IPad – AirPlay video, but play audio on device

Didn't intend to answer my own question, but I found this March 2011 Bloomberg article:

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is weighing an expansion of its AirPlay audio service to include streaming video from an iPhone or iPad to television sets, according to two people familiar with the project.

Under the plan, Apple would license its AirPlay software to consumer-electronics makers that could use it in devices for streaming movies, TV shows and other video content, said the people, who asked to remain anonymous because the plans haven’t been made public. Apple now only licenses AirPlay for streaming audio. Devices that could be used for video may be available this year, one of the people said.

So apparently the answer is "not yet, but maybe in the future."

I think an HDMI solution would work better in this case because you need as little latency as possible for music. The company I work for is considering trying a Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle or Intensity Extreme HDMI interface and converter, which cost US $300 at retail. I have no experience with them. You will need a Thunderbolt, PCI or USB 3 interface to your Mac to use a Blackmagic Intensity.

Part Two

I'm also a registered user of the Reflection app, and I've been in touch with their tech support staff. They point out that latency and frame rate depend on the specifications of the WiFi router through which the iPad sends its audio and video to the Mac. When you connect the iPad's video and audio to the Mac using AirPlay, are you using a WiFi G router (slow), or a WiFi N router (five times as fast as WiFi G)? Furthermore, you should probably connect the Mac directly to the router via an Ethernet cable, and not use WiFi on the Mac at all. Test this with a WiFi N (802.11n) router in close proximity to the iPad broadcasting with AirPlay and see if performance improves and latency decreases.

If you are using this setup in performance as a DJ, you might want to set up your own router in your DJ rig, whether it's connected to the Internet or not, so you can ensure the fastest connection between the iPad and the Mac.

If that doesn't produce acceptable results, then the HDMI hardware might be the next thing to try.