AirPlay
Apple is toying around with a feature that has huge potential on the Apple TV. It’s called AirPlay and it lets you stream content from any iOS device to your TV via the Apple TV. It’s very similar to Intel’s WiDi but existing only in the iOS ecosystem.
AirPlay won’t be fully enabled until later this year. For now the best you can do is play your iTunes music library over your Apple TV by selecting it as a output target.
When AirPlay is fully enabled however you can be watching (presumably) any video content on your iPad, iPod or iPhone and at the tap of a button stream it to your TV. It’s a convenience play.
If you watch a lot of content on your iPad, AirPlay may be compelling enough to get you to buy an Apple TV but I believe there’s a much bigger opportunity here.
The real potential with AirPlay is the ability to stream more than just iOS video content, but your OS X desktop or videos played on your iMac or MacBook Pro. I’m talking WiDi for OS X. Apple could probably sell more Apple TVs as a Mac streaming adapter if it enabled this sort of functionality.
Apple does have grand plans for AirPlay outside of the Apple TV. Working with HT component vendors like Marantz and Denon, Apple plans to allow you to directly stream music to other receivers and devices in your house. Apple could take this all the way and begin competing in the distributed audio market, but I suspect that may violate Apple’s stay focused policy (although that’s one area where Apple’s design and UI expertise could really be put to use).
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