Air Video

One of the drawbacks of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad is its limited storage for your videos. Even the 64GB version can fill up quickly. Air Video solves this problem by streaming videos to your device. It will even work over the Internet!

Video Streaming

Air Video can stream videos in almost any format to your iPhone and iPod touch. You don't need to copy your videos to the device just to watch them.

Live Conversion

If the videos in your collection are not in format supported by iPhone, Air Video will convert them on fly*. You don't need to wait until the entire video is converted. You can start watching it almost immediately!

* Live Conversion requires iPhone or iPod touch with firmware 3.0 and a sufficiently powerful computer (Intel Core 2 duo or equivalent processor is recommended).

Setting Up Air Video

You need to download and install Air Video Server. (Mac and PC)

Once the server is running, add folders that you want to share. If you have videos in your iTunes playlists, you can also share those playlists.

Using Air Video

• In Air Video on your iPhone / iPod touch add your computer to server list.
• After the server is added you can browse its folders.
• Streaming - Air Video can stream videos to your iPhone and iPod touch through WiFi and 3G. You don't need to copy your videos to the device just to watch them.
• Conversion - If the videos in your collection are not in format supported by iPhone, Air Video can convert them on fly (live conversion) or offline (entire file).

Cost

• Server software is Free.
• They have free client software but its limited in the number of videos you can view.
• Pay version that works on both iPads and iPhones is $2.99

Performance

Via Wifi on your local network it worked great! Picture quality on the iPad was quite impressive. It is so nice not to have to transfer all your video to your iPad or iPhone and still be able to watch whatever you want. The iPhone and iPod Touch version produced good quality video as well but on a much smaller screen. You can install the server software on multiple computers so you have access to all your videos regardless of where they are stored. When watching video on WiFi over the Internet you get a nearly identical experience but that's a function of your upload speed at your home. The application maxes out at 2Mbps regardless if you are on the LAN or the Internet so if you have a Internet connection with a 2Mbps upload you won't see any difference.

Three G is a bit different. In my tests I had to lower the quality of the conversion so that it would stream over my Verizon 3G account. The quality was degraded but still quite watchable. The iPhone and iPod Touch are not affected nearly as much via 3G.

Note: Air Video will not stream DRM protected video via the Network.

Conclusion

Air Video is probably the best $3 I have spent on my iPad since I got the device!

Comments

[Joe M]

What format for the video files did you end up using, and how did it look on the iPad?

[Duncan Campbell]

Hi Ara,
Thanks for the heads up this app. I`m loving it on my wi-fi at home.
Can you tell me what the settings were that you used to stream over 3G. Also, does it eat up the 3G data allowance? Have you any idea how much it uses for say a 1 hr tv show? I`m on a 5gb allowance with my MiFi and don`t want to get into heavy charges above my allowance.

[Scott]

Completely agree Ara. I was just about to send a tweet to you when I discovered how great Air Video and you had just tweeted about it a few hours before!

I'm using Air Video on both my iPhone and iPad and via wifi both are terrific. I have the server software on my Windows 7 quad core pc and serving video does not slow it down a bit, even with 720p ripped videos. And the videos are actually stored on a Windows Homer Server and again the the server nor software blinks. Definitely a must buy for anyone with an iPad.