With the introduction of iPad 2 and Apple A5 processor in March 2011 Apple TV fans got an amazing new feature called AirPlay Mirroring. A5 was powerful enough not only to send a separate picture or video to an HDTV via Apple TV (AirPlay), but also to wirelessly display everything what’s on the iPad 2 screen right on the HDTV, allowing to stream apps and play games on the big screen TV (AirPlay Mirroring). Since then, all the iDevices that got A5 chip or one of its more powerful brothers (A5X, A6) supported AirPlay Mirroring. Yesterday, A5-powered iPad mini and A6X-powered 4^th gen. iPad joined the family of devices that support one of the iOS coolest features.

Here is a complete list of iOS devices that support AirPlay Mirroring:

• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 5
• iPad 2
• iPad 3
• iPad 4
• iPad mini
• iPod touch 5^th gen.

AirPlay Mirroring is also supported on OS X Mountain Lion.

The post AirPlay Mirroring supported on iPad mini and iPad 4 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Looking for the ability to use that nifty AirPlay Mirroring feature on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch but do not own an Apple TV? Well, today may be the best day of your life thus far because AirServer is here! Affectionately known, by their team, as “the game console for Mac/PC” this piece of software is much, much more! Now, in case some of you missed what I just said: iOS AirPlay Mirroring is now on Windows machines! Did you catch that? Because there will be a test at the end of this review.

AirPlay Mirroring for PC is here!

Let’s Start with Windows. This release is in its early stages, which is good news. The team is committed to rolling out FREE updates to its Windows version as they continue to work increasing its stability and its features. It is not, currently, up to snuff against its Mac counterpart but it is mirroring on Windows, and it does work! According to the team over at AirServer:

That’s right. AirServer is the first and only software that can Mirror your iPhone/iPad to your Windows PC. This is a pre-release version and doesn’t yet have sound or some of the eye candy features of full-blown AirServer. But it does have Mirroring. And Mirroring will enable you to take your iPhone 4S and display the screen pixel perfect on your PC. Over the coming weeks we’ll be adding free updates to the PC version to bring it up to speed with the Mac version. Exciting times ahead.

The game console for MAC has arrived!

Now let’s talk Mac! The functionality of this software is exceedingly impressive and it has come a long way! According to their team, “in this release, AirServer for Mac has been enhanced specifically for gaming. The picture is crisper, the aspect ratio can be changed to suit your taste.” Upon installation you are give the ability, via the preferences option, to mirror your iOS device directly to your Mac. This alone is cool, but not the impressive part. AirServer comes with the ability to:

Audio

• Allow AirPlay to control your Mac’s volume
• Adjust the Audio Buffer Size
• Select what device you want to use for audio output

Video

• Choose what display you would like to use for mirroring
• Edit the quality of the image (sharpness, contrast, etc.)
• Adjust the aspect ratio for your comfort (Full Screen for example)

Mirroring

• Optimize for differing resolutions and/or devices
• Optimize for slow networks
• Optimize for FaceTime HD Camera (any Mac Mini users out there?)

All these features alone add up to be an amazing software release that is well worth your time, money, and attention.  BUT WAIT! There’s more. How about split screen mode for some competitive game play? Oh yes they did! I was shocked to find that I was able to connect multiple devices at once to my Mac. Regarding he split screen feature, the AirServer team says:

You can now Mirror multiple iOS devices simultaneously in multiplayer split-screen mode. This means that if you have two iPhones in the room running Temple Run you can turn this into temple race on the big screen. A classroom full of Fruit Ninjas becomes that Bruce Lee fight scene in The Fist of Fury. And with over 30,000 iOS games running on tens of millions devices the possibilities with AirServer are endless.

With every connection, the screen simply self adjusts to give the best view possible. I was able to play against my friends in Tiny Wings, Temple Run, and Angry Birds! It is an amazing little extra to have! I would buy this software for that feature alone. I kid you not.

More Than a Console

Though they have titled this product as a “game console”, I have found it to be far more. The mirroring functionality opens up a world of possibilities that does not end at games.  I found that I was able to use my iOS devices as a digital white board… PowerPoint/Keynote presenter (wireless), iBook reader, web-surfer, and so much more! The possibilities here are somewhat endless. The question is how creative can you get?

The Bad?

The title of this section is a bit misleading. In the end, I found nothing bad with this release, however, I had three “hick-ups” that I would be remiss to exclude them. In a total of three hours of use, on the Mac version, I had the following issues:

• 2 connection drop outs when playing First-Person-Shooter games, such as Modern Combat 3 & Archetype.
• Lagging audio every time I played First-Person-Shooter games, such as Modern Combat 3 & Archetype.
• Problem playing embedded videos over AirPlay in Full-Screen.

