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This is a bad and hardly structured review with a focus mainly on video playback. This is not a full review, and there's more things I want to test (and probably info I will post) for the future. It is also 4 AM, so don't expect any literary gymnastics.
So, I've had the (Euro) HDMI dock for a few weeks now (as well as the black leather sleeve, which is nice) but hadn't really gotten around to testing it. Primarily because I hadn't gotten around getting a mini-to-normal HDMI cable - yes the dock has a mini-HDMI output. The cable in question is commonly known as an HDMI "A<->C" cable with male ends on both sides.
Let's get the details you all know already out of the way. We're talking about the ECR-D980, more info here.
The dock itself comes packaged with nothing. No extra USB cable, no HDMI cable (or even converter plug), nothing. Keep in mind that these up the total cost of ownership for the dock quite a bit. I got the dock for about 29 euro, add about 20 euro total before you have a second SGT USB cable and a mini-to-normal HDMI cable. So that's 50 euro or about $70 US minimum cost at the time of writing, significantly more if you don't search a bit to find the cheapest deals. You don't strictly need the extra USB cable, but it becomes annoying in most setups if you don't have it - you'd be switching the cables location a lot.
The dock itself feels like a solid piece of equipment, much like the Tab itself. It features a 3.5mm audio out, mini-HDMI out, and 30-pin Samsung "PDMI" USB / power connector (the same connector on the Tab itself).
I started out testing at a friend two weeks ago, using his Sony soundsystem (several HDMI ins & outs) and his 42" high-end-4-years-ago Philips LCD. We were however completely unable to get it to work. Having no clue which component the problem was, we gave up after a bit. Note that his LCD doesn't do 1080p, but max 1080i (at time of purchase, even 1080i was rare). So I borrowed his cable, and today I tried it (with his A-C cable) in my home, on my Samsung 6-series 37" LCD that does do 1080p, without any special soundsystem. Note again that I used a converting cable, not an A-C converter plug. I know people have reported problems using those.
As soon as I plugged everything in, I immediately had display on my screen. We still don't know what the issue was at my friend's house, but keep in mind that it may be a requirement that the display device supports 1080p. The signal received by the TV was 1080p30. I think this is the maximum the device will do, as my TV does support both 1080p50 and 1080p60 as well (and I regularly use both those modes).
Immediate snags:
(1) First, the dock needs to be connected (via the USB cable) to a power, or HDMI will not work. I actually used an old HTC adapter instead of the Samsung one, that delivers 1a instead of 2a, and that worked fine. Connecting it to a computer USB port (0.5a) reportedly does not work, but I have not tested this myself (yet).
(2) Second, the Samsung USB cable you got with your Tab is really short, using an extender cable is almost certainly necessary for most situations.
(3) Third, the 3.5mm audio out does NOT work while HDMI is connected (reported by others, not tested myself)
(4) Last, the backlight will NEVER go off when connected over HDMI. Not even using the power button.
So, when you have it all connected, you will see one of two things: a really narrow output of your portrait screen, or a screen-filling output of your landscape screen. I advise everyone to put the device in landscape mode and enabling the orientation lock before connecting. Note that the HDMI dock is also a really handy standard for landscape mode!
When in the normal Android UI, you can clearly see the artifacts of upscaling. You'll see whatever happens on the Tab on the TV as well, scaled up (and not using a good resampler). The Android UI does NOT suddenly see a FullHD screen (as I expected, but some may be surprised).
However, some applications that go full-screen do see and use the FullHD resolution. I have not extensively tested this on many applications. For example, the YouTube app appears to see FullHD, but I can not be certain. The stock Samsung video player does see and use the FullHD resolution, as far as I can make out.
I have tested playback of the following videos, in the stock video player:
(1) Iron_Man_2-DivXPlusHD.mkv - 81mb, 2:30, CCV1 1920x800 23.98fps, AAC 48000Hz stereo, 4.4mbps
(2) Cowboys & Aliens - Trailer.mp4 - 174mb, 2:31, CCV1 1920x816 23.98fps, AAC 48000Hz stereo, 9.2mbps
(3) v.2009.s02e03.720p.hdtv.x264-ctu.mkv - 1118mb, 41:22, CCV1 1280x720 23.98fps, Dolby AC3 48000Hz 6ch, 3.6mbps
(4) the.mentalist.s03e12.720p.hdtv.x264-ctu.mkv - 1119mb, 41:48, CCV1 1280x720 23.98fps, Dolby AC3 48000Hz 6ch, 3.6mbps
These four videos all played fine, with audio and everything. V even had subtitles, and those worked well. However I must note that the button to disable subtitles is disabled while outputting to HDMI. Not sure what that is about. DTS is still on my to-test list, but I'll get around to that when we get the setup working on my friend's soundssystem, where I can also test whether or not the output is more than stereo or always downsampled to 2-channel.
