iPhone Secrets

Chapter 7

Streaming Your Multimedia Without Wires: AirPlay

In This Chapter

• Mastering the audio stream
• Playing nice with your Mac and PC
• Selecting your next (wireless) speaker system
• Adding video streams to the mix
• Tapping the power of Apple TV
• Mirroring secrets to make your HDTV smile

With the introduction of iCloud, Apple took a stand—a stand against wires. Cords have always been a necessary evil that plagued consumer electronics, and while people have managed to consolidate somewhat over the years (the multifaceted Dock Connector is proof of that), one cable is still one too many in my mind. I’m still waiting on wireless power to be a reality across the board, but until then, I’ll have to be content with technologies like iCloud and AirPlay.

The latter of the two is the focal point of this chapter, where you dive into the underpinnings of one of Apple’s slickest tether-free implementations yet. AirPlay is an overarching term that describes a wireless protocol that’s capable of distributing audiovisual content with no cables to speak of, and the real magic of it is the simplicity in setup. Still, a hassle-free setup doesn’t mean that there aren’t nooks and crannies to explore. If you’re buying an iPhone and aren’t taking the time to explore its wireless streaming possibilities, you’re selling your purchase short. Let’s dive in and make sure you nip that in the bud.

The In(puts) and Out(puts) of Audio Streaming

For years, most average consumers assumed that setting up a wireless ...