Cheapest Wireless Display Dongle Found!
I usually buy my gadgets at Sim Lim Square when I needed urgently. I also prefer shopping at Singapore online sites like Qoo10 or Lazada for prompt shipping. But some items are just so much cheaper to buy from overseas shopping sites that it is worth it.
GearBest has become my favourite online shopping portal outside Singapore for gadgets, as some of their products are amazingly cheap compared to Aliexpress or Taobao. I was browsing through the catalog looking for great deals, and EasyCast OTA caught my eye. It is a HDMI dongle that uses the common wireless protocols like DLNA, Miracast, Airplay, EZAir to transmit videos and sound via Wi-Fi to the HDMI device.
I have always wanted to get a wireless display dongle, but in earlier Android versions, the Miracast did not work that well. Google Chromecast is only for Android devices and has content mirroring limitations. When I saw how inexpensive GearBest was selling it (I bought it at about US$13), I thought it is a good price to test out and post my EasyCast OTA review.
GearBest supports payment by PayPal, as well as major credit cards. Shipping is the most painful part, taking about 3 weeks to reach me. But well, I was prepared to wait.
Easy Connect
I was surprised at how easy it was for Android devices to be connected wirelessly. First, connect the EasyCast OTA to the TV HDMI port and plug it to a USB power source. Fortunately for me, the USB port is right next to the HDMI port.
When you see the EasyCast OTA screen, press the button on the dongle to toggle to the type of connectivity that you want. Android is the easiest to connect: just go to the Android device and look for the wireless display menu setting under “Network/Wireless”.
For newer Samsung devices like Galaxy S6 or Note 5, you can see “Quick Connect” from the notification menu.
For older Samsung devices like Galaxy Note PRO, select “Screen Mirroring” under Settings – Connections.
For ASUS Zenfone 2, look for “PlayTo” option under Settings – More.
Mirror Everything
Once the connection is successful, your television will mirror the display and sound from your Android or iOS device. Resolution and frame rate is average with a slight acceptable lag which is expected of wireless display.
With compatible apps like YouTube, you will see the option to select the Easy Cast OTA directly as a display source. Depending on your Android device, you can choose whether to mirror the display or to disable the Android display. Devices with the latest Lollipop OS should also be able to connect to your wireless home network while using wireless display. If not, disconnect and reconnect.
The Easy Cast OTA also supports DLNA, which is the standard for transmitting media over home network. This means you can also send music or video files from your iPhone, iPad, Windows or Mac to the television. Press the hardware button on the dongle to toggle the connectivity modes.
It’s Cheap and It Works
The Easy Cast OTA is an inexpensive device for the occasional need to broadcast portable devices to the large TV screen. It supports a wide range of devices and OSes. Gearbest.com is probably the cheapest online store that sells this product, with free shipping worldwide.
3 Oct 2015: If you sign up ShopBack and click through to GearBest, ShopBack will give cashback for all purchases (read my review)!
Do you know of another site that sells for cheaper? Or is there any other wireless display dongle which you feel offers better value? Let me know with your comments below.
This article is not sponsored. The Gearbest.com URL (http://www.gearbest.com/networking-communication/pp_194421.html) links directly to the product page without any affiliate program tagged to me. If for any reason the link is broken, visit Gearbest.com directly and search for “EasyCast OTA”.
29 comments