Wireless streaming devices are a booming new market, and acquiring the right product can help boost a productive environment for schools, business and other organizations. But finding the right device can be a nightmare. That’s why we’ve made a guide for anybody looking to buy a wireless streaming device for your workplace.

We’ve compiled a list of 12 questions to ask yourself before buying a wireless streaming device. We find that these are the most essential questions, which take into account your use case, your network environment, the level of maintenance you’re looking for, as well as the price point and installation efforts.

Do you need a wireless streaming device? Define your use case

1) Business or leisure?

The first thing you have to ask yourself is, are you looking for a media player to complete your home entertainment system? Or are you looking for a quality, reliable screen sharing solution that’s going to make you king of the conference room or classroom? (yeah, that’s a thing).

If you are looking for a media player, streaming devices like Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire Stick are what you need. These devices have features designed for making your Netflix and chill days more relaxing.

If you need something for your office or classroom, however, these media players are missing features that make them suitable for work environments, especially if you want wireless streaming in every meeting room or classroom. Professional screen sharing solutions, like Airtame, offer you options for easy integration with your corporate network.

If you find yourself in neither of those two categories, chances are you’re looking for a device that serves just one traditional purpose in a wireless environment. With gaming consoles, live camera feeds and external digital signage, you want a wireless HDMI transmitter, and that’s different than a screen sharing or streaming solution.

2) What’s your budget for establishing a wireless streaming device and setup in your organization?

With a cabled connection, you get an instant picture with no delay, but it also comes with connectivity challenges and less control. A wireless solution is not just freeing yourself of cable-clutter and gaining easy connectivity from several devices. It comes with better overview, cloud management and access to digital signage.

If you do decide on a wireless streaming device, the primary functional device is rarely the only cost. What about all the other rooms where a wireless streaming solution is necessary? For many products on the market, installation and maintenance costs are high. Add to that monthly subscriptions on applications, rag mounts, antennas and trays, and you could still have a long way to go.

If you’re a school with a tight budget or any organization looking to keep costs down, you need a single-pay, full-service solution like Airtame.

3) Which devices do I want to stream from?

Are you a home user with a passion for sleek Apple products? Or do you prefer your trusty Windows and Android devices? If you know for certain that you’d only use one platform, you can safely choose a wireless streaming device that’s designed for your specific platform.

It’s not applicable to every situation though. Home use devices with software designed specifically for certain hardware types, like Chromecast or AppleTV, are not recommendable for usage in a business environment.

In an environment with multiple hardware devices, you need a platform-agnostic third-party solution that can cater to all sorts of devices and connectivities.

At school or work, people are probably using a mix of different devices. In this case, you need a cross-platform solution. That is, a solution that works across different devices, like Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook, and yes, even iOS and Android.

Most professional-grade wireless devices offer support for Mac, Windows, and iOS and Android. Airtame, however, is the only solution that offers support for Linux and Chromebooks, so everyone in your office or school is taken care of.

You should also ask yourself if you want to stream from multiple devices to your TV screen or projector, or if you need to stream from one computer to multiple screens.

4) What display hardware are you using?

At this point in time, all wireless streaming products available on the market are made for use on displays. But there are slight differences to the products you might need to consider, depending on the type of display hardware you’re using.

What is it you need to stream to? A TV, a projector, a touchscreen whiteboard? Keep in mind that some streaming devices do not easily mount in tight spaces. And some devices are too heavy to hang from the ceilings.

For projectors or TVs with little space around them, you’ll need to look into a smaller sized device that can easily fit into a projector’s cable tray or between the minimal space between the TV and wall. If you’re using a touchscreen whiteboard, you probably need something small as well that can move around with the whiteboard wherever you roll it.

Just because you have a touchscreen, doesn’t mean you intend to use its functions. If you do, you’ll need something that also enables touchscreen functions. There are ways to work around it, though. Those functions could also be implemented by drawing on, say, an iPad, which then streams content directly to your screen.

5) What content do you want to show via your wireless streaming device?

What kind of content is it you want to show on the TV or projector on a daily basis? Do you mainly need to show still images or do you need dynamic pictures as well, even real-time footage? Do you want audio to be included? There are so many questions to consider when looking for a wireless streaming device, especially with what it is you want to present.

The source of the information is also an important factor, so think about where your content comes from. If you’re showing content directly from the internet, for example, movies, Chromecast could be a good choice for you.

If you’re like most people in an office or school, your resource code doesn’t reside on the internet, it comes from your laptop. Odds are that you need to share your work directly from your favorite applications, like Excel, PowerPoint, Invision, or maybe even your company’s or school’s website.

Streaming from mobile devices is a limited experience in general. Get the full experience by screen mirroring content from your laptop.

6) Who will be using the wireless streaming device?

Different users are sure to have different needs and expectations for their streaming device. We like to put users into three categories; employees, customers and guests.

