Reading on TV quick tip

[MonkCanatella]

Hi all,

I'd like to contribute something that I've discovered recently. I use an iPad and I have an AppleTV connected to my TV in my bedroom. It's really easy to show your ipad screen on the apple tv, though I'm sure you can do it with any combination of readers/tv devices.

That said, reading ebooks on my tv with the font set up really high is actually an incredible experience and I think I prefer it to any ereader.

The posture is more comfortable and you don't have to hold the book/device.


Often when reading on a physical book or eReader, I end up trying to find a more comfortable posture - you're either craning your neck, or if you've found a position in which your neck is relaxed, you're undoubtedly forced to hold the book/device in an uncomfortable position.

One way or another, you're straining your neck or your arms/hands. Reading on a TV is actually ideal - you can sit in your lazy boy, lay in your bed, whatever is most comfortable and ideal for your posture.

and it's a big bonus that you're not holding anything. It may seem minor, until you realize that whenever you're reading, your hands are totally occupied.

I highly recommend giving it a try if you've never done so. Luckily it was trivial to try out using my iPad and AppleTV, or I probably never would have done so. But now if I'm reading at home, it's my go to way.

[tomsem]

I agree, it can be a great experience, makes me wonder why there are no Apple TV reading apps (Apple has iBooks StoryTime, but it only works with specific titles).

But one still needs to use a device (iPhone or iPad) to turn pages and so forth. So I'm not clear on what you mean by "you're not holding anything". An exception might be if you have invoked Speak Screen or (Kindle app) Immersion Reading or using Voice Control.

[MonkCanatella]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I agree, it can be a great experience, makes me wonder why there are no Apple TV reading apps (Apple has iBooks StoryTime, but it only works with specific titles).

But one still needs to use a device (iPhone or iPad) to turn pages and so forth. So I'm not clear on what you mean by "you're not holding anything". An exception might be if you have invoked Speak Screen or (Kindle app) Immersion Reading or using Voice Control.

I just set it by my side and swipe when I want to change pages. I typically do a lot of annotating/searching. There's rarely a page that goes by without me searching some vocabulary/annotating. In those cases I just pick it up and do my annotating/research and resume back to normal.

Also, I have a bluetooth mouse/kb. I haven't tried yet, but I bet using a mouse or even better, a magic trackpad for handling page turning would be great.

But yeah, unless I'm making an annotation or doing some research, the ipad just sits next to me and I swipe whenever I want to turn the page. I love it, I can sit with a warm mug of coffee, snacks, whatever. it's the ultimate lazy reading experience haha

[tomsem]

I wish Apple Silicon iPads could attach Apple TV (or Mac) as 'external display' and not just for screen mirroring, so you could use the entire screen. Maybe it is possible for a reading app to output 'video' via AirPlay so it can use full screen that way.

It helps to turn on Stage Manager (if iPad supports it) so you can adjust the size of the app window so you don't need 2 columns or very long lines of text.

Yes you can use any number of Bluetooth devices to turn pages at least. Trackpad would work best, of course, but a bit pricey.

Voice Control works great provided you aren't sharing space with other people who might get bothered by 'swipe left' announcements every minute. Kindle and Apple Books support it very well. Other reading apps, not so much (last time I checked).

[MonkCanatella]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I wish Apple Silicon iPads could attach Apple TV (or Mac) as 'external display' and not just for screen mirroring, so you could use the entire screen. Maybe it is possible for a reading app to output 'video' via AirPlay so it can use full screen that way.

It helps to turn on Stage Manager (if iPad supports it) so you can adjust the size of the app window so you don't need 2 columns or very long lines of text.

Yes you can use any number of Bluetooth devices to turn pages at least. Trackpad would work best, of course, but a bit pricey.

Voice Control works great provided you aren't sharing space with other people who might get bothered by 'swipe left' announcements every minute. Kindle and Apple Books support it very well. Other reading apps, not so much (last time I checked).

A reader made for AppleTV and other smart tv systems would in fact be super dope. Maybe I'll make a project out of it. I have been spending way too much time trying out different ereaders and every time, there's one or another dealbreaker, so I've been considering now that I could potentially just make my own reader. I'd love to see something like plex but for books, with apps that sync to the main server - somewhat like how I do for video content. Could even be great to allow using your phone as a controller for the TV app...