AirServer is sold at $14.99 for Mac version or $7.99 for Windows version (there is also free 7 day trial) and you can get it from here.

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

You may also want to read:
Source unveils design and features of Apple HDTV
How to control your Apple TV with any third-party remote control
FireCore: Work is underway on Apple TV 3 jailbreak and Apple TV 2 5.0 untethered jailbreak
How to install IceFilms on your jailbroken Apple TV

The post AirServer = AirPlay Mirroring for your Mac or Windows PC! You heard me! (Review) appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Brought to you by the developers of Remote HD, AirServer is an advanced AirPlay/AirTunes receiver that lets you seamlessly stream audio, videos, photos, and photo slideshows to your Mac or iOS device. Recently updated to version 4.2 and optimized for the iPad 3, AirServer now features on-the-fly video post processing, Apple TV 3 full HD support, and  improved gaming performance (FPS) over mirroring.

AirServer also fully supports AirPlay mirroring. This means you can wirelessly stream whatever’s on your iPad 2, iPad 3 or iPhone 4S to your Mac running AirServer with mirroring feature enabled.

We are giving away 10 free licenses of AirServer. Here is how to enter the contest:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Giveaway: Win a copy of AirServer – AirPlay receiver for Mac and iOS appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Apple TV hacker and developer nitoTV has recently shared some thoughts on the Apple TV 2 5.0 (iOS 5.1) and Apple TV 3 jailbreak. According to him, without an A5 bootrom exploit being found, an Apple TV 3 jailbreak “will be an uphill battle.” That’s mainly because the “attack surface” on Apple TV is much smaller:

There is no built in default web browser, there are less services running, with no web browser and less services running there are fewer places to smoke/fuzz out a vulnerability. For instance, even if the AppleTV 3 was out before the iPad 2 and 4S were jailbroken with absinthe, it would not have been applicable, no mobilebackup to exploit for part of the injection vector.

However, nitoTV is not saying the Apple TV 3 jailbreak is hopeless, it may just take a (long) while until the jailbreak is out.

Apple TV 2 5.1 jailbreak

nitoTV has also shared some news on the status of the jailbreak for Apple TV 2 running the latest software version: as of right now the jailbreak for 5.1 on the Apple TV is limited to a tethered jailbreak (not public yet), nitoTV works about 95%, XBMC is broken and “there is still work to be done, there are some bugs to sort out.” But, as the hacker admits, the tethered jailbreak is only part of the problem:

Right now we are still busily sorting out legacy and compatibility issues to make sure all roads still go through beigelist when loading third party appliances. I’m not certain how long it will take to merge the differences between beigelist and espresso, hopefully, not much longer.

Well, as they say, everything comes to him who waits… and, as far as we are aware, the waiting may be over soon!

Remember that if you have updated to 5.0 but you have the SHSH blobs saved for 4.4.4, you can easily downgrade to older firmware using FireCore’s Seas0nPass.

[image: nitoTV]

You may also want to read:
The new 1080p Apple TV 3 proves to be a tough cookie to crack
Yet Another Patent Hints at Apple Preparing a Standalone HDTV
XBMC 11.0 Eden for Apple TV – Review
AirParrot adds 1080p support for the Apple TV 3

The post nitoTV: Apple TV 3 jailbreak will be an uphill battle appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

It is that time again… Apple releases its new 1080p Apple TV 3 and the guys over at iFixit are already ripping it apart. Is there anything sexier than an Apple product with no clothes on? Well, perhaps a jailbroken device would look a bit better.

At the exact same size as the Apple TV 2… the Apple TV 3 adds, most notably, the ability to play true 1080p content. Like the previous Apple TV, the backside features the same, standard, ports as its predecessor:

• AC adapter port
• HDMI output port
• Micro-USB (for service and support)
• Optical audio out port
• 10/100 Base Ethernet port

Once inside, the iFixit team noticed a few immediate differences from the Apple TV 2.The first thing they noted was the lack of a thermal pad. Now, it is quite possible that the new A5 processor doesn’t get as hot as the A4 processor, on the previous model,  but if the iPad 3 is any indication of what we are to expect from the temperature situation, we are more than a little scared of what may come.

The second thing they found was that there are now two antennas. This is most likely due to the fact that Apple had received some complaints about the range and the signal strength of the Apple TV 2’s wifi capabilities.

Some other goodies worth mentioning:

• 8GB NAND Flash
• Bluetooth
• Broadcom BCM4330 (the same one that appears in the new iPad 3).

