What the @@@@ is Microsoft doing with Miracast?

Or not doing.

I bring up Miracast because of a single incident. Though I need to do more testing it may show why I am starting to believe Microsoft’s hope a future where tech seamlessly works with each other will not be accomplished (not by MSFT anyways). 

The incident is this, playing around with my android phone in the Netflix app I selected the cast to button. The option for my Xbox appeared instantly, I selected it and the Netflix video started playing within seconds on the Xbox within the Xbox Netflix app. I also tried this with the Android YouTube app with the same result with the YouTube app on the Xbox opening and playing the appropriate video.

I was amazed because the numerous times I have tried this with a Windows 10 PC or tablet it never works. First the Xbox option rarely shows up (my Roku 3 always does) and if it does it takes minutes of scanning before it does. Second it always tries to play the video in the films and TV app (or movies and TV app depending on region) but fails either immediately or seconds into playing the video.

How is possible for Google to get this to work between android and Xbox almost seamlessly but it seams as though my win10 devices just aren’t compatible. Is just me or everyone else have the same experience?

Conversation 6 comments

  • 1

    Premium Member
    29 October, 2016 - 11:49 am

    <p>I have no experience with this thing but it is kind of odd to me that my Android Phone + Roku can accomplish this so easily and error free and Microsoft seems to have issues.</p>

    • 1080

      Premium Member
      29 October, 2016 - 7:42 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#23520">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Tim">Tim</a><a href="#23520">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Yeah it work almost Everytime when I cast from a Windows 10 device to a Roku</p>

  • 266

    Premium Member
    29 October, 2016 - 2:31 pm

    <p>My Windows phone can cast seamlessly to my Smart TV but not to the Xbox One regardless of which app you try. Even Film &amp; TV app fails, luckily that app is included on the Xbox.</p>

  • 1321

    30 October, 2016 - 12:18 pm

    <p>I have had the opposite experience, Miracast seems to work better for me on Windows than it does on my Mrs android devices. Miracast just seem to be a mess.</p>

  • 399

    Premium Member
    31 October, 2016 - 11:09 am

    <p>It’s not using Miracast. Netflix and YouTube are using the DIAL protocol to connect to the apps on the Xbox (which Chromecasts used to use early on, before Google decided to go proprietary).</p>
    <p>There’s an article about it here http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs-entertainment/1402743/how-dial-gets-youtube-and-netflix-on-your-tv-without-a-chromecast</p&gt;

  • 4964

    02 November, 2016 - 1:25 am

    <p>What AV are you running on the devices. I found Zone Alarm broke miracast, now just use Defender and it works fine.</p>

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