All About Chromecast

Chromecast VS Miracast: everything you need know about Chromecast, wireless display and screen mirroring

Last updated on: , first published on: 162 Comments

chromecast-vs-miracast

Update 1: Android screen mirroring through Chromecast is available! Please read this post for details.

Chromecast was hailed by Time Magazine as the most innovative gadget in 2013.  This affordable HDMI dongle changes the way people consume content, especially online video and music.

Most people now have multiple screens: smartphones ( normally 3.5-7″), tablets (normally 7-12.2″), laptops (normally 10-17″), PCs (normally 19-34″), and of course, TVs (normally 34-80″).  Different sizes give different experiences and some content. For example, full-length movies are preferred on a larger TV screen.

Table of Contents hide
1) How to unify these screens?
2) What is Miracast?
3) Does my mobile device support Miracast?
4) Is Chromecast using Miracast ?
5) Chromecast VS Miracast: what are the major differences?
6) Chromecast VS Miracast: Advantages of Chromecast
7) Chromecast VS Miracast: Disadvantages of Chromecast
8) Chromecast VS Miracast: should I buy Chromecast or Miracast dongle?
9) Chromecast VS Miracast: where to buy Chromecast?
10) Chromecast VS Miracast: What is the recommended HDMI Miracast dongle/adapter?
10.1) What’s your opinion on Chromecast VS Miracast? Please let us know in the comment box below.

How to unify these screens?

There are different answers from different vendors. But most of them are vendor-dependent. In other words, the solution only works for some specific-branded devices. For example, Apple has AirPlay (which requires Apple TV); Samsung introduced  AllShare Cast since Galaxy S3 (which requires certain Samsung Galaxy devices).

Chromecast delivered an answer that is independent of hardware vendors!

Another hardware-independent answer is Miracast.

Because Android has supported Miracast natively since Jelly Bean 4.2, a lot of Chromecast owners confused Chromecast with Miracast.

I will try to explain to you Chromecast vs Miracast: the difference between Chromecast and Miracast (Miracast enabled devices), the advantages and disadvantages of Chromecast and Miracast.

What is Miracast?

Miracast is a peer-to-peer wireless screencasting standard using Wi-Fi Direct connections. Manufacturers can get certifications for their devices from Wi-Fi Alliance.

Miracast standard enables wireless delivery of audio and video to or from any device with WiFi direct support.  To make it work, both the sending and receiving devices must support Miracast. Most smart TVs released in the last two years support Miracast.

If the receiving device (usually a TV or projector) does not support Miracast, an HDMI or USB Miracast dongle can be used for the receiver to work with the sending devices. This means if your TV does not support Miracast, you may still enjoy the casting with a small HDMI dongle.

Does my mobile device support Miracast?

For Android phones and tablets, Miracast has been supported since Jelly Bean 4.2. This means if your Android device is running Jelly Bean 4.2, Jelly Bean 4.3, or KitKat 4.4, it is very likely that your device supports Miracast.

The Miracast feature in Android devices is usually marketed as a wireless display (e.g., Moto X) or screen mirroring (e.g., Galaxy S4).

However, for some low-end Android devices, some vendors may disable Miracast due to hardware or resource limitations. For example, although Moto G came with Jelly Bean 4.3 and was updated to KitKat 4.4, the wireless display is disabled at the software level due to hardware limitations (WiFi connection and Miracast cannot be used simultaneously in Moto G). Actually, the Sony Xperia Z also suffered a similar issue. But Sony enabled this feature anyway (but once you use the wireless display in Xperia Z, the internet connection drops).

Some old Samsung Android devices, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, and Galaxy Note 10.1, have AllShare Cast baked in. They also work with Miracast receiving devices, although the OS may still be in Jelly Bean 4.1.

AllShare Cast is a proprietary solution from Samsung. But it is compatible with Miracast devices (Samsung does not publicly admit it).

Meanwhile, AirPlay from Apple is NOT compatible with Miracast at all. It only works through Apple TV.  Neither iPhone nor iPad supports Miracast. So,  if you are an iPhone or iPad user, you are out of the Miracast circle.

For laptops and ultrabooks, Intel has a WiDi solution, which is compatible with Miracast devices.  It works with Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.

Windows 8.1 will support Miracast natively. Microsoft put a guide page here.

Is Chromecast using Miracast ?

First, Chromecast is NOT using Miracast. It actually has nothing to do with Miracast.

