To wirelessly share your PowerPoint, Keynote, or spreadsheet to a projector screen from your computer, media player, or mobile device – you need two things.
First, your screen mirroring system has to capture and wirelessly transmit the video signal that normally goes through a cable. Then there is a receiver that takes that signal and changes it back to an HDMI signal your TV, projector, or interactive display can understand. Screen mirroring systems use a variety of ways to transmit and receive the data, and understanding the tradeoffs are important.
Screen mirroring protocols such as Apple AirPlay and Windows Miracast are built into most computers and many mobile devices. If you have a compatible receiver attached to your display, you can use these protocols to mirror your screen wirelessly. The problem is an Apple TV will only work with AirPlay – and many Miracast devices won’t work with your Mac.
Niether Miracast or Airplay will work with devices such as digital signage players, Blu-Ray player, or document camera. This is also a problem with third-party screen-mirroring solutions with cross-platform compatibility – they only work on certain devices.