A few years ago, no one would have imagined that they could download apps on their TV. Nowadays Android TV and TV Box have replaced the traditional set-top box. Most Android TV Boxes come with the Google Play Store which allows you to download new streaming apps on it. As a result, you can stream content directly to your TV using Wi-Fi.
But what if you want to watch videos from your laptop on your TV. Then what do you do? Do you have to buy a new streaming device for that? Are not. You can use your existing Android TV Box to cast video.
Don’t be confused. In this post, we will show you how to cast and mirror videos from your laptop to Android TV Box such as Mi Box.
Start.
Requirements for video transmission
Here are the requirements to stream from your laptop.
- Google Chromecast or Chromecast built-in TV/TV Box.
- Laptop
- Stable Wi-Fi network to connect your laptop and Chromecast enabled devices.
- Google Chrome Browser
Stream video online
There are two ways to cast video from website to your Android TV Box.
1. Use the built-in Cast option
Many popular video streaming sites like Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies etc all support Chromecast. This means that when playing videos on such sites, you’ll see a Cast or ‘Play on TV’ button in the video player in Chrome. Clicking on it will show nearby Chromecast supported devices. Select the device you want to cast and the video will start playing on that device. Now you can control the video from your laptop.
Note:
The following screenshot shows the original ‘Play on TV’ button available for YouTube.
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2. Pass a tab
Unfortunately, not all websites support Chromecast. Does that mean you won’t be able to watch their videos on your TV? ARE NOT.
For such sites you can use the cast feature of Google Chrome where you cast the whole tab. Technically you would mirror that tab. So things other than video will also show up on TV.
Interestingly, if a website supports Chromecast and you cast it via tab, the site will automatically behave like a Chromecast enabled website, just casting your video to the TV.
To cast a tab, open Google Chrome on your laptop and tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner. Select Cast from the menu. Your Chromecast-enabled TV will show up there. Select it to mirror it.
Tips
Stop transmission
When casting a video, you’ll see a cast icon in Chrome’s toolbar. Click on it and hit the stop icon on the pop-up to stop casting. Alternatively, close the tab to stop casting.
Add Cast Button to Toolbar
Typically, casting a video from Chrome involves three clicks. You can simplify the process by adding a cast shortcut icon in the toolbar. For that, click the blue cast icon in the toolbar when you’re casting something and select ‘Always show icon’. Then the cast icon will always be visible.
Local video streaming
The above method allows you to stream videos online. What if you want to play movies stored in the hard drive on your TV? For that, use the following methods:
1. Use Chrome’s File Selection
Casting in Chrome also allows you to play files locally or offline from your laptop. However, it supports limited file types like MP4, M4V, OGV, etc. It lacks support for MKV videos.
To transfer files locally, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Chrome and click on the three dots icon in the upper right corner. Select Cast from the menu.
Step 2: Click Source and select File Transfer.
Step 3: A pop-up window will open. Navigate to the file that you want to cast to the TV. Open it up.
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Step 4: Select the device you want to transfer. The video will start playing on your TV.
2. Drag and Drop in Chrome
If the above method seems tedious, you can simply drag and drop the supported video file into the Chrome tab. The video will start playing inside Chrome. Now, cast the video as you did above.
3. Use a third-party video player
As mentioned before, Chrome does not support casting all video formats. To transfer such files, you need to download a video player that supports transmission. Two free players that allow you to cast any file to your TV are Soda Player and Videostream.
Once installed, play videos in the above apps. Then click the cast button and select the device that you want to cast.
Although VLC player also supports casting, it didn’t work for me. In case you want to try it, go to Playback > Renderer and select TV.
4. Mirror Notebook
Another way to transfer video files on TV is by mirroring your laptop. When you do so, everything on your laptop will be displayed on the TV, including the taskbar and other available windows.
To mirror the desktop, you need Google Chrome again. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Open Chrome and select Cast from the three-dot icon.
Step 2: Click Source and select Cast Desktop.
Step 3: Select the TV you want to cast.
Step 4: A pop-up window will appear. Normally, the sound will also play on your TV. But if you don’t want that, uncheck the Share Audio option. Finally, tap Share. Your desktop will appear on the TV.
To stop mirroring, open Chrome and tap Cast. Then click the Stop button.
Mirror of Reality
So that’s how you can cast and mirror your laptop with Android TV Box. It is interesting that today’s technology allows us to use a single device to watch live content on the TV and also use it to connect to a laptop.
What else do you like about Android TV Box? Let us know in the comments below.
Next: Wondering how to take screenshots on your Android TV? Here are 5 different ways to take screenshots.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