Chromecast can work in two modes:  web apps mode and Chrome tab casting mode.

In web apps mode,  Chromecast works like an HTML5 web browser. The Chromecast-enabled apps (for example, YouTube App, Netflix App, Google Play Movies and TV, Hulu Plus, etc.) pass an HTML5 page (a playlist) to Chromecast, and then Chromecast streams the contents to your TV.  The app developer must access  Google Cast SDK, which was released to the developers officially early this month, to make their apps work with Chromecast. The casting or streaming relies on Google Cast Services provided by Google.

Chromecast can also directly cast any tabs of the Chrome browser from your PC to a TV.

This mode is different from web app mode because it does not require a web app. In the Chrome browser, you need to install a Google Cast extension. The technology behind this mode is actually WebRTC. WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is an API definition being drafted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to enable browser-to-browser applications for voice calling, video chat, and P2P file sharing without plugins. Chrome tab casting is not as mature as web apps, and it requires substantial hardware capabilities.

So, in short, Chromecast has nothing to do with Miracast.

Chromecast VS Miracast: what are the major differences?

When comparing Chromecast VS Miracast, the first question you may have is what the differences are.

Miracast is a “mirroring” solution. The video and audio signals are transferred digitally (WiFi direct) from the sending device to the receiving device  (most of the time, it is a TV). The receiving device passes the digital signal to TV inputs (a small conversion may be involved).

For example, when playing a video on a mobile phone,  the mobile device decodes the video and sends the output to both the local screen and the receiving device (e.g., TV). The receiving device does not handle files directly. For most devices, you cannot turn off the local screen.  The only exception I found is Samsung’s AllShare Cast, which automatically turns off the local display.

Chromecast in web app mode actually works like a media player embedded in an HTML 5 page. The Apps in your mobile device pass the URL and some other properties to Chromecast, which does the rest. So Chromecast actually handles the file and sends output to the TV. The app on your mobile device may do something else.

For example, when watching YouTube videos with Chromecast, your mobile device’s YouTube app simply passes the resource info to Chromecast as an HTML 5 web page, and Chromecast will do all other things. You can then use the mobile device for other jobs.

Chromecast in Chrome tab cast mode works similarly to mirroring but using a totally different technology.

Chromecast VS Miracast: Advantages of Chromecast

Comparing Chromecast to  Miracast, it is easy to find Chromecast has the following top 3 advantages.

  • Cheap.  $35 is probably the cheapest wireless casting solution you can find. Miracast HDMI dongle usually costs $50-$100.  Of course, you can argue that lots of current TVs have Miracast support already. But for the sending device, the only high-end device provides Miracast support.  Chromecast only needs small apps on your sending device. The apps work on most devices.
  • Multitasking. Miracast is a mirroring solution. It usually means your local screen will always have content identical to the TV. You cannot navigate away to do anything else. Although in Samsung’s AllShare Cast solution, you can turn off the local display, you still cannot navigate away. Chromecast allows you to switch to other apps on your mobile device when in web app mode. In the Chrome tab cast mode, you can open other programs and do something else as long as you do not close that mirrored tab.
  • Hardware independent. Miracast requires Miracast support on both sending and receiving devices.  Chromecast is a hardware-independent solution. You only need to run apps on your sending device. For the receiving device, you only need an HDMI port.

Chromecast VS Miracast: Disadvantages of Chromecast

Of course, Chromecast is far from perfect.  In the fight between Chromecast VS Miracast, Chromecast has the following top 3 disadvantages.

  • Heavily relies on app developers.  There are still very few apps that work with Chromecast. Of course, we will see more and more apps with Chromecast support after the public release of Google Cast SDK.  In short, what you can cast on the  TV screen relies on app developers (in web app mode) or what the Chrome browser can handle in Chrome tab casting mode. With Miracast, you can mirror whatever you can see on your tiny screen to a TV. It is app-independent.  
    • Update 1:  In selected Android devices with Android KitKat 4.4 or later, screen mirroring is also available. For Nexus devices, it is built-in. For other devices, it is done through the Chromecast app. This is still a beta feature. For more detailed info on Android screen mirroring through Chromecast, please read this post.
    • Update 2: screen mirroring is a standard Android feature and is available in almost all Android devices.
  • Mediocre performance in Chrome tab casting mode. Chrome tab casting mode is still in beta. The video quality is limited to 720p, and there is no full HD 1080p support yet.  Apparently, Chrome tab casting needs a lot of computing power. In some old systems, the performance may not be acceptable.  Although some cheap Miracast HDMI dongles may give a similar mediocre performance, most of the time, Miracast works flawlessly if the device is certified.
  • Not all WiFi networks work with Chromecast. Chromecast requires a wireless network. Miracast itself does not require this. To make it even worse, some wireless networks (e.g., wireless networks in most hotels)  do not work with Chromecast at all.  Some router configurations, e.g., AP (access point) isolation, will make your Chromecast useless.

