Not when a decent length of HDMI cable could be had for under a tenner, and not while they were just starting to get into tablets and smartphones, and to downloading content straight to these devices. Part of the problem: few consumers could see the benefit in spending $100-200 or £75-150 on an adaptor to make getting content off a laptop and onto a TV. Good support but not an overwhelming vote of confidence from the accessory and consumer electronics industries. Sony’s PlayStation 3 has supported WiDi for a while now, and there are a dozen or so LG and Toshiba TVs that do too, Intel’s website says.
![miracast vs widi miracast vs widi](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FI91mti_8SM/maxresdefault.jpg)
In WiDi’s case the restriction of being forced to use not only Intel processor and GPU technology but also the company’s Wi-Fi cards - and very recent generations of them all too - ensured only three kit makers give it their support by releasing WiDi adaptors for televisions: Belkin, Netgear and D-Link. Neither Intel nor its add-on manufacturer rivals proved tremendously successful.
![miracast vs widi miracast vs widi](https://support.content.office.net/fr-fr/media/15bcd4de-785c-7801-df18-24213d6a27eb.png)
WiDi improved on them all by leveraging the Wi-Fi adaptor already built into the laptop.Īpple's AirPlay isn't just for mirroring video - and neither is Miracast Some used Wireless USB technology, others made some of the first forays into ultrawideband (UWB) territory. About four years ago, a number of firms began offering plug in devices to create ad hoc wireless links between laptops and TVs, the better to save punters from having to string HDMI or DVI cables between the two. Again, it’s all very handy if you have the right kit, but of little use if you haven’t.īoth WiDi and AirPlay were designed on the back of the notion that users had content on mobile devices that they would quite like to watch on a large screen.
#Miracast vs widi tv#
The Apple technology allows a compatible iDevice to mirror its screen on a television by way of one of the company’s Apple TV set-top boxes.
![miracast vs widi miracast vs widi](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1dTNwuopOKo/Ury2uPVR9gI/AAAAAAAAGdc/yAatCRQyOoM/s1600/Intel+WiDi+Download..png)
Meanwhile, Apple was promoting its own, likewise proprietary display streaming system, AirPlay. A case in point: The Register wanted to review WiDi a couple of years back but we were unable to do so because no laptop maker could supply a notebook that they could be certain had all the necessary Intel components on board. WiDi was created to help Intel sell wireless chips - its own, Centrino-branded Wi-Fi adaptor cards are necessary to use WiDi - but this was holding the technology back.