Miracast is one of the technologies that offers the most possibilities of use within the world of technology. Can you imagine being able to project on the television all the content that you are watching on the screen of your smartphone or tablet? This is precisely what Miracast allows us to do , in a very simple and totally free way.
What is Miracast
Miracast is a technology that has been with us for many years now, and allows us to transmit audio, video or images files between different devices in a very comfortable way, and using the potential of current Wi-Fi networks.
Specifically, Miracast is based on what we know as WiFi Direct . It is a technology that allows a direct Wi-Fi connection to be established between both devices, so that the information is sent between them, without having to go through our Internet network.
This has a very important advantage, and that is that the bandwidth that existed between both devices will not depend on the speed of our Internet connection , but will only depend on the characteristics of the Wi-Fi network that is established between both devices. . It is even possible to use Miracast without the need for Internet.
Miracast is able to take advantage of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands , so it perfectly combines high speed with the high penetration capacity of walls, and other obstacles that are between both devices. Miracast was developed as a response to Apple's AirPlay technology, which allows you to do just the same thing, but is exclusive to devices from the bitten apple.
What is needed to use Miracast
In order to benefit from all the benefits that Miracast technology offers, you just need your devices to be compatible. Android supports Miracast technology from Android version 4.2 or later . That is why all smartphones that have been sold for many years are compatible with this technology.
As for televisions, it is true that many of them are not compatible with Miracast, but it is something that we can solve in a very simple way using a Chromecast device .
Chromecast is fully compatible with Miracast and DLNA technologies, so it is one of the cheapest and most practical ways we have to add support for these technologies on televisions that do not include it.
How to use Miracast
Once we have made sure that both our smartphone and our television are compatible with Miracast technology, we can start enjoying it. The first step will be to make sure that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network .
Having both devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the next step is to search your smartphone or tablet for the file you want to play on your TV. In the interface of your compatible multimedia player, you will see an option that serves to send the content to your television with Miracast support. VLC is fully compatible, both in Android and PC versions.
Is it safe to use Miracast?
Some users are wary of Miracast technology, because it works through a direct Wi-Fi connection between both devices. Their argument is that, as it is a direct network, the signal could be intercepted.
Fortunately, Miracast has an advanced protection system based on WPA2-PSK encryption , one of the most secure today. Miracast supports the use of a password of up to 63 characters, to which is added a shared prekey that produces new passwords at random to prevent them from being hacked.