The video output is pretty good, but not without buts.
(1) First, as stated before, the backlight on the Tab will not go off no matter what you do, and you will see one of the first frames of the video as a still on the Tab. You can however still use much of the videoplayer UI (which is suddenly slightly different: amongst other things options like brightness and scaling disappear), and that UI only appears on the Tab, NOT on the TV. Now if only I could control that UI, over Wi-Fi, with my SGS ... (might be possible through DLNA, btw, a nice test for the future)
(2) When you look closely at the image produced, you will see that the postprocessing is not quite up to par to the quality you get from CoreAVC or even ffmpeg on a laptop or HTPC or whatnot. The difference does really seem to be postprocessing though, not bad decoding or scaling.
(3) There is some shift in framespeed. Not traditional suttering you might see when the player cannot decode fast enough, though, the speed seems to be fine. I think this has to do with the fact that first the Tab has to scale 24fps to 30fps, which is probably done with some pulldown scheme, and then my TV has to scale that to 100hz, again with some pulldown scheme. I'm sure the videophiles amongst you will understand what I am talking about, even if the jargon is not correct. If you're not following, you are probably someone who wouldn't even notice it. Also note that I have all video-enhancing features on the TV itself turned off (as always). Enabling the 100hz motion interpolation mode makes the issue mostly disappear, but I really hate the "homevideo" effect you get when doing that. All in all, when watching a 40 minute show, you don't really notice it anymore after a few minutes, but if you're like me you know it's there and see it. If it were 1080p25 instead of 1080p30, the issue would probably not exist.
All in all, it does look good and works pretty well. Unfortunately, though most of these individual issues are small, together they are big enough to prevent this from being more than a casual playback device. It comes close, but not close enough to being a home-theater device. However, who knows maybe XBMC can be ported and we'll get past a number of these problems.
I won't make any claims as to whether the HDMI dock is worth the money or not. You know the price, and you have a bit of information here, and more in other reviews online. You have to decide for yourself it it's worth it. Hope this is helpful and/or interesting to someone.
For me the dock was totally worth it. The framespeed issue you describe is definitely there, but I do not notice that unless I am consciously looking for it. I have watched a lot of movies quite comfortably using the dock on Full HD TV.
And yes, if TV is not 1080p, for example just HD Ready and not Full HD, the video output is not HD at all. I think it's the same as Tab's screen: 1024x600.
"Connecting it to a computer USB port (0.5a) reportedly does not work, but I have not tested this myself (yet). "
USB from my computer (Kies drivers installed) works fine with the Dock. I have an HDMI capable computer monitor and this also works fine with the dock.
Thanks for the review!
For those who purchase movies through MediaHub, you will not be able to play back through HDMI dock to TV. http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/ECR-D980BEGSTA-reviews
GeorgijSapkin said:
For me the dock was totally worth it. The framespeed issue you describe is definitely there, but I do not notice that unless I am consciously looking for it. I have watched a lot of movies quite comfortably using the dock on Full HD TV.
And yes, if TV is not 1080p, for example just HD Ready and not Full HD, the video output is not HD at all. I think it's the same as Tab's screen: 1024x600.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried movies with DTS ? And on a surroundl soundsystem ? If so, can you share the details ?
Re: 1080p, you are saying even if the TV does not support 1080p, you do still get output ? Would mean that 1080i is not the problem on my friends' system, as we got no output at all.
(good info on this dock is hard to find )
specmac said:
"Connecting it to a computer USB port (0.5a) reportedly does not work, but I have not tested this myself (yet). "
USB from my computer (Kies drivers installed) works fine with the Dock. I have an HDMI capable computer monitor and this also works fine with the dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant using the computer as power source for HDMI. Do you get HDMI output when the USB cable is connected to a computer ? I read on some other reviews people did not get that to work.
quattr0 said:
Thanks for the review!
For those who purchase movies through MediaHub, you will not be able to play back through HDMI dock to TV. http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/ECR-D980BEGSTA-reviews
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is really silly ...
Yes, dock connected to my computer via usb and connected to my monitor via hdmi. Outputs to the computer monitor just fine with this configuration.
