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Apple iPad 2 |OT|

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Pazuzu9 said:
The AVPlayerHD app seems to play mkvs pretty well...
Click to expand...
This may be a noob question but how do I import the MKV movies to my iPad?

I can't seem to get the MKV movie loaded onto iTunes for sync.....
 
Never mind I figured it out.

Amazing. I am currently watching a Japanese 720p MKV film with perfect English subtitles. Loaded onto the iPad in mere seconds.


ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC APP.....cheap too...
 
Does anyone have the Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter? Does it work with any HDMI cable and HDTV? Anyone here have the original VLC app that was removed from the app store, to test if it works with this? Anyone try other on-device video playing apps like AVPlayerHD?

I just want to be sure that it'll be able to play my videos smoothly or else it wouldn't be worth the cost.
 
Zzoram said:
Does anyone have the Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter? Does it work with any HDMI cable and HDTV? Anyone here have the original VLC app that was removed from the app store, to test if it works with this? Anyone try other on-device video playing apps like AVPlayerHD?
Click to expand...
I can test VLC later. I've tested it with another app that uses its own video player, and it worked. All male to male HDMI cables should work. I'll get AVPlayerHD and test later too.
 
numble said:
I can test VLC later. I've tested it with another app that uses its own video player, and it worked. All male to male HDMI cables should work. I'll get AVPlayerHD and test later too.
Click to expand...

You're a champ, thank you.

Do you have to plug in the AC power brick too for it to work? Or will it work fine off the battery?
 
Zzoram said:
You're a champ, thank you.

Do you have to plug in the AC power brick too for it to work? Or will it work fine off the battery?
Click to expand...
You don't need to power it, and it actually doesn't feel like it drained much more battery.

The ability to AirPlay mirror with an Apple TV in iOS 5 might be a better value though. I recently got an AppleTV (with a gift card), and you're so much more likely to just send to AppleTV from your couch when you encounter a video--the AppleTV wakes up when it gets the command so you don't need to fuss on that end.
 
numble said:
You don't need to power it, and it actually doesn't feel like it drained much more battery.

The ability to AirPlay mirror with an Apple TV in iOS 5 might be a better value though. I recently got an AppleTV (with a gift card), and you're so much more likely to just send to AppleTV from your couch when you encounter a video--the AppleTV wakes up when it gets the command so you don't need to fuss on that end.
Click to expand...

I suppose I could wait for the new AppleTV and iOS5 in a couple months. I'd rather buy the model just around the corner with the better specs and iOS5 preloaded, especially since it may support some new feature that the previous model doesn't.

Being able to use my iPhone 4/iPad 2 as a remote control for it would be cool, and being able to access media on my iPhone/iPad/PC all from the comfy couch would be great.
 
Zzoram said:
So an AppleTV can mirror with the iPad 2 over wifi? Can it do an iPhone 4 as well? What about streaming from iTunes on my PC? Can I use my iPhone4/iPad2 as a controller for the AppleTV and also access my iTunes PC at the same time? Does it work as well or better than the Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter? Do you need to buy an app to do it, if not which app handles the AppleTV mirroring?

I suppose I could wait for the new AppleTV and iOS5 in a couple months.
Click to expand...
iOS 5 is supposed to allow it to mirror everything on the iPad 2 without an app. There are some videos online.

iPhone 4 and iPad 1 will stay the same, they can only AirPlay video and music (not the whole screen). Maybe if it's jailbroken there's a way.

Right now, AirPlay only works with videos that enable it. Jailbreaking works to allow it on all video that uses Apple's video player, but some apps use their own video player so jailbreaking still doesn't fix it. The AV adaptor is better in that regard since I think it mirrors everything if it's an iPad 2 (I'm not sure if apps can disable the mirroring). But if iOS 5 mirroring works as promised, it should solve that problem.

You can use iPhone/iPad to control with the Remote app, and the AppleTV can connect to iTunes and play everything on there. I've played with some jailbroken stuff, where people have created apps to do a bunch of other stuff, but it doesn't feel polished to me.

