Well, all the rumors about an Apple TV “TV” rather than just the set-top box we already know turned out to be false. New Macs? Sure. Bigger, better iOS? You betcha! What didn’t do though was announce a new Apple TV set or even an Apple TV software development kit (SDK) at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Darn it! But, what they did announce was something that many Internet TV users might find just as nifty: AirPlay Mirroring.
AirPlay, as most of you know, is an Apple technology that’s been around since 2010. With iOS 4.03 or higher Apple devices you could stream video, audio, and pictures to AirPlay compatible equipment. For video that pretty much meant you could stream your iTunes video library via an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to second generation Apple TVs. AirPlay is great for playing your iTunes music collection throughout your house with Airport Express networked devices connected to my stereo equipment. I use it that way every day myself. But, while that’s nice, I was already streaming my video straight to my Apple TVs from my iTunes library, so AirPlay really didn’t matter much to my home video network. AirPlay Mirroring changes that.