“Apple’s new iPad 2 has the ability to mirror its video output on an HDMI display, when paired with the $39 Apple Digital AV Adapter, also on sale this week,” Peter Cohen reports for ZDNet. “And it’s going to change iPad gaming in the living room in a big way.”
MacDailyNews Note: More info about Apple’s US$39 adapter: Apple Digital AV Adapter
“When attached to an iPad 2, all the iPad 2’s video content is mirrored on the big screen,” Cohen reports. “The device also works with older iPads (and iPhones and iPod touches), though only for video output like movies and TV shows, not for video mirroring.”
Cohen reports, “The mirroring is automatic; as soon as the iPad senses the device is connected, you’ll see the image sync on your TV. From there, any app you run appears on your TV screen exactly the same way it appears on your iPad screen, and the video output will even rotate depending on the orientation of your iPad… It turns the iPad 2 into a fantastic presentation device for any kind of still or video content – slideshows, movies, application walkthroughs – anything you can imagine… Where it really shines is in games that use the whole iPad 2 for an interface.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “GetMeOnTop” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
iPad 2′s HD output – games, websites, anything – looks fantastic on HDTV (with video) – March 14, 2011
iPad 2′s killer feature: HD mirroring; if you can see it on your iPad 2, you can see it on your HDTV – March 4, 2011
Apple’s HDMI cable works with iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4th-gen – March 2, 2011
Now if they can make it wireless via appleTV or something, that would be killer
Agreed. Wireless can be applied to so many more situations.
I think most of the functionality has to be added to the AppleTV. Once it’s there, it would be simple for an iPad or any Mac to take advantage of it.
People say that lag might be the reason we do not have this functionality yet… I am hoping Apple solves this issue, as I too would prefer it being wireless.
. “The device also works with older iPads (and iPhones and iPod touches), though only for video output like movies and TV shows, not for video mirroring.”
can someone explain this?
. “The device also works with older iPads (and iPhones and iPod touches), though only for video output like movies and TV shows, not for video mirroring.”
can someone explain this?
The adapter will output video (think just videos, movies, pictures, etc) to the tv, but it will not mirror that output on the iPad/iPhone 4 screen, whose screen will be blank. In addition to the mirroring, the iPad 2 will display the exact thing you see on your iPad 2 screen on to the tv, thus turning your iPad into a game console for the tv.
What does he mean that the video will rotate depending on the orientation???
Of course when you turn the ipad it orients on the ipad, but if it changed orientation on the tv that wouldn’t make sense, would it?
I don’t often turn my 50″ set this and that away.
I can’t tell whether that was sarcasm or not, but I will pretend that it is a real question either way.
It means that when you turn the iPad, the image on the tv screen rotates. You remember watching all those keynotes that Steve Jobs did when he would demo something on the iPad onto the larger screen? Well, we are starting to get some of that functionality, and screen orientation is one of them.
yea, sorry couldn’t help myself.
But i may be a little dense but i’m not sure i understand the orientation on the TV.
When you turn the iPad it changes orientation which makes sense but why would this change in ipad orientation get reflected on the TV?
Regardless of the iPad orientation what’s mirrored on the TV should keep showing maximum pixel size of the HDTV, right?
What is the benefit of mirroring a change in orientation on the ipad? Or am i missing something?
When you hold the iPad in landscape mode, it pretty much fills up the TV (depending on settings). When you turn the iPad vertical, it mirrors the video vertically, with black bars on the left and right.
It’s only somewhat of a feature. It needs to do this to mirror, but on the other hand is a waste of space of the tv screen when in vertical mode.
i saw someone on a t.v. news show last week doing this. they first showed the woman holding her ipad and you could see what was on the ipad. then she clicked on an app and another camera then showed her next to the widescreen display mirroring what was on her ipad and she continued to manipulate the display with gestures on her ipad.
I think AIR play is even better for presentations. I mean, you have the projector in the ceiling and you ipod, iphone or ipad wireless in you hand to make the presentation.
I just had a WebEx conference using this at my hotel and then loaded up NetFlix to watch some movies. It’s a nice feature that audio goes through the HDMI as well.
I really need a new TV. >.<
I hate to say it, but Samsung has the best HDTV’s right now. Don’t buy Vizio. More like Viziblows!
I find that, as with anything these days, different experiences for different folks. I personally love my Vizio 42″ LCD and Vizio Blue-Ray player. My AppleTV and MBP display very nicely on it.
I have heard others with problems, but I haven’t run in to any of them.
Yeah I have a Samsung and it’s awesome
Using the iPad through a big screen may be the best way to go at this point because the screens on the iPad are horrible. The stories of light bleeding are real. I’m taking my third replacement back tomorrow to try for a fourth and final time. The iPad is a brilliant product, but this first batch of iPads are terrible.
Until the iPad can do mirroring via Airplay, consoles are not going to be threatened by it. Wired controllers are so last-gen.
It’s been pretty clear for a while that Apple has panned on a backdoor strategy on the gaming console market. Another brilliant business strategy.
First it was the end run around Windows, then the cellphone industry, now the gaming console market.
Next up, the TV market.
Just found out that March Madness has apps for the iPhone and iPad where you can watch every game live for FREE! With the HDMI connector and mirroring, why do I need cable? So I can watch endless Mexican infomercials? No thanks.
Um, unless this thing turns your TV into a touch screen it’s going to be of little use for touch screen games in which you have to look at what you’re doing/touching. I am all for Apple breaking into the game console biz, but iOS devices are a loooooooong way behind the PS3 and Xbox 360 at this point. Can’t wait to see how this plays out…
What about the fact that the rather short HDMI dongle is hanging off the side of the iPad, with the HDMI cable attached, while you are holding it ? That must be a little cumbersome for certain types of gamin.
More than ever the iPad needs a Xbox/PS3 style wireless controller. It sure wouldn’t hurt for many many games such as NHL2K11 which can be very frustrating with the touch screen controls.
This is terrible news for the flummoxed tablet market.