Do AppleTVs show up in AirPlay by proximity?

Question

So it is weird, I cannot find any details online, but we just set up multiple AppleTVs in our office for meeting rooms today. They are hard wired to our network which is connected with our WiFi network. All access points and hardwired devices connect to the same network switch/router.

It seems that somehow devices know which AppleTV they are near, as only the nearby ones (within about 40-50 feet) show up as options in AirPlay. Does anyone know if this is a feature, or is it a problem that we need to troubleshoot? (Don't want to have a big client meeting and then scramble to get a something working to show work.)

Thank you.

Answer 1

The 6.1 update added airplay discoverability via bluetooth to the Apple TV, and it sounds as though this is what you are seeing, especially since the distances you mention are not dissimilar to bluetooth ranges.

From Macrumors:

This change allows Apple TV to search for connectable devices over Bluetooth, bypassing Bonjour and making it easier for education and business administrators to set up iOS device and Apple TV pairings. Previously, Apple TVs could have a difficult time discovering devices on networks that might block Bonjour.

At the time, it required an iOS 7.1 device and did not work with a mac, but apparently this feature was added in Yosemite:

Unfortunately, this Bluetooth Discovery feature has not been available for Macs, which is why your iPhone/iPad can see the Apple TV and your Mac cannot. Fortunately, with the latest beta release of Apple's Yosemite OS, this appears to be working now (Hooray!)

iOS 8 added a peer-to-peer airplay system for third generation Apple TVs, however since your Apple TVs are on the same network as your other devices it seems less likely to be what you are seeing (though it could be useful if you have guest presenters).