Stream smartphone videos to the TV – here’s how it works

You can read how to set up the server on a Windows computer and start playback at the end of our online guide.

DLNA is only suitable to a limited extent for streaming from the Internet, for example by first saving programs from media libraries locally via Media Library View Web.

Our tip: If your TV only supports DLNA, we recommend a streaming dongle such as Amazon Fire TV or Google Chromecast for just under 40 euros each. You can read more about these devices in the section “Players make many smart TVs really smart”.

Control TV via Miracast, Google Cast or Apple Airplay

Depending on the TV manufacturer and model, Miracast often needs to be activated first. The function can usually be found in the menu under “Network”; on the author’s television the function is called “Easy Mirroring”.

If Miracast is activated on the TV, streaming any content to the big screen is easy.

To do this, turn on the television and press the Windows-K key combination on your Windows notebook. Wait a moment until your TV appears in the list under “Available screens” at the bottom right.

Select the TV and confirm the connection request on the TV with the remote control. On Windows, we recommend the “Duplicate these displays” option for the second display; You can change this at any time in the Settings app under “System –› Screen”.

Everything you start on the notebook – whether in the browser or in an app – can now be seen and heard on the television. You can disconnect again via Windows-K and “Disconnect”.

When transferring from an Android smartphone – Apple generally does not support Miracast – it depends on the manufacturer of the device. Google itself removed the function years ago, so owners of Pixel devices are literally staring down the barrel.

On Samsung phones, the feature is called “SmartView“, at Huawei “Wireless projection“, at Xiaomi “Transmitted“, at Motorola “Screen sharing“ and at Sony “Mirror screen“.

Google Cast & Apple Airplay: Both standards are proprietary manufacturer solutions. Once from Google for its own Chromecast players and once from Apple for Apple TVs from iPhone, iPad and Mac computers.

Google Cast and Apple Airplay are now also integrated into current televisions – then you no longer need any external streaming hardware. If you have a relatively new TV, it may already support Google Cast and/or Apple Airplay. Please refer to the instructions or the support pages of the TV manufacturer.

Both connection technologies are easy to use, work reliably and transmit either the entire screen or a single app from Android and iOS devices. Detailed information on setup and use can be found on Google and Apple.

Google Cast is used on the Windows PC by the Chrome browser (“3 points -› Save and share -› Stream”), by Microsoft Edge (“3 points -› More tools -› Play media on device”) and by various videos – and audio apps supported.

In the browser you can use the “Source” function to choose whether you want to transfer the current tab or the entire desktop. This means that everything can be transferred from the PC to the television. Streaming from Android devices is similarly easy.

Players also make many Smart TVs really smart

Not all modern televisions support Google Cast or Airplay in addition to DLNA and Miracast, and older models don’t anyway. But these TV sets can also be retrofitted with inexpensive playback devices for easier operation.

Amazon Fire TV and Google Chromecast, which is currently called “Chromecast with Google TV”, have proven themselves. The simple versions with full HD resolution (1080p) cost around 40 euros, the 4K versions around 70 euros.

These dongles, which are only a few centimeters in size, are plugged into a free HDMI socket on the television, connected to the Internet via WLAN and paired with the included remote control.

On both models there is a button to activate the built-in microphone. You can quickly find videos, films and TV shows using voice input and Alexa or Google Assistant. This significantly increases convenience and speed compared to typing on the paired mobile device.

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Both Amazon and Google equip their players with their own operating systems including an app store. Unlike many smart TVs, for which manufacturers often only provide updates sporadically, if at all, Amazon and Google regularly provide updates and new functions.

The same applies to the Apple TV devices, which are significantly more expensive at at least 170 euros.

Other alternatives are the streaming sticks from Roku (from 30 euros), Waipu TV (60 euros) and Magenta TV Stick or One from Telekom for 70 and 170 euros respectively. On these models, the focus is on the services of the respective providers; they do not offer all of the functions described here.

The hardware from Apple or Google is more universal and therefore a clear recommendation as a supplement to an existing Smart TV. The choice depends primarily on whether you use Android smartphones or iPhones at home.

If you invest another 40 or 70 euros (4K), you won’t go wrong with Amazon’s Fire TV. Almost any Android app can be installed via sideloading without much effort – you are no longer limited to the selection from Amazon’s app store.

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Conclusion

That’s exactly how it should be! Regardless of whether it’s a YouTube video, a TV library or films and series from Netflix & Co.: you can quickly find and start what you want to watch on your notebook, smartphone and tablet.

The situation is completely different with most smart TVs. To access specific content, you have to type the title using the on-screen keyboard and the arrow keys on the remote control. It takes time, is tedious and is anything but fun.

It’s much quicker and more convenient to start a video on your TV if you make the selection on your mobile device, pair it with the TV and then watch it there.

In the best case scenario, you already have everything at home and can start straight away. Otherwise, it’s worth investing around 40 euros in a streaming dongle. Thanks to their own app stores, these devices offer a huge variety of functions and at the same time act as a player from smartphones and notebooks to the television.

HbbTV: watch TV with a time delay

With IP TV “Time Shift“ has long been standard, but modern television sets also offer the option of starting programs that are already running from the beginning with TV signals via satellite, cable connection and DVB-T2.

Time-shifted television is one of the additional functions of HbbTV (“Hybrid broadcast broadband television”), i.e. the combination of linear television (broadcast) and Internet (broadband). To use HbbTV, the television must be connected to the Internet via WLAN or network cable.

To restart a program later, switch on the TV, select the desired program and then press the blue button on the remote control. This starts the current program from the beginning, so you can see it in full length, just with a time delay.

Intermittent interruptions using “Pause” are also possible. The red button calls up additional information and offers access to the respective channel library; The other HbbTV functions differ from channel to channel.

(PC World)