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

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• 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?

  • Yes, it should work with nexus 7.

• 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

  • Thank you sharing the info.

    Yes, Z30 has Miracast support and it should work with PTV3000.

• 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!

  • Thank you for sharing the info.

    Some Samsung smart TVs have AllShare support. For those TVs, you can mirror the screen directly to the TV (if your smartphone or tablet has Miracast support, i.e. with Jelly Bean 4.2 or later).

• Now that Plex supports Chromecast it is the better option for downloaded content.

  • Thank for the info.

    Actually, we are testing Plex for local video streaming. We will add a new guide soon.

    • Hi Simon,

      I just purchased a Xperia Tablet Z2, and want to get an adapter for my big screen TV.
      Your article is great, and i was going to buy an Miracast adapter. But now i just saw that Plex, and it seems very nice. When do you think that your test will be complete? And can you do a comparison with Mircast in it?

      Thank you very much :)

      • Actually, now there are a few Android apps that can stream local media, e.g., BubbleUPnP (Chromecast/DLNA).

        But they are all limited by the formats Chromecast is supporting.

        Plex is a good solution if you have many videos on your PC/laptop. You can run the server on your PC, then streaming from Chrome browser to the Chromecast. It is different (far better) from playing videos within Chrome browser. I'm still testing it now (mainly on transcoding).

        But Plex is not a good solution for local media on Android. The app is not cheap, and you have to pay more for syncing...

        Miracast is another story. It is limited by what you can play/show on your local device (sender).

• 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?

  • Yes, on tablet or phones, Chromecast only works with certain apps.

    In "some" (NOT all) new Galaxy tablets, you may get AllShare Cast (NOT AllShare Play) or screen mirroring, with which you can mirror the screen (everything) to the TV. As I know, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition, Galaxy Note Pro, Galaxy Tab Pro have these features. Some Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 may have this feature as well. You can test this feature with smartphones Galaxy S3, S4 and S5, and many other brands and models that have screen mirroring.

    If your TV does not support Miracast (but you can find one spare HDMI port), you can use an adapter, for example, Netgear PTV 3000.

    • But will I be able to (mirror/stream) a PPT file (for ex) found on my phone using a 3rd party app like ezCast or something? Also I found many other 'cast' dongles online with antenna, how's Chromecast in terms of signal strength?
      Thanks for the article.

      • If you are mirroring Android screen directly (https://allaboutchromecast.com/screen-mirroring-with-chromecast/), Chromecast and your device will establish a private network (just like WiFi direct). So, your phone and WiFi should not be parted very far.

        If you are using third-party apps to send your screen, it should be through the WiFi network.

        If you are using Miracast, it is through WiFi direct. Miracast is a special type of WiFi direct connection. So, the distance between your phone and the receiver (dongle or TV) should not be very far.

        • First of all, I would like to thank you for your reply and for your excellent tutorials and articles here on this website, it's the most useful 'cast' source I ever came across :)
          My scenarios are as follow; I'm a lecturer, and I need a solution to present PPT/pptx files on the university HDMI-enabled projectors, my first option was a Miracast-dongle, but at home, I also need to be able to create a YouTube watch-list for the kids to watch on the big screen TV, get it streamed, and then free my laptop/phone for work, a CC seems more appropriate here especially that this will not drain my device's battery, now, I'm not sure which one should I get especially that there are tons of different ezCast compatible dongles.
          I read that CC will not work on some secure/browser-login based Wi-Fi networks like in hotels or in the university where I teach.
          Now with this latest software update, will a CC be able to stream/'mirror' content directly using something like Wi-Fi-Direct (or whatever Google uses) from the phone without the need to access the university wireless network at all?
          Also, does a CC store credentials for multiple networks so I don't need to reset it every time I move between work and home?
          Finally, I have a Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean, and although it's a Nexus device, it's not listed as a natively supported device on this official Google Cast 'mirroring' protocol list you've just mentioned, will this feature work by simply installing latest version of the Chromecast app? I believe this feature will unlock CC and make it able to run virtually every format.
          You might be wondering why not buying such sticks and test them by myself, but they would cost at least double the price and need at least three weeks to get shipped to my country.
          Thanks again :)

        • Chromecast need Internet connection even you are streaming/mirroring local contents.