A lot of iPad apps like AirVideo, Plex, etc. have added AirPlay support, so you can watch more than just iTunes stuff.

I think it will work better because you'll be able to control the iPad without having to scramble to the TV everytime you want to do something on the iPad--unless you have a really long HDMI cable.

I think the new model will allow 1080p and maybe it will be the start of apps.
 
numble said:
iOS 5 is supposed to allow it to mirror everything on the iPad 2 without an app. There are some videos online.

iPhone 4 and iPad 1 will stay the same, they can only AirPlay video and music (not the whole screen). Maybe if it's jailbroken there's a way.

Right now, AirPlay only works with videos that enable it. Jailbreaking works to allow it on all video that uses Apple's video player, but some apps use their own video player so jailbreaking still doesn't fix it. The AV adaptor is better in that regard since I think it mirrors everything if it's an iPad 2 (I'm not sure if apps can disable the mirroring). But if iOS 5 mirroring works as promised, it should solve that problem.

You can use iPhone/iPad to control with the Remote app, and the AppleTV can connect to iTunes and play everything on there. I've played with some jailbroken stuff, where people have created apps to do a bunch of other stuff, but it doesn't feel polished to me.

I think it will work better because you'll be able to control the iPad without having to scramble to the TV everytime you want to do something on the iPad--unless you have a really long HDMI cable.

I think the new model will allow 1080p and maybe it will be the start of apps.
Click to expand...

Does the VLC app support AirPlay to an AppleTV? The VLC app I am referring to is the one that was removed from the app store due to licensing issues but plays on-device videos of any format. That's mostly what I'm interested in.


Also, how hard is it to configure your AppleTV for your wifi network? How do you pair devices to it? Don't you need some sort of input device for it at first to use to do the settings?


Do you have to use Home Sharing to control an AppleTV with an iPad/iPhone? Can you only access videos in your iTunes library from your PC? But on-device video apps with videos also work with AppleTV?
 
Apart from the camera, is the iPad 2 really a huge upgrade over the iPad 1? I'll be getting one either by the end of the month or next month, and I'm beginning to wonder if going for the cheaper option is a better idea. Money isn't exactly an issue, but it'd be nice to save some extra cash if the iPad 1 isn't all that different from the 2.
 
Zzoram said:
Does the VLC app support AirPlay to an AppleTV? The VLC app I am referring to is the one that was removed from the app store due to licensing issues but plays on-device videos of any format. That's mostly what I'm interested in.


Also, how hard is it to configure your AppleTV for your wifi network? How do you pair devices to it? Don't you need some sort of input device for it at first to use to do the settings?


Do you have to use Home Sharing to control an AppleTV with an iPad/iPhone? Can you only access videos in your iTunes library from your PC? But on-device video apps with videos also work with AppleTV?
Click to expand...
I just checked--it seems like it only AirPlays sound, not video, even if jailbroken--I haven't actually tested though, just checked what options pop up.

It wasn't really hard to connect to WiFi. It comes with a remote to do input stuff.

Devices were all connected to other devices through home sharing. You enter the Apple ID and password and it shows up on all devices with Home Sharing.

Right now, on device apps have to enable it. But iOS 5 is supposed to make it always-on for everything.
 
Quick said:
Apart from the camera, is the iPad 2 really a huge upgrade over the iPad 1? I'll be getting one either by the end of the month or next month, and I'm beginning to wonder if going for the cheaper option is a better idea. Money isn't exactly an issue, but it'd be nice to save some extra cash if the iPad 1 isn't all that different from the 2.
Click to expand...

iPad 2 has double the RAM and CPU power too so it's more responsive and better at multitasking, and it supports AppleTV screen mirroring when the iPad 1 doesn't apparently.

