

- USE MAC AS REMOTE FOR APPLE TV FOR FREE
- USE MAC AS REMOTE FOR APPLE TV TRIAL
- USE MAC AS REMOTE FOR APPLE TV BLUETOOTH
SiriMote works by pairing the Siri Remote to any Mac that supports Bluetooth 4.0 and is running OS X El Capitan. It’s a free app from Eternal Storms Software, which also makes Yoink and Transloader, amongst other apps. The Siri Remote for the Apple TV does still use IR for certain functions, but most of its communications are now done via Bluetooth 4.0.īut if you’d like to use your Siri Remote with your Mac, you can with SiriMote. But since then, IR receivers have gone the way of the DVD drive and, chances are, your Mac doesn’t have one. Back then most of Apple’s laptop’s (including mine) came with a built-in infrared (IR) receiver and the functions of the Apple TV remote automatically worked with iTunes and some other Mac apps.
USE MAC AS REMOTE FOR APPLE TV TRIAL
1 It also requires Remote Buddy for your Mac, which has a 30-day free trial and can then be purchased for €24.99.Back when I owned a 2008 MacBook and the second-generation Apple TV, I remember occasionally using the Apple TV remote with my Mac.
USE MAC AS REMOTE FOR APPLE TV FOR FREE
Remote Buddy Display is available for free on the Apple TV, which you can find by searching the App Store on your Apple TV. Now, I don’t expect to need to control my Mac from my Apple TV regularly, but I’m sure there are some of you who may have a Mac media server and would like the ability to control it without getting off the couch or connecting a keyboard and mouse. For a product that launched on 11 November, shortly after the Apple TV arrived, it is incredibly capable and well considered. Remote Buddy Display goes well beyond that. Most tvOS apps are basic, and are in many respects just testing the waters of this new platform. I have to admit, I was pretty sceptical when I first heard about this app, but I’m incredibly impressed with what it can accomplish. Finally, there are power buttons (sleep, shut down, etc) and the ability to disconnect from this server (“Logout”).

In addition, you can bring up Help instructions (which remind you about the Siri Remote touchpad gestures), plus the ability to trigger “Actions” for popular apps (listed under the “Behaviours” setting). This panel enables you to switch between using the Siri Remote as a remote, cursor, or keyboard (it will bring up an on-screen keyboard). But it gets better: press the MENU button on your Siri Remote and Remote Buddy Display will reveal a panel of key controls. Sure, the surface area of the touchpad is a little small, but it’s certainly usable – and accurate. What makes this compelling is that the touchpad on the Siri Remote actually works incredibly well at moving around your Mac’s cursor. Provided you have installed Remote Buddy onto your Mac, you can take control of your Mac via your Apple TV simply by launching the Remote Buddy Display app on your Apple TV. What differentiates it from AirPlay Mirroring, built into OS X, is that you can also control your Mac, using just the Apple TV’s Siri Remote.

Remote Buddy Display is an app that enables you to wirelessly mirror your Mac onto your TV. Some of my early favorites (aside from the obvious content-delivery apps like Netflix and HBO Now) include Plex, VLC, GIFtv, and now Remote Buddy Display. It’s still the very early days for tvOS and the App Store on the new Apple TV, but we’re starting to see some really neat apps for the new platform.
