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PSA: Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 do not support Miracast wireless display

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For those that were unsure on where the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 stood on Android 4.2’s latest feature — Miracast wireless display support — it’s looking like this could end up being Nexus 4-only for now. There’s been an ongoing discussion over on Google’s mobile support forum and after much debate, a Googler took the time to weigh in on the issue confirming:

Just wanted to confirm that Nexus 4 is currently our only Nexus device that works with Miracast wireless display on Android 4.2. There was a reference to wireless display on our Help site for Nexus 10, but we’ve since removed that reference. Our apologies for any confusion that may have caused.

So, whether you have the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7, or Nexus 10 — just because they’re running 4.2 (which technically supports Miracast), there’s still more to the store. Whether or not Miracast could come to the Nexus 10 down the road, remains to be seen. For a quick video showing off what Miracast wireless display means to you, check out the official video below.

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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49 Comments

  1. And here I was, hoping that 4.2 would finally give the N7 video out, the biggest feature I miss on it.

  2. Crap, guess my ptv3000 is going back

  3. A fail by google… Not a huge fail… But a fail…

    1. I think so. To be honest the tablet is the primary location I would think to use it. Its the device I am using when screwing around at home and would like to send something up to the TV. Its also where I am likely to have games/content that I would want on the big screen.

  4. So should I still get a Nexus 10?

    1. It does have HDMI which is probably cheaper than miracast because you need a tv or a device attached to the tv capable of miracast.

      1. It’s the same with Intel’s WiDi. My Lenovo Laptop has it built in, but I’d have to get adapters for our tv’s for it to work.

    2. Tegra 3 devices apparently support Miracast. So if you want a tablet with Miracast support. 1. Look for Tegra3 initially (until others support it) & 2. Ensure it will be upgraded to 4.2 Jellybean.

      1. Errrr… Nexus 7 IS Tegra 3 AND Android 4.2, but don’t have this feature.
        Why, google, why??? This is a tablet funktion. And the Nexus 7 can handle it.
        Wait, I’m going to XDA Devs. There are some people who can integrate this. Hopefully…

        1. You’re right but Tegra 3 isn’t on the certified list yet…

          1. Precisely, very few chips/devices are on the list so far.

          2. I posted this in an earlier thread but pertinent here also… more information guys: Miracast requires low-level drivers so the implementation is not a generic 4.2 stack for the hardware. The kernel requires this support from the chip provider & requires Miracast certification. Either the CPU or Wifi/Bluetooth chipset (in some cases both). The inside information I have is that the Tegra 3 is a bit sluggish with dual video out & optimizations are / were needed. Whether the Nexus 7 will see this is still debatable but since Nvidia has already put their balls on the line committing to this support for T3 they’ll have to convince Google also before it’s baked in. As for the Nexus 10, I haven’t seen anything from Samsung…

    3. I am confident that the Nexus 10 will get Miracast with an update.

  5. hmm wonder how streaming from tv to tablet works…that would be useful if i didn’t plan on buying a TV real soon that probably wont ever have it ported.

    1. Some cable companies have apps so that you can watch live tv on your tablet. Unfortunately Cablevision only has a damned app for iPad and iPhones. :(

      Aside from that, I dont think you can do tv to tablet.

      1. You can do TV to Tablet with Miracast. In the future TV’s will be able to broadcast an alternatve FTA show to another Miracast device whilst the TV is in use on another channel. As for cable, it’s unlikely until they produce a cable box which supports Miracast transmissions, therefore a new STB to replace the old one, or a USB dongle (doubtful). It’s very unlikely this will happen fast if at all for a lot of legacy providers.

        1. Agreed, we will see a larger supply of “receivers” in the beginning than “source” devices. I doubt we will even see a solution for making a legacy device into a “source” device.

    2. Most TV’s will be Miracast receivers. You’ll need a TV which has the capability to Broadcast the channel. Look for the Miracast™ Source logo on the specifications. Most will be Miracast™ Display which is not what you’re after.

  6. Isn’t this like Intel’s WiDi?

    1. WiDi v3.5 support Miracast. Very similar but the Wifi Alliance has made this a common standard platform for wireless display across multiple consumer devices.

    2. WiDi is more proprietary. I am also not entirely sure if WiDi uses Wifi Direct.

      1. WiDi 3.5 is automatically Miracast, it’s just a certification stamp to put the logo on the box, therefore by default it will be less proprietary. But Intel chipsets will obviously be the initial requirement. i,e. Centrino Advanced-N 6235 AGN capable devices.

  7. What I’m thinking now is why doesn’t Google TV do this? My Co-Star is already being fed signal from my cable box. Come on Google!

    1. Contact Co-Star & see if they have a chip capable of Miracast Display support, if so, then hope Google TV gets upgraded to v4.2… Personally I wouldn’t hold my breath…

  8. google, be ashamed of that! and I wanted to buy a miracast tv or dongle to tv
    be innovative and put it everywhere, please. This feature should have been here for a decade at least!

