Leanback is a way of connecting your phone to your smart TV or games console without the need for any extra hardware. Like Chromecast, Leanback does away with the pain of having to negotiate fiddly smart TV menus when all you want to do is watch YouTube videos on your big screen.
YouTube Leanback is a really great lo-fi solution that’s ideally suited to groups of friends who want to sit around one TV screen and play YouTube videos. Twonky Beam is free to download for iPhone and iPad (iOS 4.0 or later) and Android devices (2.2 Froyo or later).
We’ve waxed lyrical about Twonky Beam before it’s a service that lets you search the web for video on your iOS or Android device and then sling it to your TV.Īs well as working with a number of Samsung Smart TV’s (and one Sony one – the Bravia LCD TV KDL-32E5520), Twonky Beam and Twonky Browser also work with ZyXEL’s DMA-1000 media player and a number of music players such as the Sonos S5 and Roku SoundBridge M1001 (click here for a full list). Though DLNA isn’t the most reliable of wireless streaming protocols, Twonky seems to have got it working fine with its Twonky Beam app.
Twonky Beam How to stream from phones and tablets to TV Services like Netflix, Now TV, Crunchyroll, YouTube and Vimeo are also available on Apple TV. An AirPlay icon then pops up in certain apps like Photos, Videos, Music or Safari, letting you stream what you want to your TV.ĪirPlay Mirroring is available on the iPhone 4S and above, and the iPad 2 and later models, letting you surf the web, check email, and play games on your TV screen.Ī handful of games like Infinity Blade III and Metal Storm: Wingman (pictured) have been adapted specifically for AirPlay Mirroring, turning your iPhone 4S and iPad 2 into advanced second screen controllers.Īpple TV of course also acts as a video rental service, giving you access to the many titles available to rent and buy from iTunes. Once this is set up, you then connect your iPhone or iPad connected to your home WiFi network. You’ll need to have an Apple TV device plugged in to your TV set and connected to your home WiFi network. If you’ve got an iPhone or iPad and an HDTV, chances are you already know about AirPlay.ĪirPlay is easy to set up and lets you stream movies, play music and games from your iPhone or iPad on your big TV screen. Read next: Stick Wars: Amazon Fire TV Stick vs Roku Streaming Stick vs Google Chromecast AirPlay and Apple TV Apple TV Airplay allows you to stream games as well as music and video from your iPhone or iPad That said, there’s a ton of other fun things you can do with Chromecast that we’ve covered in our tips and tricks articles. Unfortunately, most of the games you can play with Chromecast right now aren’t that great. This method doesn’t always work though, with some services – most notably All 4 – still locked out at the time of writing. You can also use this to stream content from apps like ITV Player that aren’t officially supported by Chromecast.
Thanks to a recent update, a screen mirroring function for Android phones lets you easily view photos stored on your phone. Check out our new Chromecast review for more details.
It’s easy to set up – you just plug the Chromecast into a spare HDMI port on your TV, install the Chromecast app on your phone and follow the on-screen instructions. You search for what you want to watch on your phone or tablet, find it, hit the TV icon and it’s casted to the big screen. While many smart TV platforms come with these services installed, Chromecast takes the pain of navigating warren-like menus out of the smart TV experience. The best (and worst) Chromecast appsChromecast is one of the easiest and best ways to stream content from BBC iPlayer, Netflix, BT Sport, and other on-demand services on your TV. Google Chromecast Chromecast makes streaming to TV ridiculously easy
Here’s how to throw a movie or show from your Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows or BlackBerry mobile device to your telly.Īlternatively, you might want to stream a game from your phone or tablet to your TV for a more immersive gaming experience, or show your personal pics and home movies to friends and family. Watching TV shows and movies on your mobile phone or tablet is perfectly fine for the daily commute, but if you get home and want to continue your video, you’re better off streaming it to your TV.