Chromecast VS Miracast: should I buy Chromecast or Miracast dongle?

If you mainly watch local (downloaded) movies, and your device supports Miracast, a $60-$80 Miracast dongle is probably the ideal solution for you.  Chromecast does not support local media well, although a few apps can stream local media to Chromecast.  Local media files are now fully supported for Chromecast in many apps, for example, VLC for PC, VLC for Android, Videostream for Chromecast, and Plex.

If your mobile device does not support Miracast, of course, you should not waste money on any Miracast dongles.  Miracast is required on both sending (e.g., your mobile device) and receiving devices (a Miracast-enabled TV, or a Miracast dongle).

If you are an iPhone or iPad user, only Chromecast works for you. Actually, Apple TV is probably a better solution for you.

If your video is mainly from Amazon, and you have a Kindle Fire HDX tablet (Kindle Fire HDX 7 or Kindle Fire HDX 8.9), a Miracast dongle is a solution. Kindle Fire HDX  supports Miracast. Amazon videos do not work with Chromecast. Amazon Prime Video now supports Chromecast. For any Kindle Fire tablet, you can sideload the Chromecast Google Home app, but Amazon Video does not work with it.

Chromecast VS Miracast: where to buy Chromecast?

Chromecast is available in the Google Play Store  (US only currently, but it will be available in more countries in March).

It is also available in Amazon, BestBuy, Walmart, Staples, and Motorola online stores.

Chromecast VS Miracast: What is the recommended HDMI Miracast dongle/adapter?

For the HDMI Miracast adapter, you have a lot of options.

Miracast Dongle,Wireless HDMI Display Dongle Adapter, Screen Mirroring Adapter for i-Phone, i-Pad, Android, Tablet, Laptop, Window to HDTV/Monitor/Projector, Compatible Miracast, Air Play, DLNA
Miracast Dongle,Wireless HDMI Display Dongle Adapter, Screen Mirroring Adapter for i-Phone, i-Pad, Android, Tablet, Laptop, Window to HDTV/Monitor/Projector, Compatible Miracast, Air Play, DLNA
Buy on Amazon

My recommendation is  Netgear Push2TV Wireless Display HDMI Adapter (discontinued, but you can find some alternatives). This adapter works very well with Samsung devices (Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 3) and Android devices (Moto X, Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Xperia Z1, and HTC One). Don’t be fooled by the mediocre reviews on Amazon product page. Some reviewers simply do not know the purpose of this adapter.

This adapter also works nicely with Amazon Kindle Fire HD or Kindle Fire HDX tablets. This is the only device that is officially certified by Amazon for display mirroring with Kindle Fire HDX 7, Kindle Fire Hdx 8.9, and the new Kindle Fire HD. 

Netgear Push2TV HDMI Miracast adapter supports Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) as well. This means you can use your TV as the second screen for your WiDi-supported laptop with this adapter.

The price of this adapter is around $60. The USB power adapter is included in the box. But surprisingly, HDMI cable is not included. When ordering this adapter, please make sure you get an HDMI cable if you do not have any spare HDMI cables at home.

What’s your opinion on Chromecast VS Miracast? Please let us know in the comment box below.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rocky says

    Excellent article. Thank you. You left out Nexus 7 as an Android device that would work wit Netgear Push2TV. Is it intentional? My guess is Nexus 7 should work too. Could you confirm?

    Reply

  2. Edward says

    Great article, thanks. I’d like to add the BlackBerry Z30 as supported Miracast device for the Netgear Push2TV / PTV3000. BlackBerry 10 has Miracast on board and works very well for any media up to 1080p

    Reply

  3. Marucok says

    My Chinesee Neo N003 phone also works flawlessly on Samsung LED55 hdtv. Just enabling wireless display on display setting…and the tv screening my phone display in 1080p.
    Anyway great article!

