Netgear PTV3000 with AppRadio

The key success factor for AppRadio to work is the ability of the connected phone to output or cast the screen via HDMI, and a compatible adapter (either Slimport connector or the MHL adapter) is crucial to make this happen. This actually becomes the show stopper for many as not many phones can work with an aftermarket adapter. For instance, the One+ One and the Nexus 6.

With a series of posts on AppRadio I shared, some of my friends really got poisoned to do the same on their lovely car. Too bad, none of them are using Nexus phones, so I ought to further inject the poison making sure I have a solution for them! Glad that I do have something to offer!! *evil grin*

As wired solution is almost impossible for some phones, the alternative is to go on wireless. There are few matured wireless display technologies such as Miracast, WiDi and so on. The safest is to pick a technology that is natively supported on any Android phone, which is the Miracast. 

A deep dive into Amazon and I found this...

Read on to see the "alternate solution".

It's Netgear PTV3000. It supports 3 different wireless display technologies with up to 1080p display with 5.1 surround pass-through sound. Nothing fancy about the package. It's just a small black box, smaller than my Starbucks Card...

One USB port used to power up the device, one HDMI to output the display and a reset button. I paid a little attention to the power requirement to confirm that the USB output from AppRadio can be used to power up this little box. Lesser ampere maybe able to power it up but the wireless range likely will be shorter or deteriorate in quality.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post, it's always good to try with the simplest setup, so I tested it with a TV. Power it up with either USB port on the TV or the bundled power adapter, plug in the HDMI to one of the HDMI ports on the TV, switch the TV input to the HDMI channel, the setup screen appears...

On the phone, go to Settings > Display > Cast Screen (or wireless screen or whatever resembles the same) to enable wireless display, let the phone searches the device, select it once found and you shall be connected instantly...

No wireless router required (unlike Chromecast), virtually no configuration required. Proof of Concept (PoC, the term that I have been using for years in my work) is passed.

Let's move to the AppRadio and check out the videos below. First video shows the connection, simply replace the Slimport connector (or MHL adapter) with PTV3000 and the second video shows the PTV in action.

It appears that the audio is also output through PTV3000 and hence better quality than Bluetooth streaming. The touch control that is sent via Bluetooth through ARU app is as smooth as if the phone is wired. I think the placement of the PTV3000 and phone should be in direct sight for best wireless quality and to minimize or avoid interference by other wireless devices. Lastly, I shall announce that the "R&D" of wireless display with Netgear PTV3000 works well with AppRadio 3! I shall share once one of my friends gets his One+ working with Pioneer AVH-X8550BT.  Related: AppRadio 3 Episode 1