If we have a modern smartphone and a Smart TV TV, then sooner or later an idea will appear to display the image from the smartphone on the TV screen. For example, for viewing photos on a large screen, movies, games, etc. And if with Android devices in this regard, everything is simple and clear (in most cases), then with iOS devices iPhone and iPad not everything is as easy as we would like would. In principle, which was to be expected. Apple and their ecosystem in action.
Most often they ask: how to duplicate a screen, or how to display an image from an iPhone or iPad to a TV? And here it is not entirely clear what the specific task is. The fact is that on iOS devices (as well as on other tablets, phones, computers) it is possible to broadcast the image in two ways. Using different technologies. And the tasks that can be performed by this or that technology are very different. If we are talking about iPhone and iPad, then these are the following technologies:
- DLNA - this technology allows you to broadcast media content (photos, videos, music) from the iPhone and iPad to the TV screen over a local network. Almost every modern TV has DLNA support. On the iPhone itself, there is no way to simply select a photo, video, or song and send it to the TV (like in Windows). To do this, you need to use applications from the App Store, which can be found there by request "DLNA". For example, I liked the free TV Assist app. I checked all this many times - everything works. Not perfect, but it works. How to set it up, I wrote in the article: how to display photos and videos on the TV from the iPhone (iPad).
Two important points that you need to know: TV and iPhone must be connected to the same router and in this way you can only display photos and videos. It is impossible to completely duplicate the iPhone screen on the TV (there is a second technology for these tasks). By the way, DLNA also broadcasts video from the YouTube application to the TV. I wrote about this in the article on how to watch YouTube on TV and in the article at the link above. - AirPlay (screen repeat) is a proprietary Apple technology that gives you much more options. With its help, you can start broadcasting a video, or a photo to TV directly from the "Photos" application with a few taps. Or you can completely duplicate the iPhone screen on your TV. This also applies to the iPad. This technology is available on all iOS and Mac OS devices. Communication works directly (not through a router). This is an analogue of Miracast technology, which is used on Android devices and is built into almost all Smart TVs. Miracast and AirPlay are not compatible with each other.
But at the beginning of the article I wrote that not everything is so simple. The fact is that TVs do not have AirPlay support (with the exception of certain TVs from some manufacturers who will add AirPlay support to their TVs in 2019). You can only stream to an Apple TV set-top box. Or use different Chinese adapters like MiraScreen, EasyCast, AnyCast for this.
DLNA is clear. You can only display photos and videos, you need third-party applications, you cannot completely duplicate the iPhone screen. Through AirPlay, of course, everything is much cooler (by the way, AirPlay 2 support appeared in iOS 11.4). But for this you need an Apple TV set-top box, some kind of Chinese adapter with support for this wireless image transmission technology, or a TV with built-in AirPlay support. Which, as it turned out, will start appearing in 2019. And this is really cool news, which we'll talk about further in the article.
So we have three options: Apple TV, third-party receivers and set-top boxes, and TVs with built-in AirPlay support. Let's consider each option in more detail.
The best solution is Apple TV
At the moment (01/12/2019), the Apple TV set-top box is probably the only normal and best solution. This is not strange, because the Apple ecosystem works very well.
We buy an Apple TV, connect it to a TV (not even the newest TV will do, without a Smart TV) and without any problems and complex settings we broadcast the screen of the iPhone, or from the iPad to the big screen of the TV.
To do this, just open the control point and click on "Screen Repeat" (AirPlay). Then we select our Apple TV set-top box and you're done. You may need to enter a password that appears on the TV screen. As I understand it, this is the first time you connect.
The screen of our iPhone or iPad will be displayed on the TV.
I have not yet bought myself an Apple TV (I plan to), so I have no opportunity to show the connection process in more detail and beautifully.
With such a wireless connection, it is possible to broadcast any photo or video from the "Photos" application. Just click on the Share button and select AirPlay.
Screen Mirroring from iPhone to TV via Wireless HDMI Receiver
On Aliexpress, you can find many different adapters and set-top boxes that claim AirPlay support. They are called EasyCast, MiraScreen, AnyCast, etc. You can buy them in our online stores, it is not necessary to order from China.
These are such small receivers that connect to the HDMI port of the TV. We get power from the USB port. Through such a receiver, you can broadcast a picture from almost any modern mobile device or computer, and to any TV that has at least 1 HDMI input. No wires.
I specially ordered a MiraScreen adapter for myself (the so-called TV Dongle) to check if it can be used to display photos / videos and duplicate the screen from the iPhone directly through the proprietary AirPlay technology. As soon as the adapter arrives, I will test everything and add this information to the article. Or I will write a separate article and leave a link to it.
TVs with built-in AirPlay support
In early 2019 (this is a few days ago, at the time of this writing), news appeared on the Internet that some TVs will receive AirPlay 2 support (as well as built-in iTunes). This is an official statement from Apple. Why did they do this, I do not quite understand. After all, it turns out that if you have a TV with AirPlay and iTunes support, then there is no need for an Apple TV. You can mirror your screen, stream music, or start watching videos and photos from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac directly to your TV. No additional devices required. And this is very cool!
At the moment, it is known that TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony and Vizio will receive support for AirPlay 2. Of course, not all TV models. A list of TVs has already been published that will have built-in support for AirPlay 2. Some TVs will be released in 2019, and some (2018 models) will support this technology after a firmware update.
Here is a list of models:
Perhaps later, information about other manufacturers and models will appear. Good news, we will be watching this topic. If some TVs do get AirPlay 2 and iTunes support with a firmware update, then I think this will happen soon.
Write in the comments how you connect your iOS devices to the TV, which method you use from the ones described in the article, and what you think about the built-in AirPlay function and iTunes service in the TVs of the manufacturers listed above.