    Reply

  5. stefanie says

    I am a teacher and I use my galaxy 3 tablet to teach. I need my screen to stay on the the tv at all times. Does chromecast only work with certain apps?

    Reply

  6. JC says

    I disagree with advantage of chromecast on multitasking because if you are streaming from a Windows 8 (updated to 8.1) mobile device (laptop, tablet) you can project 2nd screen in extended mode that allows you to do a lot more of things on 1st screen or viceversa.
    I agree only if you are streaming from a mobile device like a smartphone.

    Reply

  7. BC says

    l wanted to use Chromecast to connect to projectors at work. Our networks will not accept Chromecast, so I needed a wireless router in addition. Then my Surface Pro only projected about 1/4 of my screen. I then tried a Push2TV adapter, and everything worked great! Of course, my IPad users are out of luck.

    Reply

  8. Eddie says

    Nice review, I’m about to buy a z1 compact. Does netgear dongle recognizes it? Can I use it to stream Netflix behind a VPN app like tunnel bear? Hope u can help.

    Reply

  9. Giorgos says

    Hi, i would like to ask you if push2tv support laptop with windows 7 without widi?
    At the specs of push2tv says that support miracast, wifi direct and dlna.
    I want a direct connection for screen mirroring from my laptop to a projector for screen mirroring.
    Will this device give me a solution to my problem of screen mirroring? Thank you and sorry for my english!

    Reply

  10. Stephen Woodhouse says

    I have a nexus 5 but cannot connect to my TV using slimport as its not a full HD TV i.e 1080p. Would Miracast get round this issue and allow me to mirror my nexus 5 on my TV?

    Reply

  11. Zet says

    Hi guys,

    I have a LG G Pad tablet – slimport display capable.
    My advice for everybody: do not buy a slimport adapter. Why ?
    1. Most of them do not work properly (you can see the display on your TV for a few seconds or minutes then it’s gone). It is very important what kind of HDMI cable you are using:
    “We have discovered a compatibility issue with HDMI cables from other manufacturers that are constructed of copper-clad steel (CCS) instead of 100% bare copper. Those types of HDMI cables do not transmit sufficient power to operate correctly with our adapter.”
    2. You have no control over the screen size or the resolution used on your TV.
    3. You are connected through a cable – it is not so comfortable.

    I did try also Miracast – mirroring is not a good option for me.

    So, finally Chromecast is also available in Europe (35 euro). There is only one word for this device: AMAZING.
    What I did try with Chromecast:
    1. Youtube – no problem, you can also add more videos to the TV queue.
    2. Plex – I’m on a business trip now, my server is in another country – works like a charm.
    3. Localcast – I have some 1080p mkv files on my tablet – they run without a glitch (much much better then miracast). Tried also audio files, photos and pdf files. For video files you can also add subtitles, zoom, and rotate.
    4. Chrome Beta – install the app, open a new tab and “chrome://flags/#enable-cast” to activate chromecast.
    You can cast html5 content from different web sites.This is a beta version so sometimes the app might crash.

    I have also BubbleUpnp – I can cast from a local source of course, but also from a samba share or a NAS – I did not try it yet.

    My tablet has a IR port, so I can control also the TV, not only the Chromecast:)

    I would say this device has also a great future now that Google opened the SDK.

    Reply

  12. Carlos says

    Yes but not with 1st generation Nexus 7 (the older one). If you bought your Nexus 7 recently, it should work fine.

    Reply

  13. Bo Pinjefors says

    Hello.wy dont you test the Ez-cast dongle i bourght it from Honkong for 32 $ and it works just fine.
    It handles miracast and iphone.

    Reply

  14. Eliza Jaszcz says

    There’s one thing I’m confused about. My hdtv dies not have a miscast adapter, therefore I know I need to buy one on the receiving end. However, the device if like to mirror is a Google nexus 10. I thought the struggle states that one must buy an adapter on both ends of the tv isn’t compatible; at the same time, I know the nexus has the mirror screen option right in the settings, so it seems to me that it’s capabilities now should suffice. Input appreciated. Lizka

    Reply

  16. Kunal J says

    Thanks for a super article and for responding to every question there after. Kudos!

    I have a question that needs your input – What is the best solution for me to stream local content to my television?

