Mirroring MacBook Pro onto AppleTV

Question

All of my computers, peripherals, etc.. are all Mac and I just recently picked up AppleTV.
One of the functions that I have been really happy with is the option to be able to mirror my phone or pad onto my tv screen.
I have been reading though that some MacBook Pro's will mirror and some won't. How do I determine if mine won't?? Just the fact that the mirror option isn't in my display options?
I purchased the Macbook in June of 2011 so about a year and a half ago.
15-inch, Early 2011
Processor  2.2 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory  8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
Graphics  Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB
Software  Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63)
I'd appreciate any help.
Thanks
Doug

Answer 1

I echo your question(s) and concern(s) as I find that my mid 2010 macbook pro is not supported when it comes to airplay.  If you scroll right to the bottom of the Apple TV website you find the small print with regard to mirroring.  Unfortunatally I didn't read the small print until after I purchased Apple TV.  The website graphic of a MacBook misled me to believe my less than 2 year old purchase of a macbook would work.  So, the question in my mind that remains unanswerable by Apple Support... "why can a third party (AirParrot) get a mirroring function to work, but the geniuses at Apple development can't?".  Further, It strikes me odd that my system report even shows "Mirror" as OFF.  Almost like its a variable parameter that could be turned on if Apple wanted to turn it on. I did turn the mirror function on in my Display properties.  It struck me as odd that the property says "Show mirroring options in menu bar if available".  That was my first clue that I was in for trouble.  It's not often that one finds a property that is open ended like that.
Hummm... yet another newly released so called "feature" that is not backwards compatible.   Buyer beware.  I never thought I'd have to say that about Apple products.  
AirPlay is available on all devices running iOS 4.3 or later. Some features require the latest software. Second-generation Apple TV or later required.
AirPlay Mirroring is available with iPad 2 or later; iPhone 4S; iPhone 5; iPod touch (5th generation); and iMac (Mid 2011 or newer), Mac mini (Mid 2011 or newer), MacBook Air (Mid 2011 or newer) and MacBook Pro (Early 2011 or newer) with Mountain Lion.
Dual-screen capability is available with iPad 2 or later, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation).
NVIDIA GeForce 320M:
  Chipset Model:          NVIDIA GeForce 320M
  Type:          GPU
  Bus:          PCI
  VRAM (Total):          256 MB
  Vendor:          NVIDIA (0x10de)
  Device ID:          0x08a0
  Revision ID:          0x00a2
  ROM Revision:          3533
  Displays:
Color LCD:
  Display Type:          LCD
  Resolution:          1280 x 800
  Pixel Depth:          32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
  Main Display:          Yes
  Mirror:          Off
  Online:          Yes
  Built-In:          Yes