The Amazing Apple TV

Date:  Nov 19, 2011

I love Apple products.  Steve Jobs really left behind a great innovations for us.  So, we got to appreciate his efforts.  I bought one of these T-Shirt from Taobao.

So, I asked my wife to buy and carry these back from her US trip.  Actually it is a nice gift to give to some VIP customers.  You can't buy it in Singapore from any Apple reseller store.  The reason is Apple TV has a lot of US-centric Movie, and TV shows that Apple has signed copyright with all the content providers so that they can only distributed it in US only.  Means, in order to see those content, you need an US-based Apple ID account.  You don't have this, and you only use your Singapore based Apple ID account to login, the Movies and TV-Series menu will not show up.

So, you might asked, if that is the case, what else you can do with Apple TV in Singapore or Malaysia?

1.  Photo Slide Shows

So, instead of showing your photo from your PC, iMac, iPhone, iPad2, etc.  Your Apple TV can get the contents of your iTunes/iPhoto, or iPhone/iPad2, and show it on the big screen TV, so that every one can see the photo on a wide screen TV in the living room.  This is particularily very useful during gathering at your home.

With AirPlay capability on iPhone, iPad2.  When your friends visit your home, they can simply "AIRPLAY" their photos onto your TV via the Apple TV.

2.  AirPlay Mirroring

Play Games

If you have iPhone 4S or iPad2.  You are equiped with AirPlay Mirroring feature.  That means, thru the Apple TV, everyone can see what you do on your iPhone 4S or iPad2.  So, this means, your kid when he or she is playing Angry Bird, instead of their cousins standing beside, around he/she to watch they playing games... the kids can see it on TV.  Everybody can enjoy playing Angry Birds, as they can see how one another perform and play the games.

For games like Real Racing 2, Pinball HD, Star Wars Arcade - Falcon Gunner, and etc.  You can use the iPad2 as a controller to control your ship, your car, your pin ball and play it from the big screen TV.

Office Presentations

When your customers come to your office, and your office equipped with Apple TV, and WiFi, you can present it using AirPlay Mirroring.  One of the coolest thing is, the real laser pointer will not work on the TV screen, but if you hold your finger on the screen, there is a laser pointer appeared on the screen. (only using Keynote Apps).

Watch TV/Movies

There are a lot of Apps in the app store you can download and usually you watch it on your iPhone or iPad.  Now, you can AIRPLAY it onto the TV Screen using Apple TV.  All these below are excellent streaming TV program on iPhone and iPad.  Now you can project it onto the big screen TV with AirPlay.

- PPS TV

- PPTV

- 奇艺影视

- Dedo TV

- Le TV

- 高清影视

 

I used Air Video Server & Air Video to stream my TV / Movies collections from my NAS onto the TV screen using Apple TV.

3.  Facetime or Skype

Lastly, very important, you can run facetime, or skype video conferencing on iPad2 or iPhone 4S, and then AIRPLAY it on the big screen TV.  All audio and images will be air played on the TV.  How about that!

 

It's cheap!

There are a lot of things that you can do on this small little devise.  And how much is it?  USD$99 per box.  It is affordable.  You add up the tax, and exchange rate... its about SGD$140 or so.

One More Thing...

Look at the remote.  SO SIMPLE and ELEGANT!

 

A SIMPLE SETUP GUIDE

Here, I just want to run thru a very quick guide to show you how easy to setup the Apple TV.

After you open a box, this is what it looks like.  So, go buy a HDMI cable, and then plug it into the TV and Apple TV.

Plug in the Power Cable.

That's it!   (You can plug in the LAN cable, but I uses wireless)

OK.  Please take a look at this blog for info how to optimized Apple TV2 for AirPlay Mirroring..

http://miniliew.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-optimized-apple-tv2-for-air-play.html

In short, it is best if you can place the WiFi Access Point just beside your Apple TV.  As most of the time you going to use your iPhone/iPad2 to Air Play, so, it is a good suggestion to keep the WiFi Access Point near to you.  Of course, you can just buy a AirPort Express to do the job.  :)

After you boot up, Apple TV will start "talking" and greet you.  So, from the first screen, you select English.

Next, as there is no LAN cable plug in, Apple TV will look for Wi-Fi for you.  So, choose your WiFi access point.

If WiFi Access is password protected, key in the password.

If you want Apple TV to feedback automatically to Apple when it has trouble, click OK.  Otherwise No Thanks!

That's done!  You are good to go.  You can AirPlay your iPhone and iPad now.

Check your settings - General - About.  It should tell you that your Apple TV is connected to WiFi.  And what is the Signal Strength.

As said, you do not see the Movies and TV Series menu item, this is because, you have not configure the iTunes shop yet and you do not have an American based Apple ID.  An American based Apple ID means you need to have both US credit card that match to your US address.  If you do not have it, then, you do not have to go beyond this setup stage.

What I did is long long time ago, I sign up an Apple ID that is US-based with a US address.  And all the while I buy GIFT VOUCHERS from ITunes-Express!

http://itunes-express.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

So, you pay 20% more for the credits.  i.e. US$30.25 for US$25 worth of iTunes Credit.

 

SETUP GUIDE if you have US-BASED APPLE-ID

(Do not follow these steps if you do not have a US-based Apple ID, A US-based Apple ID requires a US-based Credit Card with US Address.  If you don't understand what I wrote here, that means you have a Singapore or Malaysia based Apple ID that tie to your Singapore or Malaysia Credit card that has your Singapore and Malaysia mailing Address!)