    My situation:
    I have 4 HD televisions. All purchased about 3 years ago. All with USB connectivity & HDMI ports. None of them with built in Miracast support. The televisions are in different parts of the house. My Belkin N router sits in my living room which is centrally located in my house. The wireless signal strength at the televisions is weak to moderate (eg I get 1 or 2 bars out of 5 on a Dell XPS 12). Lastly, I only want to watch local content (movies and shows) on my televisions. I live abroad and most streaming services don’t work here.

    In decreasing order of priority, I would like to:
    1. Watch local content on my bedroom LG television that gets the lowest wifi signal (this is absolutely required)
    2. Create a central server and stream local content from the server to all 4 TVs (Not required, but obviously preferred since my entire family will have access to the content)

    Possible Solutions:
    1. Buy the Netgear Push2TV3000 for my bedroom and connect my Dell XPS12 to that. The other family members can of course borrow my Push2TV if required. Little painful, but doable. Cost $60. Challenge: Works well for me, but kinda leaves the rest of my family in the lurch. Plus a lot of plugging and unplugging going on.
    2. Install Plex on my Dell XPS12 and use it as a central server. Get 4 Chromecast dongles for all 4 televisions. And stream content through Plex. Cost ~$150. This is the ideal situation. However, Big Challenge: Wi-Fi signal strength is weak.

    Questions:
    1. If I was to use the Chormecast-Plex solution, how much Wifi strength do I need to stream from the central server to the TV? Will one or two bars Wifi strength work? If not, any ideas on how I can make this work? I have never worked with extenders and don’t know if they will do the job. Will appreciate your inputs there.
    2. Is there any other solution you can think of that lets me create a single central media server and stream off that to all my televisions given my limitations?

    Worst case scenario, I’ll go with the Push2TV option. But if there is a single, unified option out there, I don’t mind spending up to $250 to implement it.

    Thanks a ton in advance. I’ll wait for your reply before pulling the trigger on the Netgear Push2TV.

    Reply

  17. Imad says

    Very nice article.

    I’m looking for a mirroring solution, and thanks to you, I discovered the NetGear Push2TV.
    You said, that with Miracast solutions, you need the device to be always on. I stumbled on this dongle from ASUS (http://www.amazon.com/Asus-Miracast-Wireless-Display-90XB01F0-BEX000/dp/B00IBD0Q16/).
    In their video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9WNbOHbhc8), they say that you can continue working on you device (I guess, laptop/phone or windows PC) while streaming a video for example.
    How do you think this works, also, do you think this is a good replacement for the NetGear Push2TV – I prefer the format of the Asus dongle.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  18. Joe.D. says

    Excellent site you have here, glad I found it. Great info and comments, but I have a question …

    I recently bought a WDTV Live and it’s decent for wirelessly playing videos downloaded on my PC on TV (or from attached local storage) .. but not for screen mirroing or streaming live content. It has a seemingly undocumented built-in Google browser that won’t play most live streaming sports (UFC, etc)..probably a missing flash codec or other. If I had such a live streaming sporting event open and playing in a Chrome tab on my PC, should ChromeCast be able to mirror it properly on the TV ?? I realize it would have to be 720p or less, which is fine with me as long as the audio and video don’t lag or skip. If not ChromeCast, what would be a better, more cost effective option..??

    Many thanks…. -joe-

    Reply

  20. Leo says

    Thanks for being so open and kindly with your knowledge.

    I’m writing from Colombia and I have a simple scenario where I’d like you to give me your thoughts, if possible.

    I’m a XBMC heavy user with my laptop connected to my TV (Sony Bravia 55” recent model) with a 5 meters long HDMI cable that I’d like to get rid of. What is the best way to do this? I’ve been reading about Airtame and it sounds promising, but is still in development.

    Is there a way right now to just make a wireless HDMI connection of some sort?

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

  22. maggiescornerorg says

    Will either work on my laptop? I have HP Pavillion dv6500 notebook pc. OS is Microsoft Vista Home Premium, version 6.0.6002 service pack 2 build 6002. System Directory windows\system32.

    Reply

  23. maggiescornerorg says

    I wrote this in a forum last night but thought I would ask again here, My daughter Bobbi sent me a ChromeCast that she had set up at her house on her own network. I plugged it into my TV hdmi and it came on showing “Reconnect me bobbi can’t find arris54g wifi network” It also said to run the chromecast app to connect to a different network. I tried to do that on Ellipsis 7. I had downloaded the chromecast app and had it running, it recognized a device and opened a new window showing “Found bobbi and stating “let’s set up bobbi. When I click on setup, I receive message “Could not connect to your Chromecast. Make sure Chromecast is nearby. I have the tablet nearly on top of the tv, and besides, that don’t make sense because it recognized the device so it seems something else is going on. Do you think I have to go into my network and setup something, or what do think is going on?

