Using the SmartGlass branding makes a lot of sense and finally adding a native handoff construct to Windows is long overdue. That is why I am excited about Project Rome, app handover in general and the changes coming to SmartGlass. Besides that, Microsoft has a branding problem. There is no option on a Windows phone that is as easy to use and works as well as Chromecast or AirPlay, even if those protocols have their problems too sometimes. There are definitely good options out there, especially if you stay within a certain ecosystem, though Microsoft does not stand as strong as its competitors, especially when it comes to media casting from (Windows) mobile devices. Summing it up, I'd say the whole thing is kind of a mess. Each receiver works with varying degrees of quality, stability and performance, depending on the source device too, of course. Miracast has dongles and integration into Roku, etc. AirPlay has Apple TV and a larger number of software options (including XBMC/Kodi). What kinds of receivers are out there for each protocol? Chromecast has dongles and software based receivers.

Chromecast has done a better job of getting onto iOS through individual integration into apps, than the others. Is it OS native or does it require apps to individually support it? Each protocol has a platform on which they work best. Does it support streaming from the Internet or only local content? DLNA is best for local content, the other protocols support both scenarios.ģ. No handoff (yet), although it is coming to Windows with Project Rome.Ģ. Do they support handoff or do they require the source to handle the playback? AirPlay supports both scenarios, so does Chromecast (though mirroring doesn't work too great) but Miracast only supports the latter. The way I see it there are a number of distinctions that can be made between the different casting options out there:ġ. I have played around with many of the options out there, including the ones mentioned in the article, the new Connect app in the insider preview, Chromecast, etc.

Recieve airplay on pc