A new app called AirScreen has just arrived in the Amazon Appstore for Fire TV devices that adds support for all the major casting protocols. It is compatible with all Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire TV Edition television models and makes it possible to cast videos and your entire screen to your Fire TV from an Android device, iOS device, Mac, or Windows PC. It supports Google Cast so it works exactly like a Chromecast and supports Apple AirPlay, so it works like an Apple TV for iPhone casting. It also supports Miracast, which is what Windows PCs use for screen mirroring, as well as DLNA.
There are numerous casting apps available for Fire TV devices, but this is the first I’ve seen that works with such a wide array of protocols. AirScreen’s support for Google Cast is unique because all past Fire TV apps that replicated Chromecast functionality have eventually been removed from the appstore. AirScreen has been available in the Google Play Store for over 2 years with over 100,000 users, so perhaps it will last in the Amazon Appstore as well.
AirScreen’s Google Cast functionality worked surprisingly well during my limited testing. I was able to use several Google Cast enabled apps, as well as play movies from Google Play Movies, which is something most casting apps I’ve tried in the past have failed to do because of DRM restrictions. I suspect the app will also work for casting YouTube TV (the paid cable subscription service, not the video sharing site), making it the only real way to watch YouTube TV on a Fire TV.
If you use the desktop (or laptop) installer for Chromecast, you will NOT see the MAC address even though google documentation (as of now at least) says that the MAC address is there. So folks - use the Android chromecast app for setting up Chromecast. Google has released its official Chromecast app for iOS today, allowing Apple mobile devices to officially control the HDMI accessory. The app allows for functionality such as managing Chromecast.
Casting the entire screen of an Android phone to the Fire TV worked with AirScreen using Android’s built-in casting feature under the operating system’s advanced display settings. What also worked fine was casting a Chrome browser tab using its built-in casting capabilities.
On the Apple side of the casting spectrum, I was able to mirror the screen of an iPhone onto the Fire TV using AirPlay. The Fire TV also showed up as an AirPlay device on a Mac in macOS’s display settings which allowed me to mirror the Mac’s screen.
I did not test it myself, but the app also says it supports Miracast. This is the casting protocol that Windows PCs use so you should be able to cast your entire Windows screen to the Fire TV with this app. The last protocol that AirScreen supports is DLNA, which is another one I did not test myself but I have no doubt that it will work based on my Android and iOS experience with the app.
As if supporting all of these casting protocols wasn’t enough, the app is also able to locally record what you cast to the Fire TV. The quality of the recording is a bit poor, resulting in a very soft video image, but it seems to work pretty well.
The app has a fairly extensive set of options. I did notice that casting a Google Play Movie from an Android phone to AirScreen resulted in a slightly poorer video than was being played on the phone. Changing the hardware acceleration and rendering settings did improve the image slightly, so you’ll probably want to mess with things if you try the app yourself.
The only issue that I suspect many of you will have with AirScreen is its pricing model. The app is free with limited functionality and you have to pay for unlimited use. That is perfectly acceptable and expected considering how much the app can do. What is unexpected is that it doesn’t use a one-time in-app purchase to unlock the app, but instead uses a subscription model that requires you to continuously pay monthly or annually if you want to keep using the non-free capabilities.
All of the app’s features are available without paying, but some of them are limited with specific quotas. For example, the free version limits users to only 30 minutes of Google Cast video screen mirroring a day and 15 instances of AirPlay video a day. There are also ads in the free version which, during my testing, were full-screen ads that appeared every time I stopped casting something. There was also an “AirScreen” logo placed in the lower right corner of all screen recordings, but I’m not sure if that gets removed if you pay for the app.
If you pay $1.49 per month or $11.99 per year for the “Basic” version of the app, some of the limits will be removed but other quotas will simply be increased. For unlimited use of all features, you’ll have to pay $2.49 per month or $19.99 per year for the “Pro” version. Non-recurring access to Basic and Pro features for 30-days at a time is also available for $1.99 and $3.49 respectively.
