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How to make your PC Cast to Firestick – Tutorial

When it comes to possible uses for Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire Stick devices, the potential is practically limitless. The devices are inexpensive, easy to use, easy to hack for expanded functionality and offer a wide range of streaming and entertainment sources, including the ability to play games. Once you have got a Fire device hooked up to your TV, you will never be bored again! In this article, we are going to talk about How to make your PC Cast to Firestick. Let’s begin

Getting the most out of your Firestick can also include things like mirroring or casting other devices directly to your TV, and even streaming content from one piece of hardware to another. The fire has a built-in receiver that makes some of this extremely easy to do, especially if you are using a PC.

Protect your privacy on Fire Stick with a VPN | cast to firestick

No matter where you live, work, or travel, there is always the chance someone is monitoring your online activity. It could be a mass surveillance program put in place by local government, a cybercriminal stalking people at a cafe, or even your own ISP recording and storing logs of every website you visit and every file you download. This happens even when you are using Fire TV, which means you should take precautions to protect yourself there, too.

The easiest and most effective way to stay safe online is to encrypt your traffic. VPNs are the best way to do this, and they work like a dream on Fire TV. With a good VPN, your data gets encrypted before it leaves your device, locking down private information so no one can monitor your activity or discover your location. VPNs make it easy to stay safe with just a few clicks.

ExpressVPN – Best VPN for Firestick and Fire TV

ExpressVPN is one of the fastest and most secure VPNs on the market. Its focus on privacy makes it ideal for Fire TV, and the lightweight, easy to install app works perfectly on a multitude of devices. That includes Firesticks. ExpressVPN deploys a large network of over 3,000 servers in 60 different countries. That offers a wide selection of IP addresses for a solid foundation of anonymity. Your connection is secured with DNS leak protection and an automatic kill switch, as well. However, a zero-logging policy on traffic and 256-bit AES encryption ensures data stays safe no matter what.

ExpressVPN is also available to install directly to Fire TV and Fire Stick devices from the Amazon Appstore. You can grab it from there, or click the installation link in your ExpressVPN account once you sign up. Either way, it is the perfect VPN solution to keep you safe online.

Pros

  •  Unblocking Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime
  •  Superfast servers
  •  Torrenting/P2P allowed
  •  No logs for personal data
  •  Great support (24/7 chat).
Cons

  •  Priced slightly higher.

What’s required to stream from PC to Firestick? | cast to firestick

Both Amazon’s main Fire TV products are great ways to transform your TV into a fully connected media center, complete with screen mirroring, casting, and also PC streaming capabilities. You will need to meet some basic needs before you can jump in and get started, though.

Mac or Windows hardware

It can make a big difference if your PC runs Mac OS or Windows 10, and it all comes down to apps. Mirroring on either device is a pretty straightforward affair, but if you want to stream full videos from PC to Fire TV. You need a more robust solution. This varies between operating systems, so make sure you read the requirements for each suggestion below before you begin.

Casting or streaming? the difference

Mirroring your PC screen to Fire TV is one thing, but streaming full video is another. The main reason behind this is that videos need both audio and visual output, and the connection needs to be fast enough to display dozens of frames per second. Many mirroring solutions simply can’t keep up with good, high-quality videos, which means you’ll often need to seek a dedicated solution to stream from your PC to Fire TV.

A fast Fire TV | cast to firestick

Older models of Fire TV are capable of streaming content from a PC to your television screen. Many users report difficulties with the devices keeping up with HD and 4K content, however. If you’re using an older first or second-generation Fire TV, you might want to consider upgrading before streaming from a PC. Newer models of both the Fire TV box and Firestick work just fine with mainstream casting solutions, and they are remarkably inexpensive, too.

A reliable home Wi-Fi network

Both your Fire TV and PC need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network in order for most streaming solutions to work. There are exceptions to this, but in general, it is a best practice to use apps and devices that work over the same connection. Because this produces better quality and more reliable stream.

Apps and software | cast to firestick

Depending on your needs and your operating system, you may need to download and install an app on both your Fire TV and PC device. These applications can be free or charge a monthly subscription fee depending on the available features. Make sure both apps are running and connected when you attempt streaming, as well.

Stream from PC to Fire Stick – Best methods

There are many software solutions that let you cast, mirror, and stream content from a PC to Fire TV. The best core methods for both Windows and Mac operating systems are discussed below.

Stream Windows PC to Fire Stick

Go to your Firestick and hold the Home button on your remote for a few seconds. This brings up a menu with options to sleep, change settings, or mirror. Click the mirroring option in the center and Fire TV will start looking for a device to connect to.

On your Windows 8 or Windows 10 computer (Windows 7 is not supported without additional third-party hardware), look in the lower right corner of the screen to find the notification icon. It should look like a small text message box, and it may or may not be an empty outline. Click the notifications icon to open the Windows action center, then click Connect.

