Want to cast holiday photos, a video or a presentation from a phone or computer onto a large television screen without stretching cables? It can be done wirelessly. Let us explain how and what you need for it.

What ways of wireless casting there are

Most often you will come across these:

  • Miracast is a technology for mirroring the screen directly between a device and the television, without the need for a home WiFi network. It works in Windows and on many Android phones and Smart TVs.
  • Cast (Google Cast / Chromecast) sends specific content to the television (for example a video from an app), with playback running on the television.
  • Manufacturers’ built-in solutions (for example with Apple devices) have their own mirroring to supported televisions.

For ordinary screen casting from Windows or Android, Miracast is the most typical.

What Miracast is

Miracast is a wireless standard that mirrors your device’s screen onto the television. What you see on the computer or phone is shown on the TV too. The connection is made directly between the devices, so you do not even need a home WiFi network.

How to cast from Windows

In Windows it is simple:

  1. Make sure the television supports Miracast (most Smart TVs do, or a Miracast adapter into HDMI helps).
  2. On the television, turn on the mirroring mode (it tends to be called Screen Mirroring or similar).
  3. In Windows, press Win + K, wait for the television to appear in the list and connect.

The picture from the computer is shown on the television. There is an article on arranging windows across several screens, working with two monitors.

How to cast from a phone

On Android, look in the settings or in the quick toggles for an item like Smart View, Cast or Wireless display. The phone searches for the television and after connecting mirrors the screen. The exact name differs by phone manufacturer.

What to watch out for

  • Television support. Not every television handles every method. With older TVs a cheap HDMI casting adapter helps.
  • WiFi quality and interference. When mirroring over the network, a weak signal can cause stuttering. The article WiFi channels and interference helps.
  • A small delay. With wireless transmission there tends to be a slight delay, which can be a nuisance with fast games. For photos, video and presentations it is fine.
  • Apple devices. These usually do not use Miracast, but their own solution and supported televisions or a receiver.

Conclusion

Wireless casting to a television is a convenient way to show photos, a video or a presentation on a large screen without cables. In Windows, Miracast serves this (the Win + K shortcut), on a phone a feature like Smart View or Cast. All it takes is for the television to support it, or a cheap HDMI adapter helps. Count on a small delay, but for ordinary use it is great.

Want to reliably cast to screens at home or in the company? Get in touch, we will design and set up a solution.