If it weren’t for the subscription based payment model, AirScreen would probably become my go-to recommendation for casting apps on Fire TV devices. While the app certainly can do a lot and is worth paying for, I suspect many will hesitate paying continuously for it. If you think it’s worth the price, I’d recommend paying monthly at first before committing to the annual payment option since apps with Google Cast support have a tendency to be removed by Google from the Amazon Appstore.
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Keithsays:May 23, 2018 at 7:27 pm Wow! A monthly fee for an app the functions like a Chromecast?
Amazon should pony up the cash to the Devs. Fire TV still doesn’t have a decent casting protocol after 4 years. I feel like this should be standard by now.
Agreed. don’t understand why its so difficult for amazon to have this functionality built right in. I’d be willing to pay a bit more for the hardware if this was included.
All the apps i’ve tried are glitchy, I actually have a couple old chromecasts that I dig out of the drawer just for this purpose, don’t use them for anything else.
King Nothingsays:May 24, 2018 at 7:29 amActually Fire OS includes a “casting” functionality. Amazon calls it Fling. But only very few apps support it. Even Amazon doesn’t support their own “Chromecast fork”. For example the Amazon Music app on Android now supports casting to a Chromecast device although Amazon doesn’t even sell them. But you cannot cast music to the Fire TV, because they don’t added support for their very own Fling protocol. It’s kind of ridiculous. I know there’s is a dedicated Music app on Fire TV but it’s not very comfortable to browse around with it.
You can read more about Fling here:
https://developer.amazon.com/de/docs/fling/understanding-the-amazon-fling-service.html#what-is-amazon-fling
And here is one of the few apps which also support Fling, so you can “cast” things to your Fire TV without the need of a receiver or companion app installed on the device:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.xtools.castcontroller.android
AFTVnewssays:May 24, 2018 at 7:59 amAmazon cannot add support for Google Cast (Chromecast) to the Fire TV because Google does not allow it. The Fire TV supports DIAL, which is the original open standard that turned into Google Cast, but most apps don’t support it.
You can read more about DIAl and other casting protocals here: http://www.aftvnews.com/miracast-google-cast-chromecast-airplay-amazon-fling-and-dial-explained-and-how-they-relate-to-fire-tv-devices/
Leosays:May 24, 2018 at 9:53 amGoogle Cast isn’t available on any forked version of Android. Amazon and any other device manufacturer implementing a forked version of Android make this trade-off.
– PRO benefit from years of investment put into Android (especially the app library), at low cost
– PRO control revenues and data from activity in the forked Android ecosystem (vs. sharing with Google)
– CON lose access to Google proprietary apps / standards (e.g. Play services, Play store, Google Cast)
Basically Amazon wants to control revenues and data generated by AFTV customers. To accomplish that, they’re willing to forgo Google Cast and Google-specific apps. Both companies are taking reasonable strategic positions, at the cost of consumers not being able to get the absolutely perfect device from anyone.
(I have an AFTV and Chromecast hooked up to the same TV.)
Bryan Johnsonsays:May 24, 2018 at 3:12 pmSame here man. Tried several but Allcast works better for me.
Donkeyfumblersays:May 24, 2018 at 2:33 amDidn’t work for me in any of the chromecast apps I tried – BBC iPlayer, BT Sport or Youtube from my iPad. It connected OK but it failed to actually play anything, either coming up with a black screen or saying an error occurred. The ipad screen mirroring worked, but any video played through it was stuttery and the audio crackled. Maybe it has better luck with Android devices.
AFTVnewssays:May 24, 2018 at 5:49 amIt might be an Android thing because I didn’t test any Google Cast apps on iOS. I definitely should have.
King Nothingsays:May 24, 2018 at 12:13 pmTry to change the Cast rendering engine from “Auto” to “Integration” in the app’s settings. With set to “Auto” or “System” none of the apps worked for me too (on a FTV3 casting from an Android tablet).
Donkeyfumblersays:May 24, 2018 at 2:46 pmThanks. I might give that a go at some point but I’ve already uninstalled it for now. I have a Chromecast anyway and I was more interested to see whether it worked than with any thought of keeping it – for a one off cost, it might have been worth having it all on the Fire TV but at that price I’ll just keep them both going at the same time.
Tech3475says:May 24, 2018 at 4:11 amThe only protocol of note seems to be cast, otherwise there are alternatives I’ve successfully used before which doesn’t require a subscription.
