What's the best way to connect the SP2 to a TV, wirelessly?
- Thread starter Darren Donovan
- Start date
Looking at the reviews on Amazon (not that's a be-all-end-all), many of these dongles are hit and miss. Many of them are from no-name companies, so you'll likely get no support. But yeah, $200+ plus for a device is too much. I did purchase the other one listed on here, the Screanbeam Pro, for $69.99; will let you all know how that turns out.
Point made. Point taken. The thread sorta drifted into area of what’s out there. I was giving information, not a recommendation. The OP can figure out what fits his needs.
ixtapalapaquetl
New Member
I recently picked that up - it's great! A little lag, but more than tolerable. Couple tips: 1) it doesn't like the Intel drivers - use stock, 2) it seems to be vulnerable to overheating, so give it good airflow and don't leave it plugged in when not in use, and 3) when you are done using it, always disconnect through Windows (Charms > Change PC Settings > PC and Devices > Display > Connect to a Wireless Display > Disconnect) rather than just unplugging. Amazing little device.
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the_new_normal
Member
Can anyone recommend a miracast hdmi dongle?
OP
Darren Donovan
Member
To be accurate you may not NEED Miracast - there's another option if you have a DLNA TV. If the TV is DLNA and you have it on your network you can use Win8's Play(To) function. Open app, start playing content, select the Devices charm, then Play. If your TV is shown in the list (not likely) select it and away you go. I do this and it works VERY well. MS, in it's infinite wisdom starting with Win8, will only show devices that have been certified to MS's Play requirements, thus most TVs will not show up even if they are DNLA 1.5 certified. There are easy registry fixes to get around this. I've done the fix on all my Win8 PCs. If you have lots of DLNA devices as I do, I think the little effort involved is quite acceptable since when you get done you aren't limited to a single TV. In my case I have 3x Roku Soundbridges (music players since discontinued), 2 DLNA TVs, 2 DLNA Blu-ray players, an old Netgear EVA, 2 DLNA media servers, a Pioneer N-30 music player and 3 PlayTo PCs and I can pair content between any of them. There are other pleasant surprises too. I have Metro Media Player on my SP2 and with this it is possible to start a video, Play it to the TV, then open another video and play that on the SP2 while it continues streaming the first video to the TV, all at 1080p
See the following for the reg hacks
Using MSFT Uncertified Play To DLNA devices with W8 Modern UI Apps | Barbs Connected World
Using An Old Non MSFT Certified Legacy DMR with W8 Device Charm | Barbs Connected World
Yeah, I've heard of this "hack". Question: do you need to select an input on the TV before it can display what's on the SP2?
Thanks,
OP
Darren Donovan
Member
If these wireless devices (Screenbeam, Netgear, dongle,...) work as advertised, then why is there a need for an HDMI cable? Say, you're at your desk, want to "hook up" the SP2 to a desktop monitor. Wouldn't a wireless device be more convenient? Are there transmission and/or quality issues to deal with?
Your biggest issue is the lag, it can be quite disconcerting trying to type on the extended screen when there is a noticeable delay.
I went out purchased the Actiontec ScreenBeam Pro today, it is about the same size as the PTV3000 but uses an external power supply, but with that said it does perform much better than the Netgear, there is some lag but it definitely more usable for typing. I would say it is close to the early USB 2.0 Video Docks from a typing perspective.
OP
Darren Donovan
Member
Thanks for the update. I'm still in the process of finding a good location to mount the tv, and installing an electrical outlet.
Looks like Microsoft will release something later this year for the Surface 2 or Pro 2.
Microsoft's got a wireless display fix in the works for Surface users
(Title of article is miss leading. 'fix' should be 'solutions' for TV's without miracast support)
Microsoft's got a wireless display fix in the works for Surface users
(Title of article is miss leading. 'fix' should be 'solutions' for TV's without miracast support)
I just ordered both the PTV3000 and the ScreenBeam Kit as well. But curious why Actiontec uses a 5V 2A power supply which apparently runs the box hotter (despite it being bigger with presumably more space for heatsink/fan cooling), whereas the slimmer Netgear only takes 5V 1A and can run off USB bus power. Do these two devices use completely different hardware/chipsets?
Also noticed that Actiontec announced a Business Edition of the ScreenBeam Pro in late Apr 2014 ($150 MSRP), and an Education Edition in early Jun 2014 ($100 MSRP). Looks like these 2 new editions have a web management interface built-in -- is this something that the regular ScreenBeam Pro lacks (but the PTV3000 has)?
The Actiontec web-based config supposedly lets you do things like shut off the HDMI output when idle, adjust overscan, use hidden PIN (so others in the room can't see), etc. The Education Ed is also bundled with a VGA adapter, though I'm not sure what extra "IT management features" the Business Ed adds?
So is it worth getting one of these specialized ScreenBeam Pro editions?
Also, I thought the ScreenBeam Kit just bundles the ScreenBeam Pro with a USB Transmitter for older PCs. But how come the Actiontec website states that the stand-alone ScreenBeam Pro SKU does not work with the bundled USB Transmitter from the kit?
Lastly, do both the ScreenBeam Pro and PTV3000 support HDMI CEC to turn the TV on and switch to the appropriate input? Alternatively, can they both shut off the HDMI output when idle (so I can use an HDMI switchbox that automatically switches to the Miracast input when turned on, and when the Miracast input shuts off will switch to the other input)?
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