What is Airplay 2?
It is not uncommon for individuals to have a myriad of Apple products. You can own an iPhone for making calls and all, a MacBook for work, an iPad, or an Apple TV. In 2010, Apple created an in-house streaming service that lets you send music and video from your iPhone or iPad to devices such as speakers, earbuds, or your Apple TV and called it Airplay. Airplay offered a one-to-one connection which means that you couldn’t connect your phone to more than one speaker at a time. Also, the range of compatible products was small. In 2018, Apple launched the Airplay 2 as part of its iOS 11.4 update and it came with the following perks:
You can mirror your iPhone or iPad on a bigger screenYou can stream videos from an App on your phone to a TVYou can stream to multiple speakers at a timeYou can choose a specific speaker to stream toYou can stream different songs on different speakers simultaneouslyYou can use Siri on the speaker or other devicesDifferent users can add songs to one playlist provided they all have Apple Music SubscriptionYou can connect to other non-Apple products provided they have support for Airplay 2
Which Apple Devices support Airplay 2?
You can use Airplay 2 on the following Apple devices:
All iPhones from 5S upwardsAll iPad Pros and iPad AirsiPad Mini 2 and newerAny 6th generation iPod touch or laterAny Apple TV running TV OS 11. 4 or higherAll MacBooks from 2010 upwards
Airplay 2 made it possible for TVs from other manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Sony, etc to connect to Apple devices. Below is a list of the best TVs that offer support for Airplay 2:
LG OLED 55CXPUAVizio M-Series- QuantumSamsung QLED Q50 SeriesSony X950HVizio 65-Inch P-series Quantum
The LG OLED 55CXPUA
The LG OLED as the name suggests has an OLED screen but with a 4k screen resolution, giving you a beautiful and rich display. With the good display, not only is it perfect for media streaming but it can also be used for gaming. It also has a refresh rate of 120 GHz which is what standard gaming setups require nowadays. It is incorporated with the NVIDIA G-SYNC technology which helps reduce game lag for gamers. The TV uses the operating system developed by LG called webOS and it allows you to be able to stream online and also control the TV using voice commands and it is compatible with Airplay 2. You can navigate through everything on your TV using the Magic remote.
The Vizio M-Series- Quantum
This Vizio TV boasts a 4k resolution screen with an OLED display. It operates on the SmartCast platform like every other Vizio TV. The platform allows you to stream from Netflix, Hulu, etc. It also enables voice support and is compatible with Airplay 2. Although, the refresh rate is only 60 GHz it can still be used for gaming because of its inbuilt ProGaming Engine and AMD Free Sync which help optimize gameplay and reduce lag.
The Samsung QLED Q50 Series
As the name implies, the Samsung Q50 Series uses the QLED technology for its display but its screen resolution is 4k. Also, the size is 32-inches which is relatively small so the colors will be compact and rich. It has support for Airplay 2 and you can stream on it through streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, etc. Its refresh rate is only 60Hz which means it is not the best option for gaming.
Sony X950H
Vizio 65-Inch P-series Quantum
The P-Series Vizio has a refresh rate of 120GHz and a stunning 4k resolution ad QLED technology. It has support for Airplay2 and voice commands. You can also download streaming apps using the Vizio SmartCast Platform.
Different people buy TVs for different purposes and what you are buying them for will decide the qualities that you will watch out for. For resolution, nowadays 4k is the best although some TVs use 8k which ensures their use in the future. OLED technology excels in producing accurate colors while LED technology is better at managing power. You need to decide which is more important to you, whether the display, audio, design or gaming capability.
What is the importance of the refresh rate?
The refresh signifies how smooth the display will look. The higher the value, the better but it also takes more energy.
Which is better between OLED and QLED?
Generally, QLED is brighter but OLED has better viewing angles and uses less power.
