What is the difference between Miracast and Wi-Fi Display?

What is the difference between Miracast and Wi-Fi Display?

Miracast is the brand for the certification program operated by Wi-Fi Alliance. Devices that pass this certification testing can be referred to as “Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast™ devices” or “Miracast® devices”. Miracast certification is based on the Wi-Fi Alliance Miracast Specification. This is the underlying specification developed by Wi-Fi Alliance members, and is copyrighted and owned by Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi Display is the original name for the Miracast technology.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What has changed in Miracast since its original release?

New enhancements focus on high-definition (HD) content, increased performance, and better battery life for Miracast devices.

Is a Wi-Fi connection needed to stream a video from the internet?

Miracast is unique to other wireless display solutions in that a direct peer-to-peer connection between two devices may be formed to share content residing on the source device, without the need for a Wi-Fi network. If streaming content from the internet, a network connection is required.

Does Miracast support devices like wireless speakers? (audio only)

Audio-only devices are not part of the Miracast certification program.

How does Miracast protect premium content?

Miracast provides industry-standard protection of premium content through support of High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP). HDCP is a wireless adaptation of the same trusted content protection mechanisms widely used for cabled interfaces, providing diversity in premium content options. This feature is designed to protect the digital rights of content owners and to encourage their efforts to make their content available.

What formats does Miracast support?

Miracast supports many commonly used audio/video format.  For a complete list, download the Miracast Technical Overview.

How is Miracast related to Wi-Fi Direct?

Wi-Fi Direct allows devices to connect directly to each other, without the need for a Wi-Fi access point (AP). It simply requires the push of a button or the entry of a PIN. Wi-Fi Direct allows source and display devices to discover one another and provides the underlying device-to-device connectivity for Miracast. Miracast builds upon Wi-Fi Direct with mechanisms to negotiate video capabilities, setup content protection (if needed), stream content, and maintain the video session.

What features does Miracast certification test?

Miracast certification includes testing for audio/video (A/V) latency, quality, and synchronization offset. Testing ensures that devices operate across vendors, provide simplified discovery and setup, meet the minimum display resolution requirement, and implement content protection (when implemented). Miracast devices are also tested for implementation of WPA2™ security. Wi-Fi Alliance members may view details on certification testing in the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast Test Plan.

Must both the content source and display be Miracast devices?

Both the display and the source devices must be Miracast certified. Miracast may be used on devices without embedded Wi-Fi capability by using a Miracast-certified adapter that supports an interface such as High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or Universal Serial Bus (USB).

What types of equipment are tested?

Miracast certification is available for video-capable devices such as TVs, handsets, tablets, laptops, set-top boxes, cameras, and projectors.

How does Wi-Fi Alliance help ensure product compatibility and a good user experience for certified products?

Compatibility and quality are achieved through testing of Wi-Fi products. Consumers should always look for the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo to ensure the best user experience possible.

Are Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products protected by security?

As of July 1, 2020, all new Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices require WPA3. The only way to be sure that a product meets the latest security standards is to purchase only Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products.