In 2004, Apple introduced an exciting new technology, AirTunes, that let users of Apple devices stream music to third party gadgets.

Twenty years later, the legacy of that breakthrough, AirPlay, is finally serving one of its seemingly more practical real-world applications, with Apple announcing AirPlay support in the guest rooms of 160 IHS Hotel and Resort properties in North America. 

The IHS chain includes Holiday Inn, Candlewood Suites and Avid Hotels. IHS has a list of its properties that support AirPlay on this page. 

The technology will enable users of Apple devices including iPhones and iPads to stream video from their own apps to LG smart TVs situated in IHS rooms. (LG started integrating support for AirPlay 2 in its TVs back in 2019.) 

Guests merely need to connect their Apple device to the hotel's WiFi network, then scan a QR code on their in-room television for authentication and setup. 

Apple first announced that AirPlay was coming to hotel rooms at its Worldwide Developers Conference last year, and the feature debuted with the introduction of iOS 17.3 earlier this year. 

The deployment of Apple's screen-sharing technology address a growing demand among hotel guests, who are craving more control of their media consumption in the age of personalized on-demand streaming ... and are often choosing vacation rental apps like Airbnb or Vrbo instead of hotels to gain that freedom. 

Comcast has integrated AirPlay mirroring capabilities into its Xfinity Stream app, allowing users to essentially carry their pay TV subscription on their Apple or Android mobile device and watch it on any AirPlay-enabled television.

For a cable company that lost nearly 11% of its video customers last year, it seems like a bit of a duh moment. No. 2 U.S. cable operator Charter Communications, after all, has supported AirPlay on its Spectrum TV app for some time.

Many connected TV devices and smart TV operating systems beyond the Apple TV 4K now support AirPlay — notably, the latter iterations of Roku and Amazon Fire TV TVOS support Apple’s inter-device connection standard.

Indeed, whether a user is trying to unwind in a hotel room or continue watching a show in their bedroom after starting it in the living room, AirPlay mirroring is kind of an existentially important feature for a pay TV streaming app.

But these kinds of support agreements between big media-tech companies are, of course, always more complicated than they look. Notably, it was only in June of last year that Comcast finally published a version of Xfinity Stream that supports the Apple TV 4K CTV device. And it was also less than a year ago that Comcast integrated the Apple TV Plus app on its X1 and Xfinity Flex TVOS platforms.

And not for nothin’, amid Comcast's dwindling video economics, the cable company is further driving secondary set-top leasing into further obsolescence among its 16.6 million remaining pay TV subs. ▪️

Apple and Roku are reportedly close to finalizing a deal that will enable AirPlay 2 support in Roku devices.

This would let users of Roku streaming devices and Roku-powered smart TVs port videos, photos and music directly from iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and other Apple devices to the Roku user interface.

It’s a particularly big win for Roku’s bid to become the dominant operating system of smart TVs. As the Consumer Electronics Show got underway in January, Apple announced AirPlay 2 support for Samsung, LG, Vizio and Sony TVs—a deal thought to have put Roku at a significant disadvantage.

The Roku interface powers smart TVs made by TCL, Sharp, Hisense, Hitachi, Sanyo, and RCA. Those makers would be challenged to remain loyal to Roku if their rivals end up with AirPlay 2 support and they don’t.

Related: Roku Gets TCL's Backing in Smart TV Battle with Apple

After CES announcement, one investment firm called Roku’s stock “uninvestible.”

News of the Apple and Roku talks comes from MacRumors.

The two technology companies have yet to confirm the agreement.