Front Row and AirPlay?

[Snowy_River]

I have a Mac Mini set up as a home media machine. I would love to be able to make use of AirPlay and broadcast from my iPad to my home media center.

Is there any possibility of making this work? Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[ObjectD]

Buy an AppleTV

Buy the NEW version of the AppleTV... works perfectly do what you are trying to do with the MacMini.

 

[Snowy_River]

Buy the NEW version of the AppleTV... works perfectly do what you are trying to do with the MacMini.

Well, no. The new AppleTV doesn't do what I am doing with the MacMini, perfectly or otherwise. There are several key things that the MacMini does that the AppleTV doesn't do. These include being able to watch DVDs, being able to watch and record TV, as well as being able to act as a full media center, with complete Internet access. Currently, most of our TV/movie watching comes from Netflix, and while their instant view service is great, it is a small fraction of the movies that are out there. So, most of our Netflix use is still in the form of DVDs through the mail. Plus, we have an EyeTV to allow us to watch and record TV shows on e rare occasion that there is actually something on TV that we want to watch.

So, while I appreciate the capabilities of the new AppleTV, suggesting that it does "perfectly" what I'm doing with the MacMini is a little presumptuous on your part...

 

[plinden]

No official way - but the Airplay protocol is being reverse engineered. See http://www.tuaw.com/2010/12/14/hacksugar-mac-based-airplay-service-allows-device-to-mac-playba/

It's very early alpha (I couldn't get it to work, although I didn't try very long). In the future, expect a FrontRow plugin, like the ones you can use to launch Plex or Hulu from the FR interface, with a full screen player. But that'll likely not be for a few more months, or weeks at best.

Also, since the AirPlay protocol is Apple-internal, expect it to change with iOS updates, thus breaking any reverse-engineered code.

And I did notice you asked this back in November ...

 

[mikedecaro]

I wrote a front row plugin last night for this. It gives you an AirPlayer menu item that closes Front Row and launches AirPlayer, and when AirPlayer exits it will relaunch Front Row. You will need an additional app running (I use Remote Buddy) to close AirPlayer via the apple remote though.

Let me know if your interested.

 

[Snowy_River]

I wrote a front row plugin last night for this. It gives you an AirPlayer menu item that closes Front Row and launches AirPlayer, and when AirPlayer exits it will relaunch Front Row. You will need an additional app running (I use Remote Buddy) to close AirPlayer via the apple remote though.

Let me know if your interested.

Sure, I'm interested. I'll be even more interested when AirPlayer matures a bit and has a decent full screen mode. But I take what I can get...

 

[newagemac]

Well, no. The new AppleTV doesn't do what I am doing with the MacMini, perfectly or otherwise. There are several key things that the MacMini does that the AppleTV doesn't do. These include being able to watch DVDs, being able to watch and record TV, as well as being able to act as a full media center, with complete Internet access. Currently, most of our TV/movie watching comes from Netflix, and while their instant view service is great, it is a small fraction of the movies that are out there. So, most of our Netflix use is still in the form of DVDs through the mail. Plus, we have an EyeTV to allow us to watch and record TV shows on e rare occasion that there is actually something on TV that we want to watch.

So, while I appreciate the capabilities of the new AppleTV, suggesting that it does "perfectly" what I'm doing with the MacMini is a little presumptuous on your part...

I have EyeTV too and it works well with the new Apple TV. EyeTV has an option to automatically export your TV recordings to the iTunes library which the Apple TV automatically accesses with Home Sharing. The recordings show up nicely organized on the new Apple TV. I use the iPad preset for my exports since the Apple TV preset is for the older generation and it looks great.

Can't really do much about Netflix DVDs but don't you already have something under your TV that can play DVDs? You can rip your own DVDs into your iTunes library with Handbrake. But that's all beside the point. You said you wanted to be able to make use of Airplay and and broadcast from your iPad to your home media center. Well the new Apple TV does that perfectly. Owning an Apple TV and using it for that purpose is not going to take away anything from what you already do with the Mac Mini. You don't have to stop using the Mac Mini for the purpose you use it just because you got the ATV. I guess you just have to determine if Airplay (and any other better things it offers) is worth the $99 to you.

 

[Snowy_River]

I have EyeTV too and it works well with the new Apple TV. EyeTV has an option to automatically export your TV recordings to the iTunes library which the Apple TV automatically accesses with Home Sharing. The recordings show up nicely organized on the new Apple TV. I use the iPad preset for my exports since the Apple TV preset is for the older generation and it looks great.

Can't really do much about Netflix DVDs but don't you already have something under your TV that can play DVDs? You can rip your own DVDs into your iTunes library with Handbrake. But that's all beside the point. You said you wanted to be able to make use of Airplay and and broadcast from your iPad to your home media center. Well the new Apple TV does that perfectly. Owning an Apple TV and using it for that purpose is not going to take away anything from what you already do with the Mac Mini. You don't have to stop using the Mac Mini for the purpose you use it just because you got the ATV. I guess you just have to determine if Airplay (and any other better things it offers) is worth the $99 to you.

Yeah, well, that works for recorded TV, but not live TV. Also, no, we don't have something under our TV to play DVDs, that's what the Mac Mini is there for.

Let me be clear, I don't want another device there, I want the ability to utilize this nifty new technology that is AirPlay and broadcast to the device I already have there.

While I may consider getting an AppleTV for other locations, I have no interest in adding one to our home media center. I hope that this clarifies things sufficiently that people will stop suggesting I just go buy an AppleTV.