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Posts tagged with "tv"

Apple To License AirPlay Video Streaming To TV Makers?

Bloomberg reports Apple may be seeking to expand the compatibility of its AirPlay technology with external devices by licensing video streaming to makers of television sets. Currently, Apple is only licensing audio streaming through AirPlay to brands like Pioneer; video streaming compatible with iOS devices embedded directly into televisions sold to consumers could dramatically increase the popularity and market share of AirPlay as a standard.

Under the plan, Apple would license its AirPlay software to consumer-electronics makers that could use it in devices for streaming movies, TV shows and other video content, said the people, who asked

An expanded AirPlay would let users stream programming wirelessly from an Apple mobile device to a TV that carries the technology. That may spur wider use of Apple’s services and devices in consumers’ living rooms.

According to the report, Apple takes $4 off every AirPlay-enabled audio device sold thanks to the licensing deals with manufacturers. Building AirPlay support into TV sets and other monitors (AirPlay is a collaboration of Apple and BridgeCo, a company that’s been talking to TV makers for years to make web-connected devices) could easily help Apple expand to living rooms without releasing new devices. Apple sells the $99 Apple TV that is the only AirPlay videor receiver for now, but the plan makes sense: build AirPlay into actual televisions so content from the iTunes Store and other Apple partners (example: Netflix) can be streamed without buying additional gear (that is, if you already have an iPhone, iPad or Mac).

In the past, Apple was also rumored to be considering a streaming technology for iOS games that would allow users to beam a game played from a mobile device directly to the television. With the iPad 2, this is possible thanks to HDMI support. AirPlay for games (video-out) with a chip embedded in new television sets would be an interesting scenario for Apple.

Found Footage: Young Steve Jobs’ First TV Appearance

Before the “Stevenotes”, the “magical” and “wonderful” products announced at conferences streamed live worldwide, there was a kid amazed to see himself on a TV monitor for the first time. In the video below, courtesy of Electricpig, you can see Steve Jobs in his twenties getting ready for an interview on national television.

It turns out – surprise – Jobs wasn’t always confident and “arrogant” as you’ve seen him in the past few years. He’s nervous, asks for some water before the show, people adjust his hair and microphone before the interview.

Ah, the good times. Check out the video below. Fascinating. Read more

Latest Apple TV Update Addresses Download, Resolution Issues

Apple released iOS 4.2.1 for Apple TV 2nd gen last night, which is labelled as “4.1.1” in the device’s built-in software update checker tool. The OS was a 267MB download on Apple’s servers, and that lead us to think that it was mainly aimed at fixing a few bugs found in the previous build.

According to a support document on Apple’s website, the 4.1.1 update fixes issues related to resolution and download of movies and TV shows.

TV resolution fix: Addresses an issue that causes some high-definition TVs to incorrectly display at 480p.

Download fix: Addresses an issue that may cause a movie or TV show to be re-downloaded.

As we reported last night, the 4.1.1 update doesn’t seem to provide a fix for the “color issues” with certain Sony and Philips televisions.

A Beautiful TV Guide For Your iPhone and iPad

I’m thankful for the possibilities offered by today’s technologies, which allow me to ditch the old ways of doing…stuff for more pleasant, rich, interactive and beautiful experiences. Apple’s devices and apps in the App Store surely played a great role in this digital revolution: we don’t buy specific items anymore because there’s an app for that. The last time you bought a radio player? An actual map? A point & shoot camera? Exactly.

Still, there was no “last time” for me when it comes to TV guides. I never bought those magazines that offered monthly and weekly views and summaries of what would be in television – I  just checked TV programming on the internet. Or on my local newspaper. But now I’m ready to step my game up, with an app simply called “TV” and available at .99 cents in the App Store for iPhone and iPad. It’s uncluttered, beautiful, elegant and, finally, it’s something that deeply integrates a TV guide with the information coming from the internet. Read more

The Incident 1.3 Goes Live. Finally, An iPhone Game I Can Play On My TV.

We love The Incident for iPhone and iPad. In fact, Big Bucket’s retro-style platform is easily one of my favorite iOS games of all times. It features incredible pixel graphics, an addictive gameplay and a catchy soundtrack. If you read MS, you know we’re totally into The Incident.

A few weeks ago we reported the developers were working on an update to let users play The Incident on their TVs while controlling it with an iPhone. Sounded like magic back then. It turns out, all you need is a VGA Adapter or Composite AV Cable to mirror the game on your TV and start jumping with Frank, the main character. That’s it. No complex pairing process – although we’re already thinking about a future AirPlay feature to beam games from your iOS device to your TV.

This feature of The Incident 1.3 is something we’ll remember in the months to come. It marks the arrival of iOS as a gaming platform on our living rooms, and we’re sure other developers will implement it in several other games. We’re waiting.

In the meantime, The Incident 1.3 is available here and it rocks. Strongly recommended.

BBC: Subscription-based iPlayer for iPad Coming Next Year

According to the Financial Times (subscription required), BBC will launch a subscription-based iPlayer service for iPads next year. iPlayer is BBC’s popular streaming service that allows users to stream programs after the original air date, and it gained support for Mac in 2008.

It also gained a lot of traction since then, with downloads exceeding 100 millions in the first months of 2010. Unfortunately, the service isn’t available in many areas – namely outside the UK. For instance, I can’t access iPlayer’s TV streaming in Italy, and I assume the same happens to US users.

It looks like things won’t change with the iPad subscription either, as Dave Caolo at TUAW reports:

BBC Worldwide said that this isn’t going to happen until “the middle of next year,” and even then only in “certain target markets.” Additionally, no word on pricing was available, though there will be ad-supported free sections as well as paid content.

In the meantime, I’m just fine with Hulu through a US-based VPN.

The Incident for iPad Is Coming To Your TV, With iPhone As A Controller [Update: Video]

We are big fans of The Incident by Big Bucket Software. Developed by Panic’s Neven Mrgan and Matt Comi, The Incident is a simple and addictive 16-bit styled game where you control a man named Frank who has to constantly jump and avoid obstacles falling from the sky. From our review:

As Frank, you’ll be climbing your way above and beyond mountains of just about anything that might fall from the sky. Couches, minivans, and propeller blades attempt to crush you under their fantastic weight; even with a little pushing and shoving, you’ll have quite the challenge in avoiding dangers from above and below.

Now, after a 1.2 update that brought game controlling from the iPhone, The Incident 1.3 will come to a TV near you. That’s right: you’ll be able to play an iOS game on your television (just like we always used to, remember?) using the iPhone as a remote controller. No technical details have been provided by the developers yet, except that all you need to get the thing up and running is “pluggin your iPad into the TV”. I guess it’s a standard VGA cable from Apple, anyway. Read more