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Tech News and Commentary
Dave and the team discuss Tech companies in Congress, an AI camera’s problems, striking down a TikTok ban, a robot to install lenses in visually impaired people, AI identifying COVID-19’s asymptomatic carriers, hashtags as artificial words, and more.
Joe in Anchorage, Alaska listen on KBYR and is calling via the App and asked: “I have a Samsung S8 Plus and I don’t have Wi-Fi or Internet at my house and I’m trying to figure out ways to mirror my phone to my TV that is not a smart TV. I tried the USB-C to HDMI but the USB-C port on my phone is a little faulty. I was wondering if I had any other options I might be able to explore.”
Joe, without WiFi or wired connections your options dwindle very quickly.
The S8 series is Miracast compatible and thats probably your best (if not only) option.
Samsung rebrands Miracast to Smart View and selecting that allows you to send content to a TV that is compatible with the feature.
Since you dont have a smart TV, your set wont be compatible out of the box, but you can buy a Miracast receiver that you can plug into your TV for very little money.
For example, an AnyCast 1080p receiver can be found online for as little as $7, prices do go up but theyre all pretty similar devices so you can probably find a decent unit for $20 or less.
Miracast is basically like Chromecast but without the Google branding and wont require the device to be on WiFi to play, so it should work for your needs. Since, like Google, Samsung customizes the technology, your mileage may vary, so wed recommend getting a device from a store that will allow you to send it back if Samsungs custom OS doesnt want to talk to it. Other than that, we cant think of any options that would allow you to set up a wireless connection without needing WiFi at your home.
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