  9. Miracast requires new hardware to support the standard. Basically senders & receivers. No form of software update is going to provide that support without the underpinning hardware chipset to support it. All this means is that 4.2 will work natively with the stack if the Miracast qualified chip is onboard. Making assumptions 4.2 would bring Miracast for the Nexus 7 is foolish. The Nexus 10, another bad assumption people.

    1. Considering that Google put it out there that the Nexus 10 would have Miracast, I don’t think that one was an assumption. Notice that they pulled it off their site, meaning it was originally on there. Also, the chip inside the Nexus 7 is already known to support Miracast. It literally is just waiting for the software to enable the feature. I believe the same is said to be true about the Nexus 10. As for the wifi technology, so long as it supports wifi direct, it should be good to go.

  10. A hdmi wireless miracast dongle with supporting application. You do wonderful things Google, please make this another one. How hard can it be really?….

    1. Requires hardware support.

      1. Didn’t nvidia say that all Tegra 3 devices would get Miracast support?

        1. I believe so. From the research I have done, the hardware is in place for both Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. I am not sure if Daniel above is saying that he doesn’t think the hardware will work, or if he believes it simply needs updated firmware.

          1. Updated firmware (microcode)… more information guys: Miracast requires low-level drivers so the implementation is not a generic 4.2 stack for the hardware. The kernel requires this support from the chip provider & requires Miracast certification. Either the CPU or Wifi/Bluetooth chipset (in some cases both). The inside information I have is that the Tegra 3 is a bit sluggish with dual video out & optimizations are / were needed. Whether the Nexus 7 will see this is still debatable but since Nvidia has already put their balls on the line committing to this support for T3 they’ll have to convince Google also before it’s baked in.

    1. Wow…

  11. I guess I’ll be sticking with my home theater PC for now.

  12. Google is turning into apple. They’ll give us Miracast on the Nexus 7S.

  13. This is what fragmentation of Nexus devices looks like…

    1. Holy crap my Nexus 7 can’t make phone calls like my Nexus 4, must be fragmentation…

      Hardware limitation =/=Software fragmentation, do some research….

      1. Nexus 7 has the hardware for Miracast wireless display support but not the software on JB 4.2…

        Nexus 10 has the hardware for Miracast wireless display support but not the software on JB 4.2…

        Nexus 4 has the hardware for Miracast wireless display support & the software on JB 4.2…

        All three devices have the hardware for MultiUser but only Nexus 10 can use it on JB 4.2…

        3 Different Nexus devices on the same JB 4.2e and for the most part same hardware capabilities (Google is not saying that they are not all compatible with Miracast or MultiUsers) and only one of the three can do each of those options… But yeah… That’s not fragmentation…

        And Google only lets us now a week later after the Nexus 10 launch about Miracast… I guess we better start assuming that nothing is compatible or included with any Nexus device until a week or longer after Google has it’s glorious clursterFck of a release… Even when the reason we believe that something is compatible is because of Google’s own reference…

        1. Who told you Nexus 7 and 10 hardware support Miracast? For all we know only a handful of devices are certified by Wifi Alliance for Miracast and that doesn’t include Nexus 7 and 10, nor any similar hardware (Tegra 3 and Exynos 5) have seen Miracast functionality.

          Also all models of Nexus now have multi user support so your point is invalid.

          1. MultiUser might be present but it’s not functional on the N7 or N4… U can see u’r name but u can’t create other accounts.. Except on the N10… From all the walk-thrus I’ve seen…

            As for the Miracast…

            “Just wanted to confirm that Nexus 4 is currently our only Nexus device
            that works with Miracast wireless display on Android 4.2. There was a
            reference to wireless display on our Help site for Nexus 10, but we’ve
            since removed that reference. Our apologies for any confusion that may
            have caused.”

            Do u see any part where Google is saying that this is because of hardware… They don’t even specify if it it’s possible or not… Google should of said Miracast is only compatible with the N4 hardware… But they won’t say whether it is or not… We suppose to guess that it only “works” on N4… But that does works mean… Will only work on N4 or ????

            They made Miracast look like it was a JB upgrade… But it’s not… It’s a N4 only feature… They let blog sites run with the story that Miracast was coming to JB 4.2 Nexus devices… Then a week after the release… Opps.. It’s N4 only… This is the type of BS that I expect from MS or Apple… But I guess I need to add Google to the list of douche companies…

            Did some more research… Seems this is the requirement for Miracast… Which Google should of announce would only work on the N4 on the day they release the N4 info…

            “I’ve been searching on what are the generic hardware requirements for Miracast. In my non expert opinion, is hardware dependent on 3 factors:

            1- Wi-Fi: Ability to simultaneously connect to a router (B/G/N) and also a direct connection (5GHz band?) to Miracast peer (like Wi-Fi Direct)
            2- Main processor: more processing demand
            2- Graphics processor: Seems Miracast streams converting video to H.264 on the fly.

            Looks like Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 don’t have the Wi-Fi requirement.

            Nexus 4 certainly has, not sure about Galaxy Nexus”

          2. Nope, works 100% on Nexus 7, I can create new accounts and switch between them. You need to actually play one before stating things like facts.

