an iPhone or iPad -- just as it would with the Xcode iOS simulator. It's not quite at a bulletproof release, but for day-to-day use for those of you who need these features now and are willing to deal with the occasional crash, it's a great solution as-is. AirParrot ($9.99 for a single license, $29.99 for a 5 pack), the app that mirrors your OS X desktop to Apple TV, has also undergone major changes since I first wrote it up. In the latest release (approximately version 1.2.1), you can now use your Apple TV as an separate external monitor, not just for mirroring desktops. AirParrot also now supports audio mirroring and perceptual smoothing. These are great feature bumps to an already useful app. Here's a handy demo video from our friend Shawn "Doc Rock" Boyd, showing how well Reflection holds up versus the hardware HDMI ingest options from Blackmagic Design. Correction: only the iPhone 4S is supported for mirroring, not the iPhone 4.
Switched On: Mountain Lion brings iOS apps, malware traps
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. According to Wikipedia, the mountain lion, also known as the cougar, is distinguished by having the greatest range of any large wild terrestrial animal in the Western Hemisphere. Indeed, from what we've seen so far of Apple's forthcoming Mac operating system, its new features will likely find favor with a broader range of Apple users than Lion.
HTC reveals Media Link HD wireless HDMI adapter for One X and One S phones
Looking to accessorize your fresh HTC look? Then how about the Media Link HD wireless dongle for starters? It'll mirror the display from your One X or One S on any HDMI-equipped TV. We're told it'll be as simple as plugging the adapter into a free HDMI input and then performing a three-finger swipe on your phone. We're not yet sure of the price, but expect to see the add-on in stores from mid-April when the new One family becomes available.
Hacksugar: Live AirPlay mirroring to Mac from iOS
iOS developer David Stanfill of Napkin Studio has been looking for a better way to demo his iOS apps during online meetings, as well as to record live videos of the UI as the apps run. (We've rigged up various hardware approaches to do this, although none of them reach the highest quality standards.) Well versed in video compression, protocols, and so forth, Stanfill decided to roll his own AirPlay mirroring client for the Mac. This would allow mirroring-capable iOS devices to push their screen display over to a Mac window (just as they can now to an Apple TV). It wasn't an easy journey. He had to put in a huge effort getting the technology working, to build his first mirroring prototype. I got a chance to play with this prototype, and the video that follows demonstrates it in action. It's still early days but the mirroring quality is phenomenal. So what comes next? Stanfill has to try to convince Apple to approve his Mac app based on its value to the iOS community in general and the developer community in particular. If that turns out to be a no-go, he'll be looking at distributing it outside the Mac App Store. If you're interested in following the development of this app, keep watching the Napkin Studio website, or drop him a note at his email. FAQs: What platforms are supported in the prototype? iPhone 4S and iPad at the current time. How far away is this app from public release? That's up to Apple. Do you have to jailbreak your device to use this utility? Nope. All you need is a Mac and an iOS unit. Will Apple approve this app? Possibly not. Is audio transmitted as well as video like on Apple TV? Yes, but you don't hear it yet. David writes, "Audio is transmitted using the regular Airtunes protocol. I'm actually listening for it, but I'm not doing anything with the FairPlay negotiation or stream processing on that end because I didn't want to mess with the PTS/DTS (presentation time/decoding time) synchronization with the video."
Clever iPhone 4S tricks: Look at your own ear (Updated)
Have you ever wanted to look in your own ear? Or at the nape of your neck? Or behind furniture? If you own an iPhone 4S and an Apple TV, you can wirelessly beam the picture from your camera to your large screen TV. Just enable AirPlay. Double-click the Home button, swipe to the right twice, select your Apple TV as your AirPlay destination and enable Mirroring. Then, click Home and run the camera app. You'll be able to see what the camera sees because its preview mirrors to your home TV, even when your arm is stuck behind a dresser. You can also point the iPhone camera (front or back) at your ear, your nose, or your back -- letting you see through your phone by watching your TV. You may want to use a flashlight along with your phone as you explore darker parts of your house, like under your couch when looking for spare change or that missing remote. Update: TUAW reader Sam W suggests mounting the iPhone onto a remote controlled truck for full-house surveillance.
