Beamer 4: The Mac App Streams Any File to TV & Apple Vision Pro

Because Apple products integrate so well on both the hardware and software sides, it is effortless to share content between your Apple devices. For instance, you can easily share videos via AirPlay or use your iPhone as the remote for your Apple TV.

However, built-in options like AirPlay have limitations, especially when streaming local video files that use non-Apple codecs (like MKV) from your Mac, or when you want to stream to non-Apple devices like an Android smart TV or a Google Chromecast. Managing these unsupported formats and multiple platforms can be a hassle.

Fortunately, this is where Beamer for Mac comes in. We have been testing the latest Beamer 4 for the past week, and we wanted to share our honest experience with you. In this brief review, you will find everything you need to know about Beamer.

What is Beamer for Mac?

Beamer for Mac is a content-streaming app available for macOS. It is designed to simplify the process of streaming unsupported video files to devices like Apple TV, Google Chromecast/Chromecast Ultra, Sonos speakers, and Apple Vision Pro. This powerful utility allows you to watch virtually any file format on your smart devices by streaming the content directly from your Mac.

So, if you have a video file on your Mac, you can stream it to an Apple TV 4K or a Google Chromecast. As you can see, the Beamer app does a few things that you cannot do via the built-in AirPlay options, such as playing MKV files natively or managing a cohesive playlist across platforms.

How does it work?

Even though Beamer app offers innovative features, the core functionality is built to work seamlessly with native streaming technologies.

• For Apple TV, Beamer leverages the integration between macOS and tvOS to ensure smooth, high-quality content delivery.
• For non-Apple devices like Google Chromecast and Sonos, the Beamer app acts as a media server (or an AirPlay transmitter), which allows it to convert and stream content to the TV or speaker, simulating the native casting environment.

The use of these native streaming technologies offers a couple of advantages:

• We have found that Beamer is extremely fast. It does not take extra time to configure or select input/output sources on your Mac.
• There is an additional advantage of added compatibility. It is one of the reasons Beamer can work with a variety of devices running different platforms like Chromecast and tvOS.

The features we loved

Here are a few features that we believe add value to the Beamer package on Mac.

Playlist Mode

With content streaming in mind, the player comes with Playlist and Queue support, allowing you to add all the content you want to stream in the order you prefer. Beamer also allows you to customize the playlist according to your preferences. And because the currently playing video is shown at the top, you won’t have any trouble finding what you should watch next.

Automation Options

This feature automates the entertainment experience. For instance, Beamer can remove movies from a playlist once you finish watching them. It is also intelligent enough to select your preferred subtitle and audio track when multiple options are available. If you need to stop watching, the Beamer app will know how to resume the content exactly where you left off.

Remote Control Support

Just because you are streaming content from the Mac, you do not have to forfeit the convenience of a dedicated remote. The Beamer app works quite well with Apple TV and Chromecast remote controls. For instance, you can use the Apple TV remote to move between the multiple videos on your playlist. You can also use one of the popular remote control apps to get the job done.

User experience

Probably the best thing about Beamer for Mac is its intuitive user interface. You do not have to be a tech expert to get started with this streaming app. Instead, you simply have to make sure that your Mac and the output device are on the same Wi-Fi network. Once you launch the Beamer app, it will automatically detect these devices and let you pick one of them.

So, if you already have a common Wi-Fi network at home or in the workplace, using Beamer is a piece of cake. To add videos to the playlist, you can simply drag and drop them—it’s as simple as that. Combined with the overall speed at which streaming works, we would give a premium rating for the user experience of the Beamer app on Mac.

Compatibility

Compatibility is an area where Beamer truly excels. We used v4 of Beamer, which is the current version and necessary for full modern compatibility.

• Device Compatibility: Beamer 4 supports tvOS 17 and AirPlay 2. Crucially, it has integrated support to act as an AirPlay transmitter for the Apple Vision Pro, allowing you to seamlessly watch your Mac-based content (including challenging formats like MKV) on your headset.
• Media File Compatibility: Beamer does not disappoint, no matter what you throw at it. The official list of supported formats include ASF, WMV, AVI, DivX, FLV, MKV, MPEG, MPEG-TS, MPEG-4, QuickTime, VOB, WebM, and many more. It offers built-in support for a wide variety of video encoding formats, including HEVC and VP8.

Overall, we are impressed by how compatible Beamer for Mac is and commend the developers for their ongoing work to support the latest Apple hardware and streaming standards.

Room for improvement

We have made a major correction here. The original review stated a 1080p limit, but this is no longer entirely accurate.

Beamer 4 now explicitly supports Chromecast Ultra, allowing it to stream in 4K Ultra HD and HDR quality to that device. While AirPlay streaming to the Apple TV often still operates at a high-bitrate 1080p or the display’s maximum supported resolution, the ability to stream 4K to Chromecast Ultra is a massive improvement.

The overall quality remains impressive, as Beamer 4 supports high bit-rate streaming and 5.1 surround sound enhancement, which is superior to standard screen mirroring.

You can also explore alternatives like JustStream and Airflow, but these tools may not have the same level of optimization for a range of features, including tvOS, Chromecast, and the Vision Pro.

Availability and pricing

You can download Beamer for Mac from the official website and test the app for a few days with a free trial. If you want permanent access to all features, you must purchase a license.

Beamer is included with Softorino’s Universal License, which gives you access to all Softorino apps (like WALTR PRO, SYC PRO, and AltTunes).

The official annual subscription is $39.96—which works out to $3.33/month. Although this is the best value, some users may prefer single licenses without recurring costs for all apps.

Conclusion

Overall, we can confirm that Beamer for Mac is a value-for-money utility for those who own an Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, or a Chromecast-enabled TV and frequently stream unsupported file types like MKV. The fact that you can manage the entire playlist and order from your Mac at the native speed is impressive. So, make sure you check out Beamer and enjoy the convenience of easy content streaming.