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In API 17, Android introduced the ability to present content on secondary displays. They say that content can be shown on any display that is connected to the device by either a wired connection or WiFi. You can even get the list of connected displays with the DisplayManager class. What I want to know is, what qualifies an Android "display"? What types of devices can I use as secondary displays using the DisplayManager class?

API 17 Link:http://developer.android.com/about/versions/android-4.2.html DisplayManager:http://developer.android.com/reference/android/hardware/display/DisplayManager.html

crocboy
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1 Answers1

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What I want to know is, what qualifies an Android "display"? What types of devices can I use as secondary displays using the DisplayManager class?

That is up to the device manufacturer. Some devices support HDMI-out, via some sort of connector (micro HDMI, MHL, etc.). Some devices support Miracast. And so on. From the standpoint of Android, they will appear to be a monitor. Whether they are an LCD monitor or a TV or an HDMI recorder or something else is up to the manufacturer of that equipment.

Note that not all devices that have Android 4.2 and support an external display will support Presentation for those external displays. For example:

  • the Nexus 4 supports Presentation via Miracast
  • the Nexus 10 supports Presentation via HDMI
  • the Galaxy Nexus, at present, does not support Presentation via MHL
  • the ASUS Transformer Infinity, at present, does not support Presentation via HDMI
CommonsWare
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  • Is there a list or documentation out there of current Android displays? – crocboy May 25 '13 at 16:45
  • @crocboy: Every monitor with HDMI input is a valid display for compatible Android devices. Every television with HDMI input is a valid display for compatible Android devices. Every projector with HDMI input is a valid display for compatible Android devices. This list would be thousands of entries long. – CommonsWare May 25 '13 at 20:58
  • I understand wired displays, but what wireless protocols are supported? – crocboy May 27 '13 at 19:42
  • Yes, but are there any others? – crocboy May 27 '13 at 22:30
  • @crocboy: If there were others supported by Android, I would have mentioned them. There might be others supported in the future, either by individual device manufacturers or Android proper. – CommonsWare May 28 '13 at 08:19
  • @CommonsWare Is it possible to cast screen from one Mobile device (nexus 5 ) to another mobile device such as Nexus 7, were both the device has Miracast feature? Or it can only support displaying on dedicated display device like smart TVs ? – Pravy Feb 19 '14 at 09:53
  • @Pravy: "Is it possible to cast screen from one Mobile device... to another mobile device" -- not usually. I can't rule out some manufacturer turning their device into a Miracast receiver, but I have never seen any, and the Nexus 7 certainly does not offer that. – CommonsWare Feb 19 '14 at 12:22