Sent from Samsung Galaxy Tab
Dock but no audio
I have this dock but I get no audio what so ever... Have you had to do anything at all to enable it?
gsjurseth said:
I have this dock but I get no audio what so ever... Have you had to do anything at all to enable it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worked out of the box for me, through HDMI. Haven't tried 3.5mm jack. Have heard that complaint before though.
Nice review its a bit dissapointing for me that they chose the mini HDMI standard as there is plenty of space to have included a normal size plug.
Maybe I'm just annoyed because I have HDMI cables laying around but now need to buy a mini HDMI cable
Ghostwalker9 said:
Nice review its a bit dissapointing for me that they chose the mini HDMI standard as there is plenty of space to have included a normal size plug.
Maybe I'm just annoyed because I have HDMI cables laying around but now need to buy a mini HDMI cable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% agree
YouTube is great when you're docked. You can flip through videos and playlists on the tab while a YouTube clip continues to pay fullscreen on your TV - nice! It's a shame you can't play HD though.
I stripped the DRM off all the free movies that came with my Tab so I can play them directly through the dock. Inception looks great! You're right though, post-processing looks a little rough at times.
The dock is pretty overpriced for what you get but I'm happy with it all-in-all. If it came with a mini HDMI cable it would be perfect.
are you using a stock rom or custom rom? wondering if that will matter in regards to dock performance, i am on the rotohammer jme v4 and love how fast it is compared to the stock roms.
thanks for the notes/review!
Chainfire said:
Have you tried movies with DTS ? And on a surroundl soundsystem ? If so, can you share the details ?
Re: 1080p, you are saying even if the TV does not support 1080p, you do still get output ? Would mean that 1080i is not the problem on my friends' system, as we got no output at all.
(good info on this dock is hard to find )
I meant using the computer as power source for HDMI. Do you get HDMI output when the USB cable is connected to a computer ? I read on some other reviews people did not get that to work.
That is really silly ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My projector is 1024x768 and the dock work well with it, so 1080p is not necessary for it to work, and as a power source I use an external battery rated 500mh, so I guess a computer usb port should be able to power it.
My problem is that my projector doesn't have an audio out jack, and when the hdmi cable is connected all the audio port of the tab get disabled, INCLUDING bluetooth audio. This is why I now use this dock as an overpriced charging dock
Sent from my Galaxy Tab
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=236523&t=2611349
Just an FYI. $37 Shipped.
FYI, I got this 6 foot long Samsung sync/charge cable for only $8 (with shipping) that is a great companion for the Dock because the stock Samsung cables are way too short.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300509955254
w4rmk said:
FYI, I got this 6 foot long Samsung sync/charge cable for only $8 (with shipping) that is a great companion for the Dock because the stock Samsung cables are way too short.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300509955254
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just what I needed !
does SGT screen needs to be turned on while docked, because while streaming / watching vids i dont want to hav twin/identical display
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
erlz said:
does SGT screen needs to be turned on while docked, because while streaming / watching vids i dont want to hav twin/identical display
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As metioned in the first posting of this thread, unfortunately you cannot turn off the screen on the Tab when it's in the doc. When watching video's the first frame of the video stays visibile on the Tab the entire time. When your not watching videos the displays on the Tab and your TV are mirrored.
I buy the HDMI station dock and I find it no really good!
A HD photo is not so nice on the LCD, it ok buy when you see then at the real resolution with the camera, it's bad!
The only way that I can have good resolution is when i plug the tab into the PS3 like a hard drive annd the I see the same photos like they are and my videos arein real 720P or 1080P
I will returned it and wait for a new model or plug into my PS3
I just picked one of these up and was a bit disappointed with the video quality too. Videos looks great in HD on the Tab but jaggy and average quality on the TV - no better than a DVD really.
I bought one so I could connect it to the TV in my hotel room when I go on Holiday soon. Is it true that if you get no audio over HDMI, you can't use the line out at the same time? I was going to take some small speakers just in case the TV in the hotel didn't support audio (should be fine, think they're Samsung 32" LCD TVs).
I'm a bit surprised there's no settings you can tweak on the Tab other than PAL or NTSC to correct the overscan and advise on resolution and FPS.
Surprised about the quality, I loaded a webpage up in Xscope and could hardly read it on the TV, very poor. I genuinely thought it would be near HD. I could just take my 13.3" Laptop with HDMI out but that's 2.5KG.
At least I'll get lots of films on the Tab as there's no point putting HD ones on there if they don't look HD on the big screen. What an oxymoron that they look better on the Tab screen!
EZCast is a competing technology, in some cases it's packaging is just a clone
Dongle acts as ap/wireless router in order to use it.