iPad mirroring mode on your AppleTV 2: How to do it
One of the least publicized features in iOS 5 is the ability of the iPad 2 (and, apparently, the iPhone 4S) to wirelessly mirror its screen to a second-generation Apple TV. If both your iPad and your Apple TV are fully up-to-date, here's how you activate mirror mode. Don't look for the controls in the Settings app on your iPad. Instead, they are snuggled next to the iPod controls. Double-press your home button to see the multitasking bar, showing all your recent apps. Swipe your finger from right to left; you'll see the AirPlay icon. Tap on that, select your Apple TV and toggle the mirror button to 'on'. If everything is on the same Wi-Fi network, your iPad screen will appear on your Apple TV. It works well, and with a minimum of lag between the 2 devices. I checked dozens of apps, particularly games, and both sound and video made it just fine. Angry Birds looked great. So did Real Racing HD. Of course, the iPad doesn't sport a 16x9 aspect ratio, so there was black on either side of the video. On the other hand, Netflix ran in full 16x9 mode, fully sensing my wider TV screen. Of course, you can already run Netflix movies natively from the Apple TV, so there isn't much point in that exercise. Another video app, Movie Vault also worked well. Any movies I ripped to the iPad also played just fine. The science app Solar Walk looked great. When mirroring, the renderings move to the big screen, while the controls stay on the iPad. Impressive. Apple also sells an HDMI adapter cable to provide the iPad-to-TV link, but the wireless method is quick and easy, although the video doesn't look quite as crisp as the wired method. iPad mirroring is not a mind-blowing feature, but it's a handy way to demo something on your iPad to a group of people, or play some games using the iPad as a controller. Slide shows and quick video replays are also made easier... and certain apps (iMovie, GarageBand) may really shine on the bigger screen. It isn't obvious how to turn it on, but now you know; tell your friends. Give mirror mode a try and let us know how you like it.
More iOS 5 features get their moment in the beta testing sun
Steve Jobs and co. showed off all kinds of cool new features during the debut of iOS 5 at WWDC earlier this month. We had the chance to take a few of them for a spin, when we tested the beta build of the mobile operating system, and now that more and more folks have tried their hand at iOS 5, more and more features are getting their turn to shine. Here's a list of some of the cooler ones we've seen in the last few weeks. Apple has added the ability to make FaceTime calls over 3G -- though rumor has it that this may be a beta-only feature, which carriers can choose to disable, over obvious data usage concerns. AirPlay Mirroring has been shown off. The feature lets users display video from an iPad 2 on an HDTV, by way of Apple TV, for those times when you just can't keep your tablet content to yourself. (Read) The new software also offers up the ability to sync 1080p video to iOS 5 devices, opening the door to speculation that future iPads and iPhones may be able to play back content at full 1080p. (Read) Like to play your iTunes over your car stereo? Good news, iOS 5 will transfer audio information like album, track, and artist names over Bluetooth. (Read) [Thanks to everyone who sent in tips]
Video mirroring on the original iPad
iPad 2 owners have one cool feature that can't be replicated on the original iPad -- the ability to mirror everything that's on the screen onto another display. Or should I say "had one cool feature," since 18-year-old Belgian student Ian Bauters has figured out a hack that enables video mirroring on a jailbroken original iPad. As with the video mirroring on the iPad 2, this works with both the Apple VGA Adapter and the Digital AV (HDMI) Adapter. Bauters notes that despite the original iPad having less RAM and a less-capable CPU, he hasn't seen any issues with the mirroring hack he developed. There's a video that shows the mirroring in action on the next page, and you can get full step-by-step instructions on how to enable this feature from the Nature's Eye Studio website. Remember kids, jailbreaking is legal and awesome -- but it is done at your own risk. [via MacStories]
iPad 2 mirroring: Capturing video in higher definition
Co-blogger Steve Sande and I have been collaborating on our attempts to find a solid solution that allows iPad 2 owners to use the screen mirroring feature in tandem with a computer video capture tool; this would simplify screencasting, training, recording and scores of other things. Steve was looking for a way to integrate his iPad's screen into his TUAW TV Live shows. I need to create videos for demonstrations, reviews and tutorials. While this would be relatively straightforward if Apple's mirroring support included the older Composite AV and Component AV adapters for the iPad, sadly it does not. Only the HDMI-sporting Digital AV adapter and the VGA adapter are permitted to work with the mirroring option, which helps close the analog hole for purchased/rented digital video, but it doesn't make the job of DIY iPad recording any easier. Steve recently blogged about our first solution, a quick and dirty approach that offered a "barely enough" 480p standard-definition video feed. As Steve pointed out, this basic setup is not a high resolution answer to our video capture needs. Text is barely readable, screens fuzzy -- not ideal for either product demonstrations or how-to-videos. We were determined to nudge quality up. To do that, I turned to Elgato, who graciously provided an EyeTV HD unit (normally retails for $199), which allows Macintoshes to capture HD video from component sources. (Our original solution was built around composite video.) Sewell Direct, manufacturers of the $40 PC to TV converter Steve bought, provided a SW-4280 unit (retails for $79.95) that offers plug-and-play VGA-to-Component conversion at 720p (60fps) and 720i (30fps) as well as 480p.
