Wireless adapter for PC
Author
Discussion

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

292 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
In our office we have a PC which does nothing other than run our tracker software for our vehicle fleet.

I'd quite like to connect up another monitor on the other side of the office to 'mirror' the monitor that shows where all our vehicles are. Is there such a thing? Something I can plug into the back of the PC tower and something plugged into the monitor?

I don't want to spend a lot of money, but if it is something I can do fairly easily and cheaply, that would be great.

Mammasaid

5,641 posts

128 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
Chromecast would do this if you have a HDMI input and your output is web based;

https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/32283...

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

292 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
So a £30 Chromecast plugged into the TV monitor I want to use, and as long as it is on the same wifi, will replicate whatever I send to it from the original PC webpage?

Sorry for putting it in over simplistic terms, but I need to be sure this will do what I want it to.

MECHENG84

541 posts

90 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
Not trying to be unhelpful but there's a handful of ways to do this, thing's that will effect final decision are the distance required from the PC, GFX card on the PC, the PCs OS.

For example, the PC has a spare DVI-out on the GFX card, it's running windows 10 and you want the monitor about 6m away. all you'd need is a 6m DVI cable and monitor, Windows 10 can mirror primary screen onto the extended screen.

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

292 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
I understand that, but as the crow flies it's about 4m. I don't want to route a cable. I was hoping something wireless would allow me to plug in a monitor (TV) and hand a wireless receiver off the back. The Chromecast seems like the obvious answer so far.

robbieduncan

1,993 posts

267 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
If you have HDMI output spare on the PC you can get wireless HDMI sender/receiver pairs. Unlike the Chromecast this will work for all content on the PC: it should just appear as another screen on the PC. I assume you can screen mirror on the PC (I'm a Mac person).

Something like this looks interesting as it supports more receivers in future and has passthrough if you are already using the HDMI output: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ProVision-Wireless-Sender...

Mammasaid

5,641 posts

128 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
Tyre Smoke said:
So a £30 Chromecast plugged into the TV monitor I want to use, and as long as it is on the same wifi, will replicate whatever I send to it from the original PC webpage?

Sorry for putting it in over simplistic terms, but I need to be sure this will do what I want it to.
Yes, as long as you have HDMI input and USB power it will do this for you.

Edit, it can cast your whole desktop if required;

Cast your computer screen

You can display your entire computer screen using Chrome on Mac, Windows and Chromebooks.

Note: To hear audio on your TV, use a Windows computer.

On your computer, open Chrome.
At the top right, click More More and then Cast.
At the top, next to 'Cast to', click the Down arrow.
Click Cast desktop.
Choose your Chromecast device where you want to watch the content.


Edited by Mammasaid on Wednesday 2nd October 12:50

JimbobVFR

2,822 posts

175 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
Tyre Smoke said:
So a £30 Chromecast plugged into the TV monitor I want to use, and as long as it is on the same wifi, will replicate whatever I send to it from the original PC webpage?

Sorry for putting it in over simplistic terms, but I need to be sure this will do what I want it to.
If you use Chrome browser you can cast a tab to the chromecast. Only that browser tab will be cast, you can then continue browsing in other tabs or use different apps.

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

292 months

Wednesday 2nd October 2019
quotequote all
Excellent!

Chromecast it is then.

PC is fairly old, but running Windows 10 and Chrome. It should work a treat.