1. The employees are the ones in control of the content being shown. It could be teachers, IT admins or any administrator that monitors displays or updates content. If one set of employees or teachers are using the streaming device exclusively, you likely don’t need an open solution.
2. The customers are the ones not directly involved with or unable to manipulate content. That’s students at an educational institution, the audience of a presentation or travelers in airports looking at digital signage. Although they cannot manipulate content, they still benefit from it.
3. The guests are probably one-time users. Any guest or visitor should be able to stream without any prior training because you want their experience to be smooth and easy. For that to happen, you need a device that can accommodate a guest network for external use for when visitors drop by.

Your network environment and maintenance

7) Is your environment ready for a wireless streaming device?

Wireless streaming is undeniably convenient and saves time and effort in your daily work life. A factor to take into account is the extra load that wireless streaming will put on your WiFi network. Poor and slow WiFi will, of course, result in a disappointing streaming experience.

Aside from doing your part to improve your network, you should also look for a wireless streaming device that has flexible network integration options. Most professional solutions offer an Ethernet connection option, which is very useful. Using an Ethernet connection offers extra stability since you eliminate the risk of straining your WiFi and losing streaming quality.

8) How many rooms and screens are you equipping?

This questions is centered around maintenance rather than budget. For budget, see #2.

Looking at your rooms and screens is closely tied to the content you want to show (##5). For internal digital signage such as info screens, custom background and static KPIs, Airtame is great. For external digital signage such as video content, slides and animations, you need something a little more powerful.

If you are looking for a scalable solution that you can put in all the rooms in your building or campus, you’re going to want a solution that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and can also easily be managed remotely. You should also consider what kind of screens you’re using.

For an auditorium, you need a device that supports high-resolution images because of the giant screen. Airtame 2 does not (yet) provide 4K resolution, but ClickShare does.

For a conference room, you might want a solution with Skype or other types of video conferencing integrated. You can get around this by projecting your laptop screen with Skype on it via Airtame 2.

In meeting rooms, you likely have many internal users, so external reach-outs like Skype calls are not that important.

An all-in-one management tool gives you a central point for monitoring and updating your devices, and you don’t get that with all products. Airtame offers a cloud-based platform where you can manage all devices from your computer.

9) How are people connected to your existing network? (authentication method, users split on different VLANs etc?)

This question starts getting a bit more technical, but for those of you who administrate your company or school’s network, it’s an important one. It goes back to the previous question about three different kinds of users, because each user will be on a different part of the network.

You will need to make sure that everyone on your network (or networks if you have more than one) can use the streaming device easily without having to switch WiFi networks.

10) How will you physically be integrating the solution?

While it’s nice to connect directly via WiFi, that can cause some problems in certain cases, because WiFi signals sometimes lose data because of interference.

The possibility of hardwiring your device via an Ethernet adaptor gives you more stability and better transfer speed. That’s because wireless data transmitting takes more time since signals are transferred in the air.

Having a cabled connection also maximizes security, which is good for research environments or bank or other high-security environments.

There are several power solutions to consider too. Will your device need an AC Power Adapter plugged into a wall outlet, or are you good to go via the USB port on your TV? If there are no wall outlets near the installment of your device, you should check if it supports other power options.

Some wireless streaming devices support a one-cable power solution, called a Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE). It’s an adapter capable of splitting power and ethernet enables you to power your device and provide the best network connection from the same cable.

Purchase and installation

11) Who will be managing and maintaining the equipment?

Some devices are a lot easier to set up than others, and some even require a third party certified installer.

With Airtame 2, you don’t need any previous training, meaning you could cut out the middleman controlling installment and maintenance. Instructions are simple and intuitive, with support via email, phone or chat always ready if you need it. Unlike other products, it’s a simple plug-and-play solution, meaning you don’t have to bring out the power tools.

If you have an on-ground janitor who takes care of physical improvements, you are less likely to select a cloud solution that can be managed remotely. Having a cloud platform could save you time, however, which is the best solution if you have an IT admin who could even be located off-site.

12) What’s the best time to install a wireless streaming device in your organization?

Think of regular, physical developments in your organization. They require the staff to be out of office, right? How about installing or updating equipment at a school? Always best to do when the students are on holiday.

Installing an Airtame 2 takes only a few minutes and no prior training is needed, meaning you can set it up any time you choose.

If you’re worried that the wireless streaming device you’re considering will not live up to your ever-changing needs after a while, remember that just as any organization changes, Airtame does too. It’s a constant evolution of firmware/software, and a product that develops over time. Our goal is be one step ahead of demands so you don’t have to ask us to keep up.

Ready to take a wireless streaming device for a spin? Why not Airtame 2? Check out our pricing model or set up a demo with one of our specialists today.

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Screen mirroring (screen sharing)

Screen mirroring is a way to share your screen. As the name suggests, screen mirroring allows you to project, or “mirror”, what is on your smartphone, tablet, or computer and show it on your TV screen, projector, or external monitor without needing to use a cable. The TV or projector will show a replica of what’s displayed on your computer or mobile device, including any movement (e.g., editing a text document or playing/pausing a video).

