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Level 1

24 points

Can I stream content from my laptop to Apple TV?

I have the old version of AppleTV, am looking at the new one. I don't think it does this, and I've read through the sales/features page and I'm still not perfectly clear so thought I'd ask here.

Can I use AppleTV to stream video content from my laptop to a TV? for example, let's say I have a webinar that is 90 minutes long and I'd like to watch it on my TV and not sit at my computer staring at a smaller screen for 90 minutes. can AppleTV do this for me?

if the answer is no, can ANYTHING do this for me short of hooking up a physical HDMI cable from my laptop to the tv? Seems like this is something Apple should be leading the way with, but I'm just not seeing how it can be done.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.4)

Posted on Dec 11, 2010 9:41 AM

37 replies

tgibbs

Level 1

70 points

Dec 11, 2010 3:48 PM in response to mexcan1

For what you want, you need something like a PC. An Apple Mini will do what you want, but of course that's significantly more money. And of course if you put a whole PC in your entertainment system, why not use it instead of your laptop, anyway?

I doubt if Apple will add the ability to stream your desktop to your AppleTV. They might add a browser in the future, but Apple hasn't promised it. If they open it up to third party apps, then somebody will almost certainly write a remote desktop app to do what you want (but once again, Apple has not said that they will do this).

Other relatively cheap devices to browse the internet on your TV are the Sony PS3 and the Nintendo Wii, but neither has a great browser.

Dec 11, 2010 7:59 PM in response to conejo61

You need to get a computer that you set up to have your TV as a monitor. ATV1 and ATV2 were not designed to do what you want.. nor were they advertized to do so. ATV2 does some pretty amazing things......... but it can't grow a hard drive and convert iOS4 into OSX....... Time ti close this topic and send a n email to apple support requesting the change. Apple doesn't take input from these p[osts.

conejo61 Author

Level 1

24 points

Dec 11, 2010 8:09 PM in response to TheOneAndOnly BiGMaC

Dude, I just asked the question. I'm not the guy who bought it and was surprised it didn't do what it wasn't advertised to do. And my intention wasn't to change apple policy or development direction by asking a question on these forums, so feel free to lose the attitude.

my original question was answered nicely above, thanks to those who responded.

two additional questions: besides NetFlix streaming, is there anything substantive that ATV2 does that ATV1 doesn't? Netflix streaming looks like about it, and we're going to buy a Blu Ray player that has that, so I'm seeing absolutely no motivation to upgrade to the newer unit.

and a post above seems to say that if I had an iPad (which I currently don't), I could take streaming video from the iPad and play THAT video on ATV2, is that true? Probably still not enough of a motivation to buy it since the iPad doesn't play Flash video content (I think), and so much video content is still flash-based. But that's a linkage that could have potential for my workflow down the line.

Dec 11, 2010 9:04 PM in response to conejo61

Sorry if I came off abrupt...apologies. In answer to your question: AirsPlay lets you stream content from iPad, iPhone, iPad, and even a visiting laptop (mac only) directly to ATV2 with the single tap of an icon without the necessity of any computer directly linked to it in any way. This is not desktop viewing.. but content streaming of videos, images, and music even if they are not in any iTunes library.

Dec 11, 2010 9:05 PM in response to KeithJenner

Sorry, that's iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone in my post above

Dec 11, 2010 9:11 PM in response to TheOneAndOnly BiGMaC

..a last pice of info... anything that can be accessed in a browser can be projected via an apple adapter (30 pin to whatever) to a video display or TV., I do this daily at work and also display keynote and PowerPoint directly.......... for the web, Skyfire browser (1.99 in the app store) will play flash content of any website on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Chenks

Level 5

7,435 points

Dec 12, 2010 3:33 AM in response to mexcan1

mexcan1 wrote:
No, but I'm realizing now they didn't know either.

I obviously have no idea what I bought.

