Apple is widely expected to unveil new iPads, new Macs, as well as introduce its next major desktop operating system today at the device-maker’s second big event this fall.
A livestream of the event kicks off at 10 a.m. for everyone to watch — well, not quite everyone.
As with Apple’s previous events, the stream is restricted to Apple devices running the most updated version of Safari. Sure, blocking potential future customers from watching what is essentially a marketing presentation seems silly, but hey, Apple can do whatever they want, right?
Note that even if you have an Apple device, make sure everything is up to date.
To watch, Apple requires Safari 5.1.10 or later on OS X v10.6.8 or later; Safari on iOS 6.0 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires a second-or third-generation Apple TV with software 6.2 or later.
The most updated version of Safari for Windows falls short of those requirements, so if you find yourself with running Windows, or another operating system, here’s some tips I found the useful when trying to tune in last month to hear about Apple’s new iPhones, the Apple Watch and Apple Pay.
(Full disclosure: Sidestepping the official stream did not prevent me from losing the signal during the flawed webcast, and it didn’t stop me from hearing the Chinese-language version dubbed over the top of Apple execs.)
Here’s the instructions, which I originally discovered on Reddit:
- Download VLC Player from here: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html
- Install it.
- Open the program. Click on Media (top left) > Open Network Stream.
- You will see this screen: http://puu.sh/bqV9o.png
- Paste this link into that field: http://p.events-delivery.apple.com.edgesuite.net/14pijnadfpvkjnfvpijhabdfvpijbadfv09/m3u8/atv_mvp.m3u8
- Note: If it freezes, simply press STOP button and then PLAY to get it working again.
Sounds obvious, but it won’t start working until the stream starts playing at 10 a.m., and I’m also not clear on whether you will need an updated URL for today’s presentation since these were the instructions posted last month. If there’s a new address feel free to leave it in the comments, and I will try to update the post once the event begins, as well.
The one problem I noticed is that it’s all too easy to blame the VLC Player if problems arise. This was definitely the case with the iPhone announcement last month, which stopped and started so many times, you had no idea if it was live anymore. I’d suggest watching comments on Twitter to see if anyone else is experiencing problems to keep your trouble-shooting to a minimum.
I tried one other suggestion for getting the feed to work on my computer. It did not work for me, but you are still welcome to try it. For instance, this free “User-Agent Switcher” for Chrome allows you to trick websites into thinking you are using a different browser, like Safari. However, in my case, Apple was not fooled.
Alternatively, the VLC Player can also work on Android. You will have to install the VLC player from the Google Play store, and follow the same instructions.
If all else fails, watch for live coverage on GeekWire!