Now, go to the Settings, and go into General.

Under Settings - General, you can select the iTunes Store.

Very important step.  If you have US based Apple ID, your address must be in US.  So, you must first select the "Location" to set it to "United State"

If you do not select United States, even if you have a US based Apple ID, you still will not see the Movie and TV menu.

Then, you go back to "Sign In" page to sign in your US-based Apple-ID

Key in your password.

Say YES to remember password.

After you have done it, you shoud see this on your screen.  The Movies, TV Shows and Music Channel.  And of course, if you got money in your account, you can buy those movies.  Some how these movies are of very high HD quality and the file size is much smaller.

One more thing...

Always update your software.  Under General - Update Software.

Update software usually take few minutes to download and another few minutes to update.  Very seamless.

One Last Thing...

There are many Internet resources or google info that you can find for creating a US based Apple ID.  This is how.

http://www.ipadmalaysialabs.com/how-to-create-a-us-apple-id/

Very easy.

Once you have it, then, you can go to iTunes-Express to buy your GIFT VOUCHER.  If you really need to spent the money to buy Apps or TV Shows, etc.

http://itunes-express.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

 

Enjoy!

 

How To Optimized Apple TV2 for Air-Play Mirroring

Date:  Oct 28, 2011

AirPlay Mirroring is actually a big thing.  It allows you to mirror your iPad2 screen or iPhone 4S screen onto your big screen TV.

To do that, you need a Apple TV 2.  It is cheap!  Only US$99.  It is worth it if you buy this for only doing AirPlay for your office or at home.  It ties to an Apple-ID.  So, if your Apple-ID is Singapore based, then, you will not get the movies or shows.  You can only use it for Slide Shows or your own converted MP4 movies.

But a lot of people forgot about Apple TV 2 will need Wireless to perform AirPlay Mirroring.  So, your WiFi at home must be solid in order for it to have optimal mirroring.  Means, no lagging.  I used to hook at my Apple TV to my network cabinet which is 10 meter away.  But the performance is lagging.  After troubleshooting… I found out that it was my Internal cabling from the network cabinet to the TV console area SUCKS big time.  So, I did the following Network Improvement Plan.

 

As you can see, I actually placed my AirPort Extreme just beside the Apple TV2, so that both of the devices are connecting using Gigabits Network with just a Cat6 cable.

And from the Apple TV, you actually hook up your TV using HDMI.

So, now, with the AirPort Extreme running 802.11n Wifi, it can pump up to 300Mbps max (in theory).  So, you are sitting in front of your TV, and you now can use your iPhone 4S or iPad2 (with A5 Chip) to do AirPlay Mirroring.

IMPORTANT NOTES

You will only allow iPhone 4S and iPad2 to connect to your AirPort Extreme.  If you have older Wifi devices, such as a very old laptop, or a old Internet Radio, DO NOT allow them to connect to this AirPort Extreme.  As these devices probably has 802.11b or 802.11g Wifi protocol.  And AirPort Extreme will downgrade its Wifi tech to match these protocol.  So, if you have one single 802.11g there on the network, all your iPhone 4S or iPad2 will be dragged down by this culprit with slower Wifi Speed.

After I have done these changes I no longer see the lagging on Real Racing 2.

In future, there will be a lot a lot of AirPlay Mirroring game available.  With its Gyroscope movement to play the games, you will be having a different experience playing games on TV.

Your son now can play Angry Birds on iPad2, and projected it to the TV.  So that every body can see what he is trying to do, so, playing games now longer a one person job.

You can use AirVideo Server, to play movies stored on your PC/Mac or NAS.  Very cool.  This is how I watch Movies now.  On Youtube, the screen will automatically optimize to full screen.

There are much more to do.  :)  Think about it!

Have You Bought Your Apple TV2 Yet?

Date:  June 18, 2011

Some friends actually asked me why I buy Apple TV2?

Take a look at the video below about AirPlay Mirroring on IOS5.  It is on Beta now, and it is AWSOME!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2S0f16fwQs&feature=player_embedded#at=427

The new AirPlay Mirroring feature on the IOS5 is going to kill the Game Console market definitely.  Already I kept my two PSP in my drawers for many years as well as my Wii.  Playing games on your iPad2 and projected it onto the big screen TV is simply the coolest things.

I cannot imagine how Apple can come up with such a great and simple idea, and it is all part of the eco system that hey have build.  i.e. iPhone, iPad, iPod, IOS devices, iTunes, AppleTV, iMac, MacBook, etc etc.  All linked together.  It is just like SkyNet without the intelligent.  I guess Apple did learn a few things from Terminator and Battlestar Galactica so that they do not build the brain for their OS.  :)

Playing games is cool, the game actually projected to your big screen, and your "console" or "control" is in your hand and simply turn left or right, and it will show you all the game details on that iPad2.  Wow....

This is another cool thing.... the Pinball games, looks pretty impressive....

And you can do a lot more with this...

- Slideshow from your Photo Album

- AirPlay any format of videos from your NAS using AirVideo

- Powerpoint slides

- Reading PDF/EBook on big screen

 

While IOS5 needs another 3 months to come out.... Have you Bought your Apple TV2 yet? Its only US$99 only.  Not sure if it is available in Singapore yet or not.