To top it off, iFixit has given this Apple TV 3 a reparability rating of 8 out of 10:

• Only six parts in a very easy-to-dissemble case.
• Separate power supply, which is easy to get to and replace in case your old one ever decides to jump off a cliff.
• No glue, thermal paste, gum, peanut butter holding things in place…
• Standard screws, no endangered species screwdrivers necessary.
• The logic board contains all the components, which means if something breaks, it could be expensive to replace — unless you prefer to do board-level soldering.

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

[image: iFixit]

You may also want to read:
The new 1080p Apple TV 3 proves to be a tough cookie to crack
Apple patent reveals advanced TV remote
AirServer 4.2 released, optimized for iPad 3
aTV Flash (black) 1.4 for Apple TV 2 released

The post Apple TV 3 teardown appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

In the past day or so the new iPad, or the iPad 3, has been jailbroken multiple times using numerous exploits… yet according to MuscleNerd the new 1080p Apple TV 3 is not going to be as easy. The famous iOS hacker tweeted that “Apple’s least expensive iOS device (new AppleTV3,1) will likely be the most secure of the bunch”. That’s mainly because geohot’s limera1n bootrom exploit, used to jailbreak Apple TV 2, doesn’t apply to ATV3.

For those of you who remember the “Great Jailbreak Depression of 2011”, you will also recall that it seemed like our iPad 2 would never be unchained from Apples, ever controlling, grip. Eventually patience, and the never ending work by our developer community, led us to the glorious 5.0 jailbreak! This will be the case with the Apple TV 3, but like the iPad 2, this may take a while.

That said, this news has not come as a great surprise to me and it shouldn’t shock you either. Similar moves were taken by Boxee when releasing the Boxee Box. When these companies officially begin partnering with Content Providers their software must become more “secure”. Granted, Apple has had partners for a LONG TIME, but I take all of this as a good sign of what’s to come. I mean, have you seen the article about their new remote?

That said… hack on MuscleNerd… HACK ON!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on Apple TV 3 jailbreak status.

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

You may also want to read:
Apple patent reveals advanced TV remote
AirServer 4.2 released, optimized for iPad 3
aTV Flash (black) 1.4 for Apple TV 2 released
Munster: Apple TV set will be the biggest thing in consumer electronics since the smartphone

The post The new 1080p Apple TV 3 proves to be a tough cookie to crack appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

AirServer, an advanced AirPlay/AirTunes receiver that lets you seamlessly stream audio, videos, photos, and photo slideshows to your Mac or iOS device, has been updated to version 4.2. The new AirServer, optimized for the iPad 3, comes with improved frame rate (70+ FPS) and is said to provide no lags: according to the developers, “you can now actually play a game while looking at the big screen”.

AirServer 4.2 also ads something totally new, which has been long overdue from Apple: on-the-fly video post processing. Now, the entire post processing happens in the GPU of the Mac and there is no loss in frame-rates. Picture quality setting are now customizable and give you control over the sharpening, brightness, contrast, saturation and hue.

AirServer also fully supports AirPlay mirroring. This means you can wirelessly stream whatever’s on your iPad 2, iPad 3 or iPhone 4S to your Mac running AirServer with mirroring feature enabled.

Below is full list of AirServer 4.2 improvements:

• Optimized for the new iPad.
• Apple TV 3 Full-HD support added.
• Added Mirroring post-processing settings.
• Improved gaming performance (FPS) over Mirroring.
• Fixed random disconnects during Mirroring.
• Fixed Growl notifications.
• Fixed audio related issues.
• Reduced memory usage.

The new AirServer costs $14.99 and can be purchased from here.

You may also want to read:
AirServer 3.0 brings AirPlay to your Mac
aTV Flash (black) 1.4 for Apple TV 2 released
Apple TV software update 5.0 (9B179b) now available worldwide
Giveaway: Win the new, third-generation Apple TV

The post AirServer 4.2 released, optimized for iPad 3 appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

FireCore has released a new version of its Apple TV supercharger – aTV Flash (black). Version 1.4 brings support for M3U and PLS playlists, TrueHD audio, EyeTV folder detection and a bunch of improvements and bug fixes. Additinally, aTV Flash (black) is now available also in Finnish, German, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, and Swedish.

aTV Flash (black) is currently only compatible with AppleTV versions 4.2 – 4.4.4. FireCore has announced that they are already working on the new version that will be compatible with recently released Apple TV software version 5.0.

Based on our past experiences and progress thus far we’re confident we can put the pieces in place to make it happen. Once an updated version is ready we’ll be rolling these changes into an aTV Flash (black) update, which will result in a universal application that is compatible with both the ATV2 and ATV3.

FireCore is also working on the new version of Seas0npass that will bring untethered jailbreak for Apple TV 5.0. But there is a lot of work to be done here, so don’t expect it soon.