Client app connects to EZCast wifi and EZCast dongle is connected to home/office wifi network.
EZCast dongle examples:
EZCast M2 III
Measy A2W
Tronsmart T1000
Vsmart v5II
and dozen of others, some even with external antennas.
These dongles are often advertised as Miracast dongles.
Click HERE to view list of XDA threads tagged Miracast
Specification
OS: EZCast ROM(Linux OS) updated mothly
Source code for dongle or apps have never been released.
Majority of EZCast dongles use the same operating system!(regardless of manufacturer)
RAM: DDR3 128MB (or 256MB)
Storage: Single-level cell (SLC) NAND Flash memory: 128 MB
Chipset: Actions-Micro AM8251 600 MHz (or 1GHz)
Networking: Realtek RTL8188 Wifi Module 2.4Ghz. 802.11 B/G/N(150Mb) - WEP/WPA/WPA2, unfortunately WPS is enabled.
Video Outputs: 480p (HDMI), 720p (HDMI), 1080p (HDMI)
Support Video-formats: avi, divx, mkv, ts, dat, vob, mpg, mpeg, mov, mp4, rm, rmvb, wmv, etc.
Support Subtitles: ..smi , *.srt, *.cdg on Android and iOS, on PC Windows platform it's not supported yet.
Support Audio-formats: MP1, MP2, MP3， WMA, OGG, ADPCM-WAV, PCM-WAV, AAC etc
Support Picture-formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG etc.
Support File-formats: Adobe PDF, MS Word, Ms Excel, Ms Powerpoint, etc.
Standards: Ezcast, Miracast(its not possible to use it directly with Intel WiDi/Windows 8 built features, it requires EZCast windows app), DLNA, Airplay
Power Input: 5.0V- 0,3A to 1.0A depends on dongle, usually 0,5A
power adapter: USB powered
System Requirements: Requires a laptop, smartphone, or tablet support Miracast wireless display; HDTV with available HDMI input
software inside:
BIND 9.9.2-P1 (Jan 22 2013)
thttpd/2.25b 29dec2003
hostapd v0.6.9 20009-03-23
udhcpd
Unboxing and review VIDEOs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGFFJJxMaWI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loDi34vbqeE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9768N0-Ilg
Chromecast vs EZCast(tronsmart t1000) review
http://liliputing.com/2013/12/tronsmart-t1000-miracast-wireless-display-adapter-giveaway.html
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Security - In terms of security both products are flawed:
*Chromecast acts as open AP if is not connected to, in case of rooted it allows to steal your ESSID and PASSPHRASE
*EZCast(Measy A2W in my case but it's just EZCast standard)
EZCast is by default protected by WPA2 and 8 digit passphrase which is fair.
Dongle acts as ap/wireless router in order to use it. Client app connects to EZCast wifi and EZCast dongle is connected to main wifi network.
1. EZCast Dongle has for some unknown reason WPS enabled.
WPS is broken/hackable via WASH/REAVER since December 2011. Fixed in firmware 13886 (Aug 2015)
2. EZCast has always the same ESSID(should be an option to change it), also 32 characters limitation.(fixed in 2015)
3. It's not possible to hide ESSID broadcasting.
4. Passphrase to it's network is always limited to 8 ASCII characters, which is too short, should beup to 63ascii/64hex characters.
5. AP that EZCast can connect to has to be about ESSID 16 character long/16 characters long, should be ESSID 32 chanracter long and passphrase 63 ascii or if 64 hex character long.
6. After dongle factory reset initial WPA2 passphrase is always the same(returns to stock value), should be randomized.
7. I find it strange that iezvu .com collects unique ESSID, email, IP, while default WPA2 password is the same after each dongle reset.
Probably there is a correlation between ESSID, MAC and passphrase - guys from RouterKeygen are good at finding this....
https://code.google.com/p/android-thomson-key-solver/
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For mirroring desktop/expanding desktop EZCast is superior to Chromecast Stream can be about 30 - 35Mbps.
You may stream up to 4 desktops at once to one screen1/ split 2/split 4, I have tried only 2 at time.
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If it comes to playing movies (nearly all formats supported) with EZCast Windows it runs fluid in Video Mode, but without subtitles.
It's also possible to watch movie with subtitles with screen mirroring but it's not so enjoyable - slightly tearing.
You may also stream audio files.
It's supposed to be better from Android phone but i just have tried audio/video/camera live stream
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Video cloud storage playback is available in android and it is fully enjoyable. YT, Vimeo, around 50 sites supported. It works in similar way as chromecast.
Even more sites supported for Chinese consumers.
