What is Airplay?

I have a few posts that mention Apple's Airplay, but I have not really explained exactly what Airplay does.  Since I see a lot of hits on this site that seem to be searching for this information, I have an explanation how it works in my system below:  

Airplay has a lot of uses. One of the main uses is that you can have iTunes running on a computer and use certain versions of the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to remotely control what is playing and where the audio signal is being sent.  In the picture above, I am using the Apple Remote App on my iPhone 4S to control iTunes that is running on a Mac Mini in a separate room.  If you notice, there is an icon near the bottom right side of the screen that looks like and arrow up inside a box.  When you press this button, you get something similar to the box below:

As you can see, there is a list that contains the computer running iTunes and several other devices are listed.  The other devices are components that can accept an Airplay audio signal.  As you can see, I have two Apple TVs (it is possible to rename them, but I only have two of them, so I have not done it).  Also, I have a couple of Airport Express units that I call "Couch Express" and "Derek's Airport Express".  An Airport Express can be used to expand a network or to except an audio signal.  Since it has a digital output and analog audio output, it can be used with pretty much any radio or receiver with an audio input.  I use the digital optical output to feed a DAC (digital to analog converter..most new receivers have DACs built in) which then feeds an amp an analog signal. The sound quality is fantastic if you go this route. 

I should note that some DACs have issues with reclocking the signal between songs, which could cause it to lose the first second of each song.  So, it would be worth doing some research on the subject before you pick out a DAC or before you buy an Airport Express to use with a DAC you already own.  I have no issues with the 3 DACs I own, so I am not sure how many DACs have this issue.

As you can see in the picture above, the Remote App will also allow the user to control the volume on each device which is nice if you have a radio or amp without a remote to control the volume and you don't sit nearby.

While I do love to play my own music via iTunes, my favorite feature of Airplay is that it frees most of the audio apps that you have on your iOS device.  As you can see above, I am running the Sinatra Style channel (via the Jazzradio app) on an iPhone.  In the bottom right corner, you notice that it has the Airplay icon that allows the user to send the audio to Airplay devices that are on the same wifi network.  It also works with the MOG (my favorite music source) app and SiriusXM's app if you have a subscription.

While I mainly use Airplay for music, it is also great for displaying pictures from your iOS device on your TV.  As you see from the pic above, the Airplay icon shows up in the bottom of the screen of my iPhone when I choose a photo from the Photos App.  If you press it, it will show only the devices on your network that can display photos.  In my case, it shows the AppleTVs on my network.  When I select AppleTV, the picture will show up on a TV that is connected to my Apple TV2.  Notice that there is also a play button on the bottom of the screen.  This will allow you to start a slideshow and select music if you want a song to play while you watch. If you have video you recorded on your iOS device, it will send the audio and video over the network to your Apple TV2, as well.

Occasionally, you will run across an app that does not have Airplay enabled.  For example, you might want to play Angry Birds on your big screen.  Well, iPhone 4S and iPad 2 have "Airplay Mirroring" built in for that reason.  Airplay Mirroring will show whatever you have displayed on your iPhone 4S/iPad 2 on the Apple TV2.  This makes it possible to play Angry Birds using the iPhone as a controller while looking at the TV.  It also comes in handy with apps like Slingbox that do not have Airplay for video built in or the McIntosh Audio app that does not even work with Audio Airplay.  The main downside to mirroring with the iPhone is that it comes across in iPhone format, so it will not fill up a 16:9 screen. 

While this article is not all inclusive, I hope it helps you better understand how to use Airplay in your network. For me, it is a tool I use daily for music and occasionally for video. However, please be aware that some older iOS devices can't be updated to work with Airplay, so you may want to research a little more if you decide to pick up an older iOS device for this purpose.