          Chromecast can only save one network info. Whenever you change network or the router, you have to reset Chromecast.

          As you already know, Chromecast doesn't work with some WiFi networks that require logging in.

          The Android screen mirroring is still a beta feature although it works surprisingly well. Currently Google only enables this feature on selected phone models. Currently, it requires kitkat. On non-nexus phones, it just uses normal Chromecast app. The app detects the phone model, I guess. On Nexus phones, Google added the screen casting button since kitkat. I'm not sure when this feature will be available to other devices. But very likely, in this year. It probably still require kitkat.

          Base on my personal experience, the device probably is not good for campus environment. Currently, anyone in the same WiFi network can hijack it. Chromecast is designed for home entertainment with minimal settings (this leads to some missed security features).

          For home use, I highly recommend it. It gives you the maximum value of your money.

• 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.

  • thank you for your input.

• 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.

  • thank you for sharing the info.

• 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.

  • Netgear dongle simply mirroring whatever you have on the screen (and speaker) to TV. The dongle itself does not connect to internet. If you can use Netflix now, you of course can mirror it with the dongle. If I remember correctly, Z1 Compact has Miracast, so it should work with the dongle.

    • Thanks a lot, my doubt is about that if the VPN created on the z1 compact via tunnel bear on some way interferes with the miracast connection created with the netgear dongle .

      • Got it.

        I will use the vpn to do a test. I will let you know the result this week.

      • I have no issues in using vpn together with the Netgear Ptv 3000. I can watch Google play movies and Netflix on TV without issues.

        Please note, I used Samsung devices (Note 3, S5, S4, and the aging Note 10.1). I also tested it with Moto X. I don't have Sony devices.

        For Sony devices, the only problem I know is that the old Xperia Z has problems in simultaneously using wifi Internet and screen mirroring. That device cannot handle normal wifi (for Internet) and wifi direct simultaneously. But this is an old story. I think Sony should resolve this issue in later models. You can confirm this with Sony.

        Anyway, as expected, vpn does not intefer with screen mirroring, based on my testing.

        • So that might the problem for me! As i previous mentioned, i have an Xperia Z2, and bought a Netgear PTV3000 at the same time.
          From the get go, it worked like shit. When i got it, it was one big lag on my TV, when watching movies and mirroring them up (i made a video of this: https://vimeo.com/92313289). Then i got mad, and left it a few days. Then i tried updating the firmware, but now it disconnects every 5-10 minute - so annoying! It just stop mirroring, and then i have to reconnect.
          I bought it for the sole purpose of watching streams on my TV from my device. If the solution, is to not use WIFI at the same time, i can live with that until it get fixed, because my Z2 is with 4G LTE and i have unlimited plan for it.

        • I haven't used any Sony phones after p1i.

          Z2's hardware should be powerful enough to handle such screen mirroring. So it's very likely due to some software issues.

        • I have Samsung S5 and Samsung galaxy tab pro, and I use screen mirroring with a Samsung Smart TV. Everything works fine. But if I run a VPN to have a different IP I loose the connection to the TV. The VPN works fine, I can use internet, but I cannot use VPN and Screen Mirroring at the same time. Any idea? thanks Marina

        • I think this is due to the nature of VPN. The security policy in VPN probably blocks other connections.

          Probably, there is no easy solution.

          If you have a spare wireless router at home, you can flash the firmware to dd-wrt and configure it to VPN connection directly. Your device can then connect to this router asnormal. You may check whether your router are supported http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database

          Of course, this depends on your vpn type as well. So, only test it with your spare router.

• 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!

  • No, as I know, the laptop needs WiDi.

    Chromecast probably is a better (still not ideal) choice (if your projector supports HDMI) for this scenario.

    The problem is desktop mirroring through Chromecast is still experimental. Some users get audio issues. But for you, this probably is not an issue.

    Also, Chromecast requires internet connection although you may just want to mirror local screen.

• 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?

  • I don't think the slimport requires a full HD TV. You need make sure the correct hdmi source is selected in your TV.

    For miracast, it works in similar way but with totally different technology. It should work with your nexus device and your TV.

• 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.

  • Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience.

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

• 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.

• 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

  • For Nexus 10, you already have a mini HDMI port. You just need a mini to normal HDMI cable to directly connect you Nexus 10 to your TV. This works better than other methods.

