Connecting a TV as a Second Monitor via Wi-Fi: A Complete Guide with Technology Comparisons

• Swipe down to open Control center.
• Click Screen mirroring and select TV.

AirPlay offers lower latency than Miracast, but requires compatible devices. For example, on Samsung QLED 2022 upon connection MacBook Air M1 The latency is ~30 ms, which is acceptable for most tasks except eSports.

4. Connect via Steam Link (for gaming and streaming)

If you want to use your TV as a monitor for gaming, then Steam Link — the optimal solution. This Valve technology minimizes latency by compressing video on the fly and using a proprietary data transfer protocol.

Requirements:

• 💻 A computer with installed Steam and an NVIDIA (10+ series) or AMD (RX 400+) video card.
• 📺 TV with support for installing applications (Android TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS).
• 📶 Router with support Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6.

Instructions:

1. Install the application Steam Link on TV (available in Google Play for Android TV or in the app store Samsung/LG).
2. Launch Steam on PC and go to Settings → Remote Play.
3. Enable the option Enable streaming.
4. Open on your TV Steam Link, select your PC from the list and connect the controller (or use the virtual keyboard).

Steam Link Benefits:

• 🎮 Delay 10–25 ms (when connected via 5 GHz).
• 🖥️ Support for resolutions up to 4K @ 60 Hz (with sufficient network bandwidth).
• 🎧 Audio transmission in format 5.1.

⚠️ Note: To minimize lag in games, use the following settings:

Steam → Settings → Remote Play → Advanced:
- Bitrate: 20–30 Mbps
- Resolution: Native (no scaling)
- Codec: NVENC (for NVIDIA) or AMF (for AMD)

If the image is slow, reduce the bitrate to 10 Mbps.

5. Alternative methods: applications and adapters

If your TV doesn't support Miracast/AirPlay, or you want to reduce latency, consider these alternative solutions:

📱 Screen mirroring apps

• 🔹 ApowerMirror - works via Wi-Fi, supports 1080p @ 30 Hz, latency ~50 ms. Requires software installation on PC and TV.
• 🔹 TeamViewer QuickSupport — not intended for streaming, but can be used as a temporary solution (latency ~100ms).
• 🔹 Roku Screen Mirroring - if you have a set-top box Roku, you can duplicate the screen from Windows/Android.

📡 Hardware adapters

If software methods are not suitable, use external devices:

• 🔌 Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter — connects to the TV HDMI port, supports Miracast (latency ~40 ms).
• 🔌 AnyCast — a budget adapter for mirroring your screen with Android/iOS/Windows (quality depends on the model).
• 🔌 NVIDIA Shield TV Pro — a powerful Android TV set-top box with support 4K @ 60 Hz And GeForce NOW for cloud gaming.

Hardware adapters typically provide better quality than software solutions, but require additional costs. For example, Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter suitable for presentations, and NVIDIA Shield — for gamers.

6. Network optimization for minimal latency

The quality of your wireless connection directly depends on your settings. Wi-Fi networksThe following recommendations will help reduce latency and avoid connection drops:

• 📶 Use range 5 GHz - it is less congested and provides greater throughput.
• 🔄 Configure your router:
  • Turn on WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) to prioritize traffic.
  • Turn it off Energy savings in the Wi-Fi settings.
  • Set a fixed channel (eg. 36 or 149) instead of automatic selection.
• 🖧 Connect your PC to your router via cable (if your TV only supports Wi-Fi) to reduce the load on your wireless network.
• 🚫 Disable other devices that consume bandwidth (for example, torrents or online games on other devices).

To check the connection quality, use the command in Command line:

ping 192.168.1.1 -t

If the ping exceeds 10 ms, this indicates a network problem. In this case, try:

• Reboot the router.
• Change the Wi-Fi operating mode to 802.11ac (instead of 802.11n).
• Reduce the distance between the router and devices.

7. Troubleshooting connection issues

If your TV does not connect as a second monitor, check the following:

🔍 Common mistakes and their solutions

• 🚫 The TV does not appear in the list of devices:
  • Make sure your TV is in the "On" mode. Screen Mirroring.
  • Restart both devices.
  • Check if your PC's Wi-Fi adapter supports it Wi-Fi Direct (through device Manager).
• 🖼️ The image is slow or choppy:
  • Reduce your PC screen resolution to 1920×1080.
  • Switch to range 5 GHz.
  • Disable background applications that consume internet (for example, Zoom or Discord).
• 🔊 No sound:
  • In Windows sound settings, select TV as the output device.
  • Update your sound card drivers.
  • Check if your TV supports Wi-Fi audio transmission (some models TCL (they only transmit video).

🛠️ Diagnostics via command line

To check if your PC sees your TV as a wireless display, run the command:

netsh wlan show drivers

Find the line in the output Hosted network support. If it is indicated there Yes, then Miracast should work.

⚠️ Note: On some laptops (e.g. Lenovo IdeaPad or HP Pavilion) The Wi-Fi Direct function is disabled by default in the BIOS. To enable it, enter the BIOS (button F2 or Del when loading) and activate the option Wireless LAN Radio or Wi-Fi Direct Support.

8. Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of connection method depends on your goals:

For working with documents or video views Miracast or AirPlay is enough. For games better to use Steam Link or a wired connection. If you have an older TV without Smart features, buy an adapter AnyCast or Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter.

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FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

sudo apt install gnome-network-displays