Since the release of iPad 2, iOS 4 has offered video mirroring support from iPad with either the Apple Digital AV adapter or the Apple VGA adapter. This was one of the most widely anticipated features of iOS 4.3, and naturally, I had to test it out. Instead of simply hooking my iPad to an HDTV, I decided to push the iPad to its limits and mirror to a projector.
Using the M2 MicroProjector from AAXA Technologies, I hooked up my iPad 2 using the Apple Digital AV adapter and a Hammerhead HDMI cable.
One of the first things I tested was general usage. While using apps such as MyPad for Facebook, Mail, Safari, and Photos, I found the responsiveness and video quality almost perfect. All of the apps worked very well, and there were no glitches. The only downside I found during this stage of testing was that if an app does not have built-in support for mirroring, it will run in letterbox mode, leaving a small black boarder around everything you are doing.
Next, I decided to test video. Even though video out has always been supported on iPad, I was still interested to see how it would work on the projector. I played back a variety of test footage, and was very pleased with how well the sound matched up to the video.
The last thing that I tested were games. Some games, such as Real Racing 2 HD, support 1080p output to an external a video source. In the case of Real Racing, the iPad becomes a steering wheel, and the whole game is displayed on the projector. The ability to run games in this manner brings iPad a lot closer to full game console ability. More and more apps are beginning to come out that feature full HD output support. I also tested out games such as Words with Friends, Dead Space, MetalStorm, and Falling Fred. While none of these games technically support video out—yet—they all ran very well in letterbox mode. While not ideal, I’m sure more developers will start to integrate these features into their apps soon.
After concluding my thorough (and fun) testing I’m pleased to report this setup works great! Everything seems to work very well when projected from iPad, and I can see this becoming the new standard for presentations. With the combined ease of use of iPad and the ability to mirror to just about any projector—most all use VGA or HDMI—I can see this really taking off in the business, education and gaming worlds.