    If you want to mirror the screen wirelessly, you only need a miracast adapter for your TV. You don't need anything for your Nexus 10.

• I am now switching into a WHDI transmitter&receiver kit for my system. Chromecast can not afford multiple source devices

  • Hi can you tell me more about WHDI. Thanks. Niaz

    • It's not new. But it didn't get wide support due to its semi-closed nature.

• 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.

  • Thank you for your encouragement.

    Referring to your questions, 1). it also depends on the video you are trying to stream. For videos up to HD 720p, I don't think the network strength is an issue. WiFi extender does help. I used it a fews ago.
    2). there are many other media server solutions, but it is not easy to use them for local streaming. After a few months of testing, I think Plex is the best media server solution if you use Chromecast. You can use Android app as well (you can get it from Amazon appstore for $0.99. The list price is same as Play store, but very often it is offered in lower price there.). For Miracast, it relies on the device that plays the media. Such media can be served form DLNA server, or just a network share.

    For your case, I would suggest you try to get one Chromacast first. If it works well on all TVs, then get another 3. If it does not work well, try to get an wifi extender to test again.

    Push2TV is more relevant when you want to mirror your mobile devices to TV (e.g., to play games). It's essentially not a streaming device (it cannot run in background; it requires the display in your PC or mobile devices).

    • Thank you Simon, you are awesome! I will go ahead and order 1 Chromecast. Let's see how it plays out. Thanks once again.

• 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.

  • For most smartphones and tablets, you cannot play in background when using Miracast. In the video, apparently ASUS tablet and their Gallery app was used. But You probably do not have the luck with other mobile devices. For some tablets, for example, kindle fire hdx, you even cannot turn off the tablet display. On most Samsung devices, the display will be off, but you cannot do anything else. I tested several Miracast devices, and none of them support multitasking on mobile phones or tablets. Maybe, I should also get this one later.

    For laptop with WiDi, yes, you can set an extended screen for the TV (just like normal dual monitors). But most of them do not work well with videos (and WiDi is supported in limited laptop models) .

• 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-

  • It depends on the technology the streaming service provider is using. Most of them should work, some may not.

• The question is:
  "Can Chromecast Miracast?

  • No. Chromecast doesn't use Miracast technology. Chromecast works in two modes: internet streaming (it works like a media player) and chrome tab casting (using webRTC, not Miracast).

• 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

  • There are some wireless hdmi kits. But most of them cost about $200 or more, for example, Asus wicast. Some of such devices may not meet your expectation.

    Personally, I would not recommend any of such devices for streaming videos.

    There are some apps or workarounds for Xbmc to work with Chromecast. I believe better support for Chromecast will be available soon.

• Will both work with Ellipsis 7 ?

  • Chromecast works with any Android devices with 2.3.6 or later. So, it should work with Ellipsis 7 (which has Jelly Bean 4.2.2) without issues.

    Miracast is supported by Android since Jelly Bean 4.2. But Some vendors may choose to disable it. You check in the display settings, whether you have screen mirroring or wireless display. If not, it probably does not work with Miracast. I don't have a Ellipsis 7, so I cannot confirm whether it works with Miracast or not.

    • I downloaded an app to the ellipsis from google store, namedd Wifi Display Helper version 1.1.4 and when I plugged in the push2tv (PTV3000) to my ViewSonic hdmi I was on in a matter of seconds. I am having issues with the chromecast but I think I wrote all about that in another thread.

      • thank you for confirming the ellipsis works with Miracast.

• 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.

  • Miracast very likely does not work on your laptop.

    Chromecast usually only requires Chrome browser. of course, it all depends on what you are going to use it for.

    • From the research I did, I think I have to upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 or better and after reading the system requirements for Windows 7, I will have to free up space to have room to upgrade but I can do that. I tried with Chrome browser and added some extensions that I read I needed for the chrome cast to work but it wouldn't work, so that's when I found the information that chrome cast needed at least Windows 7 on computer in order to work.

      • Actually, the Chrome browser tab casting works even on Windows XP. You just need a Chrome browser and the Google cast extension. It does not install any other stuffs. Here is the official requirements: https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/3209990?hl=en&ref_topic=4599578

• 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?

  • When you change network, you must reset your Chromecast. (Otherwise, your neighbor may mess your Chromecast.)

    As a security measure, Chromecast remember one and ONLY one network info. If you want to try it in a different network, you have to reset it first.

    Again, as a security measure, in addition to hardware reset, you can only reset it only when the Chromecast is connected to the original network. This is the reason you cannot reset it in your own network.

    For your case, you have to use hardware reset. It is mentioned as method 1 in this guide: https://allaboutchromecast.com/chromecast-how-to-guide/reset-chromecast-factory-data-reset-fdr/

    • THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

• 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?

  • Most Samsung smart TV's already support miracast natively. They may name it as AllShare cast. It's essentially miracast with minor extensions. So, if the TV already have miracast or AllShare cast, you don't need any dongles. If the TV is a very old model without miracast/AllShare cast support, yes, I usually recommend this Push2TV.

    For the tablet, I would recommend Samsung ones. Most of their 8" or larger tablets has AllShare cast. You can actually test the casting using your Samsung phones (s3, s4, s5, note 2, note 3,and a few others) before you purchase a tablet. Samsung mobile devices are recommended because they works best for this screen mirroring. Samsung has AllShare cast way before Google introduced the miracast support in Android Jelly Bean 4.2.

    Anyway, if the TV supports miracast or AllShare cast, you don't need any dongles or adapters. For the video source, you can use Samsung smartphones or tablets.

    • Thank You! I'll use this info to guide our gear purchase.

• 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.

  • Thank you for sharing your solution.

• 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

  • Not sure.

    If you want mirror the display, at this time, Miracast is still a better solution than Chromecast. For Nexus 10, you can also use wired solution.

• 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.

  • The Nexus 7 2012 edition probably does not support wireless display. So, it will not work with Miracast with the official ROM.

    Nexus 7 (2013) and Nexus 10 do support Miracast.

• 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?

  • Miracast adapter is usually positioned as an entertainment device. The vendors tried very hard to make it simple to use. For the Miracast adapters in the market, I haven't found any of them that come with any access control. It's probably difficult to block any unauthorized access.

    For Chromecast, the access control is even worse in a campus environment. The device can be accessed from any devices in the same WiFi network.

    • yep I thought as much, and to make it worst the software from most of the projector vendors is worse. I will have to keep looking

• Chromecast es compatible con tablet samsung tab4(sm- t530)

• 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.

  • Thank you for the suggestion. I will try to edit it and add the link to the screen mirroring through Chromecast post.

• Is there anything I can do to use my samsung 10.1 2014 with chromecast? or should I use a different dongle that supports miracast?

  • If your Note 10.1 2014 edition was updated to KitKat (settings--about device to check), you may install Chromecast app, and it is possible to mirror your screen through Chromecast as shown in this post: https://allaboutchromecast.com/screen-mirroring-with-chromecast/

    Of course, your Note 10.2 2014 edition fully supports Miracast. If your TV supports Miracast, you can mirror the screen directly to the TV. If not, you can get a Miracast dongle/adapter for the TV.

• Excellent article. Clarify all my doubts. Thanks the author

• 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...)

  • Yes, Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 supports Miracast (Samsung calls it AllShare Cast). (A few Tab 3 tablets using Intel chips do not support Miracast)

    If your TV also supports Miracast, you don't need a dongle. It should work.

    Check the manual of your TV. If the TV does not support Mircast (different vendors may use own name for this feature), you need get a Miracast dongle inserted into one HDMI port of the TV.

    • thanks Simon for your prompt reply ! Will try it :)

• 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

  • Where did you get this message "The massage is that the Chromecast and my iPad are connected to different wi-fi connections"?

    It is NOT necessary to manually connect Chormecast to iPad. As long as both are connecting to the same router, in Chromecast app in the iPad, the Chromecast device should be located.

    If you know how to access the router admin interface, you can check whether Chromecast and iPad get correct IPs? I am not sure about this router, but it usually is not an issue as you can finish the setup.

• 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.

  • Thank you very much for your inoput.

    Just to add
    1). Chromecast does not work with hotspot. If you don't have a physical router with active internet connection (Google may gradually relax this requirement), Chromecast will not work.
    2). Miracast support on PC is available on Windows 8/8.1 only. On Windows 7 (no native support of Miracast), you need Intel WiDi support.

• 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..

  • Not sure. But normally, the car entertainment system does NOT support Miracast.

    Some vendors may have their own proprietary solutions for this. You need check with the distributor.

• 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

  • It is hard to say which is better. If they work, both work well.

    Chromecast requires WiFi network and internet connection. Miracast doesn't. Miracast is more portable. For Chromecast, when you connect to a different network, you must reset it.

    For the Miracast dongles, I tried 1,3, and 5. My recommendation (no scientific base) would be 1 or 3.

    Actually, you have another cable option: MHL is also supported in Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition. You can get an MHL adapter (to HDMI) or MHL to VGA adapter. Both should cost less than $30. If the presentation is critical, you should always have a cable solution, at least, as a backup.

    • Hi
      Thanks for your reply, As last Q : 1 or 3 which of them is faster?

      BR

      • For me, I didn't notice much difference (I'm not so picky).

        • OK, thanks a lot Simon
          Best Regards

• 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

  • Actually, all these 3 should work with mobile device supporting Miracast. The "official" list usually only means the vendor tested on these devices.

    For the network, all these 3 supports 802.11N. So, it is sufficient for 1080p videos. Please note, the connection/pairing quality depends on the mobile device as well.

    Both Netgear and Belkin adapter can work in 2.4G and 5Ghz mode. So the theoretical speed should be 300Mbps. ASUS one is not clear. Very likely it is also dual band and maximum speed is very likely also 300mbps.

    All these 3 got both positive and negative comments (there is no perfect one that pleases everyone!). Personally, I would rank them as yours. Netgear now is the cheapest in Amazon ($50).

• If you have a need to do Miracast and AirPlay you can use a software receiver like AirSever http://www.airserver.com. The only limitation is that while multiple iOS devices can connect at the same time, only one Miracast device can connect. Hopefully this will be improved.

• 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....

  • I think your TV supports miracast (AllShare cast), so you can mirror the screen directly to the TV. In your tablet settings, you should be able to find the screen mirroring.

    • Sir.

      my Ua32f4500 specs says miracast: no. & only all share cast says - all sharing ( please see the link: http://www.samsung.com/sa_en/consumer/tv-audio-video/television/led-tv/UA32F4500ARXUM ). at least i need your advice before i decide which one to buy. ( chrome cast, miracast or samsung link). My Note 10.1 support all share cast; mirroring for my games is my priority other packages is bonus (such as video, pictures & etc.). i'm choosing between miracast & chromecast since its cheaper. or any other options? Thanks.

      • It seems the screen mirroring feature is not available in 4500.

        So you need get a miracast dongle if you want to mirror note 10.1 screen. Netgear ptv3000 is a quite good product. Samsung's AllShare cast dongle works nicely with your tablet as well.

        Chromecast is not an option as android screen mirroring through Chromecast is not available for your tablet yet.

        • Thanks. Mr Simon.

          Now you've help me a lot to decide which one to buy. I'm looking forward to buy online a Miracast and i've found this one - "ezCast M2 Miracast DLNA Airplay Android Smartphone WiFi Display TV Wireless Share Push receiver supports 1080p:" is this item is ok? its price ranges 35 dollars- 40 dollars
          included shipping.

          what does 1080p-means for the miracast? Is it compatible for my screen size 1366x768 for my tv?

          Anyhow Thanks again and more power!!!!

        • I normally recommend Netgear PTV300 (which is the only certified Miracast dongle for Amazon kindle fire HDX tablets), Samsung AllShare cast (usually cheaper), ASUS Miracast dongle (a bit too expensive). You should be able to get it for less than $60 from Amazon. ezCast probably should cost less than $25. I never tried it and therefore I don't recommend it.

          Samsung also discounted AllShare Cast dongle to less than $40 before black Friday. But now, it seems the stock is low and the price is quite high now.

          for 1080p, this is the maximum resolution the hardware can support. Your TV normally can scale it properly to its own resolution. So it should not be an issue.

• Hi

  I have a Sony VPCSA laptop , does it support miracast ?

  B.R

  • Probably not. You may check your specific model whether it's certified for Intel widi.

• Finally someone who answered all my questions about Chromecast and Miracast. Very informative. Thank you!

• 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..

  • I would say Chromecast is not a good solution for this. In this case, you will have to use desktop mirroring, which is an experimental (not even alpha) feature. Some users get this or that problems, especially audio.

    I think you may consider wireless HDMI transmitter/receiver solution (it is usually not cheap), if a physical HDMI cable is not an option.

• My cellphone doesn't support mirracast to mirror on my t.v. with miracast what should i do?

  • Then you cannot use Miracast from the phone. The Miracast dongles are for TVs that have no support of Miracast. They are not for phones.

    You may try Chromecast if your phone has Android 2.3 or later. if the phone runs with Kitkat 4.4.2 or later, you can even directly mirror the screen.

• 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.

• Tnx for this

• I am not getting a notification on my macbook that Chromecast will share my screen AND audio, and therefore have no audio output. Is there a fix coming for this soon?

  • I don't think there is no fix yet. A lot of mac users reported this issue. This feature works best in Chromebook and Windows 7. Anyway, it is still experimental.

• 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

  • Does you phone or tablet support miracast? If yes, it should work. Please note, although android supports miracast since Jelly Bean, most vendors only enable it in some high end devices due to resources requirement.

    Actually, amazon fire tv stick and fire tv also support miracast.

    I tested both fire tv stick and fire tv. The only problem is occasionally it may fail to connect.

    • Hi , and thx for your reply

      yes , my phone and tablet has miracast .
      Due to its low price (about 30$) do you recommend it as screen mirroring device, in comparison with netgear one?

      B.R

      • I never test the Mi Box, so I cannot comment.

        I personally use Netgear PTV 3000 for long time. I normally recommend this one. You probably can get it from Amazon at about $40.

        If you are also an Amazon prime member, you can also consider Fire TV stick. It also can be used as Miracast dongle, in addtion to normal TV features. The performance is quite good. Just occasionally, it may refuse to connect with phone/tablet. But it should work after restart the stick. It probably provides the best value at $40.

        But anyway, nobody can guarantee which one will work for you.....

• Hi
  About Chrome Cast ?
  Can I use it to mirror my laptop (windows 7 or 8) if it support WIDI?

  • WiDi is based on Miracast and has nothing to do with Chromecast. You may refer to this guide: https://allaboutchromecast.com/chromecast-vs-miracast-everything-you-need-know-about-wireless-display-and-screen-mirroring/

    To mirror your laptop, you can try Desktop sharing. You may refer to this guide: https://allaboutchromecast.com/chromecast-how-to-guide/how-to-use-chromecast-to-share-desktop-screen-and-audio-to-tv/

    But to enjoy videos saved in your laptop, you can try Videostream extension or just cast Chrome tab. Please check this guide: https://allaboutchromecast.com/chromecast-how-to-guide/comparison-of-5-methods-for-streaming-local-media-files-to-chromecast/

• 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.

  • I never tried the EZCast dongle. I saw its list price of $259.99 in Amazon and is sold at $22. It sounds too fishy.

    For Miracast dongle, my recommendations are still branded products from established companies, e.g.. PTV3000.

    Actually, with Android screen mirroring, Miracast dongle is more or less redundant now if you are an Android user.

    • Thanks!

      I would like to understand on the protocol level. Is EZMirror exactly the same protocol as Miracast, or it's something different.

      BTW, my $22 device works great :-)

      • Glad to know you are happy with it.

• 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?

• 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!

  • Glad to know the article is helpful.

• 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?

  • If I were you, I would get a cheaper (it should be around $25 now) Chromecast.

    I guess your Xperia Z has been updated to Lollipop (at least Kikat), you can use Android screen mirroring to mirror the screen to the TV through Chromecast. Xperia Z should be powerful enough for Android screen mirroring.

    In addition to screen mirroring, Chromecast can do more. More and more apps and streaming services now support Chromecast.

    • Thanx for the reply and valuable suggestion. One more thing, Would i be able to receive internet through wifi in my cellphone and at the same time screen mirror my cellphone on TV using chromecast? I read somewhere that cellphone uses wifi direct to connect to the dongle which stops the internet through wifi.

      • Chromecast does NOT use WiFi direct. Miracast itself is wifi direct. this is the reason why some old Sony phones cannot use Miracast because the chip cannot handle Internet connection and wifi direct connection concurrently.

        Chromecast doesn't have this issue. It connects to internet independently. The apps just tells it where to fetch contents. For android screen mirroring, it's routed though your router locally.

        • Thx a lot. A few more road blocks.

          1. The list of chromecast supported devices doesn't include xperia Z (tho it includes xperia z3, xperia z2, etc.). Is there any update about xperia z supported by chromecast? (i could not find any apart from some suggestions regarding rooting the cellphone and some tweeks)

          2. I am using a wifi dongle for internet which provides internet connection to my PC, laptop, PS3 and two mobile devices. So all these gadgets are practically on a single wifi network. Do i need a router?

        • 1. Android screen mirroring now only requires Android 4.4.2. The list of supported device is given before the feature is released on other devices. In last December, this feature is publicly available on devices with Android 4.4.2 (https://allaboutchromecast.com/android-screen-casting-for-chromecast-is-now-supported-on-all-android-devices-with-kitkat-4-4-2-or-later/)

          2. This could be a problem. Chromecast does not officially support MiFi or hotspot (although it may work sometimes, but there may be some problems and conflicts..).

• I cannot get my lg g4 to connectbto miracast on my tv.

  • Does your TV supports Miracast? Any error messages on your LG G4? Can G4 find the TV?

    • My tv supports Miracast. It finds the tv and says connectng then says disconnecting before it ever connects....frustrating.

      • Sometimes, if the connection error happens, you need reboot the phone.

        • I have rebooted many times to troubleshoot. No change

        • It could be due to the TV as well. Some TV manufacturers may not stick to the standard and makes it hard to connect.

• It boils down to this for me:
  Can I use my 4G LTE connection to watch Netflix on my miracast dongled TV?

  • Yes, you can. Miracast is just mirroring through WiFi direct. It doesn't matter how you connect to Netflix. It doesn't require a router either.

• 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.

  • I don't use ezcast. It should work with note 10.1. In the tablet, turn on screen mirroring. It will search for nearby Miracast devices.

• 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

  • Moto G2 doesn't support Miscast. You need Chromecast.

• 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

  • I don't think iPad support Miracast.

    For your case, you can use lightning to VGA adapter to connect iPad to the projector directly with VGA cable. You can also use lightning to HDMI adapter. But there are no good wireless solution.

    Screen mirroring still works best for Android. it is also oK for Windows. But it is not good enough for iOS or Mac.

• Can you please date your article? I can't tell if statements like "most devices released in the last two years" mean "2012-2014" or "2015-2017".

  • Thank you for the feedback. We will try to clarify the time referred in the posts.

• 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.

  • It's interesting to know this. It sounds like some software stacks are not properly loaded. Actually, a lot of Android phones don't support Miracast at all.

    Can you share more details? For example, phones model, Android version, the way you invokes Miracast, the app you want to cast (or Android screen cast).

• 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.

  • You can cast the whole desktop. In chrome browser, click the cast icon in toolbar, click the down arrow icon next to "Cast to" pop out (by default, this pop out window list available Chromecast and Google Home devices in your network). Then you can find the cast desktop option. This was explained in this page.

    Please note desktop sharing /casting is not good for videos. The simplest solution for your case is to use Videostream as explained in this page.

  • You can now use VLC for Android to stream local media to Chromecast directly.

• 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.

• 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

  • Why don’t you just use VLC media player? It now supports Chromecast. You don’t need to run a media server. You may refer to this guide https://allaboutchromecast.com/how-to-use-vlc-media-player-on-pc-to-stream-music-and-video-to-chromecast-and-chromecast-audio/

    • simon-bob says
      I just wanted to know why chromecast sees my 2 desktops and won't cast either desktop. everything else works perfect without installing an additional program for now. or is it just another typical windows mystery with no rhyme or reason? thanks for your valuable time.
      bob

      • Casting desktop is still experimental. You should try to use single display. Extended display usually causes a lot of problems.

        • Thanks Simon. That's the right answer.
          Chrome sees both desktops but will not cast either one. Ok thats progress. Time to try another solution to last issue as casting all my music youtube hbo go and plex are working perfect with sony 55 4k tv and yamaha receiver with mediacast and airplay. Kodi last issue. Thanks,again for your valuable time. Retired bob from usa in ruse bulgaria