I think that many of the users have at least once felt the need to connect their smartphone to the TV. Show off vacation photos or broadcast personal videos to the general public. Apple figured out the trick a long time ago and rolled out the Apple TV set-top box for this purpose, which, in addition to the above-mentioned function, has a bunch of other features. However, not everyone wants to buy a new device just to cast their iPhone screen on their TV. Moreover, usually such a need arises extremely rarely. Today I propose to consider several ways to connect an iPhone to a TV and discuss all the nuances that may arise during this procedure.
Casting your iPhone screen to TV is not as difficult as it seems.
All methods of connecting a smartphone to a TV are divided into two large categories: wired and wireless. It is clear that to connect a smartphone via Wi-Fi you will need a newer TV, but you can also connect a ten-year-old TV via a wire. It seems to me that most people have already purchased a Smart TV a long time ago, so let's start with a wireless connection.
How to cheaply turn a regular TV into a Smart TV.
To computer via cable
An image from an iPhone screen on a Mac screen, displayed via QuickTime Player.
What you will need: a standard QuickTime Player, a Lightning cable, and, if necessary, an adapter for Mac
Interestingly:
▪️ The image is transmitted to the large Mac screen with almost no delay, so you can even play slow-paced games on it ▪️ You can also record what is happening on the iPhone screen using QuickTime Player ▪️ While creating a video, there is an option to record audio from the microphone, which will help you explain what's happening on the screen
To get started, simply connect your iPhone to your Mac using a regular Lightning cable. If you have a MacBook with only USB-C, you will need an official or any other USB-A adapter for this.
After that, feel free to launch the built-in QuickTime Player, select “New video recording” in the “File” menu, and then your iPhone as a source through the pull-out menu next to the record button.
The player will immediately open the image from the iPhone display in a separate window, and you can show anything on a large computer screen (many even manage to play games this way).
You can also immediately record what is happening on the screen and even leave your comments through the iPhone microphone. This is convenient to explain something and transfer it to video via the Internet.
✔️ Apple USB-C/USB adapter (RUB 1,890)
How to use AirPlay to stream content or mirror
You can use the AirPlay feature to either stream content to the receiver (audio or video) or mirror the current device's screen (including audio) to it. Before using the feature, make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections are active and Airplane mode is turned off on your device. The simplest method of working with AirPlay: click on the AirPlay icon and select the desired receiver from the list that appears.
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To a computer wirelessly
An image from an iPhone screen on a Mac screen, displayed via Reflector
What you need: Reflector app, stable Wi-Fi network
Interestingly:
▪️ Through this application you can also record what is happening on the screen of your iPhone ▪️ The application works not only with AirPlay, but also with Google Cast, so you can easily use not only your iPhone ▪️ For smooth operation of the program you need good Wi-Fi: if you don’t have it, It's better to lower the image quality in the settings
To wirelessly display an image from your iPhone to your Mac, you need the Reflector app, which you can use for free for a week .
The program simulates the operation of AirPlay. All you have to do is open Control Center on your iPhone and select your Mac under Screen Mirroring. A window in the form of a device with an image from its screen will immediately appear on the computer display.
If you hover over it, you will see a couple of buttons in the header to take a screenshot of the screen and record a video from it. They will help you capture important information from your iPhone.
If your Wi-Fi is unable to show a smooth image, open the settings and go to the Connection section. There is an AirPlay Resolution item here, through which you can lower the image resolution.
✔️ (trial period 7 days, then $14.99)
What is AirPlay 2?
Apple presented a new version of the AirPlay protocol as part of the WWDC 2022 developer conference. The manufacturer planned to add support for AirPlay 2 in version 11 of iOS 11, but the technology became available only in May 2022 with the release of the iOS 11.4 update. In AirPlay 2, for the first time, support for multiroom mode appeared, thanks to which owners of Apple devices can use several gadgets to play music.
AirPlay 2 is also supported by Apple TV devices running tvOS 11.4 and later. Apple HomePod speakers update automatically. Legacy third-party devices may not be compatible with AirPlay 2; please check with your vendor for support.
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To TV via cable
This is what Apple's official Lightning digital AV adapter looks like
What you need: Lightning digital AV adapter, HDMI cable
Interestingly:
▪️ The adapter will also make it possible to display the image from the iPhone to a monitor or projector ▪️ The image is transmitted through the wire with almost no delay ▪️ You can simultaneously charge the iPhone and display the image
Few people know, but you can connect real HDMI to the iPhone, which will help display the image from its screen to any supported device: TV, monitor, projector.
You just need to connect one end of the adapter to the iPhone, insert it into the second HDMI and connect it to the desired device. In addition to the adapter, you only need a digital multimedia cable .