Unlike when we look into a glass mirror, screen mirroring won’t horizontally flip what you see. So when you hear mirroring, think copying. This is great for viewing local content such as pictures, videos, documents, and professional or educational presentations. During a presentation, you can even choose to only present a specific app or window while still getting to look at your presentation notes privately. This is possible with Airtame’s Single Window Sharing feature, which mirrors a specific window rather than your full screen.

With Miracast now available, Airtame also lets you extend your desktop from Windows computers. This means that, in addition to “mirroring” something you have on your screen, Miracast can also let you use a large display as a second screen. Like Single Window Sharing, extended desktop is a nifty way to view your presenter notes privately while sharing presentation content to your audience.

Let’s summarize your mirroring/screen sharing options with Airtame:

Screen casting (media streaming)

The major difference between screen mirroring and screen casting is how content is shared to a display. In the case of screen casting, your TV wirelessly receives online content via a digital media player to a TV via a wireless connection.

Screen casting uses an app to send movies, video clips, and music from your phone, tablet or computer to your TV screen. For example, you can use the YouTube or Netflix app on your phone to cast video over the internet from the YouTube or Netflix servers to your TV display.

With casting, you can use your phone or tablet while casting a movie without any interruption. When casting, you’re not streaming video from your mobile device to the TV display, but rather using your mobile to initially set up the cast, and then letting the YouTube or Netflix server do the rest of the work. The term casting is synonymous with products like Chromecast which it has largely stemmed from. You could use your phone to start a movie on your friend’s Chromecast-equipped TV at their house, and then leave. The movie would continue to play.

Airtame supports both Google Cast and Miracast in terms of their screen mirroring and extended desktop functionalities. Airtame does not support media casting in the sense of being able to start a video from your personal device and have it continue even if you leave the premises.

Desktop sharing

Confusion might arise due to the multiple solutions that use “sharing” in different contexts. While screen mirroring is a form of sharing, “desktop sharing” can also involve sharing between computer screens. An example of this is sharing slides through a video call, allowing people working remotely to see their colleague’s or classmate’s presentation.

Solutions like Airtame work differently. They let you share your device screen locally (including your desktop screen), within the context of a meeting or classroom. Airtame mirrors the screen from your personal device and shares it to a larger display (e.g. TV, projector, or smartboard). In other words, Airtame is a solution for “live” presentations that call for individuals to direct their attention to a person who is physically present and using one (or two) displays to show visual aids that are complementary to the message of the speaker.

Learn more

To learn more about Airtame and book a tentative demo, you can always get in touch.

Airtame is a leading solution for both enterprises and educational institutions all over the world.

The post Screen Sharing vs Screen Casting vs Desktop Sharing | Discover the Difference appeared first on Airtame.

1. Plugging in a cable is less complicated

We don’t think so. Haven’t you ever been in a corporate meeting or a study project presentation where the presenter had to detangle a spaghetti monster of cables? The frustration of having to detangle cables, find suitable adapters or having to set up early to test is common. Setting up a wireless screen sharing solution may require a few additional steps, but once completed, it works both quicker and easier because you only have to click one button.

2. Picture quality is poor

That depends on the device. It’s true that for the best video streaming quality, a cabled connection is better. In most business or education environments though, heavy video streaming is not as important, if at all. Perhaps you’re experiencing delay rather than poor quality, and this is quite normal. A small amount of delay will not interfere with your work or presentation, and it doesn’t mean that the quality is bad. Everything has delay, even HDMI cables, but with a cabled connection it’s less than what a human would likely be able to detect. The average reaction time for humans to a visual stimulus is 0.25 seconds, and delay is generally below that. Delay is mostly dependent on the network, so if the network is fast, your wireless solution probably is too.

3. It requires something to be attached to the computer

No, not always. Some solutions, like ClickShare, have stuck to a more traditional way with devices also attached to the computer, maybe because it felt more intuitive earlier on. But more and more software solutions that use the wireless hardware already built in to the laptop or mobile device have surfaced. Like Airtame 2, that means you only need a receiving device.

4. Wireless screen mirroring uses Bluetooth

Nope, that’s not possible. Bluetooth only transmits very little data per second, not enough for screen mirroring.

5. A good internet connection is a good network for wireless screen mirroring

That’s not necessarily the case. When we mirror screens wirelessly, it stays within our network and never reaches the internet. Think of the internet as one big network and your network as a smaller, local one. Screen mirroring quality is mainly based on your network’s performance, and Airtame 2 supports both WiFi and Ethernet.

Generally speaking, Airtame 2 is not very “bandwidth hungry”, as our optimized streaming uses only very little bandwidth. Dropouts or long responsive times will however have an impact as this will cause the image to freeze or jump.

Do you still have questions? Chat, email or book a call with us today to help clear up any confusion. Take a look at our comparisons with other similar devices on the market.

The post 5 common misconceptions about wireless screen mirroring appeared first on Airtame.