    Reply

  24. John says

    Excellent info. Q: we want to mirror videos from our tablets (currently ipads) on TV’s in our showroom, on demand. E.g. customer wants to see a specific model in use, sales staff would pull up the video on the tablet and cast it to the large LED TV’s. When not “mirroring” these LED TV’s will be playing a “loop” of product video. Was about to purchase Samsung Smart TV’s with Micca Speck’s and give up on mirroring because I don’t want any of this on our network..then I found your article.If necessary, we can replace the i-pads with Android based Tablets. Would you recommend Miracast TV w/ Push2TV and Android Tablets for our scenario?

    Reply

  25. Alastair says

    I m using an EZCast clone like of Chromecast but with Mirroring option also. Connected to my 10.1 Cambridge Science 3G Dual Sim 16gb Android Jelly Bean 4.22 tablet and watching on my 50inch Tv with no problems. Got tablet from amazon £169.99 and EZcast from ebay £17.99. Can watch Netflix and all video catchup from my tablet.

    Reply

  26. Alan says

    Hi
    Brilliant information. I want to buy chromecast but have an android tablet (nexus 10) and I am aware that you cannot cast from chrome browser at the moment. So I feel I will have to go down the miracast route as I am more interested in displaying my tablet content than using the dedicated apps. Do you think that eventually chromecast will enable Web surfing on tablets such as mine
    Regards Alan

    Reply

  27. Angela Conde says

    I have a 2012 nexus 7. We bought a Belkin miracast. It works for my husbands Samsung galaxy mega but not my nexus tablet. Is there anything I can purchase to make my nexus 7 first edition work on the tv? Or is there something that I can add to the belkin miracast? We download movies under a bit torrent app.

    Reply

  28. john morrell says

    Hi Simon, A very interesting article. I am working at a p – 12 private school and I am thinking that the Miracast usb/hdmi dongle might be the way to connect our teachers laptop/tablets (all windows 8 and above) to the projectors in the class rooms. I would like to get rid of the vga cables that litter the floor and which I am replacing constantly due to bent/broken pins. The cables can cost anything up to $40.00 each and by the time I’ve replace 20 or so in a year the money starts to run out the door, which make a permanent $60.00 dongle viable. The only issue I have is that our students also have the same laptop/tablets as the teachers so having security to stop the students connecting would be advantage. Do you have any thoughts on this?

    Reply

  30. Christopher Rucinski says

    Simon, can you edit this article to indicate the new capabilities of the Chromecast (screen casting and it being semi-app independent). It is in beta right now, but it seems like Google is looking for an full app-agnostic usage out of beta – along with its default hardware-agnostic usage.

    Most Chromecast vs. Miracast articles seem to have been written pre-debut of the beta-limited Screen Casting support for Chromecast.

    Reply

  33. aperrier says

    Does anyone know if Galaxy tab 4 10.1 supports miracast please ? Specs of product say no but I have screen mirroring option on tablet… In the article, you say Samsung does not always tell about miracast option.
    When I asked them how to connect my tab 4 to my tv, they told me to buy allshare cast dongle (of course…)

    Reply

  34. Dorte weber says

    Hi Simon

    I am writing from Denmark.
    I have connected the chromecast to my wi-fi using my ipad (the chromecast app) and everything seemed to work fine. But now I am being told that the chromecast and my ipad can’t connect so I can’t e.g. transmit Netflix to my tv screen. The massage is that the chromecast and my ipad are connected to different wi-fi connections, but I am sure that they are not.
    Do you know if there is something I can do/look up via my ipad to check this…?
    My wi-fi router is a technicolor TG788vn which has been provinsen by my internet provider.

    BR,
    Dorte

    Reply

  35. dirtyvu says

    Chromecast users gloss over a major problem Chromecast has versus Miracast.

    Miracast is peer-to-peer. Your transmitting device (like your PC, your phone, tablet, etc.) connects directly to the receiving device (like your TV). No need for a wireless network. No need for a router. No need for the Internet. You can play any content you like. You can extend your desktop (so you can be doing email on your laptop while playing a movie on the TV). You can mirror your display. You can play any content via any program or any app.