You can also connect a Lightning cable to the adapter to charge your iPhone if it suddenly runs out of charge, and use the whole bunch together.
Imagine what kind of multimedia center you can turn your relatively old iPhone into. I'm even thinking about doing some of these interesting experiments with my backup 7th.
✔️ Lightning digital AV adapter (RUB 4,566)
Connection options
Since TV has many wired and wireless connection options, several real options were considered on how to connect an iPhone to a TV.
It is important to note that due to the numerous models of TVs, not everyone can be paired with an iPhone due to various circumstances. Usually, this is the lack of support for one or another connection output on the TV, as well as the deliberate lack of technological connectivity on the iPhone, bypassing the Apple ecosystem.
NOTE! Please consider these features when choosing a pairing option.
To TV wirelessly
Meet Apple TV 4K
What you will need: Apple TV of any model
Interestingly:
▪️ Even the 3rd generation Apple TV is suitable, which can be found inexpensively on the secondary market ▪️ Very soon it will be possible to display images from an iPhone on TVs without Apple TV ▪️ The new Apple TVs have too many other additional functions
Today, the only normal way to display images from an iPhone on a large screen wirelessly is with Apple TV. It connects to a TV, monitor or projector via HDMI and can receive images from an iOS device via AirPlay.
Once you've connected your Apple TV, go to Control Center on your iPhone and select your set-top box as the source under Screen Mirroring. The picture will appear on the display after a second or two.
To mirror the screen, in this case I'm using the ancient 3rd generation Apple TV. Even this is quite enough for this, but it actually doesn’t have any additional features - that’s why Apple TV 4K is in my plans.
The modern Apple TV is something. An analogue of iOS on a large TV screen with applications and games, as well as full access to Apple Music. There are no options here, you have to take it.
✔️ Apple TV 4K 32 GB (RUB 13,790)
What is Apple AirPlay?
AirPlay is Apple's proprietary wireless streaming protocol that allows you to send video and audio from a Mac or iOS device to an AirPlay-enabled receiver such as an Apple TV (wireless speaker, headphones, transmitter, etc.). This technology was first introduced as AirTunes for iTunes in 2004.
At that time, AirPlay's capabilities were limited to wireless audio transmission only, but in 2010, Apple added AirPlay support to iOS with the ability to stream video. A year later, the company implemented the “mirroring” function in AirPlay, and in May 2022 introduced a new version of the protocol - AirPlay 2.
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How to turn AirPlay on/off on Apple TV
You can completely disable the Apple TV feature or limit its use in the “Settings” → “AirPlay” section. Then you can select the options at your discretion: allow all users to broadcast via AirPlay; limit the use of AirPlay only to devices on the same network; disable the function completely; Set password.
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Possible problems and their solutions
The main problem that users have is the lack of broadcast or file playback, which appears due to the absence or disruption of the connection between devices. The first thing you need to do if you can't stream content smoothly using AirPlay is to make sure that the devices are turned on and are close to each other (connected to the same network). If this does not help, then you should restart both gadgets.
If restarting does not lead to the expected result, then you need to check the settings for the presence of a suitable update. The WiFi wireless connection is in the 2.4 GHz band, in which other equipment also operates - many devices with Bluetooth, some of the systems that are part of the so-called “smart home”. So, if you turn on a Sonos speaker system and an AirPlay-enabled WiFi-based speaker system at the same time, interference may occur.
Music playback may be paused if Siri is multitasking. If there is no sound at all, then you need to check it in the settings system (check the status of the silent mode). If the source of the problem cannot be identified on your own, Apple support will answer all your questions.
Other Airplay features
In addition to the main function - broadcasting video files and mirroring the screen on an iPhone, Apple TV and other devices, there are third-party AirPlay capabilities, which include:
- Using the Siri voice assistant to play files and control playback of recordings or broadcasts.
- Stream music, podcasts, and other files to Apple TV , HomePod, and other streaming systems that support airplay.
- For ease of use, the user can immediately add compatible playing centers and TVs to the Home application .
- To resolve issues that arise when working with devices, the developers have prepared detailed instructions (https://support.apple.com/ru-ru/HT204289).
Thus, the Airplay technology developed by Apple is another leap in the world of technology. The main task of wireless file playback is to facilitate the operation process and use of a smart home system. Thanks to Airplay, choosing movies and listening to audio files has become much easier.
Does iPhone support Miracast: conclusions
The answer to where to find Miracast on an iPhone is only in similar solutions. A direct connection using WiFi Direct technology cannot be achieved, but the options that are available are no worse. Using WiFi, an analogue of Miracast and an iPhone, the connection is fast, stable and “tailored” for specific devices. In many cases, the connection works even better than the Android standard: the image is transmitted more stable, there are additional options for sound, and if you have questions, you can contact the support of paid programs.
