Day 7 – How to Wirelessly Display (Mirror) the Surface Pro Windows 8 Tablet to a HDTV or HDMI Projector
Teaching and Learning with a Windows 8 Tablet3/18/2013
Welcome to Day 7 of working with a Microsoft Surface Pro Windows 8 tablet for educators. Today I will share what I have learned about wirelessly displaying the Surface Pro to the big screen.
Over the past month I have been experimenting with a new product called ScreenBeam from ActionTec that allows the wireless streaming of video and audio from the Surface Pro (or other Windows 7/8 computer) to a HDTV or HDMI Projector.
The initial tests are promising and I am excited to share the results with fellow educators. I have created a video that demonstrates this capability and have posted it below.
An AirPlay-like experience - only different:
Some may compare the ability of the Surface Pro to wirelessly mirror audio/video to the big screen to the iPads AirPlay capability. The results are the same but the ScreenBeam product is a completely different product using a different technology and offers a few advantages over AirPlay.
Below are some pros and cons:
Below are some pros and cons:
1) The ScreenBeam product is available in kit form with a street price of around $80. The ScreenBeam kit consists of a receiver unit that connects via a HDMI cable to the back of a HDTV or HDMI capable projector and also includes a separate USB transmitter unit.
AirPlay requires an Apple TV at a cost of $99 and also uses a HDMI cable to connect to the HDTV. Unlike ScreenBeam, iPad AirPlay uses an existing wireless network to transmit the audio/video signals.
2) The ScreenBeam product requires the use of the only full-sized USB port available on the Surface Pro. An advantage of AirPlay is that it is built into supported Apple devices. Hopefully Microsoft and other tablet manufacturers will build this new wireless audio/video streaming into future laptops and tablets. Many HDTV manufacturers will be releasing new HDTV models with built-in wireless streaming capabilities later this year that will offer “miracast” support that should make wireless video streaming more common place in the future.
3) Since the ScreenBeam product uses a separate USB transmitter I have tested it with a five year old PC running Windows 7 and it works!
The older PC tested only had an Ethernet jack connected to the network by a LAN cable and no wireless card. I used this arrangement to demonstrate that the ScreenBeam solution could work without a wireless network. This could be a huge advantage for teachers/presenters at conferences as connecting to unfamiliar wireless networks is sometimes difficult.
I have also tested the ScreenBeam product on a Clover Trail tablet (Samsung Ativ 500T) but results have been disappointing. The Clover Trail Atom processor does not seem to have enough processing power for video to stream smoothly. I can get it to work but performance is slow and unusable in a classroom environment.
The good news is that it is working with older Windows 7/8 computers that I have tested with a Dual Core 2 Duo processor or higher thus making it backward compatible with millions of older PC’s.
Another benefit of having a separate USB transmitter is that you can leave the ScreenBeam receiver unit connected to the HDTV and move the USB transmitter from a tablet, to a laptop, or to a desktop as needed when you want to wirelessly display the screen of the device you are using to the big screen.
4) The ScreenBeam product can work as a standalone solution. AirPlay requires the use of 802.11 wireless network where the device and the AppleTV must be on the same subnet. This may be problematic for schools as many IT departments may prevent video streaming due to bandwidth concerns.
Some may purchase a separate AirPort unit at additional costs to setup an adhoc network but this can often lead to wireless problems for others using the wireless network. Please consult with your IT department for recommended solutions as some IT departments may block AirPlay connections.
5) Another issue when dealing with AirPlay compatible devices is that you need to sign-in with an Apple ID. This creates another layer of userids to be managed. ScreenBeam is simple, no userids required, just plug it in, pair it, and you are set.
6) ScreenBeam connects using a “pairing” process similar to how you connect a Bluetooth keyboard to a computer. Once the pairing is complete you will see the Surface Pro screen on the HDTV! What you see and do on the tablet is displayed immediately on the big screen in real-time. There is a slight lag, especially when streaming HD video content but it is very usable. In my testing range is about 30 to 50 feet, plenty of room to roam about the average sized classroom.
ScreenBeam also works well in a living room situation as I am able to connect the Surface Pro to the HDTV and wirelessly display the Surface Pro screen to the big screen TV from the easy chair so everyone in the room can see and hear the content. Services like Netflix and Amazon video should be able to work in this scenario, although I have not tried these streaming services on the Surface Pro yet.
Another use I have found is streaming music and audio podcasts wirelessly to the big screen and using high-quality speakers from the stereo system to play content from the Surface Pro wirelessly for all to hear.
ScreenBeam also works well in a living room situation as I am able to connect the Surface Pro to the HDTV and wirelessly display the Surface Pro screen to the big screen TV from the easy chair so everyone in the room can see and hear the content. Services like Netflix and Amazon video should be able to work in this scenario, although I have not tried these streaming services on the Surface Pro yet.
Another use I have found is streaming music and audio podcasts wirelessly to the big screen and using high-quality speakers from the stereo system to play content from the Surface Pro wirelessly for all to hear.
So there you have it, my experiences with wirelessly mirroring the Surface Pro
to the big screen. It works!
I am sure there are other ways to wirelessly display the Surface Pro to the big screen so please share your experiences if you have it working a different way.
to the big screen. It works!
I am sure there are other ways to wirelessly display the Surface Pro to the big screen so please share your experiences if you have it working a different way.
There are new products coming on the market that may make the ScreenBeam product obsolete as new miracast standards are being incorporated into new products. I expect a whole new range of capabilities coming to market just in time for this years’ Christmas season so things may change rapidly.
The good news is there is a wireless display solution that works now with the Surface Pro.
Until next time...
Keep on Learning,
Keep on Learning,
Tom Grissom, PhD
Follow me on Twitter @tomgrissom
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