Greetings, fellow FOSS fanatics! I’ve been scouring the internet in the past month for any kind of open source implementation of the Miracast protocol that could run on Android (or Android TV) as a receiver with no luck.
I installed LineageOS 20 (Android 13) on my TV Box (Dynalink 4k / wade), but even though LineageOS for phones has retained the Miracast sender functionality after Google removed it from AOSP in favor of their stupid proprietary Chromecast, it seems the ATV version hasn’t received a similar treatment as a receiver.
I think this is a real shame and a massive oversight, forcing us privacy-loving folk to either use Goolag services for Chromecast (if you’re lucky enough that your device has it built-in), or resort to disgusting proprietary apps filled to the brim with ads, tracking and in-app purchases.
Is there a reason no FOSS Miracast / WifiDisplay receiver has ever been developed for Android? I found receivers made for Raspberry PI and Linux, but no Android, could one of those be adapted or compiled for Android? Note that I’m not a developer, so I might be talking mumbo-jumbo, sorry if that’s the case :D
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Looks like Miracast and Wi-Fi Direct aren’t just some software you can tack onto a product. It’s a certification for a product that has proper software and hardware support to handle these tasks.
You can find some implementations of Android TV devices that have Miracast capabilities, such as the Nvidia Shield. Other than that, youll have to find another device that is certified for it.
I see. I thought all it would need would be a Wifi Antenna, seeing as almost any phone or laptop can act as a Miracast sender, but it seems it’s more complicated from the receiver side. Then that means that all the proprietary apps either don’t work and outright lie that they “act as miracast receivers”, or they implement their own protocols?
Do you have an example of an app that lets a device with no Miracast capabilities act as a receiver? Im curious if its possible.
No, I haven’t found such an app yet, all those that claim to do so fail on my device, so I guess they really require something more hardware-side. There are some that work with their own proprietary apps, but I guess they have their own protocols and the performance is not great anyway.
Not what you’re asking for but a potential solution: Your TV itself might support Miracast.
This is actually something I haven’t thought of. I’ll check it as soon as they deliver it. :D Although wouldn’t switching between HDMI input and miracast be janky, or does it happen automatically?
Miracast typically takes priority. It will ask for permission to allow it to display. It will then return to your previous input once the wireless display is disconnected.
It requires hardware support, and isn’t a feature you can implement or initiate within an android app.
If you can reach the maintainer for that TV box’s lineage ROM, they may be able to have a look at it
Is there even a sender? All Android devices in my house don’t include Miracast anymore.