What’s new in aTV Flash (black) 1.4?

• NEW: Center channel audio boost (+6dB and +12dB) for 5.0 and 5.1 audio tracks
• NEW: Finnish, German, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, and Swedish translations
• NEW: ‘4:3 Crop’ and ‘4:3 Stretch’ zoom options
• NEW: Support for M3U and PLS playlists
• NEW: EyeTV folder detection
• NEW: TrueHD audio (downmixed)
• NEW: 24-bit and 32-bit audio (downmixed)
• NEW: Enhanced downmixing for 5.1 AC3 audio (Dolby Pro Logic II)
• NEW: Support for embedded MP3 covers
• NEW: Automatic EXIF-based image rotation
• NEW: MP4s embedded subtitles
• NEW: Clock added to main menu
• IMPROVED: Poster art quality in list and grid view
• IMPROVED: Buffering logic for DVD files
• IMPROVED: Cover art fetching from Last.fm
• IMPROVED: DVD menu highlighting
• IMPROVED: Photo viewer & slideshow
• IMPROVED: Adjusted slideshow to match native Flickr style
• IMPROVED: Danish, Dutch, French, Greek, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish translations
• IMPROVED: Minor UI improvements
• FIXED: Downmixing issues for specific audio tracks
• FIXED: Playback issues for single ISO files in a folder
• FXIED: Increased AFP login timeout to 30 sec
• FIXED: Metadata issues for files that contain ‘/’ in folder or file name
• FIXED: Operation of the photo slideshow on iOS 4.x
• FXIED: Issue with favorites removal when share password is changed
• FIXED: Incorrect navigation in grid view on iOS 4.*
• FIXED: Issue with DVD marked as watched after viewing menu
• FIXED: Rare issue with incorrect pre-playback screen layout
• FIXED: Rare crash in libdvdnav when playing DVD files
• FIXED: Rare DVD playback error
• FIXED: Rare ‘Bad URL’ error
• FIXED: Other miscellaneous bug fixes

If you’re already running a version of aTV Flash (black) the new 1.4 version can be installed through the Maintenance –> Manage Extras menu. Links for the new version can also be found in your FireCore account under the Downloads tab.

If you’re not yet using aTV Flash (black) you can get started here.

You may also want to read:
Apple TV software update 5.0 (9B179b) now available worldwide
New Apple TV announced: 1080p, $99, arrives March 16th
All you need to know about the new, third-generation Apple TV

The post aTV Flash (black) 1.4 for Apple TV 2 released appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Released yesterday along with a new, third-generation Apple’s set-top box, Apple TV software update 5.0 (9B179b) is now available worldwide for all Apple TV 2 users. The update brings new, redesigned, icon-based user interface, support for buying movies on Apple TV and playing back purchased movies from iCloud, new National Geographic photos built-in for screensaver and on-device sign up for content partners on Apple TV using your Apple ID (like Netflix).

As always, stay away from this update if you don’t want to lose your jailbreak. Although @nitotv has already been able to jailbreak and restore the new firmware and he’s working with FireCore on the new version of Seas0npass, there is a lot of work to be done until the untethered jailbreak for Apple TV 5.0 is released, so don’t expect it soon.

At the event held yesterday in San Francisco, Apple announced the new, third-generation Apple TV. It supports full 1080p video playback, comes with a simpler, redesigned, icon-based user interface and runs on Apple single-core A5 chip.

The updated Apple TV features 1080p programming including iTunes movies and TV shows, Netflix, Vimeo, photos and live sports from MLB, NBA and NHL in HD. Apple has expanded its iTunes in the Cloud functionality in iCloud, giving users the ability to access purchased movies and TV shows right from iCloud on the Apple TV

Following the new Apple TV unveiling, Netflix has announced that, starting today, users can sign-up for Netflix directly on the Apple TV and pay via an iTunes account.

The new Apple TV will be available on March 16th for $99. But if you want to get your hands on the Apple’s brand new set-top box without spending a buck, check out this this blog post where we are hosting a giveaway of the brand new 1080p Apple TV.

You may also want to read:
Apple TV software update with new user interface available today for Apple TV 2
New Apple TV announced: 1080p, $99, arrives March 16th
All you need to know about the new, third-generation Apple TV (updated)

The post Apple TV software update 5.0 (9B179b) now available worldwide appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

So, if you want to get your hands on the Apple’s brand new set-top box without spending a buck, check out the following rules on how to enter our giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You may also want to read:
Apple TV software update with new user interface available today for Apple TV 2
New Apple TV announced: 1080p, $99, arrives March 16th
All you need to know about the new, third-generation Apple TV (updated)

The post Giveaway: Win the new, third-generation Apple TV appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.