Apple AirPlay 2 hands-on - GSMArena.com news
It's always good to get something for nothing and Apple's AirPlay 2 should allow us finally to create multi-room audio, a la Sonos, without firing up iTunes. The iOS 11.3 Beta brings our first front and hands-on with Apple’s AirPlay 2.
AirPlay 2 is the first sign update to AirPlay considering its introduction in 2010. Standing on the shoulders of AirPlay, AirPlay 2 provides an enhanced set of capabilities comprising:
Multi-room sound, streaming to multiple devices simultaneously with tight synchronization
Enhanced buffering between devices resulting in less ‘drop-outs’
Add and configure speakers to Apple HomeKit
Multi-Device control
So you don’t encounter to (and honestly you shouldn’t), we installed the iOS 11.3 Public Beta 1 on our iPad Air 2 and the tvOS 11.3 Public Beta 1 on both our 4th Generation Apple TV and 5th Generation Apple TV 4K.
All Apple’s devices that support iOS 11.3 ordain be AirPlay 2 consistent including the above-mentioned 4th and 5th generations of Apple TV.
Of portion to Android users, the HTC 10 and HTC U11 undergo supported streaming via AirPlay. It’s not known if HTC purpose update their firmware to support AirPlay 2.
Set-Up
For iOS there was nothing one of a kind to AirPlay 2 pending the iOS 11.3 installing process.
AirPlay 2 speakers are now considered an Apple HomeKit accessory, and as a result of which we now see a new lightly lively set-up screen shown pending the Apple TV tvOS 11.3 installation shown below.
You’re now asked to largest the location for your Apple TV during set-up, once completed, the Apple TV will show up as an accessory over Apple HomeKit.
During the installation affair on the second of our Apple TV’s, the iPad was another course, and seemingly as a result of which, we were measured the following screen prompting us to ‘Start Using AirPlay 2’ with a corresponding present appearing on our iPad. This screen looks to be transferring iCloud settings; confusingly at this inquiry, the Apple TV knows our iCloud settings, so we're not sure why we are seeing this.
The nakedly other outward facing important that the Apple TV is a HomeKit accessor can be seen in iCloud settings on the Apple TV has added a new HomeKit section.
Apple TV AirPlay 2 set-up • iPad confirming AirPlay 2 set-up • HomeKit condition shown in Apple TV iCloud settings
Home App
As expected our Apple TV’s now appeared through the Home app as Accessories.
Selecting an AppleTV in the HomeApp commonly does very little asunder from allowing you to change the Room and see ironmongery related information such as Manufacturer, Serial Number, Model Number, and Firmware level.
AirPlay 2 speakers appear in Home app • Home app accessory options and information
You don’t tone
to see or counteract much more on an Apple TV as it has its own far setup options that you can see on your TV. We suspect even if for a device certain as the upcoming Apple HomePod (being a acephalous device) you’ll be bluestocking to see and subdue more of its settings from here in adjunct to updating firmware levels.
Playback
Right, now we’ve got despite out of the way, let’s put AirPlay 2 through the wringer. The two stuff that we wanted to see was the multi-room playback and the dependence robustness.
Firing up Apple Music and selecting the AirPlay paragon brings up your AirPlay 2 sources, now registered separately. Not wanting to ease ourselves in we were strange to see if we could sport to a Bluetooth precept from the iPad in addition to two AirPlay 2 sources, but this was a stretch too far.
We could satisfactorily select both Apple TV’s to stream music to from the iPad, w/ the TV’s displaying the Album nontextual matter and track information.
Selecting AirPlay 2 sources • Both Apple TV's selected for playback • Track information featured on Apple TV's
We performed our testing on a Google Wi-Fi mesh network plus each Apple TV essence connected to a other Google Wi-Fi router during the mesh. What drafted and gave an introspection into the potential of AirPlay 2 was though the music was in perfect sync, and not once pending our testing did we experience any drop-outs or sluggishness, pale days.
We accurately managed to make a quick FaceTime Audio call of the iPad exterior interrupting the music - we’re not sure how useful this is, but the interrogation is that no preface what we did on the iPad the stream remained robust.
That’s the kind information out of the way and with here on forward the beta tag earns its name.
Firstly, you’ll notice that initially from the above screenshots there was no honest volume controls shown for the AirPlay 2 sources. Our contemplate was this should be the plight as moving to any TV’s attached sound apparatus to alter the dimensions would be a pain. For no rhyme or reason, at some investigation during our testing following having started and shut the streams several times, the volume sliders appeared. We could then check the volume of our two Apple TV’s independently. Clearly fabric in progress.
Ability to control honest source volumes appeared randomly during testing
Secondly, it should more be possible to use one of the Apple TV’s to select descant and playback to AirPlay 2 devices.
This proved problematic and we couldn’t use the Apple TV to opt a track to playback on both Apple TV’s, at one point we had two different tracks playing from our Apple TV’s instead and until this may be desired functionality it wasn’t perfectly clear how we got this to work and ended up in this situation.
Additionally, we couldn’t explore was Shared Up Next for Apple Music - collaborative features howbeit enable friends to add tracks to your Up Next playlist. This may be even if we were only agreeable to install the iOS 11.3 beta on one device or that Apple hasn’t enabled this functionality in the beta’s yet.
As a final impression test we tried jaculatory two video streams to the Apple TV's, of course, this didn't work, with nakedly the audio from the video gestation to both sources - in fairness Apple never promised this. But, in this beta the ability AirPlay to one Apple TV has broken. It was at this investigation we regretted installing the beta as this is a oftly use-case for us.
AirPlay 2 Compatible Speakers
HomePod purpose be available on February 9th ’18 and desire become AirPlay 2 able in the Spring subsequent a Firmware update enabling it to join in on the multi-room fun.
Also, multifold highly reputable speaker manufactures have stated that they will be supporting AirPlay 2 in future products.
We’d be amazed if Apple updated any of its senior devices such as AirPort Express or previous generations of the Apple TV to be AirPlay 2 compatible. They’ll still work but can’t be included in a multi-room configuration and only streamed to on a 1-2-1 basis. The same applies to any tertiary party AirPlay speakers although you may own too, some manufactures have said they bequeath provide firmware updates albeit, so it’s worth checking before you write them off.
Third Party Apps
During WWDC ’17 Apple held a specific workshop for app developers, detailing the Audio Playback API that allows developers, for example, Spotify, to enable their apps to become AirPlay 2 compatible.
We’re unfailing that once AirPlay 2 ships we’ll start to see a raft of apps fall AirPlay 2 capable on the App Store.
Verdict
While expectedly still buggy - spasmodically appearing volume controls, impotence to use the Apple TV to control equally sound sources, in our testing although playing tracks we had no issues with music synchronizing or any drop-outs and in this deem AirPlay 2 performed flawlessly.
We eagerly await to explore the Shared Up Next Playlist functionality - we may just note to convince one of the brood to install the beta.
We’re glance forward to the after iOS and tvOS beta releases as we threaten towards the full recover of AirPlay 2 in the spring. We'll bring you better hands-on as additional betas are released.
Thanks for visiting our article Apple AirPlay 2 hands-on - GSMArena.com news. Please share it with responsible.
Sincery Blogger News Poster
SRC: https://www.gsmarena.com/airplay_2_hands_on-news-29404.php
powered by Blogger Image Poster
0 Comments