Screen mirroring is now fully supported in Android 4.3. The recent update enables Miracast on the Nexus range of devices.
One of the main reasons schools have chosen iPad over Android is the iPad’s brilliant AirPlay screen mirroring. The technology allows a teacher to stream a live view of their iPad’s screen to a TV or projector and is a hugely effective teaching tool, but until now this feature had been missing from Android.
The recent 4.3 update for Android enables Miracast support for the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and Nexus 7 (2013). Any device with both WiFi Direct support and Android 4.3 should also be able to use Miracast to screen share.
The benefit of Miracast is that it is an industry standard with the potential to be built into any device. Windows 8.1 will also support Miracast technology as standard. Apple’s solution requires you to own an iPad and an Apple TV. With Miracast you could purchase any tablet — potentially even an iPad, were Apple to support it — and have it stream wirelessly to your TV.
The following is from the Google Support pages where Google specifically states “Some or all of this information applies only to devices running Android 4.3.”
Nexus 4, Nexus 7 (2013) and Nexus 10 are compatible with devices that support the Wi-Fi Certified Miracast™ protocol for wireless display. You can mirror the screen and wirelessly stream video and audio to a variety of displays and other devices that support Miracast, even when a standard Wi-Fi network isn’t available. For example, you can use wireless display to show your device’s screen on a TV equipped with a certified Miracast adapter.
For more information, see the documentation that comes with the Miracast-certified device that you wish to use with your tablet or phone.
How Can I Use Miracast in my Classroom?
The only thing you need is a Miracast dongle, or a set top box which supports Miracast. These can be purchased fairly cheaply from most online retailers.
By far the most popular and widely available is the Miracast receiver is the Netgear PTV3000, although others are available:
The chromecast can mirror the n10 screen in 4.3? Are we sure on that one? I own a n10 and a chrome cast but haven’t installed 4.3 on the n10. You list the chromecadt as one of the other devices to use to cast the n10 via screen mirroring. Anyone else get it to work?
Hi Josh,
The Chromecast does not support screen mirroring. This article is related only to Miracast which is different technology.
Hope that makes it clearer.
I guess Chromecast can mirror chrome over wifi but you are right, its a different technology, basically an additional wifi-based feature.
Karl will the miracast work on the nexus 7 2012? It works on my nexus 7 2013.
Hi Ray,
Sorry, I’ve only tested the new Nexus 7 so can’t confirm this. There are some forum posts that suggest people have got this working, but I wouldn’t make a purchase based solely on this information.
Karl
So just to clarify…if I purchase Miracast and place that on my apple tv (which is connected to epson projector) then I will be able to mirror what is on my nexus 7 tablet? Thank you!
Hi Emily,
The Miracast adapter would need to plug in to your projector directly. So, if there are two HDMI inputs on your projector you could attach both the Miracast adapter and the Apple TV. If you only have one HDMI input you’d need to swap them around.
hdmi splitter?
Would that work? For a splitter you normally have one input and two outputs. Maybe if you had some sort of switching device.
I have tested Miracast with Nexus 7 2013 and Nexus 10 using a fully updated Netgear push2tv Miracast adapter. They do not work. “Official support” does not indicate that the feature works. Please do not write articles like this unless you have tested yourself.
Hi jacohend,
We’ve tested the Netgear Push2TV with Nexus 10, 7, and 4, as well as other smartphones and can confirm that they do work, but as I stated in the review, they are very inconsistent especially on the Nexus 10.
I have sony Xperia z tablet. And when ever I start screen mirroring, the WiFi drops. Can I mirror anything I watch in my tablet.. YouTube or any flash content in browser
Hi Ramesh,
Yes, you should be able to mirror anything. I’ve successfully used Youtube, games, HD video. I haven’t tried flash though, but I can’t think of a reason why it wouldn’t work.
Let me know how you get on.
On the Xperia z tablet, the screen mirroring disconnects the WiFi and just enables the WiFi direct. So I am able to see the tablet screen on the tv, but since the WiFi is always kept disabled during this session, I am pretty much unable to use any internet and related contents. Not sure I am missing something, can you suggest
WiFi direct should make two connections. One to your TV and one to your Internet WiFi. It shouldn’t drop one in favor of the other.
Do you have a good WiFi signal in general?
Yes I do have an excellent WiF Connection. I am not about the WiFi direct though , am researching
Let me know how you get on.
Can you please suggest me the steps to setup wifi and WiFi direct simultaneously on sony tablet
Enabling Wifi Direct shouldn’t disconnect your Wifi connection at all. There may be a problem with your tablet.
Same result. Wifi drops and only WiFi direct is enabled during screen mirroring. I can display everything on tablet to tv screen, but without internet connection, its not of any practical use. Let me know if am missing anything…
Check my comment above.
its a issue still –
Take a look at the threads at Sony’s Xperia Forum.
Speaking from school experience we now use airserver to mirror. Schools pay like 4.00 a computer so ver cheap. Teacher launches program on PC and then have same functionality as apple tv. Only difference…no extra cables no apple Tv and no tech to install. We make a package for airserver and push to PC. Way cheaper. Also can show more than one device on screen. Airserver is password protected by teacher and can be changed any session.
Thanks for your input, Rick!
If someone has a Miracast device such as a Nexus 4 and a Wi-fi Direct TV from 2012 that has Wi-fi Direct support but not Miracast support specifically, can the Nexus 4’s screen be displayed on the TV?
Hi Mike,
Let me know the middle of the Miracast device and I’ll try to find out.
Lg bd 670 (smart blue ray) and nexus7 2013 4.3 seems to find each other. Keep trying to see how to mirror my tablet
Hey Karl, are you aware of any gliches with galaxy s4 and netgear’s push2tv? I connect to the mirroring app and have perfect video but zero audio. My husband’s s3 however works fine. I’m running android 4.3 while he’s running 4.1. Very frustrating.
Hi Kara,
I haven’t tried a Galaxy S4 I afraid, so I don’t have any information about that. The only thing I can tell you is that some devices seem to work better than others.
Can anyone help out Kara?
Karl
According to Netgear tech support,this will not work on n7 or n10 with 4.4. We tried for an hour and gave up.and anyone know what pushtv cec is? I get this as well as pushtv when I list source on Samsung smart TV.
Hello all,
With the Netgear Push2TV (PTV3000) ……
1. Sony Xperia Z (Android 4.3) will disconnect WiFi internet when connected. Bluetooth speakers work. Because of this disconnection, i cannot use the Z with the Sony Potable Wireless Server (WG-C20) on the Miracast receiver too.
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (Android 4.1.2) will disconnect from Miracast when Bluetooth speakers are connected. Wi-Fi internet works.
3. Does anyone know if the Nexus 5 (series 312K) will work perfectly? That is, Miracast + wifi internet + Bluetooth speakers?
If I use Miracast in my classroom, is there anything to prevent students from mirroring their images? What happens when multiple devices are trying to mirror their images?