why is airplay not working in mavericks?

Hi Stonebrook,

It sounds like AirPlay was working but you no longer see the AirPlay mirroring options on your Mac. The article below has some great tips that should help you resolve the issue.

About AirPlay Mirroring in OS X

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5404

Troubleshooting AirPlay Mirroring

If you don't see mirroring options

If your Mac and Apple TV are on the same network, but no AirPlay Mirroring menu appears, your Apple TV may be asleep. Simply press a button on your Apple TV remote to wake it up. After a few seconds, the AirPlay Mirroring menu extra appears. If you still don't see the options you expect, make sure your Apple TV has the currentsoftware update installed. Also make sure that you have the "Show mirroring options in the menu bar when available" option selected in the Displays pane of System Preferences.

If the menu bar or Dock is cropped

Some HDTVs have bezels that cover a small percentage of the screen. This can result in a slight cropping of a full-resolution HDTV image. Depending on the HDTV model, AirPlay Mirroring may automatically adjust the picture size to prevent cropping. If you are using OS X Mountain Lion or later, and you see cropping of the menu bar or Dock when using AirPlay Mirroring, toggle the Overscan correction option in Displays preferences.

Minimize video post-processing

HDTVs often apply picture quality enhancements intended to improve the look of film and video sources. In some cases, these enhancements can lead to over-sharpening artifacts when displaying your Mac desktop. Some HDTV models have built-in settings to change or disable the enhancements for use with a computer (computer, presentation, or game modes). Otherwise, the controls for sharpness, detail enhancement and noise reduction can be used to optimize the appearance of the Mac desktop. Consult your HDTV’s manual for guidance on the appropriate settings for use with a computer.

Firewall security settings

If you use a firewall, make sure the following firewall security options have been set to allow AirPlay Mirroring to work:

1. Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu ().
2. Click Security & Privacy, then click Firewall.
3. Click the lock icon to unlock it if it's locked, then type an administrator name and password.
4. Click Firewall Options.
5. Deselect (uncheck) the “Block all incoming connections” checkbox.
6. Select (check) the “Automatically allow signed software to receive incoming connections” checkbox.

Learn more

For more information about Apple TV and AirPort Mirroring, see Apple TV: How to use AirPlay Mirroring. For additional troubleshooting information, see Troubleshooting AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring.

-Jason

it maybe an error due to a VPN client. My airplay icon was missing, but after uninstalling checkpoint secureclient vpn (https://supportcenter.checkpoint.com/supportcenter/portal?eventSubmit_doGoviewso lutiondetails=&solutionid=sk69622#Client%20Downloads) its working again

Also some other VPN clients bring own "firewall" functionality, so check if you're using one