For cloud video streaming for this moment Chromecast may be a winner, but EZCast is in active development - monthly cycle. Chromecast development is still slow.
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Price of EZCast dongle is about $30-$35 so it's very similar to Chromecast price.
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Links:
Main EZCast technology site:
http://www.iezvu.com/index.php?l=en
EZCast on Google+:
https://plus.google.com/100070160405847243669/posts
https://plus.google.com/communities/112623351806986703053
EZCast on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/iezcast
Latest FW changelog:
http://www.iezvu.com/upgrade/ezcast/appupgrade/update.php?&al=US
ROM is definitely moddable.
Main link of ezCast OS 11283:
http://www.iezvu.com/upgrade/ezcast/ezcast.bin
Client EZCast Apps:
http://www.iezvu.com/index.php?m=download&a=index&id=29&l=en
Android EZCast app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actionsmicro.ezcast
EZCast forum:
http://www.iezvu.com/bbs-en/
Manuals:
http://www.iezvu.com/bbs-en/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=f8f72e91923e869d137e256a638fb1c6
http://www.ezcast-wifidisplay.com/manual/EZCast-quick-installation-guide.pdf
Why to post is in Chromecast subforum? The product fills the gap that CC fails to fill yet.
PS: I am not affiliated with iezvu.com in any way.
measy a2w + mtk6577
I have the measy a2w. miracast works well with android 4.2.
But for my 3 phones/phablets with mtk6577 chip and running android 4.1. It was difficult. The EZcast app wouldn't install. I figured out how finally. I had to add the .apk app file to /data/app manually and set permission to rw-r--r--, then reboot.
The manual is a joke, as always. It doesn't even talk about miracast.
settings > display > wireless display > search device > connect
That's all it takes for android 4.2.
Ok this kinda suck then if subs dont work the way it has to.
I'm half deaf and I need subs to understand what they are saying.
If they can't fix this, then it's not worth to buy it.
I've seen the video on Youtube and it's just a tutorial how to get it work and that's it.
Some functions are not explained well...or if it exist.
It's more like 'look we got a chromecast copy and this are the functions and some will not work''.
If they want to sell a product, then they have to take the time to show it so people can say WOW...worth the money.
But no you get questions after questions.
Anyway...lets hope most video player apps will add chromecast support asap since Google released the developers kit.
[-Amrish-] said:
Ok this kinda suck then if subs dont work the way it has to.
I'm half deaf and I need subs to understand what they are saying.
If they can't fix this, then it's not worth to buy it.
I've seen the video on Youtube and it's just a tutorial how to get it work and that's it.
Some functions are not explained well...or if it exist.
It's more like 'look we got a chromecast copy and this are the functions and some will not work''.
If they want to sell a product, then they have to take the time to show it so people can say WOW...worth the money.
But no you get questions after questions.
Anyway...lets hope most video player apps will add chromecast support asap since Google released the developers kit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In full screen mirroring its possible to watch with subs, its just not too enjoyable while dynamical motion, its much better than chromecast full screen or tab mirroring.
mathorv said:
In full screen mirroring its possible to watch with subs, its just not too enjoyable while dynamical motion, its much better than chromecast full screen or tab mirroring.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AH I forgot about the mirroring!
But the quality won't be that good if you have to mirror it instead of streaming the video.
The other thing with EZcast is that it doesn't take over all the work like Chromecast does.
So your phone is still consuming power to run the media? Correct me if I'm wrong.
[-Amrish-] said:
AH I forgot about the mirroring!
But the quality won't be that good if you have to mirror it instead of streaming the video.
The other thing with EZcast is that it doesn't take over all the work like Chromecast does.
So your phone is still consuming power to run the media? Correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are probably right(i have not tested it with android.) You may ask on their (iezvu) forum. I bought Measy A2W (EZCast dongle) because of decent screen mirroring and flawless movie playback with any format(on PC i did not succeeded to use subs) , things that Chromecast is totally missing.
Added plenty of info on the subect
Also Chromecast vs EZCast (Tronesmart T1000) review.
http://liliputing.com/2013/12/tronsmart-t1000-miracast-wireless-display-adapter-giveaway.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhOrJHdWgTY
I have the Ezcast M2 and it works flawless if I'm near my wifi router, but if I'm downstair, there are massive lags when viewing in 720p and higher. It kept buffering. I believe Miracast acts more like bluetooth which is based on distance I wish there's a way to improve this. If anyone have any idea how to fix this lag, please chime in.
xterminater07 said:
I have the Ezcast M2 and it works flawless if I'm near my wifi router, but if I'm downstair, there are massive lags when viewing in 720p and higher. It kept buffering. I believe Miracast acts more like bluetooth which is based on distance I wish there's a way to improve this. If anyone have any idea how to fix this lag, please chime in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be sure it's updated to 11391, place it not too close to the wall/floor, you may use hdmi extender for tests.
