Screencast your Mac to Apple TV over AirPlay

That screen you're looking at there? It's not my Mac. It's my Apple TV. TUAW reader James Low wondered if you could stream your OS X screen using the screen:// feature of VLC along the lines of the instructions found on this blog post. I decided to test it out using the same method I described in my earlier DVD-to-Apple TV post.

Instead of streaming from my DVD (namely via dvdread:///dev/rdisk5@1:3-), I substituted screen://, as follows.

/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC -vv screen:// --intf=rc '--sout=#transcode{vcodec=h264,vb=2048,acodec=mp4a,ab=192}:standard{mux=ts,dst=-,access=file}' | mediastreamsegmenter -f /Library/WebServer/Documents/stream -D

It worked. All other instructions remain the same as from the DVD post.

So what are the downsides? First, the image was a bit blurry due to the H.264 transcoding and the limited bit rate, but it wasn't too bad. It remained reasonably readable at all times. Second, there was a distinct lag between what was going on at the Mac and what was being shown on the Apple TV. Pausing the stream, like I did to take this screen shot, slightly increased that lag.

On the bright side? Screencasting. From your Mac. To your Apple TV.

I think that's pretty cool.

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That screen you're looking at there? It's not my Mac. It's my Apple TV. TUAW reader James Low wondered if you could stream your OS X...

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Anthony D.

I wanted to know if I can show my Mac screen on my tv using apple tv

Can you please tell me how to do this I would appreciate it.

January 24 2011 at 11:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

davidagalvan

Very cool! It works! I tried it with Hulu, and it worked ok, except the frame rate was not as fast as the actual video framerate, so it was too choppy to actually watch a TV show. I tried it with a version of 20/20 HD, and it looked greate except for the poor frame rate. Frame rate was fine on the mac, but not as great on the apple tv. I should say it didn't matter what I was doing; whether I was just moving the mouse around or watching a video, the frame rate was maybe half what it should have been. That and the fact that the audio doesn't come through on the screencast mean this is not ready to replace hooking your mac up to your tv with AV cables yet.

But, seriously, WOW! What a cool hack! And it really does work! great work Erica! Can't wait to see what possibilities come out of this!

January 06 2011 at 12:35 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

batman

Got a Pioneer PDP-5070HD 1080I tv receiving through a Denon AVR -786 Home theater unit. Apple Tv input via Optical cable (purchased from Apple) to Denon. Selected inputs all check out. Apple unit is on and receiving from remote (lights blinking) - - channels are receiving into Denon as - - when ATV is on, the digital input display changes from analogue to digital. When menu and other buttons pressed on remote, the sound system provides "boink" ..
But no video on display, no menue, no nothing....
Could go direst to TV but it has no optical input just HDMI.
Any ideas?

December 26 2010 at 2:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to batman's comment

terran

the optical cable only caries audio. Hence you hearing it but not seeing. for the receiver you have you'll need to run component cables as well.

December 27 2010 at 4:52 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

wplate

I love the idea of an AppleTV connected to a projector, then I can have a meeting and present my laptop or iPhone or iPad via the network instead of needing to physically connect. Hopefully this is coming.

December 23 2010 at 6:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

pbmwatstein

So it works but need audio to watch clone wars and other tv shows

December 23 2010 at 1:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

mrflipper

Erica, just remember your fans when you start raking it in big time. You are doing wonderful work for consumer types like me. Can't hack the way you do, but can imagine the possibilities for a polished set of products in not so distant future.

December 23 2010 at 11:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to mrflipper's comment

Erica Sadun

Earning money from this kind of stuff has never been a threat, unfortunately.

December 23 2010 at 12:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Loonyx

Okay

I got it workinb but it doesn't stream it in realtime. it plays like 30 seconds of previous desktop work for some reason instead of letting me actually use what i'm looking at? Wasn't that the point? make my TV a wireless monitor?

THanks thought lot of fun. I just unwrapped my first macbook pro and tried fooling around with this and my apple tv. Thanks Erica fun times!!

December 23 2010 at 1:30 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Loonyx's comment

RayJacobs

Loonyx,

I'm having the same issue. Did you ever figure it out? I could see my desktop on the TV, but it was just repeating the same thing. It was almost as though it was recorded any just playing back previous video.

December 26 2010 at 11:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

pop

Can we get iPad Keynote to display on AppleTV?
Wireless presentations anyone?

December 22 2010 at 12:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

heathsnow

Does this work with Hulu?

Right now I have my laptop plugged into the T.V. next to my aTV because needing Hulu for TV shows.

If I can stream Hulu this way then I can finally remove the laptop from the equation and just stream from the iMac :)

December 22 2010 at 11:30 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Randy

Ok, I held off because of the limited Airplay. This is a really good sign of things to come, I'm picking one up now.

December 22 2010 at 10:50 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply