UPDATED WITH REVIEW:
In-depth review below, will update in a few days to cover DLNA support and revisit Miracast experience while at home (currently discussing the experience at a university)
The PTV Miracast adapter works as advertised, but isn’t perfect. Miracast functionality works like a charm, but with the same slight delay in most other adapters out there. AirPlay is listed as a feature, but don’t expect it to work. Upon opening the package, I was greeted with a matte black, rubbery dongle that was slightly larger than a USB thumb-drive. Under the cap is the HDMI plug, on the other end are two micro USB ports -- one for power and one to connect a storage drive. On one side of the USB end is a tiny button that doesn’t clearly indicate it’s purpose, but is meant to switch between Miracast connectivity and AirFun mode (see below).
Using this adapter isn’t as intuitive as I would like it to be, but it does work. When you initially plug the device into the HDMI port of the TV and USB power, you’re greeted with the AirFun screen, which is green and black. This screen displays the dongle’s IP address, a url containing the IP address and ending with “/remote,” and what network it’s connecting to. When no network is available, it turns itself into it’s own wireless network to allow you to connect. Visiting http://ipaddress/remote takes you to a web-based remote for the dongle to set it up and control the DLNA features of the device. When connecting to this address from an Android device, it prompts you to download the app for this same control. The app is called AirFun and CORRECTION: is in the Play Store - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realtek.airfun.client. The app appears to be stored on the dongle itself also. Don't worry much about this app after you've adjusted the settings to your liking. Use another DLNA app for your media, MirrorOP if you wish to take advantage of that, and wait on AirPlay.
Connecting the dongle to wifi is easy, but the first step isn’t apparent. You must first connect your phone or tablet to the wifi hotspot the dongle creates. At this time, you will not have an internet connection and will only be able to connect to the Miracast dongle. The next step is to go to the url containing the ip address that is displayed on your TV or use the app to connect to the device. In the settings, you can choose the wireless network you want to use and enter the password. Once this is completed, the Miracast adapter will disconnect it’s own hotspot, disconnect your phone or tablet from the device, and connect to the wireless network you chose. At this point, you should connect to the same wireless network in order to pair with the device again.
I must share a mistake I had made in hopes of those reading this can learn from it. Do not, under any circumstances, connect to an open wireless network in which you need to visit a web browser to sign in or click and accept button. The Miracast adapter can’t choose to accept a license or enter login information. I did this at the university I work for and found that I could no longer access the dongle for anything relying on wifi, including accessing the settings. I had attempted to disconnect and reconnect, reset, unplug and plug in again the device. As I had already set it to connect to the wifi that requires authentication in a browser, it automatically connected to it every time. I was forced to bring this in a location in which that wireless network was unaccessible so that I could connect directly to the device’s own hotspot and connect it to another network.
Once the wireless connection has been connected to both the PTV dongle and your phone or tablet, you can begin using MirrorOP, DLNA, or AirPlay. Please note that Miracast is connected using different steps which I will discuss later. No wireless connection is needed for Miracast and if this is the sole purpose of using this device, you can ignore the steps above and continue to the section specifically about Miracast. After connecting to wifi, I tested MirrorOP and found that connecting to this worked without issue. The screen mirrored as any other MirrorOP connection does. MirrorOP is an AirPlay-like connection except that it requires a rooted Android device or jailbroken iOS device to connect. It mirrors the screen like AirPlay to a device on the same wireless network. The MirrorOP app needs to be installed on your device to make the connection. Though screen mirroring works, MirrorOP does not support audio mirroring -- the audio will continue to play through your phone or tablet.
Connecting to AirPlay was very disappointing. I attempted to connect to AirPlay both at the university I work at and at home using an iPad on iOS7. In each attempt to connect, the iPad recognized the Miracast dongle as an AirPlay device. When selecting to connect to it, it appeared to work initially. Choosing a photo to display on the AirPlay device, however, proved nothing worked. The photo would not project to the TV. The same applied for video as well, but I have not yet tested audio. When enabling screen mirroring in the AirPlay settings, I was also disappointed by the results. The notification bar turned blue, the device appeared to be trying to connect for mirroring, then the AirPlay settings reset, turning off the connection to the dongle. No matter how many times I tried, it wouldn’t work. It may be my lack of knowledge with iOS and how to properly connect the devices, it could be an incompatibility with iOS7, or it could just be a falsely advertised feature. I don’t know the answer to this. EDITED: If I am correct in that Visiontech makes this device, their website (in a couple of posts below) indicates AirPlay is a feature still in development and will be added in a future update.
EDITED: DLNA works as expected. I did have some buffering/stuttering, but that was likely due to my new ISP which is a reduction in speed. Any DLNA/UPNP app or device will recognize this dongle and send content to it. Since DLNA plays the content locally, I haven't narrowed down which files are supported. I have not had any issue with mp4, which should be expected. In order to use DLNA, this dongle needs to be in AirFun mode, but you don't need to use the AirFun app to use it. This app just gives basic functionality and allows you to setup the dongle.
The most important feature in which I purchased this for is the Miracast functionality. I tested this in two different environments and found two different user experiences. I tested this at the university I work for and at home (which I am still testing more at home and will update this with more information later). Before you can connect to Miracast, you must press the button on the side of the dongle twice to switch to the wireless HDMI mode. At the university, the experience was such that I don’t feel it would be beneficial for the classroom. Connecting took several attempts before it was successful. Upon a successful connection, most of the time my device’s wireless connection was disconnected and reverted to cellular data. The screen mirroring worked as it should, however with a fraction of a second in latency. Audio transmitted to the TV flawlessly as well. At times, especially during heavy activity, the TV would fall further behind than initial connection and the picture would display large groups of poorly rendered blocks. This was further exaggerated when I reconnected to wifi for some reason. It may be due to the large number of wireless devices on a college campus causing interference that caused these issues, but I don’t know enough about networking to make an educated guess to this. I did notice turning the HTC One’s Power Saver mode off improved the experience, but only slightly.
EDITED: At home, I get mixed results. Most of the time, it works flawlessly via Miracast. There are times that the picture lags behind and when it starts to, it can be tens of seconds behind. It eventually catches up, especially if you stop your activity to allow it to catch up. With that said, I streamed a few movies from Plex to my HTC One which was Miracasting to the PTV dongle. I did not see any moments in any attempt in which the mirroring had fallen out of sync with my phone. I did, however, find a few movies that would not play sound over Miracast. I am not sure if this is due to bandwidth, licensing/authentication/DRM, or something else entirely. I need to investigate the files more in depth to determine if it's the stream. I tried to play a game with this, but I honestly found myself looking at my phone more than the TV to see where I was touching on screen. I didn't notice any delay here either, but I wasn't playing a complex game either. I ought to try this using a game controller and see how it performs this way. I also discovered that Google Play Music and Google Play Movies & TV are blocked over Miracast. They will not play, even locally stored music tracks. Play Movies tells me this feature is not supported, while Play Music will either display "Cannot play track" or disconnect the Miracast connection completely. Upon contacting Google with regard to this, they responded indicating that this is normal behavior and suggested I buy a Chromecast. I shouldn't have to buy another product to use Google services that already work on my device.
Being a Sprint customer and experiencing network issues regularly on their cellular data, I have installed an app that floats network download and upload speeds on my screen so that I can determine if anything isn’t working due to my internet connection. I noticed that while connected through Miracast, my upload speeds were incredibly high. This is what I would expect from a Miracast connection considering 1080p video encoded as h.264 mp4 video and up to 5.1 surround sound audio is being sent from my phone to the dongle over wifi direct. For anyone curious about the network activity, my upload speeds floated between 7-9 Mbps while connected to Miracast. Download speeds remained normal for the activity I was performing.
I also wanted to note that the PTV Miracast adapter gets about as hot as the HTC One can during high activity. It can be uncomfortable to touch. The included manual warns about this and promises that it will not affect performance. I am still concerned of the heat, despite the manual’s acknowledgement of this issue. Hopefully the heat doesn’t affect this device’s lifespan. I hope that this in-depth review has been helpful to all those who have read it. I would recommend this product to others, but I would warn others of the shortcomings this dongle has as well. The $50 I paid for this was a fair price considering the average price for Miracast today. Others at the same or higher price don’t offer MirrorOP or AirPlay -- I’m hoping a firmware update down the road fixes the AirPlay problems.
Tested with:
MirrorOP - Nexus 7 (2012) on Android 4.3
AirPlay - iPad 2 (two different iPads) running iOS7
Miracast - HTC One on Android 4.3 Sense 5
Full HD 1080P WiFi Display Dongle HDMI Wireless PTV Support DLNA / Miracast
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ESUPKE4/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I just received this dongle. Haven't had time to play with it yet, but will very very soon. I did manage to test whether or not the HTC One would connect and on 4.3 Sense 5, it connects and detects it. It's not as intuitive as I would hope, but I'll elaborate later. iPad connectivity via AirPlay will be tested soon too.
gk1984 said:
I just received this dongle. Haven't had time to play with it yet, but will very very soon. I did manage to test whether or not the HTC One would connect and on 4.3 Sense 5, it connects and detects it. It's not as intuitive as I would hope, but I'll elaborate later. iPad connectivity via AirPlay will be tested soon too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
please let us know how it works.
thanks
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Well, I plan on writing an in depth review later and putting I on the Amazon page too. But some initial thoughts:
So far, miracast works great! WiFi turns off while connecting. Not sure if this is normal or not. Performance is also worse with wifi on, in fact it can be very unusable with wifi on. But this was tested at work so far, home wifi might be a different experience.
If you plan to use any of the other features, I don't recommend setting it up on a wifi that needs to be authenticated - as in if you need to open a website, get a splash screen, and either sign in or accept a license agreement. This is not possible to do on this device and it locked me out of the dongle because it was connected to this kind of network and I had no way to change it.
You download the app to control this device directly from the dongle via ip address. You use the app for everything besides miracast - Dlna, configuration, etc.
I'll update op with full, in depth review after I spend some time with it.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
EDIT: testing at home not disconnect of wifi upon connection. iPad on iOS 7 will see the dongle as an airplay device, but can't connect to it for mirroring, not sure what else to do with it. More testing to come.
Another note for everyone before I write my in-depth review... Airplay doesn't work. The iPad will see the dongle as an Airplay device, but won't connect to it. Tried screen mirroring and just picture sharing, neither worked. Could be something to do with iOS 7 or something.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
Updated OP with in-depth review. Need to revisit two sections after I play with it some more. Will update in a few days.
Not having much success at home either. It works for a little bit, then has problems like I experienced at the university. Still planning to update with more info. But I think I found the company that makes this - the vendor has left this information out and the packaging doesn't include this info either. The specs, description, features, and pictures are all identical.
http://www.vissontech.com/products_detail2/&productId=16a67a7b-4b2c-46f6-8a28-c825a361bdd5&comp_stats=comp-FrontProducts_list01-1337323367416.html
In case anyone wants to investigate further.
Wow! this review is very helpful man. thanks for this review. Now I think I want one :cyclops:
gk1984 said:
Not having much success at home either. It works for a little bit, then has problems like I experienced at the university. Still planning to update with more info. But I think I found the company that makes this - the vendor has left this information out and the packaging doesn't include this info either. The specs, description, features, and pictures are all identical.
http://www.vissontech.com/products_...=comp-FrontProducts_list01-1337323367416.html
In case anyone wants to investigate further.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. Shop around though, I think if it supported 5ghz wifi like miracast is supposed to, this would have been a better experience. I just recently discovered that.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
HI,
2 weeks ago I got this unit http://www.win-star.com/eshop/goods.php?id=159
I choice it because of the integrated LAN, and simplified functionality (no android, no need to play with air mouse).
It prove to need it own mouse to switch between different modes, as there no any button on unit itself(only hidden reset)
During first star the Unit create own wifi network so I connect to it my samsung galaxy s4 active. However I was unable to test miracast mode not connect.
Then I switch to "bridge to wireless" trying to connect WS-AV601D1 to my existing network but unsuccessfully. I switch back manually to "AP only" mode, however since then I can not see any more networks from the device itself nor to access WIFI settings(its gray/unaccessible). I can not see anymore the open WiFi network that the device should make. I reset it several times to default settings but it going to "Bridge to WiFi" mode instead of "AP only". WiFi light not switching on at all, and wifi module is unaccessible. WiFi module fail about 10 min after first start.
Note that the unit support only WEP encryption, and have no settings for connection to not broadcasted /hidden SSID. So practically I could not connect it WiFi to my existing network even if it works(unless broadcast SSID and change to WEP)!!!
Further I could test only airplay(android airfun appk) from my s4 active and notebook, and screen mirroring from my notebook only(having the device connected to my network via LAN cable). Using the software provided.
Most important for me was the 1080p video played from notebook to TV quality. So the quality was bad, looks like xvid 700MB rip(or more like x264, baseline, ultra fast, 1000bit/s encoding). Dont understand me wrong quality was fair for animation movies of my son, despite of HDMI playback of same video you can not see each hear and dimple of actors face). There was some sound distortion too, however i dint paly with sound settings of the unit. Upload speed during playback was 2-3mbit, while normal speed within my network is 6-7mbit. Note that the Unit is LAN connected to my Asus RT-N66U.
I already send my back to China and waiting for refund.
So I could not test miracast! Does it provide better video quality when mirroring 1080p video What unit you could recommend
I purchased the iview Mira Cast dongle and it pretty much works the same. I did notice a slight lag in playing videos and sometimes it falls behind. The dlna feature works really well but with no remote you have to push everything from the One or browsing your dlna server with another app. I use skifta.
******************************
HTC ONE (Stock so far) Just got 2013-04-21
Samsung Captivate Glide
Installed:
CWMR5x_i927_recovery.tar.md5
ICS 4.0.4 LiteRom 0.9.0
LiteKernel
dudejb said:
I purchased the iview Mira Cast dongle and it pretty much works the same. I did notice a slight lag in playing videos and sometimes it falls behind. The dlna feature works really well but with no remote you have to push everything from the One or browsing your dlna server with another app. I use skifta.
******************************
HTC ONE (Stock so far) Just got 2013-04-21
Samsung Captivate Glide
Installed:
CWMR5x_i927_recovery.tar.md5
ICS 4.0.4 LiteRom 0.9.0
LiteKernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I brought the ezcast and found playback at 1080p theres a lot of delay at times on gaming and streaming on nvidia shield but with the htc one it wasn't to bad
Related
has anyone tried this
i nkow the GS3 worked with the Netgear PTV3000
but it seems to be a case by case thing, because the NOte 10.1 didn't
I bought the all share cast hub, but it sucks, because only the Note 2 can connect to it, and no other Miracast certified device (laptop) can
although the allshare cast is based on Miracast
So I am looking to get the PTV3000 which I know my laptop will connect to, and any miracast phone should (Nexus 4, GS3 already confirmed to work)
I hope someone who has tried the GNote 2 can weigh in
Thanks
SS2006 said:
has anyone tried this
i nkow the GS3 worked with the Netgear PTV3000
but it seems to be a case by case thing, because the NOte 10.1 didn't
I bought the all share cast hub, but it sucks, because only the Note 2 can connect to it, and no other Miracast certified device (laptop) can
although the allshare cast is based on Miracast
So I am looking to get the PTV3000 which I know my laptop will connect to, and any miracast phone should (Nexus 4, GS3 already confirmed to work)
I hope someone who has tried the GNote 2 can weigh in
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you look here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1847290 you can see that the Samsung Galaxy S3 is supposed to work with Netgear ptv3000. But there is also issues as seen here http://goo.gl/TkAUT
I currently own a Galaxy Note 2 (sgh-i317m LTE model) and the new Push2TV (ptv3000) and no matter what I do I cannot get it to work
My phone runs on stock 4.1.1 JB and my PTV3000 is up to date.
If I put the Push2Tv in Miracast "mode" I see it from my GN2 AllShare Cast menu and it tries to connect ... but after many seconds it fails.
If someone else got it to work I would like to know also
SyCoQC said:
If you look here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1847290 you can see that the Samsung Galaxy S3 is supposed to work with Netgear ptv3000. But there is also issues as seen here http://goo.gl/TkAUT
I currently own a Galaxy Note 2 (sgh-i317m LTE model) and the new Push2TV (ptv3000) and no matter what I do I cannot get it to work
My phone runs on stock 4.1.1 JB and my PTV3000 is up to date.
If I put the Push2Tv in Miracast "mode" I see it from my GN2 AllShare Cast menu and it tries to connect ... but after many seconds it fails.
If someone else got it to work I would like to know also
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Full Miracast support isn't approved until Android 4.2 (according to Wiki)
Just received an email from Netgear support:
Thank you for choosing NETGEAR. My name is ... and I will be your support expert. I appreciate the opportunity to assist you.
Regarding the concern, sometime early next year Netgear will release the firmware for this device that will enable the Miracast to work with your smart phone. So at present you will not be able to use this feature from your Smart Phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know 4.2 will officially support Miracast but we are talking about "AllShare Cast". The partnership has been announced between Samsung and Netgear but I see an update will be required.
SyCoQC said:
Just received an email from Netgear support:
I know 4.2 will officially support Miracast but we are talking about "AllShare Cast". The partnership has been announced between Samsung and Netgear but I see an update will be required.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah..I see. AllSHare cast TO a PVT3000. Wow. That's a great idea!! The second it works I will buy a Netgear PVT 3000!
Edit: Found this.
I'm running Sprint GSIII w/ 4.1 and follow these steps:
1) Hook up the PTV3000 like normal (power, HDMI)
2) When it's booted up and displays ready to connect, I push the little button on the side and get the PTV3000 into Miracast mode
3) Launch "Allshare Cast" from the GSIII, click on and let it scan. It should display some "random" Netgear PTV3000 number
4) Click "Connect"; a pop-up window should open saying "Connecting", and once done you should be connected.
.....and that's it. Whatever you do on the phone will display on your TV exactly as does in the palm of your hand. Sometimes I have to toggle the button on the side of the PTV3000 and restart the Allshare Cast app to get it to connect, but nothing else is necessary.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1/224488-allshare-cast-netgear-ptv3000.html
1) Hook up the PTV3000 like normal (power, HDMI)
2) When it's booted up and displays ready to connect, I push the little button on the side and get the PTV3000 into Miracast mode
3) Launch "Allshare Cast" from the GSIII, click on and let it scan. It should display some "random" Netgear PTV3000 number
4) Click "Connect"; a pop-up window should open saying "Connecting", and once done you should be connected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All that process is exactly what I do, but at step 4 it says "Connecting", for a while, then it fails
I have a Canadian Rogers Galaxy Note II with stock 4.1.1 rom (simply rooted). It looks like it should work but it doesn't. I've even tried to connect right after switching between the WiDi to Miracast mode (saw this trick elsewhere) but it's a no go.
I'll wait for Netgear update :angel:
GS3 vs. GNII - shouldn't they both work??
It's strange that GS3 works while GNII doesnt - no? Really looking for a simple solution to push out to tv. have GTV 1Gen version (revue) and can't get anything to work properly to push to tv. was oping this box could do it!
sonicthoughts said:
It's strange that GS3 works while GNII doesnt - no? Really looking for a simple solution to push out to tv. have GTV 1Gen version (revue) and can't get anything to work properly to push to tv. was oping this box could do it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes strange, I thought GS3 and GN2 were very similar. I've tried may scenario like resetting my PTV3000 with the reset button, restarted my GN2, tried to connect right after switching mode, waited for a complete AllShare Cast scan... and no solutions seems to work at the moment.
If someone know how to make it work without any PTV3000 update I'm ready to try
So is there any chance of extending the display to 1080p and outputting this to the miracast adapter? Ideally running two displays: An input device application (e.g. virtual KB/ mouse) on the phone and the main Android display on the monitor/TV?
Does a similar solution exist currently?
Connects to PTV3000 on LL1 build, get black screen on TV and settings FC on phone
scepterr said:
Connects to PTV3000 on LL1 build, get black screen on TV and settings FC on phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here
Updated PTV3000 to 2.2.2 firmware, still doesn't work, at least gives an error though, complains about HDCP. Works great on my Nexus 4 now though.
scepterr said:
Connects to PTV3000 on LL1 build, get black screen on TV and settings FC on phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe working with gn2
scepterr said:
Updated PTV3000 to 2.2.2 firmware, still doesn't work, at least gives an error though, complains about HDCP. Works great on my Nexus 4 now though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never post anything, but I thoght this might help a few people.
There has been reports of it working with the Galaxy note 2, with firmware 2.2.4
productforums. google. com /forum /#!topic/ mobile/ 5kUFRgcEYXE (cant post links)
I havent tried it yet, I will once I get home and can hook it up to my tv.
/cross fingers
Equinoxio said:
I never post anything, but I thoght this might help a few people.
There has been reports of it working with the Galaxy note 2, with firmware 2.2.4
productforums. google. com /forum /#!topic/ mobile/ 5kUFRgcEYXE (cant post links)
I havent tried it yet, I will once I get home and can hook it up to my tv.
/cross fingers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that is true I will buy one as well.
Edit:I asked some questions over in that forum as well.
2.2.6 released.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2410607/PTV3K_V2.2.6.sbin
"Chris LudlowLevel 1 Post replyJan 14 (15 hours ago)
I can confirm that the 2.2.4 firmware works with my Note 2.
PTV3000 2.2.4
Fully stock Note 2 AT&T - with the new 4.1.2 JB (multi window) update from samsung.
I had tried 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.2.2 and none worked.
After applying the 2.2.4 firmware the 1st couple of times connection failed. It turned off my wifi on the phone for some reason. When I turned it back on, opened Chrome browser then pulled the drop down message/task window and hit the "AllShare Cast" button, voila! It connected and is working pretty darn well considering this is beta. Lag is about 1 second, but all I want to do is watch pod casts/videos. Youtube as well as videos from channel9.msdn.com are playing perfectly (which I believe uses a silverlight/html 5 player).
I received a text in the middle of a video, so I flipped out to read it (mirrored on TV perfectly) but when I went back to chrome, the TV was stuck on the view of my message. I turned off the allcast, back on and it's running fine again."
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/mobile/5kUFRgcEYXE/EaqSUrE58v8J
That's a done deal for me. Buying one. You can set up PS3 Media Server to run from a PC, and use UPNPlayer to access PS3 Media Server on the Note 2, then play a video through MX Player or DicePlayer and wirelessly, sending it to the Netgear PVT3000. And that's my goal.
I will put up a video once I have this working.
It is stuff like this that still casts a shadow on android. Apple tends to work really well with apple products but android based on open source which supposedly supports more standards out of the box just asks for a bad rap when OEM's halfass hardware support. And why doesn't android still not have a GOTO product that supports mirroring and dual screen support? Android is just begging for a universal dock, much like laptops have had for awhile, but the OEM's are too greedy and limit accessories on the fact that you'll buy the next accessory that is only supported by x phone or x brand.
Sent from my GT-N7100
@rbiter said:
It is stuff like this that still casts a shadow on android. Apple tends to work really well with apple products but android based on open source which supposedly supports more standards out of the box just asks for a bad rap when OEM's halfass hardware support. And why doesn't android still not have a GOTO product that supports mirroring and dual screen support? Android is just begging for a universal dock, much like laptops have had for awhile, but the OEM's are too greedy and limit accessories on the fact that you'll buy the next accessory that is only supported by x phone or x brand.
Sent from my GT-N7100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apple requires an Apple TV to "Airplay" and this means obviously, totally closed source. Android is developing the open sourced Miracast into it's operating system base. That means ANY Miracast enabled device will allow for functioning wireless display. Samsung's All Share cast can already connect with a Samsung dongle OR a Samsung TV that has AllShare Cast enabled. BUT, Allshare ALSO works with a Miracast enabled receiver, like the PVT3000 which is in firmware dev right now.
PVT3000 firmware 2.2.4 works with Stock Allshare cast Samsung ROMS currently (with some noise issues).
While Android, being that it is open source doesn't have a dedicated wireless app, besides Miracast, is going to run behind Apple, once it is finished solving the bugs it will surpass Apple just like everything else in Android that has been refined does.
Take a look at the Nexus 4 Miracasting. And you don't need "Android/Google TV" to use it.
3:30 mark to see the delay from Nexus 4 to the screen (perfect for video...not for gaming)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwvYrv2s9Kk
Now...see what NVIDIA has done using the Tegra 3 to enhance Miracast.
:35 mark for delay example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b52zqNIeQso
What's my point? It will get there, and when it does, it will be excellent.
EDIT: LG tv's are coming with Miracast built in. Check out this video. practically zero lag.
56 second mark for example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPzRWw5LNL4
Edit 2:
Also..AirPlay has HUGE delays. About 3-4 seconds. While Miracast is getting down to around 60MS.
http://forum.algoriddim.com/viewtopic.php?id=1307
Manufacturers getting on board with Miracast:
http://certifications.wi-fi.org/sea...=&date_from=&date_to=&selected_certifications[]=69&x=62&y=15
and
http://certifications.wi-fi.org/sea...=&date_from=&date_to=&selected_certifications[]=67&x=37&y=8
I would say with this kind of collaboration it won't be long before Miracast comes to Apple products, unless Apple doesn't want that...then they had better expand the allowed receivers and improve their latency dramatically.
PVT3000 works on Galaxy Note 2 stock 4.1 ROM.
Ok. Received my Netgear PVT300 and here is what I have found so far. ONly testing with the 2.2.4 currently using a Galaxy Note 2 with stock ROM with power saving mode off.
1. NO noise line (garbled or digitized delays in the feed)
2. Sound and video sync fine.
3. If I am streaming Youtube, it seems that it works great, then may pause or stutter a bit. If I pick the phone up and click the power button or rotate the phone in my hand the stuttering goes away almost instantly. Like the phone has gone to sleep and moving it or pressing power brings the CPU back up to full speed. This may be important if Samsung needs to know that AllShare Cast sleeps too easily.
4. Netflix will NOT play through my wifi network when I have the AllShare cast on. Instead it grabs the cell tower for some weird reason. Also, equally as strange, Netflix plays the 16:9 (widescreen) videos in 4:3 (standard) making them look compressed...squished. Bizarre. As soon as I drop AllShare Cast the image goes widescreen and uses the wifi again.
5. Sometimes the AllShare complains that the stream is unstable and if I reconnect I might get a better signal. I am going to try placing the PVT in a better line of site place as it sits behind my HDTV right now.
6. And you aren't going to believe this one. I can connect to the PVT, then open up UPNPlayer, THEN...open a video that is being served from my PS3 Media Server off my PC, and play a 720P movie through the phone and out to the PVT. Unreal.
7. The only real hiccup is some actual frame dropping during playing. It's not bad...really barely noticeable But I can see it. If I have to guess I would say that there is a sync problem of some sort as the hiccup happens in a very evenly timed interval. Like every 23 out of 25 frames, that frame drops.
8. The delay is really minimal. I mean, you can see the delay from phone screen movement to TV, but even if you wanted to play a game...you could do it without much trouble if the game didn't require pinpoint reactivity (think Angry Birds Star Wars..lol)
Future testing plans:
I have not tried long term video playing, but I plan to and I plan to do it with the screen forced to stay on as well....just to see if the phone is deep sleeping and making the stream stutter because of it. I also plan to do all these same tests with 2.2.6 or the next beta that comes out (whichever happens first). I also want to try a customer ROM with a better kernel. I had a ROM on before and used the Perseus kernel and man....the phone was stupid fast. But I think it was killing the battery. Actually...that is another thing I wasnt to check. Making sure the battery can still charge while doing all of this. Sometimes running too many things and the GPS at the same time won't let the battery charge fast enough to beat the drain. Depends on your wall adapter really. Samsung's adapter is a 2 amp output and the phone needs it sometimes.
I could video my findings, but I doubt anyone cares that much.
HDCP
With a rooted note 2 running CleanROM ACE, I consistently get HDCP errors when attempting to connect. My girlfriend's stock note 2 works fine.
I'm not an expert, however from what I've read most roms do not include the files for HDCP authentication. I searched my device for libstagefright_hdcp.so for example, and came up with nothing.
The question arises:
Can you simply toss those files in the file system where they need to be? Will this yield the desired result?
I've also seen discussion of Cyanogen including these files with a setting to disable HDCP if a device is buggy. Can anyone confirm that?
Thanks for your time.
Sorry if this has already been posted but just wanted to share that I have gotten the Miracast feature on our OG to work (I am running V8, rooted, but not unlocked). The adapter that I am using is the Netgear PTV3000 ($60) running a beta firmware v2.2.6 (a quick google search will give the link to download the beta firmware if you are interested). The connection is pretty solid and it mirrors the display (and audio) from the phone as expected.
Youtube 720p videos play fine in both Eco and non-Eco mode for the most part. Sometimes audio-video can get slightly out sync (0.5 second or so) if in Eco mode, otherwise its fine if in non-Eco mode. 1080i/p videos are a different story, however. In Eco mode, Youtube and locally stored 1080p videos have a significant amount of macroblocking, random lines appearing throughout the video, and audio/video sync issues. If Eco mode is disabled, macroblocking goes away and the random lines are decreased but still present and still to the point where they are an issue and definitely detract form the viewing experience (especially with fast-moving objects in the video). Audio-video sync is better vs Eco mode but still not perfectly synchronized. Otherwise, web browsing and using apps (Angry Birds, etc) on the phone work well mirrored to the tv. There's about a 1 second lag from phone to tv and the phone is situated about 8 feet from the adapter. I am hopeful that future firmware updates will resolve these issues but since these issues do not appear when using the adapter with my laptop (discussed below) and are somewhat mitigated by disabling Eco mode, it may be LG that needs to issue the updates to resolve the audio sync and HD video quality issues and not Netgear.
Please also keep in mind that when using Miracast on the OG, the OG's wifi connection to your router is disabled so that the OG can utilize its wifi adapter to connect to the Miracast adapter (Netgear PTV3000). This may be important because if your intent is to stream internet video from your phone to the tv, then you will have to rely on the Sprint data connection. In this situation, hopefully you have 4G in your local area because in my experience, Sprint 3G streaming is basically useless.
Finally, if you are wondering about all the bad Amazon reviews on the Netgear PTV3000 and are hesitant to purchase, I wouldn't worry about it and just take the plunge. I've had this adapter for about two months now and will admit that performance was below what I had expected with the early firmwares. However, with this new beta firmware, all my issues have been resolved as video from my laptop (Asus UX31a ultrabook) is now extremely smooth (even 1080p) with no frame drops or macroblocking. And it seems they finally got the HDCP issue worked out so now I can mirror copyrighted content (like DVDs) from the laptop to the tv. I plan to purchase a second unit to keep in my travel bag.
Im just gonna use my MHL adapter until they get Miracast sorted out
Sent from my LG-LS970 using xda app-developers app
I'm thinking about buying a miracast dongle like EZcast or similar. I were wondering if anyone has tried enabling Miracast on the device and if they have, does it support Miracast multitasking. Meaning you can select what you want to stream, like a home movie for instance, then while it's playing on the TV you can check emails, send message or other stuff on the G4. Feedback about this much appreciated so I can decide whether to get a Miracast dongle or not.
I haven't tried any multitasking, but I have used the screen mirroring with a Roku 3 with no issues.
Roku isn't something I'll be considering.
I'm on the Three UK network and they have just put a cap on how much you can tether. It used to be unlimited data but now I still get unlimited data, but can only tether 4gb. I've been getting through 40gb and more per month in the past as I like to watch YouTube on my 42 inch TV at the bottom of the bed. It just used to be a case of tethering from my device. Since miracast runs off WI-FI Direct then it shouldn't be using my tethering data. I'll be just getting a cheap dongle with only miracast in mind.
Roku runs off wifi too. They don't use internet to stream internally. I stream videos to my Roku every day using Allcast app. So much that my "home" tablet has been my dedicated video streamer.
I haven't mirrored my device much since I think it is useless when the tablet or device is right in front of you but it does work. I guess you could use a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse to control it remotely.
Good thing about the Roku is the Roku remote which allows me to control my streaming. I can start a stream then use the Roku remote to play, pause, rewind, fast forward, etc. Since we use the Roku for primary content at my house, everyone is already familiar with the remote. Just initiate the stream on the tablet side and then put it away.
I can tell you right now the miracast option only mirrors and requires the screen to be on. Turn the screen off and the miracast stops. Also you cannot stream videos while doing anything else.
With the Roku and Allcast, you can start the stream and continue doing other things, like email and texts. Phone calls will interrupt the streaming though which is why I use a dedicated tablet for this use.
Ahhh ok then. Thanks for the info.
I have used Miracast to send my phone to the screen in my vehicle (Concept flip down TV). It works off wifi direct and worked fine.
Just click SEttings->Share&Connect and under screen share there is a miracast section. Click that and your device will show up. Works with everything I tried it with.
Works easily with Chromecast. Very quick connection
Yes, it works if the app supports it. The built-in videos app (not accessible via a shortcut but comes up when you stream from the browser) does support it. I don't know about other apps (youtube, netflix). When you start the process the screen is mirrored but as soon as the video starts playing the phone screen becomes a controls screen only. When you hit home and exit out of it the phone gives you instructions. You can also edit the notification panel to add a Miracast button for quick access.
I tried looking up this device on xda, but nothing yet, so i thought i'd post here first.
since it uses an audio jack, do you guys think you could plug this into your cars aux port, and stream using your phone? or is it dependent on wifi only?
It is wifi, not bluetooth. Might work in guest mode. I'm very interested in the device, but want to use if for DLNA streaming from my home server if at all possible.
Hi,
It also has dual output connector: analog 3.5 jack and optical spdif... equal to Apple Airport Express.
Anybody see if it has native FLAC support? I haven't found an answer to that yet. This may be a device I just have to buy and try...
Note10.1Dude said:
Anybody see if it has native FLAC support? I haven't found an answer to that yet. This may be a device I just have to buy and try...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'm still waiting for an answer as to if it supports 320kbps for high quality streaming from spotify. That would be the main advantage of it over a bluetooth receiver.
I'd love to know if it does support that if anyone can find out!
FLAC is listed as supported media for google cast, so it SHOULD work.
https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/media
does anybody have any idea if Chromecast Audio would work as a car audio solution? I tried using a 1st Gen Chromecast but ran into the issue of the device's requiring an actual internet connection (not simply a wifi connection). My guess is that Chromecast Audio will similarly require an internet connection, but am wondering if there is a workaround?
mcnoggin said:
does anybody have any idea if Chromecast Audio would work as a car audio solution? I tried using a 1st Gen Chromecast but ran into the issue of the device's requiring an actual internet connection (not simply a wifi connection). My guess is that Chromecast Audio will similarly require an internet connection, but am wondering if there is a workaround?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of talk, no conclusion about this yet. Some suggest tethering the phone should work. I've got one on order, should know next week.
cool, let us know! =]
I am working on getting mine to work in my car today. I bought it yesterday and didn't have much time to mess with it. I had it working as I tethered through my phone and using my gfs phone to play music but I'm going to see if I can get it to work without tether.
Got it working but not perfect
So the main thing is IT WORKS!!
Its just buggy getting it started but after that it plays fine for the whole ride. Here is what I did (notice: must have working tether on your phone to get it to work)
I am running a nexus 6 with Chroma ROM. Also I'm using Spotify to play my music.
Steps I did to try to get it working.
1. I first went through the setup process on my gf galaxy s5 and updated the chromecast through my tether.
2. I hooked everything up in my car.
3. Turned on my phones WiFi and press the button on the Chromecast first and then connect to the WiFi that my Chromecast gives out.
4. Then open the Chromecast app and make sure it sees it. (Mine still says it needs to be setup even though it already is. Don't worry about that)
5. Open Spotify and in the devices area it should say nearby cast or something like that. Try to connect and it will ask for a pin. Ignore that and hit cancel.
6. Then turn on your hotspot on your phone. It will then show your Chromecast name correctly in Spotify and you can connect and play music. (Must leave your tether on)
All in all I got it working without having a separate wireless connection to connect both of them and have audio playing through my car audio. I tried it twice now and it has worked.
Also the Chromecast app will not show its connected even though you're playing music through it. I have a screenshot of it at the bottom.
Nice - I have a ground-loop issue in my car and can't charge my phone the same time it is plugged into the stereo - this might solve that. I'm using mine to add streaming to a bedroom system, but if I like it, I may replace the streamer box on the home stereo, which cuts out on FLAC from time to time.
UPDATE: you do not have to go through all those steps everytime. I've tested further and found that it is much easier.
After you already have it setup in your car, to connect do these steps:
1. Turn on your phones WiFi and connect to your Chromecast audio.
2.After a few seconds turn your hotspot on(do not turn off the WiFi at any time).
3. After a few seconds Spotify will see your device and work perfectly.
OK,
I have had my Chromecast Audio working for the last day. I am using it with BubbleUpNP to stream audio of of my DLNA server on my home network. Working well, more reliable than the Soundmate that I was using. Going to order a micro-toslink SPDIF cable to use my on DAC. It isn't a DLNA renderer, so it won't work with software that is expecting UPNP/DLNA, but BubbleUpNP is working well.
I got one of these today, and the Hardware is really nice. It has a decent DAC, good WiFi, Dual (Analogue, Optical) output, so all good on that front. It also plays 24bit 192K FLAC from Qobuz without trouble. You should however make sure to turn the "High Dynamic Range" setting on in the CC app!
However, I don't like the way it's handled. I'm used to running Logitech Media Server with am Odroid U3 as Server and a couple of Raspberry Pi units with Hifiberry DAC/Digi/Amp addon boards, and with that setup starting music in the mornings is easy. I turn on the power, and that's it, after the Pi has booted, the music starts playing, choosing the last Playlist or Webradio Station I used when I turned it off. No need to even touch my phone.
With Chromecast I have to jump through a lot of hoops to actually get it playing any music, and that's it's biggest failure IMHO. It won't automatically reconnect, it won't resume playing where it left off, it's basically just a better kind of BT dongle (using Wifi instead of BT).
This is a huge waste of potential! Sadly, I cannot use this neat piece of Hardware with Logitech Media Server, because it doesn't work as a DLNA Renderer, and LMS can't cast to Chromecast (since that only works from Android/iOS/Chrome OS).
So, while this COULD be great, it's currently badly underachieving. Maybe someone will work out a way to fix this by rooting CC and installing Squeezelite on it, of by some other means. There is always hope!
CommanderROR said:
I got one of these today, and the Hardware is really nice. It has a decent DAC, good WiFi, Dual (Analogue, Optical) output, so all good on that front. It also plays 24bit 192K FLAC from Qobuz without trouble. You should however make sure to turn the "High Dynamic Range" setting on in the CC app!
However, I don't like the way it's handled. I'm used to running Logitech Media Server with am Odroid U3 as Server and a couple of Raspberry Pi units with Hifiberry DAC/Digi/Amp addon boards, and with that setup starting music in the mornings is easy. I turn on the power, and that's it, after the Pi has booted, the music starts playing, choosing the last Playlist or Webradio Station I used when I turned it off. No need to even touch my phone.
With Chromecast I have to jump through a lot of hoops to actually get it playing any music, and that's it's biggest failure IMHO. It won't automatically reconnect, it won't resume playing where it left off, it's basically just a better kind of BT dongle (using Wifi instead of BT).
This is a huge waste of potential! Sadly, I cannot use this neat piece of Hardware with Logitech Media Server, because it doesn't work as a DLNA Renderer, and LMS can't cast to Chromecast (since that only works from Android/iOS/Chrome OS).
So, while this COULD be great, it's currently badly underachieving. Maybe someone will work out a way to fix this by rooting CC and installing Squeezelite on it, of by some other means. There is always hope!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use it with your DLNA server, but you need to manage the Chromecast with BubbleUpNP on your phone. Not perfect, but more stable than the renderer that I was using.
I got mine yesterday and I must say that I am very happy with it. One thing though, when I play music via YouTube (via casting screen/audio in the CC app) the sound volume is really low. It is much higher when I play music via Spotify. Is there a way to boost the output from the phone? I tried the hardware buttons of course
Workaround for the Volume being too low: Use a cast-native app like Spotify to crank up the Volume.
CommanderROR said:
it's basically just a better kind of BT dongle (using Wifi instead of BT).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I see your point, but IMHO it's more than just a WiFi equivalent of a BT adaptor because, whilst you CAN stream from your device/locally with the right app, most "standard/consumer" use cases have the Chromecast streaming content direct from the Internet which is controlled by the app in your device. Your device doesn't do the streaming, saving power, you don't have to stay in range, etc. If I start steaming using Spotify as the app, for example, the Chromecast will continue playing my playlist even if I close Spotify on my device.
True. However, it still lacks a lot of features other multiroom systems offer. This little dingle has loads of potential, but Google will have to work hard to make it shine...
I know it's ridiculous for some folks and maybe I do it just for the sake of doing it, but ah well. It's the future so I enjoy these things.
I have my hotspot from my LG V10, did the same with my Nexus 6 until a few weeks ago, and a Nexus 7 with a usb hub w/ 3 x 128GB tiny flash drives in it connected to that network. I do the cast screen function and use PowerAmp and shuffle like 300whatever gigs of music to the Chromecast Audio which is plugged into my Scion xB.
Might move from the Nexus 7 to a Huawei P8max in january with tax returns coming since it has 64gb and I'll put a 200gb card in it and that'll be close enough to the amount of music I'm using now.
I'm more concerned with convenience than quality outside of the fact that I avoid bluetooth audio, this is wifi and full quality. Otherwise I'd fiddle with an external DAC as well. Who knows what the future holds though.
That's actually so stupid that it's cool,have to try this myself also Always interested thinking outside the box, thanks for the idea!
Lähetetty minun D5503 laitteesta Tapatalkilla
ok
unfortunately one big disadvantage is that it still requires internet to initiate the casting connection, especially if you are not covered with network it stops working
thats why for car-usage it seems that bluetooth is far superior (especially if using apt-x)
Id like to see a way to circumvent the need for internet connection though. Any idea?
Update: Ive made an interesting discovery!!
While connected to the Setup-Wifi (when the Test-Tone can be played!) of the Chromecast Audio it is possible to enable Screen Mirroring / Casting via the Chromecast App then you can listen to anything the Phone plays. If this is stable and usable this would be really awesome. I will keep testing
Ridiculous
therourke said:
Ridiculous
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried this? It works quite well actually. Not so ridiculous.
Quote from ktwo
Update: Ive made an interesting discovery!!
While connected to the Setup-Wifi (when the Test-Tone can be played!) of the Chromecast Audio it is possible to enable Screen Mirroring / Casting via the Chromecast App then you can listen to anything the Phone plays. If this is stable and usable this would be really awesome. I will keep testing
END Quote
Nice find. I have been waiting for root or some solution like this before i purchase a CCA. My scenario is - bluetooth handsfree profile to car bluetooth, headset jack to car audio input. This works great for streaming music from tidal. The problem is the 2007 audio input jack sometimes makes loud pops. Yeah i could probably clean the jack, but i want fully wireless!
Last time i checked, Tidal was not supported on CCA.
I am on Metro PCS, who provides UNLIMITED tidal music streaming, so simply hotspotting the phone will not work for me(no tidal app for CCA)(data plan would be consumed).
I think my car has an optical input, and getting this setup working would be awesome- not ridiculous.
So does this quoted workaround work?
And if so, what steps are required every time you get in the car?
Thanks.
Frolob
Razor bumps
I got one for Xmas and it's been sitting around in a box looking for a purpose. That internet connection bs needs to go. If you want superimpose ads or whatever but let it function offline. For the same price I got a Hootoo portable htm05 router/nas/ battery and it works offline with dlna and bubble upnp. Too bad because the chromecast is smaller and more efficient. If anyone finds a practical workaround hit us up.
I am using Chromecast audio in both of my cars for these reasons:
Lack of bluetooth audio in car.
Steeamed media is far superior from an audio quality perspective.
The DAC in the Chromecast is exceptional.
VW Monsoon and Audi B&O both sound amazing.
I find the chromecast volume level should be at around 50% else distortion may occur on some of the high volume sections.
Post your vote for official support on mobile hotspots here:
https://productforums.google.com/fo...oter#!msg/chromecast/lpHteomXkhs/UJXgaDzbBAAJ
power issue in car
I plugged the chromcast audio in my car usb charger and I overburned 2 out of 2 chromecast devices.. anyone had similar issue? is there an Ampere limit I should stick to?
Thanks
Matteo
madmat71 said:
I plugged the chromcast audio in my car usb charger and I overburned 2 out of 2 chromecast devices.. anyone had similar issue? is there an Ampere limit I should stick to?
Thanks
Matteo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't "overburn" them. They probably went out for different reasons, like .. heat. Look at the factory charger the chromecast comes with and use that as your reference. I don't see why a regular 1amp charger would be an issue. The Chromecast will only pull as much as it needs, you can't feed it more.
Well car temperature was 18 celsius. Amp could have been 2.4 ...
Like the previous guy said, CCA will only pull as much power as it needs. Perhaps your power adapter is low quality and didn't supply enough power to the CCA which will cause failure.
madmat71 said:
I plugged the chromcast audio in my car usb charger and I overburned 2 out of 2 chromecast devices.. anyone had similar issue? is there an Ampere limit I should stick to?
Thanks
Matteo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the output voltage for your 12V adapter? The Chromecast takes 5V.
So I've made progress, and enjoyed using my chromecast audio (CCA) both to and from work today.
First, you need to decide whether you will only be playing local content on your phone, or will you want to play audio from the Internet via your phone. I'll only talk about Option 2 here for now.
To do this, you either need to have a mobile hotspot working on your phone, or you need to use a MIFI device in your car. I am using the mobile hotspot on my android phone.
In brief, you will set up the CCA to connect to the phone's hotspot when you turn on your car. Then, you will cast from your phone in guest mode (since your phone will turn off wifi when the hotspot comes on, you can't make the traditional wifi connection from your phone to the CCA via a wireless router). Once setup, your phone will notice that it is "close" to the CCA, and you can then cast to nearby CCA in guest mode.
The tricky piece is doing the initial setup. For now, you need to initialize your CCA in a different environment than your car. Choose an SSID and password that you will use in normal operation in your car. Find a wireless router that you can manage and change its SSID and password to your chosen values. (This router is only used in setup; I'll call it the "temp wifi router".) Connect your primary phone to this temp wifi router (scan for wifi, choose the appropriate SSID, and enter the right password).
Power up the chromecast nearby (in range of your temp wifi router) Now go to the Chromecast Home app. If all is running as it should, it should see the CCA and offer to set it up. Set up as you normally would, instructing the CCA to use your chosen SSID and password of the temp wifi router. Setup Guest mode on the CCA and remember the 4 digit pin. Turn off your primary phone's wifi, connecting to the Internet via the cellular network. Confirm operation by casting audio from your primary phone in guest mode to your CCA.
Now turn off the temp wifi router (or change its SSID). Turn on the mobile hotspot on your phone. Change the SSID and password of your mobile hotspot to your chosen values. Reboot the CCA and your phone. Turn on the mobile hotspot on your phone. In a 10-20 sec, your CCA will reconnect to your phone's mobile hotspot. Now use your phone to send audio to your CCA in guest mode. Done!