iPad's AirPlay and Apple TVs

By Edward C. Baig and Bob LeVitus from iPad For Dummies, 5th Edition

AirPlay is a wicked-cool technology baked into every copy of iOS version 4.2 or higher. AirPlay lets you wirelessly stream music, photos, and video to AirPlay-enabled devices such as Apple’s AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express Wi-Fi base stations, and Apple TV, as well as third-party AirPlay-enabled devices, including (but not limited to) speakers and HDTVs.

You may or may not see one more icon in your iPad’s Music app, and it’s the AirPlay icon, which looks like the one shown here.

AirPlay Selector appears only if it detects an AirPlay-enabled device on the same Wi-Fi network. If you have an Apple TV, you see the options shown here when you tap the AirPlay Selector icon. Tapping Family Room Apple TV sends whatever is playing on the Music app to the Apple TV in the den.

The Apple TV is, in turn, connected to the home theater audio system and HDTV via HDMI and/or optical audio cables.

If you use an Apple TV as your AirPlay-enabled device, you can also stream music, video, and photos from your iPad to your HDTV.

Finally, the iPad 2 and third-generation iPad offer a cool “video mirroring” option when used with a second- or third-generation Apple TV. To use this new feature, double-tap the Home button and swipe the multitasking bar from left to right to reveal the music controls.

Now tap the AirPlay Selector and then Apple TV. Switch on the Mirroring option, and whatever appears on the iPad’s screen also appears on the HDTV screen.

If you have an HDMI-equipped TV and/or a decent sound system and have decent Wi-Fi bandwidth, you’ll love Apple TV and AirPlay.