Personally I could never settle for old tech when the price difference isn't that big. Also, it's basically impossible to buy an iPad 1 brand new now, only the 64GB 3G model seems to be in stock anywhere, and that's because it's ridiculously expensive.
 
numble said:
I just checked--it seems like it only AirPlays sound, not video, even if jailbroken--I haven't actually tested though, just checked what options pop up.

It wasn't really hard to connect to WiFi. It comes with a remote to do input stuff.

Devices were all connected to other devices through home sharing. You enter the Apple ID and password and it shows up on all devices with Home Sharing.

Right now, on device apps have to enable it. But iOS 5 is supposed to make it always-on for everything.
Click to expand...

So there is a chance that iOS 5 will make VLC work?

Since VLC doesn't work, does AVPlayerHD work, playing on-device video + sound through the AppleTV?
 
Zzoram said:
So there is a chance that iOS 5 will make VLC work?

Since VLC doesn't work, does AVPlayerHD work, playing on-device video + sound through the AppleTV?
Click to expand...
No jailbreak hack:
AVPlayerHD sends video+audio over AirPlay.
VLC sends only audio.
Both send video+audio (and mirror the screen) over the cable.
 
numble said:
No jailbreak hack:
AVPlayerHD sends video+audio over AirPlay.
VLC sends only audio.
Both send video+audio (and mirror the screen) over the cable.
Click to expand...

Cable mirroring making VLC video+audio work suggests that when iOS5 hits and it can mirror with the AppleTV, VLC should work with that too.

Hmm, this is a tough decision.

Buy the digital AV cable, a bit less convenient, but can be more easily used on different TVs.
OR
Buy an AppleTV, more convenient, ~double price, not easily used on different TVs.

You have both? Which do you use more? How is HDTV compatibility with the cable vs AppleTV?
 
Zzoram said:
Cable mirroring making VLC video+audio work suggests that when iOS5 hits and it can mirror with the AppleTV, VLC should work with that too.

Hmm, this is a tough decision.

Buy the digital AV cable, a bit less convenient, but can be more easily used on different TVs.
OR
Buy an AppleTV, more convenient, ~double price, not easily used on different TVs.

You have both? Which do you use more? How is HDTV compatibility with the cable vs AppleTV?
Click to expand...
I have both but they were essentially free for me because I used some gift cards for them.

I've used AppleTV a ton more even though I've only had it a week or two, and I've had the adapter since launch. It's a lot less hassle to just turn on the TV and press the Airplay button on the iPad, instead of going up to the TV and plugging in things, unplugging it afterwards, running up to the TV to get to your iPad and change the video file, etc. But if you want to use multiple TVs, it might be better with the cable.

I don't know much about HDTV compatibility--I assume it all works with HDMI inputs. The AppleTV is also connected with a HDMI cable. They probably have the same compatibility, since the AppleTV and iPad internals are similar and both run iOS.
 
Zzoram said:
Cable mirroring making VLC video+audio work suggests that when iOS5 hits and it can mirror with the AppleTV, VLC should work with that too.

Hmm, this is a tough decision.

Buy the digital AV cable, a bit less convenient, but can be more easily used on different TVs.
OR
Buy an AppleTV, more convenient, ~double price, not easily used on different TVs.

You have both? Which do you use more? How is HDTV compatibility with the cable vs AppleTV?
Click to expand...
You don't need VLC to play random formats so just let it go, there's a bunch of other apps that can do it, like the aforementioned AVPlayerHD.

The basic thing with output on iPad 2 (whether AirPlay in iOS 5 or HDMI/VGA) is that if an app doesn't support it at all then the iPad will mirror the display. If an app does support it they can output whatever they want to the external screen, whether they just mirror or output video or a separate game screen (like Real Racing 2 does).

They can "block" output too in a sense if they want, which HBO does from what I've heard. Their app supports the external screen...with a big HBO logo (to prevent mirroring) and keeping the video on the iPad.

