Thursday, March 24, 2011

Apple could be licensing AirPlay for video streaming, HDTV integration seems imminent


There's nothing concrete to sink your teeth into just yet, but a couple of people "familiar with the matter" have informedBloomberg that Apple could be taking AirPlay to the next level. Up until now, companies have been shelling out $4 per device to add AirPlay audio streaming into their products, but there's a very real demand for video to be included in that as well. According to sources, the video streaming protocol is already baked in, but not enabled / allowed under the current licensing agreement. It's bruited that the folks in Cupertino could soon expand the AirPlay license program to include video streaming from iPhones and iPads, with integration into HDTVs being the most obvious application. Specifically, the new plan would enable electronics makers to "use [AirPlay] in devices for streaming movies, TV shows and other video content," but there's no clear time table as to when any of this would go down. Will CEDIA 2011 be the launchpad for AirPlay-enabled televisions? If so, don't ever say we didn't see it coming.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Apple is definitely on the right track, but it looks like they are following in tracks already laid. Sling technology is very similar, and best of all, already released! I use the Remote Access app from my employer, DISH Network, to stream live TV and DVR recordings anywhere to my IOS. I’m glad the idea is expanding, but Apple has some catching up to do.