AIrplay is to Apple TV as ______ is to Smart TV

[JasonInPas]

Anyone ever notice how much better 'casting' YouTube is on a smart tv versus Apple TV?

When I open the YouTube app on my iPhone, and then select my smart tv (panasonic vt60), the iphone basically acts as a remote control for the tv's built-in youtube app. i could power down the phone and the video would keep playing on the tv. The video is coming from the TV's internet connection and being played on it's own youtube app.

but if I instead select apple tv from my iPhone's YouTube app, the experience is totally different. Am i correct in thinking that the phone is using AirPlay to stream the video to apple tv and not actually using the apple tv's built-in youtube app? The iphone is downloading the video from youtube and passing it along to the apple tv?

If the technology being used with the Apple TV is AirPlay, what is the technology that allows my youtube app to basically act as a remote control for the built-in youtube app on my smart tv?

 

[JasonInPas]

Also, I noticed I can't even leave the YouTube app on my iPhone when playing/casting to the Apple TV. Really bad.

 

[dbm]

Use the Remote app instead to drive the YouTube app directly on your ATV?

 

[JasonInPas]

Use the Remote app instead to drive the YouTube app directly on your ATV?

Yeah, I guess we have three ways to control YouTube on the Apple TV! (physical remote, iOS remote app, or iOS YouTube app). All with advantages and disadvantages.

Still wondering what the technology is called that integrates the iOS YouTube app with smart TVs like my Panasonic. It's fundamentally different than just simple streaming or AirPlay.

 

[dbm]

Presumably it's DLNA but I can't see anything specific which would confirm that.

ETA: actually, it looks like a proprietary protocol developed by Google:
http://www.cnet.com/news/google-adds-send-to-tv-option-to-youtube-for-ios/

 

[chas_m]

Some Smart TVs have AirPlay compatibility, which obviously does the same job as the Apple TV but relies on your iPad/Mac/iPhone to stream.

Otherwise, just use the Apple TV app. Seems to work very well here.

 

[JasonInPas]

ETA: actually, it looks like a proprietary protocol developed by Google:
Google adds 'send to TV' option to YouTube for iOS - CNET

Close...

but it's DIAL! Yay, I'm so glad I found this. dbm, you definitely helped me get in the right direction.

So, to answer my original question:

Airplay is to Apple TV as DIAL is to Smart TVs! And it's SOOO much better.

Read more here: https://gigaom.com/2013/01/23/dial-open-airplay-competitor/

 

[dbm]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing the link.