Best and Worst Miracast Receivers 2014

Actiontec ScreenBeam Pro Wireless Display Receiver ($70)

The ScreenBeam Receiver is a small box (about 3 x 3 x 1 inches) that plugs into an HDTV via HDMI cable (included) and requires an external power source (it can't receive power via USB). The box itself requires no setup to speak of; just plug it in and stream content from a Miracast-enabled phone orPC (check our how-to for more information on how to do this).

Both videos and games ran well on the ScreenBeam Receiver when streamed from most phones and tablets, although the video on Moto X lagged behind the audio and often froze as we played Plants vs. Zombies 2. The HTC One's frame rate was somewhat inconsistent for video (sometimes the stream appeared too "fast," while other times, it skipped frames entirely). But we watched a few straight minutes of Netflix without encountering any deal-breaking flaws. We also spot-checked with a Samsung Galaxy S5, and the stream ran smoothly with this device, as well. 

The Toshiba laptop's performance was subpar (both Netflix and BioShock Infinite were laggy), but streams from the Dell and Digital Storm laptops looked gorgeous and had perfect audiovisual syncing. Neither system was ideal for screen-mirroring games due to grainy textures and noticeable input lag, but we found that gaming via screen mirroring was a dicey proposition with every device. The ScreenBeam receiver performed better than most. 

The Actiontec ScreenBeam USB Transmitter ($30) also merits a mention. When paired with the Receiver, the USB transmitter allows Windows 7 PCs and Windows 8 PCs without WiDi to screen mirror as though they did have that technology. We tested this functionality on a Dell 6430u laptop with Windows 7, and found the performance to be excellent for playing video and using productivity apps, and passable for playing games — if your games don't need split-second precision.

IOGEAR GWAVR ($90)

If you have a Samsung phone, you'll be pleased with how smooth the screen mirroring experience is with that brand of phone. Netflix and Android games streamed from a Galaxy S4 with no noticeable lag or picture-quality issues. This may be because IOGEAR developed the GWAVR specifically with Samsung devices in mind, according to the back of the box. The HTC One and Moto X both had significant issues with audiovisual syncing and grainy textures, while the Nexus 10 would not connect for screen mirroring at all.

The GWAVR also had a mixed record when it came to laptops. The Toshiba produced inconsistent video. Sometimes, the stream was perfect, and sometimes the audio and video went wildly out of sync and froze, with no sound whatsoever. However, both the Dell and Digital Storm worked quite nicely. WiDi was generally not fast enough for streaming PC games, as onscreen actions lagged behind user input, but video streams had a steady frame rate and no significant visual issues on the two PCs we tested.

AwoX StriimCAST (35 euro — not yet available in North America)

For all of its attractive design, the StriimCAST is a terrible receiver. The Nexus 10, Galaxy S4, HTC One and Moto X had unreliable signals that suffered from extreme lag when they deigned to work at all. The sound syncing was bad across the board, but especially unbearable with the HTC One and the Moto X.

AwoX StriimSTICK ($100) 

Although the StriimSTICK functions as an Android PC, it's hardly full-featured. For starters, it does not have access to the Google Play Store, instead accessing the markedly inferior 1Mobile Market, which lacks the former's extensive selection and streamlined interface. We were able to download the Netflix Android app, but it didn't do us much good; the stream was rife with both lag and blurriness. Games did not fare much better, as they exhibited similar problems. And even when we changed the default language to English, some of our notifications turned up in French. 

As a wireless receiver, the device fared even worse. Despite its name, the StriimSTICK does not receive Miracast or WiDi streams by default, and requires some jiggering deep in the Settings menu before connecting for the first time. More annoying: This is not a one-time process. We had to fool around with the settings for both the receiver and the broadcast device every time we wanted to stream something.

Even with Miracast enabled, none of our three laptops would connect, nor would our Galaxy S4. The Nexus 10 and Moto X connected sporadically, with excruciating audiovisual issues, ranging from Netflix streams without picture to games that would not load at all. The HTC One often had no picture when streaming Netflix. Even when we did connect, the device would drop our connection often and for no discernible reason.

It's not often that we review a wholly irredeemable product, but the StriimSTICK is one. We have contacted AwoX about the issues we encountered, and the company is currently investigating them.

Works best with: Nothing we tried

Miracast vs. the competition

The most straightforward way to get computer or mobile content on your TV is still to hook the device up directly with an HDMI cable (assuming your device has an HDMI port), then use wireless peripherals to control it. This may sound like a hassle, but if you need perfect fidelity, it's the only option, particularly if you intend to play games.

That said, we only played with a small fraction of the Miracast devices available, and it's entirely possible that depending on your devices and setup, you could get a flawless experience. If there's a Miracast device you'd like us to look at, let us know in the comments. Otherwise, another method of screen mirroring may serve you better.

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