Am I not supposed to get the internet streamed onto my TV at least, so I can look up Google Earth etc?

no it cannot do that, and has never advertised that it can.

the appletv is simply an itunes extender, that plays your itunes library on your TV. it also allows you to rent content from the itunes store.

conejo61 Author

Level 1

24 points

Dec 12, 2010 6:15 AM in response to TheOneAndOnly BiGMaC

thank you theoneandonlybigmac, this is very helpful. A few follow up questions if I may, and I apologize if I'm being dense, but I just got a bit confused.

Airsplay is an app that is resident on ATV2?

And with it, I can stream content from an iPhone or iPad to the ATV2? Let me give you the example I posted above. I have a 90 minute webinar I want to watch and it's in flash format. I'd play it in Safari on my browser if I watched it there. So I could bring it up on an iPad in Skyfire and then stream that webinar to ATV2? If so, now we're getting much closer to what I'm trying to accomplish.

Then you mentioned a 'visiting mac laptop'. Could you please clarify that? What about simply my MacBook Pro? If there's a way to stream non-iTunes content from a mac to ATV2, then I'd be in business.

thanks again.

-pad4now

Level 1

0 points

Jan 23, 2012 2:34 PM in response to conejo61

I know this is a bit of an old one and you may have already come across this solution by now but i'll rant on anyway.

There is a video on youtube of someguy showing how to make your apple tv2 show your macbook desktop. It is not an original feature of the ATV2 as has already been said many times over. As far as i can remember there is no need to jailbrake your ATV2 for this to work. I came accros the video on youtube when i wanted to browse the web using my 42inch as a screen. However i no longer need to do this because i have an iphone 4 and there is an app called "TVout Genie" that allows you to view alot of what you can do on your iphone to appear on apple tv2 in realtime (browsing web,maps,viewing photos vieing documents,viewing notes,even an instant streaming video camera). If you have a presentation you wanted to show via apple tv2 you could just put it on keynote on your iphone or ipad and stream it to your ATV2 via airplay. ATV2 on it's own is a good piece of kit (obviously having an itunes library as well makes it a little bit more useful) but if you have an iPhone as well it is an awsome piece of kit. Forget smart tvs say hello to the genious tv. OMG i should work for apple advertising.

Hope this helped

lantzn

Level 1

143 points

Jan 23, 2012 8:04 PM in response to conejo61

I've been using an app called AirFlick to stream video from my Mac to my Apple TV 2. It's basically using AirPlay to do it.

http://download.cnet.com/AirFlick/3000-2378_4-75330533.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOrn3aoc8yo

Feb 29, 2012 9:22 PM in response to conejo61

The new Apple TV will mirror your laptop, iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad screen as long as you are using Lion and iOS 5. It's called AirPlay and it works great. We can sit on the couch and watch any of our devices on our flatscreen. If you go to your local Apple store or BestBuy they can confirm and demonstrate. I also use one in my classroom to stream to my video projector so I can walk around with my iPad and stream content to the board. Happy streaming.

Mar 2, 2012 1:02 PM in response to trevorsnyder77

Ooops! I misspoke. Currently 10.7 on a laptop/desktop does not mirror via AppleTV...only stream media from iTunes, etc.

I did notice in the announcement this week that 10.8 should provide the mirroring capability...

bambich

Level 1

4 points

Apr 13, 2012 7:53 AM in response to trevorsnyder77

I found a tool which allows streaming of desktops and single applications ⚠ from Mac to ATV:

http://www.airparrot.com

Cost: USD 9.99

Works!

Apr 18, 2012 2:17 PM in response to bambich

I confirm it works

Airparrot from airparrot.com will let you do that, as a matter of fact it will mirror your Mac screen whatever you do on it any Audio and Video websurfing anything.

I bought 2nd hand Apple TV2 just fab !

Cheers

Gnyear

Level 1

0 points

Jan 22, 2013 11:49 PM in response to mexcan1

Stream can only work when files can be added to iTunes. Any format iTunes cannot support like AVI, MKV, WMV, DivX, XviD, MPEG, and FLV video format, Airplay will not steam. To stream video in MKV,AVI,WMV,DivX,MPEG from PC to Apple TV or from Mac to Apple TV, you will need to convert your files to the file formats supported by iTunes. 😀

Can I stream content from my laptop to Apple TV?