Even an actual chromecast can be purchased on offer for what the pro subscription costs.
Granted an AIO solution may be preferable, if it was a one off payment I might have even considered it.
Scottsays:May 24, 2018 at 5:35 amCan you recommend a good airplay app? I just need to connect my mbp to ftv. I currently have a 15 ft hdmi cable strung across the floor. But I refuse to pay for a apple tv. Their price is ridiculous.
AFTVnewssays:May 24, 2018 at 5:47 amThey’re all pretty flakey because they’re all essentially a hack. That said, I use AirReceiver and it hasn’t failed me yet.
Scottsays:May 24, 2018 at 5:59 amOK thanks! I’ll definitely give it a try. Still baffles me that Apple doesn’t have their own tv stick. Or at least a airplay stick.
Alexsays:June 22, 2018 at 2:57 pmThey have. They call it “Apple TV” ;)
JxPxsays:May 24, 2018 at 7:09 amAirplay&UPnP also known as Air Receiver has always worked in my house with all my apple devices casting to any of my Fire TVs ranging from generation 2 boxes to the new pendant.
Fredsays:May 24, 2018 at 8:40 amWill it work with YouTube tv?
AFTVnews
says:May 24, 2018 at 10:01 am Hopefully someone will chime in and answer this. I’m not a subscriber so I can’t check.
King Nothingsays:May 24, 2018 at 12:32 pm By the way… The developer of the Smart YouTube TV app has also released an app for watching YouTube TV.
He doesn’t mention this on his main page (https://smartyoutubetv.github.io/en/), but if you click on “All releases” you will also find entrys which also include a “SmartYouTubeTV_Vlive” package.
The latest stable release seems to be
https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartYouTubeTV/releases/download/6.12.71_2/SmartYouTubeTV_Vlive_v6.12.71_r.apk
And the most recent version marked as a test release is this:
https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartYouTubeTV/releases/download/6.12.72/SmartYouTubeTV_Vlive_v6.12.72_r.apk
As YouTube TV isn’t even available here in Germany, I can’t test out if and how good this will work for watching YouTube TV on Fire TV, but maybe someone wants to give it a try.
King Nothingsays:May 24, 2018 at 12:40 pmOK.. So after posting this, I found this on GitHub bugtracker for the app:
“YouTube live TV apk not working anymore”
https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartYouTubeTV/issues/121
So obviously the app stopped working a few days ago. Sorry. :/
Fredsays:May 24, 2018 at 9:26 amI’m always skeptical of apps where the developer’s name is in Chinese characters. Call me paranoid, but I’m not comfortable. Needless to say, as excited as I was to try it, I didn’t install the app.
Tangosays:May 24, 2018 at 10:04 amI have both AllCast/Mirror and Airplay-UPNP working on my Fire TV Stick G2 with Android, Fire 8 HD and iPad tablets. I suspect Google will take this app down.
Juansays:May 26, 2018 at 2:51 pmHow you did it? My Fire HD 8 was mirrored to the Fire Stick on my tv, it worked yesterday, but now now
Juansays:May 25, 2018 at 5:06 pmTested casting my Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet to an amazon fire stick and it worked, but today it won’t detect the stick. Is so frustrating.
JOEBsays:May 25, 2018 at 11:29 pmSubscription = pffft
Davidsays:August 7, 2018 at 5:56 amnoticed today Air Screen is not available on the App Store for firetv anymore m. Tit is only available for android devices now so you can’t directly get it anymore.
Ken Irwinsays:November 13, 2018 at 2:08 pmI know it’s kind of an old thread, but ran across it and well anyway, question I have is exactly how does that subscription work? is it like buying an app on the play store? Once you purchase it it’s yours? or is this per device? I have multiple AFTVs and maybe if it was one sub for all it might not be so bad, but if it’s each, no way. And in the image there is 2 different subscription plans, but no real indication of what the difference is. There is a $11.99/yr Pro subscription and a $19.99/yr Pro subscription, and their corresponding 30 day pass and um monthly subscription, which I assume means the 30 day is non-renewing. The app itself doesn’t seem to explain this either.