Anyway for the ATV vs cable, where do you plan to use it most? I think the caveat with the ATV is that it has to be on a local network, and if you want to set it up in a hotel or something that might be an issue, vs just hooking up an HDMI cable (...unless your hotel has a TV that blocks inputs like on my last trip). Another thing is that a new ATV might come along with the next iPhone/iPod updates, if you can stand to wait that long and risk nothing coming out. I'm hoping for wifi direct hardware (if the current one doesn't have it) so you could connect without being on a network (and A5 and all the usual rumored stuff).
 
The Smart Cover, a few months in

Marco said:
I was optimistic about the iPad 2’s Smart Cover and got the red leather one with my iPad 2 on launch day.

It mostly works as described, but I’ve been disappointed in a few areas.

The leather doesn’t have a high-quality look or feel. In retrospect, I feel like an idiot for paying $69 for this. Part of the lack of perceived quality might be the design: leather’s best visual and tactile qualities are lost if it’s bonded to a hard, flat surface like the Smart Cover’s rigid plates.

I knew going into it that the back of the iPad 2 would be unprotected by the Smart Cover. In practice, I find that I’m overly paranoid about it getting scratched by grit on flat surfaces, such as a grain of sand on a table, so I don’t feel comfortable setting it down on most such surfaces. (And I can’t put it face-down, because then I’d scratch the Smart Cover much more easily and noticeably.) And not having the back covered means that the iPad 2 can’t share a bag pocket with anything else without a risk of being scratched.

I can’t think of many situations in which a Smart Cover provides enough protection to be worth carrying and using for people who care about the aesthetic condition of their iPad. I thought I’d be able to ignore my gadget-preservation instincts in this regard, since it’s “only the back”, but I can’t. (There are other reasons to use it, like the prop-up features, but general protection isn’t one.)

The bigger issue, though, is the practicality of actually using the iPad with the Smart Cover.

The auto-unlock is nice, and I love the minimal bulk, but it seems like it wasn’t designed to stay attached while you’re holding the iPad, because there’s no great way to hold it.

Lex Friedman’s Macworld review was on point here:

But my chief complaints with the Smart Cover relate to elements of its use that Apple doesn’t cover in the promotional video at all. My biggest grievance is that there’s just no perfect way to fold back the Smart Cover when you actually want to use your iPad in hand. The video shows iPads waking up, going to sleep, and being used on a tabletop. What about when I want to hold the dang thing?​

I can’t find a comfortable way to hold and use the iPad with the Smart Cover attached. It flops and slides around far too much.

Maybe Apple intended for us to detach it from the iPad while we’re using it, since the magnets make it so easy, and re-attach it when we’re done. But that’s a bit tedious.

If that’s the intention, though, it’s subtly genius: holding the iPad 2 “naked”, without a case at all, is great. You truly appreciate the lightweight, thin form factor, and it’s less fatiguing to hold for long periods (such as when reading in bed). So it’s plausible that Apple wants to encourage naked use.

Once I decided that folio-style cases were too bulky for my taste and the Smart Cover didn’t provide the right kind of protection, I bought WaterField Designs’ iPad Smart Case (in the “pine” color). (1)

It’s a very nicely made, semi-rigid slipcase. The rigidity makes it easy to slide the iPad in (since you don’t need to hold it open or stretch it out, like a floppy case), and it fits very snugly and securely. The snug fit makes the soft inner felt surfaces clean the iPad’s glass exceptionally (and uniformly): much better than the Smart Cover’s leftover lines.

The iPad needs to be removed to be used, you need to put the Smart Case somewhere during use, and it doesn’t auto-unlock. But it’s a far better solution than the Smart Cover for me, and I can put it in a shared bag pocket, rest it on any surface, or even carry it by itself comfortably.

It cost $10 less than the leather Smart Cover and feels like a much higher quality item. And WaterField is a well-respected company with excellent customer service. Recommended.

Since getting the WaterField iPad Smart Case, I haven’t used my Smart Cover at all, except to give it another chance for this review. (Nope, still don’t like it.) It’ll go back to collecting dust in a nice red triangle on the back of my desk.

