So, I upgraded the drivers on my 802.11G router which is at least 5 years old, and yesterday was able to watch mirrored Xfinity TV with noticeably improved frame rates and no stutter. I also used inSSIDer, available for $5 in the app store, free for a PC (go figure) to confirm that I was on a good wi-fi channel not cluttered by neighbors connections. I also ran the wi-fi diagnostics tool which is buried on mountain lion to see my true connection speed to my router. Here is some help getting to that:
http://osxdaily.com/2011/12/28/check-wireless-signal-strength-optimize-wifi-netw orks-mac-os-x/
So, after hours of effort, I sat down to enjoy my show. About 5 minutes in, the brand new MacBook Air decides to relive it's former life as a clothes iron. I mean, this sucker got too hot to comfortably leave on my lap, and after 15 minutes of listening to the fan blow like a jet engine I gave up on the show and put the MBA into the freezer (joke).
This article contains an interview with the developer of AirParrot, a software based solution to mirroring/desktop extension, and it sheds some light on the hardware running to support ATV mirroring. He really stresses network connectivity and the fact that your machine will get hot:
http://www.cultofmac.com/178460/the-real-reason-why-macs-before-2011-cant-use-ai rplay-mirroring-in-mountain-lion-feature/
I still think it's ridiculous that a customer who forks out for the latest laptop, ATV, and airport hardware doesn't have a brilliant experience with this function. I've got a Cisco router on the way from amazon with better speed tests and 1/2 the price of an Airport Extreme; where is the value of Apple if it's not a brilliant user experience? But I hope with a little bit of perserverence you guys/gals can nail down the issue. My main question now, am I potentially shortening the life of my MacBook Air running it at these high temperatures? Or can I just sit it on a table and forget about it while I watch a movie?
--the IT guy considering returning his Mac and waiting for Windows 8 touchscreen ultrabooks in October