My name is Chucksays:November 30, 2018 at 6:38 pmI’ve subscribed and using it for high-level audio (Audirvana Plus 3) for the Mac os.
You get seven days to try it out when you subscribe and then your selected subscriber option will kick in at whatever choice you made. This isn’t clear when you have a seven day trial when you click your subscription choice. I made the monthly selection so in 7 days that will automatically go through through your Amazon payment setup. In that time, you can find out how you can use the app on multiple devices (under the same wifi).
I’ve used other apps like Air Receiver but for whatever reason, the combination for music quality using Audirvana is beyond outstanding. With an ordinary DAC, the Audirvana software is cast in super high quality. So in this regards, thank you AirScreen. One small issue is I can’t get an album to run continuously and I’m trying to figure that out but for now a “one-click back” seems to automatically detect and go on to the next track.
@eliasBefore the arrival of Google Chromecast it was necessary to install additional software to wirelessly send photos, audio, and videos to your television through your Mac. Chromecast setup on Mac is easy and changes everything in regards to digital media streaming. This article will show you the A-Z of Google Chromecast and teach you how to Chromecast from Mac. Using this Chromecast setup on mac it will be possible to view content on a big screen in the comfort of your home or even at the office.
What are the requirements for setting up Google Chromecast?
To broadcast audio or video wirelessly from your Mac to the big screen (TV), you will need a Google Chromecast, a Television or projector, Chrome web browser (free for Mac), a WiFi network, and of course a Mac computer. These simple steps take just a few moments and will have you on the way to wireless content streaming.
Step 1: Getting started
Before we get started, this is what is packaged in your Google Chromecast box: The Google Chromecast, USB Type-A to USB Micro-B cable (for charging), Chromecast HDMI dongle, HDMI short extension cable, and a power supply. Before you can use the Chromecast app from Mac, the physical setup (manually connecting your Google Chromecast to your TV without the use of WiFi network) and the software setup (with the help of WiFi network) needs to be done.
Connecting your Chromecast
Connect your Google Chromecast to the HDMI socket on the back of your TV. Insert your USB Micro-B connector into your Google Chromecast dongle, and connect the USB Type-A connector into a spare USB port on the TV. If your TV does not have a USB port Google has included a power cube to plug the power portion of the Chromecast into a nearby electrical outlet.
Hard to reach spaces? Don’t worry, use the short HDMI extender cable to extend the range of the Chromecast connection and gain more clearance in tight spaces.
Download Google Chrome Cast App
Now you are ready to turn on your television. Ensure your input source to the HDMI channel corresponds to the HDMI socket which the Google Chromecast is connected. Many modern TVs will automatically switch inputs once they detected a new device connected.
Easy isn’t it? Now let’s move on to the next step…
Step 2: Google Chromecast setup
To successfully set up the Google Chromecast you need to connect to a WiFI network on your Mac, this needs to be the same WiFi network you want your Chromecast to connect to and use. Remember that Chromecast requires a constant network connection to function properly and does not work properly offline.
Google Chrome Cast App For Iphone
Software Setup
Open your Chrome web browser and go to http://www.chromecast.com/setup, download the Chromecast DMG by clicking the blue Download button and install the Chromecast app for Mac. Make sure to agree to the license terms (after reading them) and click the ACCEPT button.
After clicking the accept button the app will search for available Chromecast devices on your network.
NOTE: If you have an iOS or Android device available setup is much faster and easier with the Google Home app which is available via a free download in the App Store (or Play Store), we suggest this method when possible.
Is the search taking too long? Make sure the Chromecast is connected to the same WiFi network as your Mac and is positioned within range of your router.
If your Mac is unable to find your Chromecast check your Wifi or switch your Mac’s WiFi network to 2.4 GHz mode instead of 5GHZ or mixed.
Next, configure the Chromecast by clicking the blue Set Up button. Click the applicable setup button next to your detected Chromecast and select your country from the dropdown list.
Make sure the displayed code on your Chromecast app is the same as the code displaying on your TV screen. Ensure you double check the codes before clicking the “that’s my code button”, you wouldn’t want to accidently pair to another Chromecast in your house!