Generally this device should be placed in line of sight not another floor.
It depends on how good is wifi adapter is used. If its not in 802.11n(150Mbps+) or newer such as 802.11ac card there is high chance for lags.
Cast movies via Video mode not mirror screen mode.
mathorv said:
Be sure it's updated to 11391, place it not too close to the wall/floor, you may use hdmi extender for tests.
Generally this device should be placed in line of sight not another floor.
It depends on how good is wifi adapter is used. If its not in 802.11n(150Mbps+) or newer such as 802.11ac card there is high chance for lags.
Cast movies via Video mode not mirror screen mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have my ezcast plugged into my Yamaha receiver to have surround sound, and the router I have is a linksys e2500 dual band. I have most stuff connected through the 5ghz channel, leaving the 2ghz dedicated to guest and ezcast or any other devices. Both bands are on wireless N only, and it's not pointed toward the wall or on the floor, it's sitting on top of my tv stand. My router is fine I have no issues with the roku 2 xs, just the ezcast is always buffering on 720p when streaming from youtube, and 1080p as well. I have the latest firmware and the app update as well. Any more suggestion?
xterminater07 said:
I have my ezcast plugged into my Yamaha receiver to have surround sound, and the router I have is a linksys e2500 dual band. I have most stuff connected through the 5ghz channel, leaving the 2ghz dedicated to guest and ezcast or any other devices. Both bands are on wireless N only, and it's not pointed toward the wall or on the floor, it's sitting on top of my tv stand. My router is fine I have no issues with the roku 2 xs, just the ezcast is always buffering on 720p when streaming from youtube, and 1080p as well. I have the latest firmware and the app update as well. Any more suggestion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not much(I doubt it will help):
Update routers firmware.
Experiment with router position - should not be too close to wall/floor or other high density objects.
Be sure you use 40MHz channel width and experiment with different wireless channels.
cheap signal booster example, it'll be hard to direct it between floors
http://lifehacker.com/5839243/use-an-aluminum-can-as-a-wi+fi-extender
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZD3MZZTpeY
http://lifehacker.com/296367/boost-your-wireless-signal-with-a-homemade-wifi-extender
Alternatively just forget about it.
mathorv said:
Be sure it's updated to 11391, place it not too close to the wall/floor, you may use hdmi extender for tests.
Generally this device should be placed in line of sight not another floor.
It depends on how good is wifi adapter is used. If its not in 802.11n(150Mbps+) or newer such as 802.11ac card there is high chance for lags.
Cast movies via Video mode not mirror screen mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mathorv said:
Not much(I doubt it will help):
Update routers firmware.
Experiment with router position - should not be too close to wall/floor or other high density objects.
Be sure you use 40MHz channel width and experiment with different wireless channels.
cheap signal booster example, it'll be hard to direct it between floors
http://lifehacker.com/5839243/use-an-aluminum-can-as-a-wi+fi-extender
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZD3MZZTpeY
http://lifehacker.com/296367/boost-your-wireless-signal-with-a-homemade-wifi-extender
Alternatively just forget about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's working so far, but I noticed my ios youtube native app no longer can airplay to the ezcast! It keep telling me playback error, however if i use the "web" function of the ezcast app it works flawless.
a quick update on this... I tried the ezmirror using my laptop and it plays 720p and 1080p perfect! I don't know why when playing over tablet or iphone it lags so much! Any experts in here know how to sniff out the protocol it uses?
xterminater07 said:
a quick update on this... I tried the ezmirror using my laptop and it plays 720p and 1080p perfect! I don't know why when playing over tablet or iphone it lags so much! Any experts in here know how to sniff out the protocol it uses?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be sure that you use latest version of app.
EZCast 1.1.150 Feb 01, 2014 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/ezcast/id677053215
It requires iOS 6.1 or later and is optimized for iPhone 5.
Use Wireshark on Linux or OS X platform if you want to " sniff out the protocol it uses"
https://www.wireshark.org/download.html
Alternatively read specs and manuals from links in OP(Opening post).
Or even visit their forum that's linked in OP and ask there.
P.S.
That's cool that I helped to solve your problems.
You didn't mention what worked and you don't even bother to say thank you.
mathorv said:
Be sure that you use latest version of app.