    Chromecast requires a router and wireless network. And until recently, it required an Internet connection and only played web-based content. It only works through Chrome as well.

    You might think that scenario isn’t important to you. But portability and freedom are important in a lot of situations.
    Let’s say you want to go to an acquaintance’s house and want to show a movie or slideshow or something but they won’t give you the password to their network (even friends can be paranoid about giving out their password). Or let’s say you are doing a presentation at another office which most likely won’t let your computer or Chromecast on their protected network. Or let’s say you’re throwing a pool party and have a TV out there with your cell phone or laptop but no wireless network in sight. Let’s say you’re doing a trade show and need to cast a display. Have you tried using the free WiFi at a trade show? It’s horrendously unreliable due to the gazillion devices trying to connect to it. Let’s say you’re at a hotel which has free or paid WiFi that requires authentication. Good luck with setting Chromecast in any of these examples.

    Sure, you can pay for hotspot access and tether your device to it, but it costs extra money for a lot of people (Verizon and AT&T come to mind). Travel routers mean more wires and another power plug.

    Miracast is not limited to merely mirroring/copying a display. You can extend your desktop. every option is the same as if it’s a second monitor physically plugged in (you can extend, you can mirror, you can switch primary, etc.) You can be doing email and web browsing on your laptop screen but watching a movie on the casted screen.

    And again, it’s not limited to a “portal”. You can use any program or app and it can be any kind of content whether it’s a MKV or a BluRay disc or Netflix.

    Reply

  36. Cron says

    quick question, do u think miracast will work with car dashboard screen?
    i’m referring to Honda City 2014..and i’m using HTC M8..

    Reply

  37. Ebi says

    Hi

    I want to buy Samsung galaxy note 10.1 (2014), my purpose is to use its pen to present some contents on TV or projector
    and my Q. is which of the Miracast or Chromecast is best suitable for me : screen mirroring without delay ?
    If both of them are good , my second Q is that which them have shorter delay in using pen on tablet (for drawing) and mirroring on TV.
    Eventually , in Miracast solution , which brand is better?
    1-Netgaer
    2-Easy cast m2
    3-asus miracast
    4-IM-10 sony miracast
    5-DLink wireless mirror streamer tv adapter dsm-260

    BR

    Reply

  38. Ebi says

    Hi again Simon

    Based on my recent research and with your help,
    I think Netgear is best for me and my reason is that Asus dongle has few compatible devices (is it true ??!!!)
    also it WiFi speed is 54 Mbps (!!!!??) instead 300 Mbps . these are my results but if they are not correct plzz tell me,

    but recently i found a another one : Belkin Miracast Video Adapter( with HDMI 2 those one have hdmi 1.3) What about this in comparison with those ?

    plz give me your choice :

    1- NeatGear
    2-Asus
    3-Belkin

    B.R

    Reply

  40. Ryven Diaz says

    Ive just buy my SAmsung Ua32f4500 LED tv. and i have Samsung galaxy note 10.1 ( not version 2014) which is best for my device Miracast or Chromecast.? specially when i’m playing my games in my note 10..1 Your article is very helpful that’s why i leave my comment here for some inquiry too. Please advice….

    Reply

  43. Ken Mcfadden says

    I have a TV with USB and HDMI inputs. I have a mac desktop. Can i launch a Piano learning app(on a CD) from my mac and have the mac screen AND sound play on my TV as I control the app from my mac? Will chromecast do that…or is there a better option to do that..

    Reply

  45. mike says

    Thanks for reply. Im sorry for my question because i feel sleepy when i type it. Im going to repeat it again. Actualy my new sony tv is allready built in in miracast or already have (no need for dongle) the problem is about my cellphone a samsung galaxy dous with android version only 4.1 or ics version cant mirror it. What should i do to be abble it for mirroring. Tnx for the fastest response.

    Reply

  48. Ebi says

    Hi

    I recently find new product : Mi Box (“http://www.mi.com/en/mibox”) which supports miracast
    Is it suitable for mirror screen from android(mobile / tablet) or PC devices?