Once you are connected, a confirmation message will display on your Mac and television, “Congratulations! You are ready to cast”.
Step 3: Set up Chromecast Mac
Once you have configured the Chromecast dongle to connect to the WiFi network, you will get an invitation message from the Chromecast app to install the Chromecast browser extension.
Click the blue “Get Cast Extension” button and then click the add button. A popup confirmation message will appear on the screen and the Google Chromecast icon will appear in the toolbar of the Chrome browser on your Mac.
Step 4: How to use Chromecast on Mac
It’s very straightforward to set up Chromecast Mac and so is casting media! Click the cast icon in the Chrome browser toolbar to enable the cast extension. The contents of the Chrome browser tab will show on your big screen (TV). You can select to stream a specific browser tab or the entire screen.
NOTE: Cast is operational when the icon is blue, and not grey.
3 Best Alternatives to Chromcast in 2018
1. Amazon Fire TV
2. Roku Streaming Stick
Google Chromecast App For Macbook
3. Fire TV Cube
What apps can I stream from my device to Chromecast?
You can stream BBC iPlayer, Google Play Music, HBO GO, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Pandora, Plex, PostTV, RealPlayer Cloud, Red Bull TV, Songza, Vevo, Viki, YouTube and many others. Please note that this list varies in some countries. New services are added quite often and many websites with videos have built in “cast” functionality, you do not need to use the cast icon in the toolbar when this is available, it will appear directly in the media player. You can test this out by visiting YouTube for example, you will notice the cast icon directly in the video.
Can you stream videos from VLC to Chromecast on Mac?
Currently there is no workable solution for VLC Chromecast Mac. However there are free apps with the same features of VLC available that will help you cast files from your Mac to Chromecast. We do not have a list in this article as there are many options available and they change frequently. You can also drag and drop most media files into Google Chrome to play them in the browser. Once they are playing in the browser you can use the “Cast” icon to stream the files to your TV.
Performance tips for Chromecast on Mac
When streaming videos from Google Chrome on Mac to your Google Chromecast you will notice that the quality varies greatly. Poor quality is usually the result of poor network conditions or “full tab” and “full screen” streaming. The best way to stream media is by using a direct connection, this occurs on sites that have “native” support for Chromecast. Sites that have native support are ones such as YouTube and Netflix where the icon appears in the video player on the site and not in the toolbar of Google Chrome.
When direct streaming media your computer only instructs the Chromecast to stream the media but does not actually stream all of the media to the Chromecast. This results in far superior quality video than streaming browser tabs and fullscreen on your Mac. You can find quite a few Google Chrome Extensions which also mac it possible to direct stream sites that do not have native support.
How to stream lost files from your Mac to Chromecast
You can get your lost videos or images back using Disk Drill and stream them from Mac to Chromecast.
Disk Drill is a user-friendly data recovery tool for Mac users that will help to recover lost or deleted files including photos, videos, music, and vital business documents. With the help of this recovery tool, you can restore your lost memories and cast them from your Mac.
Disk Drill also features many free features such as a duplicate file finder which helps locate and remove duplicate files thus freeing up more space on your Mac.
Other great extra tools such as disk health, Mac cleanup, recovery drive, data protection and backup available for free with Disk Drill.
Why choose Disk Drill for data recovery?
Simple, Disk Drill works very well. It recovers all well-known file formats and over 300 other file types in total. Disk Drill can recover just about any file you have lost with multiple advanced recovery methods including Deep Scan. With support for all major devices Disk Drill is a one stop solution for getting back lost files such as videos.
Disk Drill’s powerful feature list doesn’t stop with just a variety of scanning methods. Disk Drill can also scan mobile devices, memory cards and just about anything else that your Mac computer can detect and read. Recovery Vault and Guaranteed Recovery help to ensure your files are safe from future data loss and protect your chances of success recovery should the inevitable occur.
Your Companion for Deleted Files Recovery
Pro Tip: You can find many great videos about Disk Drill online including our new tutorial and introduction videos on YouTube. Now that you have your Chromecast setup to stream from Mac you can learn about Disk Drill from the comfort of your own living room, just a few clicks to stream and a few more for easy file protection and recovery.