EZCast 1.1.150 Feb 01, 2014 https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/ezcast/id677053215
It requires iOS 6.1 or later and is optimized for iPhone 5.
Use Wireshark on Linux or OS X platform if you want to " sniff out the protocol it uses"
https://www.wireshark.org/download.html
Alternatively read specs and manuals from links in OP(Opening post).
Or even visit their forum that's linked in OP and ask there.
P.S.
That's cool that I helped to solve your problems.
You didn't mention what worked and you don't even bother to say thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have iphone 5 but running ios 7. I am on windows lapto so I can't use that wireshark! Also I have not forget to say thank u to u, just we have not finished solving this issue that is all eheeeh don't misunderstand! I greatly appreciate all anyone does to help troubleshoot!
xterminater07 said:
I have iphone 5 but running ios 7. I am on windows lapto so I can't use that wireshark! Also I have not forget to say thank u to u, just we have not finished solving this issue that is all eheeeh don't misunderstand! I greatly appreciate all anyone does to help troubleshoot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two answers at once:
1. Technologies used on iOS - Ezair(Airplay)
2. There are known issues on iOS 7 with no workaround.
According to developer "yuanwei" it should be fixed within a month. SOURCE
Thank u! I did see their forums but it looks very inactive thats why I didnt bother posting there! Odd how it worked before on native youtube app but not anymore! It's like random.... Also I wish they have a stronger antenna bc I cannot connect to any other channel besides auto! It also took me awhile to connect to the tv via my laptop, but it connected fine now. Major lags within the windows OS when using ezmirror but youtube stream and flash contents are on sync with the laptop!
xterminater07 said:
...and the router I have is a linksys e2500 dual band. I have most stuff connected through the 5ghz channel, leaving the 2ghz dedicated to guest and ezcast or any other device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's worth to read about linksys routers vulnerability
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/17/linksys_vuln_confirmed_as_a_hnap1_bug/
I have the Tronsmart T1000 and have been using it for a couple of months to stream from both Android and Windows.
I have used both Miracast with Android and also using the devices built in WiFi network to stream from Android and Windows. Miracast is a little laggy and buggy but typically works fine. Sometimes with larger video files there is a .5 second sync issue with audio and video but it is not present at all times.
The Tronsmart (and devices like it) really do fill a gap that the CC doesn't. If anyone has any questions about the Tronsmart T1000 let me know!
@mathorv
I'm waiting for my Measy A2W right now. Can you tell me how is the situation with multichannel sound? I see on my Galaxy Note 2 (Android 4.3) that there is option for surround sound on HDMI output, but I guess it's just some kind of Virtual Surround. At least I didn't get any DTS or Dolby Digitial signs on my amplituner (I was using mhl adapter). Would I be able to get proper 5.1 surround sound out of Measy A2W with GN2 or will I have to stick to Dolby Prologic? I've heard that Chromecast can output multichannel sound so maybe this baby can do this too?
I've been looking for a near-perfect solution to mirroring my Samsung note 3 but to no avail. Here's my usage scenario and criteria below:
Usage:
- play various video formats via Diceplayer
- reply to WhatsApp messages
- surf the web
- take notes with Evernote
Criteria:
- TRUE plug-and-play capability after 1 time setup ( there shouldn't be a need to adjust settings after the dongle is inserted into TV)
- no lag/latency problem
- TRUE mirroring capability (WYSIWYG, no limitations on what apps can or cannot be used on my Note 3)
- Big plus if it can also work with my wife's 5S
- Big plus if it is future proof
any suggestion please?
Thanks in advance for your help!
dylansmith said:
I've been looking for a near-perfect solution to mirroring my Samsung note 3 but to no avail. Here's my usage scenario and criteria below:
Usage:
- play various video formats via Diceplayer
- reply to WhatsApp messages
- surf the web
- take notes with Evernote
Criteria:
- TRUE plug-and-play capability after 1 time setup ( there shouldn't be a need to adjust settings after the dongle is inserted into TV)
- no lag/latency problem
- TRUE mirroring capability (WYSIWYG, no limitations on what apps can or cannot be used on my Note 3)
- Big plus if it can also work with my wife's 5S
- Big plus if it is future proof
any suggestion please?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you have a Samsung device, I recommend Samsung's AllShare Cast Wireless Hub unless you also have a Samsung TV that supports the function (or upgrading to a Samsung TV with it is an option). I got a new open-box one recently off eBay for about the price of Chromecast.
