Projecting Your iPad Wirelessly - Without an Apple TV

[Sam Gliksman]

Important update: May 6, 2012 - Mirror to your Windows PC as well

Shortly after the release of Relection a second mirroring solution called AirPlay was released - available at http://www.airserverapp.com/

Reflection and Airplay both allow mirroring of an iOS device to a Mac. Many site members had asked about a solution that would allow mirroring to a Windows PC. In its latest update, Airplay has now added a version that will allow mirroring to a PC as well. 

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When iOS 5 was released many of us were thrilled with its ability to allow projection (mirroring) of your iPad to a projector using Airplay and Apple TV. Of course, this required that you spend $100 on an Apple TV and install it in your classroom. No longer.

 

A wonderful new app called Reflection has just been released. Reflection allows you to mirror your iPad directly on to your MacBook screen. Just install the $15 app from the Reflection website and it makes your MacBook an Airplay compatible device. As long as you have iOS 5 on your iPad you can now mirror your screen directly to your MacBook. 

 

Run the Reflection app on your MacBook and then switch to your iPad. Double click the Home button, sliding to the left and selecting your MacBook from the list of Airplay enabled devices. If you have an Apple TV that will also display on the list.

 

 

Once you select your MacBook, you can now display your iPad on the laptop screen (as seen below ... and please don't remind me how many emails I still need to open...). 

 

 

Reflection is a wonderful solution for any situation where you need to project your iPad screen and don't have an Apple TV. It's wonderful for creating tutorials - just display your iPad on your MacBook screen and use Quicktime to record the screencast. I do a lot of webinars and it's a wonderful way to display your iPad to people in remote locations.

 

When to use Reflection rather than an Apple TV:

• Can be used to project your iPad in any room. No Apple TV is required.
• Requires that have a MacBook connected to your projector. Note that it doesn't currently work with Windows PCs.
• When you need to display your iPad to a remote location. Use any screen sharing software on your MacBook and display your iPad on the MacBook screen.
• When you want to take a video of something displayed on your iPad eg. creating a tutorial showing how to use an app. Display the iPad on your MacBook and use Quicktime to record the screencast.

 

 

Sam Gliksman

[e-mail]

Twitter: @samgliksman

 

[Amanda]

You can also mirror multiple iPads at once with Reflection - with each one running different apps! 

[Sam Gliksman]

You don't need an Apple TV if you install either Reflection or AirServer on a Macbook which you have in the room - and then that Macbook is wired to a projector. If you have that setup then you may not need the Apple TV. If you have the Apple TV then you can project to it directly from the iPad.

[Jane Batham]

I am looking towards a 1:1 iPad program in the future. Would reflection or Apple TV be a better solution if I want to be able to project any of the iPads to the projector from time to time?
Would it be cheaper and simpler to use the Apple TV instead of paying $15 by 25 or so?
Has anyone used both? I would love some advice about direction before I need to makes decision.
Thanks

[Kent Wuestefeld]

When you find an app like this that works for a PC let me know. One thing I have used that works in reverse is Splashtop. I can project what's on my PC but use the iPad as a "remote control" and actually see my PC screen on the iPad. It's cool but a little cumbersome to work with the on screen keyboard and get the tool bars to be large enough to manipulate with the tapping of Your fingers when using Microsoft Word.

[Jess McCulloch]

Great post, thanks for sharing. Keen to try it out!

[Sam Gliksman]

I've used it extensively and haven't had any problems so far with Reflection but I have heard from others that it does hang on occasion. Just a couple of days after Reflection was released another app called AirServer added Airplay mirroring to its features as well. I've been pretty impressed with it also.

You can find it here... http://www.airserverapp.com/

Sam Gliksman

[Tom Olson]

Wow, I've taken a quick look and it looks so promising, but so far, reflection hangs if I open up a photo.

I'm going to reboot everything and do some additional playing.