Can I stream content from my laptop to Apple TV?

no the old appletv cannot do that.
it can only stream content that is in your itunes library (or content in youtube).

conejo61 wrote:
I'm sorry, I need to be more clear.

I'm asking if the NEW AppleTV can do this.

the new appletv cannot do it either.

if the content is in iTunes and in an TV-friendly format, you can stream it to both generations of TV.

J GG

conejo61 wrote:
honestly, it doesn't seem like this should be that difficult. Create a box I hookup to my TV that lets me essentially stream my computer's display to the TV.

why create a box when a simple cable will do the job?

I'm willing to bet in 5 years this is common, and easy. why it isn't now is beyond me.

i'd bet not, as i don't think there is a huge market for such a thing.

conejo61 wrote:
um, convenience?

even with a laptop there's a hassle factor. with a desktop it's impossible.

it's just as easy to connect a laptop to a TV as it is for a desktop (and usually it's the same cable).
you can get really long cables to do such a job (i've done it on a few occasions), and it would have more convenient to do it that way than to introduce yet another box into the equation.

but hey everyone has their own preference, your preference doesn't exist though.

Can I use AppleTV to stream video content from my laptop to a TV?

Yes, there are many ways. The only caveat being that the file must be playback compatible with whichever TV device you are using.

1) As previously mentioned, content can be streamed wired or wirelessly to the original TV device from iTunes to which it is "connected/keyed" on any platform.
2) iTunes will stream content (wired or wirelessly) to an TV2 device that is "Home Shared" with that iTunes platform.
3) Non-Home Shared iTunes platforms can wirelessly share content played in the iTunes Player via AirPlay to an TV2 device within range.
4) Content on an iPad played in the Video app can be share wirelessly via AirPlay to an TV2 device within range.

Content can also be played directly from your platform on an TV/HDTV/Monitor without an TV device if you have the proper connectors/cables/ports available.

???
The whole reason I purchased Apple TV is so that I could replace my VGA connection with my laptop, and view everything wirelessly to my HD tv screen. I've set everything else up but cannot figure out how to display my laptop screen onto my TV. Am I understanding you correctly that even with the 2nd generation Apple TV it is not possible to do it wirelessly, and I need to still use the VGA cable?

That has never been advertised as a feature of the Apple TV.

It is possible that it will work in the future, but at the moment you can't do it.

...except from both London Drugs (where I purchased it) and Best Buy (where I double checked). At least I now have a clear answer. Thanks for your help.

I've set everything else up but cannot figure out how to display my laptop screen onto my TV.

As Keithjammer indicates, the TV2 does not "mirror" your screen as the platform's video interface does. Instead, the TV2 device is a wired/wireless remote multimedia player. As such, it only plays files in a compatible compression format. To do what you want it to do would require your platform to first compress the screen audio/video data to a compatible format and then stream it to the device in real time.

I've set everything else up but cannot figure out how to display my laptop screen onto my TV.

Yes, only files can be streamed. You can, of course, capture your screen audio and video data to a compatible file and then stream the file to the TV2 device.

...except from both London Drugs (where I purchased it) and Best Buy (where I double checked).

"Did you get that in writing?"

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? If it can play YouTube...can it stream my internet from my computer?

No.

From your computer, all you can stream is iTunes content (and that as long as it is in a supported format).