Basically you plug it into one of your TV's HDMI ports using the supplied slim HDMI cable or your own, plug the supplied MicroUSB cable into the supplied power adapter (or another MicroUSB wall plug that outputs 5V at 450+mA), then switch the TV to that input.
You'll get a screen with some device information and a pairing ID. On your phone/tablet, you go into Screen Mirroring, and when you get the list you long-press on it to use Passkey mode (some devices may support the button mode - mine does not) - plug in the passkey on screen and it pairs. After that when you engage screen mirroring it'll automatically try to reconnect.
(Side note: I believe this is how Chromecast setup should work - requiring a challenge-response that ensures you can see the connected TV...)
As far as performance goes, it feels about the same as Chromecast screen mirroring on my Galaxy S3. AllShare Cast might be a tiny bit faster, but it also seems to slightly affect my WiFi network performance, as WiFi Direct is essentially running an ad-hoc connection to the hub.
Also, you need line-of-sight with the hub. Its WiFi signal is not as powerful/sensitive as a normal WiFi router/AP.
There is a little bit of overscan (edges cut off) that I couldn't figure out how to get rid of. It's not in my TV settigs as my Chromecast is on the same TV input via HDMI switch, so I could see the difference flipping back and forth.
Other than those minor things, I think AllShare Cast works pretty well. If Chromecast screen mirroring didn't work for me, I would be using it. Actually my wife is still using AllShare Cast since her S3 is still on 4.2
Unfortunately I don't think anything's going to work on your wife's 5S, well, nothing except an AppleTV... but I could be wrong.
And as for future proof, there really is no such thing. Especially in the video world. Because almost everything appliance-like is built minimalistically and relies on a hardware decoder, once a new CODEC becomes mainstream, all the old devices get left in the dust.
dylansmith said:
I've been looking for a near-perfect solution to mirroring my Samsung note 3 but to no avail. Here's my usage scenario and criteria below:
Usage:
- play various video formats via Diceplayer
- reply to WhatsApp messages
- surf the web
- take notes with Evernote
Criteria:
- TRUE plug-and-play capability after 1 time setup ( there shouldn't be a need to adjust settings after the dongle is inserted into TV)
- no lag/latency problem
- TRUE mirroring capability (WYSIWYG, no limitations on what apps can or cannot be used on my Note 3)
- Big plus if it can also work with my wife's 5S
- Big plus if it is future proof
any suggestion please?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A Android stick/box with a rockchip processor
-dualcore = rk3066
-quad core = rk3188
-quad core = rk3288
can mirror your device via miracast and you can install apps via the playstore like evernote. You can find it on geekbuying.com or ebay for 50$
ex. Mk908II, CX-919, Minix x7 (it costs 120$ but you get excellent quality and service)
erdal67 said:
A Android stick/box with a rockchip processor
-dualcore = rk3066
-quad core = rk3188
-quad core = rk3288
can mirror your device via miracast and you can install apps via the playstore like evernote. You can find it on geekbuying.com or ebay for 50$
ex. Mk908II, CX-919, Minix x7 (it costs 120$ but you get excellent quality and service)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm using the MK908ii myself but didn't know it had the miracast function. just plowed through the settings but still could not find anything.
any idea how i can activate this function?
dylansmith said:
i'm using the MK908ii myself but didn't know it had the miracast function. just plowed through the settings but still could not find anything.
any idea how i can activate this function?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have a app called wifidisplay, click on it and set it up
So in my opinion, the fact that Samsung removed the MHL capabilities from the device was a huge step backwards. I had been using my galaxy s4 to stream movies to my tv and it worked perfectly. Now I have to screen mirror to my Amazon Fire Tv box and HOLY LAG! It is horrible, almost un-watchable. The only use for this i can see would be a power-point presentation. Has anyone else had this issue and better yet, has anyone found a solution? Besides getting a different phone that still has MHL?
Hey guys,
So I have a 2011 Samsung Smart TV in my living room. Since it's quite old it doesn't fully support screen mirroring unless it's done via a HDMI cable. I say fully because Smart View works with certain Samsung apps like the Gallery, Music & Video player but it won't do the actual screen mirroring of my entire phone screen. Seeing how we got wireless DeX with the OneUI 2.5 update, I'd like to enable my TV to work with screen mirroring and wireless DeX. Has anyone bought the AnyCast M9 Plus dongle & used screen mirroring with it? What's the experience with it? I won't play games but will mostly use wireless DeX to watch online videos via the browser. Any input is really appreciated Thinking of buying the AnyCast M9 Plus but would be nice to hear how it works from someone who has it and uses or has had and used it.