What's the best way to connect the SP2 to a TV, wirelessly?

[jnjroach]

My understanding is the kit has an additional radio paired with the USB receiver that the Pro lacks, I guess it is possible the additional radio to cause some degradation but the Miracast Radios appear to be the same in these as well as in the Education Version. The Business Version looks updated and has a separate firmware tree.

 

[beq]

Thx for the info.

Shoot I just ordered more of the Kit, maybe I should see if I can still cancel, then order the stand-alone Pro's!

It's strange though that my Kit version had a lot less lag before the SP2 update...


EDIT: Nope, order already shipped, grr. I just thought, why not get the kit for only $10 more, as the USB Transmitter could be useful for older machines.

 

[beq]

Forgot to ask, I thought that Maracast/WiDi pairing on Windows computers follow the WPS practice of requiring a PIN code (perhaps with PBC push button as an alternative)? Even if some implementations on Android can be lax about requiring PIN...


But I noticed that these Actiontec & Netgear receivers, and the WD TV streamer with Miracast, all paired automatically to our SP2's without asking me to enter a PIN or do anything else? Is this actually the expected behavior?


(FWIW when I had VM bridged LAN adapter blocking Miracast, and was attempting to add the WD TV manually in PC Settings -> Devices, it did sometimes ask me to type a code that was displayed onscreen, but these were for abnormal WD TV device types, stuff like Media Player, Entertainment Device, TV, etc. instead of Projector.)

 

[jnjroach]

I had to enter a PIN on both my Actiontec Adapters and my PTV3000 the first time....

 

[beq]

You know, perhaps I mis-remembered. Since pairing to the Actiontec/Netgear the first time, I did remove and re-pair on my SP2 multiple times as part of testing, and I don't really remember what happened on the very first time.

May I ask -- if you had ever removed then redid the pairing process again, do you recall if you still had to enter a PIN (again)?

Anyways I should be receiving more Actiontec and Netgear units soon...



P.S. I'm still curious about the Actiontec receiver hardware. They also sell the USB Transmitter by itself, and the product listing states:

- For use with Actiontec's Screen Beam Pro (SBWD100A01) and Windows 7/8 devices that do not currently support wireless display.

- The Screen Beam USB Transmitter is an add-on companion to the Screen Beam Pro Wireless Display Receiver (catalog# SBWD100A01).

Doesn't this contradict what their own website states? Unless if the stand-alone USB Transmitter is yet again a different hardware than the USB Transmitter bundled in the Kit?

 

[JesseDiaz]

Maybe not the solution you are looking for but I use my Vulkano ( similar to SLING ) it's connected wirelessly and can also stream outside of your network. Love it

 

[jnjroach]

You know, perhaps I mis-remembered. Since pairing to the Actiontec/Netgear the first time, I did remove and re-pair on my SP2 multiple times as part of testing, and I don't really remember what happened on the very first time.

May I ask -- if you had ever removed then redid the pairing process again, do you recall if you still had to enter a PIN (again)?

Anyways I should be receiving more Actiontec and Netgear units soon...



P.S. I'm still curious about the Actiontec receiver hardware. They also sell the USB Transmitter by itself, and the product listing states:


Doesn't this contradict what their own website states? Unless if the stand-alone USB Transmitter is yet again a different hardware than the USB Transmitter bundled in the Kit?

Amazon's description is misleading, it requires the kit not the Pro...

ScreenBeam USB Transmitter - SBT100U

I have removed them a couple of times and I believe I needed to re-enter the Security Code....

 

[MysticEmpires]

The best idear is to wait for the MS-Miracast dongle i think

Microsoft Surface-branded Miracast dongle leaks | WMPoweruser

I hope for a soon release

 

[CrippsCorner]

Great, that's some more slightly up to date information on it... looks good. Only problem is my TV doesn't have USB lol, doh.

 

[beq]

Thanks guys for the other suggestions.


BTW Actiontec tech support replied:

There is only one hardware version of the ScreenBeam Receiver. There are no versions with additional radios or anything. However, depending on the date packaged, the firmware on the Receiver in the Kit may be different from that of the Pro and would simply need to be updated.

The USB Transmitter originally did not work with the Kit Receiver. This has not been the case for quite some time now, as the Intel WiDi and Miracast technologies became more streamlined, leaving enough room for the USB Transmitter technology. Provided the Receiver is on the latest firmware, the USB Transmitter will work fine with it. I believe they're making a few changes with the website and that information in the FAQ's is not intentionally there. I will alert the webmaster of that.

Could it be that the varying receiver hardware has been consolidated into a single model, sometime in the past?

The start of the 2nd paragraph also confused me. Perhaps it meant to say "The USB Transmitter originally did not work with the Pro Receiver"...

 

[jnjroach]

Thanks guys for the other suggestions.


BTW Actiontec tech support replied:


Could it be that the varying receiver hardware has been consolidated into a single model, sometime in the past?

The start of the 2nd paragraph also confused me. Perhaps it meant to say "The USB Transmitter originally did not work with the Pro Receiver"...

They need to get their stories straight If they are the same now awesome....

 

[MysticEmpires]

Great, that's some more slightly up to date information on it... looks good. Only problem is my TV doesn't have USB lol, doh.

The USB is only for power supply. So u can simply connect the USB to somthing like this:

So if u have an USB on ur TV is only easyer to use, no more.