            You are reading too much into that employee’s words. He is just stating facts, they might find a way to implement Miracast for other Nexus devices but obviously they won’t promise anything because it’s hardware related.

            Android provides a standard framework for Miracast, it’s just like HDR effects in Camera, Android 4.2 adds support for it and because of hardware limitation it’s not on my 4.2 GNex, now shall I go around and call Google a liar?

          3. So u have to buy the device to find it if it will do x, y or z from JB 4.2…. Because Google won’t just come out and say…. Hey, MultiUser is for “all” tablets not just N10…

            We shouldn’t have to read into employee’s words to find out if a new feature is for what and where… All they would of have to officially say is… The N4 has Miracast stock… We will try to see if other Nexus devices hardware can be made to work with Miracast… But that’s not what they said or imply… They just let everybody believe or infer or understand that JB 4.2 was coming with Miracast…

            Either way I am waiting on the option to be able to purchase at least one Nexus 4 probably two… Just wish that Google would learn from all their shortcomings… But it doesn’t seem like they will… Now they are telling folks to just go pay TMobile full price for the phone or re-sign a contract for it… If Google can’t learn any lessons from all the problems they let happen… How are they going to do when they get into the Wireless Data business if the Dish Network deal goes thru… ???

          4. They have stated that the user manuals for Nexus 10 and 7 no longer mention support for Miracast, it’s your problem if you can’t read it.

            It’s your choice if you want to speculate whether other Nexus devices will support Miracast, I believe in this case Google made it quite clear that at least at this point Miracast is Nexus 4 only. If they add that support in later then great, either way I wouldn’t base my purchase decision on what a device “can” do rather what it does now.

          5. Possible Buyer – So what features is the Nexus 5 going to have or not have…

            Google – Read the manual to find out…

            Possible Buyer – Where is the manual..

            Google – It will be release at launch…

            Possible Buyer – So it till be available during launch around the 15 minute time I will be able to order the Nexus 5 but I’ll have to read the manual to see what it will be actually do… K…

            Nexus NX Owner – So is the new JB 4.5 feature gonna make to my device..

            Google – Google it…

            Nexus NX Owner – I did… And blogs and Google+ are saying it does… I want to make sure…

            Google – Read the manual….

          6. So what they suppose to do with software/hardware variations?

            Give you a chart of all 2000 new features and which have made into each device? Then you would come back whining as well. If you think a feature is critical to your purchase, you will go out of your way to find out whether a device supports it or not, be it reading the manual or Google it yourself. It’s been like this since the beginning of modern society. It’s called research.

            And if you can’t find the information you wait til it’s available or bite the bullet and return the device if that doesn’t meet your need.

          7. MultiUser & Miracast are not minor… They are JB 4.2… So is Google trying to sell their Nexus hardware by not wanting to sell their Nexus hardware… Unless u really, really, really do u’r homework… I read 10+ Android blogs multiple times a day to make sure I up on my favorite Mobile OS … But the blog’s themselves can’t seem to really know what are going to be the specifics… Since Google won’t specify unless push to answer… They end up having to infer specifics… Eventually it all ends up having to be clarify by Google… And even then u have to read on what they didn’t say not just on what they said…. And this is even a problem even after a release event…

            And as much as I like the ability to return stuff… I rather know what I am buying before hand… I don’t like to pay Shipping ($14+$14) both ways to get a chance to find out if it’s what I want or need or if it comes with all the bells and whistles on the new update…

          8. Y314k,
            I agree these two are kinda biggies for me….
            Having said that:
            N7 and N10 (the two tablets) definitely support Full Multiuser functionality (adding user accounts and switching between them).
            As for Miracast, I think Daniel Martin has it right in that:
            1 – the hardware chip (tegra 3 in the case of N7, exynos for N10 and Snapdragon chipset in N4) +
            2 – wifi binaries/drivers need to be updated on top of the Android stack +

            3 – Android stack has to support Miracast.

            I think this is the reason Google is saying 4.2 supports Miracast because they have the Android stack updated to support Miracast in the OS itself (so this requirement is taken care of across all 3 devices).

            LG/Snapdragon has already included updated wifi binaries with the N4 on top of the 4.2 Android build in the N4.

            Now, since Nvidia has already committed to Miracast support, my feeling is that updated wifi binaries/drivers should come out (not sure if Nvidia, Asus and Google need to work together for this or just Nvidia and Asus or what combination thereof to make this happen).
            I think Samsung will also likely follow suit.
            So, i think eventually N7 and N10 will both get the required support eventually, hopefully shortly…

            EDIT: of course, you still need Miracast certified receivers of which there are none yet, the netgear one is pre-certification.

  14. It may not be labeled “Miracast” but I set my Sony TV in WiFi Direct
    mode and connected to it from my Nexus 10. I was able to stream a 1080P
    Sony demo MP4 video (downloaded from YouTube) direct to the TV using
    Skifta. The N10 is running 4.2.1 as of a couple of days ago. It has
    also been rooted but I don’t think that had anything to do with this
    working.

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