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It's 2021 and Wifi 6 is finally supported by Apple M1 MacBooks, so can anyone point me to a efficient (preferably dongle-less on the MacBook side) solution for wireless screen casting in extended mode (not just mirroring)?

There are actually multiple scenarios one could consider:

  1. connecting to regular (say Dell) monitor
  2. connecting to an iMac
  3. connecting to a projector
  4. connecting to a TV
  5. connecting to an iPad

but I'm mostly interested in the first two. Point 3 would we an awesome bonus.

I've tried many solutions but each has significant drawbacks, namely:

  • AirPlay (too slow out of the box, also can't connect to ordinary displays)
  • AirParrot with Reflector (extended display feature is currently broken for Apple M1)
  • LunaDisplay (haven't purchased as it can't be used with regular monitors)

I've also seen many references to DisplayLink, but I'm confused about their massive product inventory.

In essence I'm looking for a solution (software license or a piece of hardware) that would be:

  • compatible with scenario 1 and 2
  • fast (mouse cursor should display little to no lag)
  • minimalistic (preferably no dongle for the Macbook, or LunaDisplay size dongle)
  • easy to use like AirPlay

Edit: Tried AirServer and it is better than I've expected, but software alone isn't going to connect me to a Dell monitor, so I'll keep this question open.

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  • Do you have a specific latency target you want to hit? Subjective questions like best or low or inexpensive have problems since for one person, spending $3000 for an Intel CPU they can overclock and reduce latency a few milestones makes sense. For others, grabbing an HDMI cable is low enough latency.
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 17:44
  • only this: "mouse cursor should display little to no lag"
    – Ranza
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 21:08

1 Answer 1

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I’ll answer the lowest latency which is at odds with your minimal and cheapest requirements. (From the Good, Cheap, Fast - pick any two triad)

  1. Use LunaDisplay to transmit wirelessly to an iPad Pro that mirrors using a hardware cable to the display of your choice. The USB-C connector to a display that charges the iPad is the lowest latency in my testing.
  2. AirPlay to an AppleTV hard wired via HDMI is second lowest latency.
  3. TeamViewer comes in third place on Big Sur 11.2.2 using a ghost 4K HDMI adapter with commodity USB-C to HDMI adapters. This is the most expensive option since you need two “computers” and a second ghost display.

Dongles and hard wires are faster than everything and the LunaDisplay hardware effectively reduces the latency of wireless options.

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  • I didn't say cheapest. Good and fast is what I'm looking for, but buying an Apple TV for the purpose of wireless monitor is an overkill. Luna can't be used with regular monitors. As for TeamViewer can you paste a reference?
    – Ranza
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 21:11
  • Hi @Ranza TeamViewer.com and yes, Luna requires an iPad Pro to mirror that to a regular monitor as described in the post.
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 23:33
  • Hi @bmike, obviously I know TeamViewer as a remote control tool, I just wasn't conscious it could be used for something else like screen casting - do you have a reference on how to do that?
    – Ranza
    Commented Mar 3, 2021 at 12:47
  • Sorry, I don’t know what you don’t know @Ranza I’ve made an edit. I don’t recommend TeamViewer for this but it’s faster than the other items you listed and we do cast with it at work very effectively with inexpensive pc and very old Macs.
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Mar 3, 2021 at 17:41

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