iPad 2 gets wireless 1080p mirroring, fattens up in the process (video)
One might say that AirPlay is pretty nifty for shooting content from your iOS device to your TV, but it only works with a handful of apps, and worse still, maxes out at a paltry 720p. Apple offers an HDMI cable for the iPad that allows full 1080p mirroring, but let's face it: being wired is so 2009. One adventurous MacRumors Forums member was able to MacGyver a completely wire-free, completely HD solution using a wireless HDMI transmitter, USB battery pack, and a home-made enclosure that "only adds about two pounds of weight" to the otherwise portable device. Seems easy enough to put together on your own, but here's to hoping there's a Jailbreak solution soon enough that makes the same magic happen without the extra heft (and coin) in the first place.
Confirmed: FaceTime for iPad 2 works with video out
This morning, fellow TUAW blogger Erica Sadun and I both played with the video out features of the new iPad 2. While Erica discovered that something is preventing her iPad 2 from working properly with the video mirroring function that is supposed to work with all of the various video adapters (HDMI, Composite, Component and VGA) for the device, I was able to get mirroring of everything on my iPad just by plugging in the VGA Adapter. TiPb's Rene Ritchie verified that video mirroring was plug and play for him with all of the adapters as well. While that means a lot for all of us who demonstrate apps on the iPad, it means even more for people who use FaceTime or other video conferencing apps. We were able to confirm that FaceTime on the iPad 2 can be mirrored to another display. By pushing the video out to a big screen HDTV, for example, you can now share a FaceTime session with a group or the family. This is going to kill the market for Cisco's $500 "ūmi telepresence" device, which turns a big screen TV into a home teleconferencing tool. Sure, the ūmi is about the same price as an entry-level iPad 2, but the ūmi also requires a $99 annual service fee. FaceTime on an iPad 2? Free. ūmi has better resolution than FaceTime does, providing full 1080p video calling over the somewhat lo-res FaceTime image on the iPad, but the iPad can do so much more than just do teleconferencing. It may be time for Cisco spokesperson Ellen Page to get a new gig. Erica and I also discussed the fact that by feeding the iPad 2's video mirror into a capture device, such as an Elgato Video Capture, it would be possible to grab fairly high quality movies of an iPad screen for training or demonstration purposes. Video mirroring FTW!
Apple's new Digital AV Adapter: what it will and won't do
Apple introduced the iPad 2 today and along with it rolled out a few new accessories to accompany its new tablet. One new cable to hit the retail shelves is the Digital AV adapter, which can be used to pipe content from your iOS device to your TV. Not just iPad 2-specific, the adapter is compatible with the iPhone 4, the original iPad and the 4th generation iPod touch (although it is somewhat limited on those devices, see below). One side of the adapter plugs into the 30-pin connector on your iOS device while the other connects to an HDMI cable attached to your HDTV. Right next to the HDMI plug is a second 30-pin connector that lets you charge your iOS device while you are connected to your TV. When you purchase the adapter, don't forget to have a spare HDMI cable as the adapter is packaged alone in its box. Before you grab one of these adapters, take note that there is a major difference in functionality between the iPad 2 and the older iOS devices. The iPad 2 is the only device that supports mirroring and 1080p HD. With the second generation tablet, you can send your apps, presentations, websites and more to your HDTV in full HD. The only exception is movies, which are streamed at 720p. The iPhone 4, iPod touch 4th gen and iPad will only push over 720p-quality slideshows and movies. The adapter will also send over digital audio to TVs that support this feature. The Digital AV adapter will be available for US$40 from the Apple online store and in Apple retail stores when the iPad 2 becomes available on March 11.
Apple's Digital AV Adapter also works with iPhone 4, fourth-gen iPod touch, and first-gen iPad
In case you're wondering whether Apple's forthcoming Digital AV Adapter is worth your $39, you might be pleased to know that said HDMI dongle is also compatible with the latest crop of iOS devices before the iPad 2. This includes the iPhone 4, fourth-generation iPod touch, and even the first-generation iPad. Alas, both movies and slideshows will be capped at 720p output from these older devices, whereas the iPad 2 goes a little further with screen mirroring of up to 1080p -- we're guessing the beastly dual-core A5 chip is what makes the magic happen here, though movie output's also limited to 720p. And hey, we're only a few months away from finding out if the next iPhone will also get some 1080p love, so no pressure on buying this dongle just yet.