  1. The Smart Case’s name isn’t a cheap attempt to capitalize on Apple’s Smart Cover name. WaterField has been selling the Smart Case under that name since the original iPad’s release.
Click to expand...
 
I read that Marco review yesterday. While I understand his desire to want more protection, I don't get why he has trouble folding it back.

What's wrong with just folding the cover in half so it's flat and secured by one hand? I do that all the time and it's almost as thin as holding the iPad with no cover at all.
 
LCfiner said:
I read that Marco review yesterday. While I understand his desire to want more protection, I don't get why he has trouble folding it back.

What's wrong with just folding the cover in half so it's flat and secured by one hand? I do that all the time and it's almost as thin as holding the iPad with no cover at all.
Click to expand...

That's what I do, fold the cover in half and keep it behind when I'm holding it.

One thing that sucks is the Smart Cover isn't very stable as a stand. Sure using it to prop up the iPad slightly is fine, but trying to stand it up taller, the iPad inevitably just falls over after a few minutes, even on a perfectly flat table. I can't trust it to stand up my iPad tall.
 
japtor said:
You don't need VLC to play random formats so just let it go, there's a bunch of other apps that can do it, like the aforementioned AVPlayerHD.

The basic thing with output on iPad 2 (whether AirPlay in iOS 5 or HDMI/VGA) is that if an app doesn't support it at all then the iPad will mirror the display. If an app does support it they can output whatever they want to the external screen, whether they just mirror or output video or a separate game screen (like Real Racing 2 does).

They can "block" output too in a sense if they want, which HBO does from what I've heard. Their app supports the external screen...with a big HBO logo (to prevent mirroring) and keeping the video on the iPad.

Anyway for the ATV vs cable, where do you plan to use it most? I think the caveat with the ATV is that it has to be on a local network, and if you want to set it up in a hotel or something that might be an issue, vs just hooking up an HDMI cable (...unless your hotel has a TV that blocks inputs like on my last trip). Another thing is that a new ATV might come along with the next iPhone/iPod updates, if you can stand to wait that long and risk nothing coming out. I'm hoping for wifi direct hardware (if the current one doesn't have it) so you could connect without being on a network (and A5 and all the usual rumored stuff).
Click to expand...

I may just wait and hope for that wifi-direct stuff too. I mostly just want a way to take video from TV to TV, home to home, so the cable would probably be better at the moment, but if the next Apple TV can do direct wifi without using a router intermediate, that would be a better option.
 
I'm not ashamed to admit this is my first apple product, and I'm quickly becoming a convert.

Everything is amazingly responsive and streamlined. Certain games are almost 360/PS3 level, which is a major surprise. Netflix in bed with a pair of quality earbuds is divine.

I've had my ipad2 for two weeks now, and still can't put it down.
 
Zzoram said:
That's what I do, fold the cover in half and keep it behind when I'm holding it.

One thing that sucks is the Smart Cover isn't very stable as a stand. Sure using it to prop up the iPad slightly is fine, but trying to stand it up taller, the iPad inevitably just falls over after a few minutes, even on a perfectly flat table. I can't trust it to stand up my iPad tall.
Click to expand...
You mean standing it up portrait? It's not designed to do that. Tv stand is meant for landscape vertical or as a typing stand.

Marco makes a good point about the back, but that's easily resolved with a smart cover compatible back plate. It's still superthin, and you don't lose any of the functionality of the smart cover, which I now depend on.

As for the leather, my navy is aging nicely. Different strokes.
 
Tobor said:
You mean standing it up portrait? It's not designed to do that. Tv stand is meant for landscape vertical or as a typing stand.

Marco makes a good point about the back, but that's easily resolved with a smart cover compatible back plate. It's still superthin, and you don't lose any of the functionality of the smart cover, which I now depend on.

As for the leather, my navy is aging nicely. Different strokes.
Click to expand...

No, Landscape vertical is my problem, it doesn't feel very stable and inevitably falls on it's back.

