Since I got an iPad I have been fighting in the cross border wars between the Microsoft Media infrastructure and Apple’s. One of the big issues as I have mentioned before is the lack of a ‘Standard’ DLNA renderer for iOS that actually works with Windows Media sources.

One of the best so far has been AirPlayer  (in the iTunes store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/airplayer/id369713694?mt=8). The developer has now released an update which improves the application’s  interaction with Windows Media sources. One of the side effects of this release is that the player now works with the DLNA sources that DVBLogic’s DVBLink creates for your TV tuners. This gives you a DLNA source for each channel your tuners can tune to. These have proven very challenging for most DLNA players to resolve and, even in the Window’s ecosystem,  very few do. AirPlayer detects the server and channels without any changes to settings and when you tap on a channel starts playing in a very few seconds.

It is not perfect as there is some slight stuttering depending on wireless bandwidth but in my environment it is perfectly watchable and it is fantastic to be able to wander around the flat with either the iPad or iPhone playing live TV.

On the recorded media playback side of things I also managed to get some WTV DVR-MS files streaming from the Buffalo LinkStation I am currently reviewing (this is a DLNA certified device), This didn’t work so well with PVConnect from my Home Server where I only got audio form the DVR-MS files but is still very impressive.

For the very low price it is an excellent enhancement to your iOS  device and a step to Apple/Microsoft harmony in the home. Highly Recommended

 

iPhone Screenshot 1

UPDATE: I originally said I got a WTV file running from the LinkStation but I hadn’t spotted that I also had a DVR-MS copy of the same program on that server and it was the DVR-MS that it had played not the WTV. Still streaming a DVR-MS to and Apple DLNA renderer is pretty impressive.

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