    B.R

    Reply

  50. Antoine says

    Hello,
    Thank you for your review.
    Could you tell a few words about EZMirror vs Miracast? If I understand well, EZMirror is a proprietary protocol based on Miracast? I just bought an “EZCast dongle”, but it’s not detected by my “Miracast certified” Android Tablet and my “WiDi certified” Windows 8.1 Tablet. The only way to use it is to install the EZCast software.
    Can a “native Miracast device” be used with an EZMirror supporting dongle, or the EZMirror protocol has some additional layer, preventing the use without installing the proprietary EZCast software?
    Thank you.

    Reply

  51. Zackis says

    Simon excellent article timely and very informative. From a large enterprise environment Miracast is a better option in my opinion. Chromecast has some advantages to the home for sure but Miracast seems to be a better solution for now. My question is understanding the relationships between Miracast and WHDI, and WiGIG etc.

    From our point of view we want to keep internet traffic to an absolute Minimum so from that point of view Miracast seems the right way, am I missing something is there another P2P solution that I may have missed?

    Reply

  52. Pihu says

    I was roaming here and there in search of perfect differences between Miracast and Chromecast. This is the only place where I got all information about the same. Thanks for sharing such meaningful article!

    Reply

  53. Manoj says

    I have a Sony Xperia Z and a Sony Bravia TV (Without WiFi). From the above discussions, i understand that Netgear PTV3000 should work for streaming my smartphone screen to my TV using Miracast. Any alternative to Netgear PTV3000 which can work same or better?

    Reply

  56. Glenn says

    Simon, your article was excellet, unfortunately I am somewhat technologically backwards. Can you tell me if my samsung galaxy note 10.1 will work with the ezcast’ dongle I have already bought If so, can you tell me how to connect it so I can mirror through ‘allshare cast’ and watch my tablet on my telly? Regards glenn.

    Reply

  57. Karthik says

    Hi,

    I am using Moto G2 and my tv is Sony bravia W562D. How can i stream my videos and music wireless from phone to tv

    Reply

  58. Grace says

    I’m using chromecast for wirelessly presenting my google slide to a projector from my iPad. My network won’t support this but I have got it working through my mobile phone hotspot. I would rather not use the data (if I play a YouTube video in class) so I’m looking for something like miracast that will create a new network for me… Any ideas?

    Also chrome browser for iPad doesn’t support the beta ad-on to mirror the whole iPad to the projector. (I can do this with the Apple TV system) … any idea if iPad will support chrome cast mirroring anytime soon? Thanks

    Reply

  60. Kyle McKenna says

    This was amusing: “Chromecast has nothing to do with Miracast.”
    Because….only by invoking Miracast on my Android phone was I able to get Chromecast (audio) to work. Neither will work without the other. I wonder what this means.

    Reply

  61. Geoff McColgan says

    Hello Simon: I’m currently watching a downloaded movie, using VLC Media Player, on my desktop computer. The problem I’m having is that I want to use the Mirror Cast feature (already set up) on my Sony 4k Ultra Hi-Def TV to cast the movie over to the TV from the desktop. When playing or viewing the downloaded movie on my desktop screen, I don’t see any Mirror Cast icon to click on in order to cast the movie over to the TV.
    On the flipside when I stop or pause the movie and use the Google Chrome browser, the Mirror Cast icon appear or is present in upper right corner and upon clicking on it, whatever is showing or playing on my desktop screen using the browser is cast to the TV screen.
    However when I play the downloaded movie, using the VLC Media PLayer, on my desktop, there is no Mirror Cast icon present to allow me to cast the movie to the TV.
    Is there a setting or something I need to do on the VLC Media Player in order to allow the Mirror Cast feature on my Sony 4K TV to cast the movie from my desktop to my Sony TV?
    I would really appreciate any help in solving this problem or issue.

    Reply

  62. Veronica Giordano says

    I was thinking of how to make my phone screen a bigger screen without investing much on it. I had search also a lot about later i just come to know about Best Miracast Dongle which is the best thing for screen sharing.

    Reply

  63. Bob says

    Hi.
    windows 8.1 chromecast work perfect with plex hbo go and youtube. I have two hdmi monitors. when playing Kodi and selecting desktop chromecast asks which desktop with audio? I choose Kodi desktop and fails to cast desktop. I also tried the monitor two desktop does not cast. any ideas please? BTW Itunes is the only program recognized my entire 1.9 TB music library on extern al 5tb HD. Mediaplayer and Cyberlink Powerdvd cast but cannot handle my music folder. too big.
    thanks
    bob

    Reply

Leave a Reply