It works as a typing stand, and that's also how I stand it up for reading since I can't trust Landscape vertical.
 
Zzoram said:
No, Landscape vertical is my problem, it doesn't feel very stable and inevitably falls on it's back.

It works as a typing stand, and that's also how I stand it up for reading since I can't trust Landscape vertical.
Click to expand...
I think you're folding it incorrectly. The microfiber faces out when it's folded properly.
 
Zzoram said:
You may be right. I always fold it so that the exterior material stays outside.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it doesn't work that way. The magnets aren't locking, that's why it's falling down. Fold it the other way and it will stand up just fine.
 
Zzoram said:
Ugh. Is it possible to clean the Smart Cover?
Click to expand...

it’s micro fibre. you can wipe off dust.

and unless you have filthy tables, it won’t get that dirty, anyway. certainly not enough to require buying a new one.
 
LCfiner said:
it’s micro fibre. you can wipe off dust.

and unless you have filthy tables, it won’t get that dirty, anyway. certainly not enough to require buying a new one.
Click to expand...
the dirt and dust the microfiber side picks up impacts its ability to clean the screen of the iPad.
 
Zzoram said:
the microfiber side is the side I want to know how to clean, since I don't want it to get dirty then rub against my screen
Click to expand...
It's not a big deal. If you get a bread crumb on it, you wipe it off. Use it correctly, you'll see.
 
my beautiful red leather smart cover is getting dirty what stuff can i clean it with, and someone link me that super cheap slip cover for the ipad? What's gaf consensus on styluses i've seen that all they are, are rubber nibs on a stick which is lame. What's the best for doodling??
 
Technosteve said:
my beautiful red leather smart cover is getting dirty what stuff can i clean it with, and someone link me that super cheap slip cover for the ipad? What's gaf consensus on styluses i've seen that all they are, are rubber nibs on a stick which is lame. What's the best for doodling??
Click to expand...
I hear people recommend the Wacom one. I've never used it.
 
Awhile back, someone mentioned a nice back cover for the iPad which complemented the Smart Cover well. If I remember correctly, it was about $15 or so. Can someone link to it again?
 
Ok I bought the AV digital adapter to use HDMI HDTV mirroring of my iPad 2. It works on my home TV, now I need to see if it works on my girlfriend's TV, since that's where I intend to use it most.

I must say, the adapter doesn't lock very securely and it's shape makes it a bit awkward to use.
 
Zzoram said:
Does anyone have the Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter? Does it work with any HDMI cable and HDTV? Anyone here have the original VLC app that was removed from the app store, to test if it works with this? Anyone try other on-device video playing apps like AVPlayerHD?

I just want to be sure that it'll be able to play my videos smoothly or else it wouldn't be worth the cost.
Click to expand...
Why would they remove VLC Player?
 
tarius1210 said:
Why would they remove VLC Player?
Click to expand...

The original VLC app was the full VLC player from the PC, so you could load any video of any format into it and it would play. There was apparently some licensing problem, so they had to remove it, and instead put up VLC streamer, which lets you stream from your PC over wifi but not have the videos on-device.
 
Zzoram said:
Does anyone have the Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter? Does it work with any HDMI cable and HDTV? Anyone here have the original VLC app that was removed from the app store, to test if it works with this?
Click to expand...
I got the HDMI adapter and the VLC app before they took it down, and I must say it works as it normally should, since it's doing a 1:1 mirror to the TV, so nothing fancy; it just works :D

(only in 1024x768 :( )
 
Zzoram said:
Does anyone have the Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter? Does it work with any HDMI cable and HDTV? Anyone here have the original VLC app that was removed from the app store, to test if it works with this? Anyone try other on-device video playing apps like AVPlayerHD?

I just want to be sure that it'll be able to play my videos smoothly or else it wouldn't be worth the cost.
Click to expand...

VLC for iPad is pretty awful.

This application is much better:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/avplayerhd/id407976815?mt=8

It also outputs over HDMI at up to 1080p.
 
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