You should now see Fire TV listed in the Connect screen. Click your Fire device on the list and Windows 10 will initiate the mirroring or casting process. Depending on the content you are streaming, you may find this solution works perfectly for videos and other high-quality media. If things look a little choppy, you may want to see the alternative streaming option discussed below.

You may notice the screen stream is small or difficult to see. You can fix this by changing the resolution on your Windows device. Right-click on your desktop environment and choose Graphics Properties. In the menu that opens, choose Display, scroll to Resolution, and select 1280×720. The screen may flicker and the mirror may temporarily disable, but once the setup recovers, you will be streaming once again.

Stream Mac OS PC to Fire Stick | cast to firestick

To stream and mirror content from Mac PCs to Fire TV, you will need to take advantage of AirPlay. This should work by default from your Apple device, but you will need to perform a little setup work to get Fire Stick streaming ready to go.

Start by downloading a compatible app to your Mac device. We recommend AirPlayMirror Receiver or AirBeamTV. Install the app of your choice on your PC, then install the Fire TV version on your Fire device.

Once both applications are set up and on the same Wi-Fi network, you can switch them on and enjoy steamless mirroring and video streaming. The apps take advantage of Apple’s AirPlay technology to deliver high-quality video from one device to another, like Chromecast.

AirPlayMirror Receiver | cast to firestick

AirPlayMirror is an all-purpose mirroring app that works for both iOS and Mac. With it, you can cast from up to four Apple devices at once, watch YouTube or Netflix, and play any media content from iPhone or Mac, including photos, images, and videos. The app isn’t free but it does come with a 15-minute trial version so you can test things out.

To use AirPlayMirror, start by installing it on your Fire TV. Open the app and enable your device as a receiver, then grab your iPhone and enable AirPlay. Choose your Fire TV from the AirPlay receiver list. Connect the devices, then pick content on your iOS hardware and start casting.

AirBeamTV Mirroring Receiver

AirBeamTV’s Mirroring Receiver passes everything from videos to music, screenshots, photos, and more directly to your Fire TV, all without the need for cables or additional hardware. It is built as a Chromecast alternative, and it works like a charm. You will need to purchase the full version to use it, but apart from that, there’s nothing standing between you and full-speed screen mirroring.

To get the casting app up and running, start by installing AirBeamTV Mirroring Receiver on your Fire TV. Next, purchase and install AirBeamTV on your Mac. When both apps are running and connecting, you can send content from your Mac PC device straight to your Fire TV.

An alternative way to stream from PC to Fire TV | cast to firestick

Plex Media Server

Plex has long been one of the most convenient ways to start streaming media from a PC to your TV. It works with a massive range of devices by default, everything from Apple TV to Roku, Fire Stick, Android TV, smart TVs, and so on. Using it is often as easy as installing the app and also connecting it to your home server. All you have to do is add your media to the custom library, then enjoy it.

Miracast Technology

Miracast technology provides a simple method of streaming content from one device to another. It is built into a lot of modern hardware. That includes Fire TV, Firestick, Roku, and Windows 10 tablets and also PCs. This means that right out of the box you will likely have a great solution to sending content from your PC to your TV screen, no added apps required.

ScreenBeam

If your hardware does not support Miracast streaming, you will most likely need to examine third-party solutions to add the feature. ScreenBeam transmitter is a good entry point. The tiny device plugs into your hardware’s USB slot and enables Miracast transmissions with just a few clicks. You can use it to send the content directly to your Fire TV without having to install any new apps. Just plug it in and you are good to go.

Mirroring while using a VPN | cast to firestick

VPNs have no effect on screen mirroring, casting, or media streaming in general. It may seem like they would since they create a cloak of anonymity that masks your devices from the outside world. But if you are streaming from PC to Fire TV on your home network, a VPN won’t interfere at all.

Open a web browser on your Mac or Windows PC, then sign in to your VPN account. Download the apps for both your Firestick and PC operating systems. If you use IPVanish above, Such as, this is a fast and easy process. Grab the file for PC first. Then click the link to the Amazon Appstore and send the Fire TV VPN to your device remotely.

Install the VPN on both of your devices. Launch the software on PC and sign in using your VPN credentials. Most apps will automatically connect to a fast server as soon as you launch it. There is no need to change servers unless you need an IP address in a specific country (most people do not). Now repeat the sign-in process with the VPN on your Fire Stick.

After you have completed the steps above, follow the mirroring or streaming instructions in the previous sections. Try the default methods first, and if they do not work, then switch to one of the alternatives. Either way, the VPN should not interfere with your connection. In fact, it will ensure that any data leaving either device is fully protected by encryption, creating a safe space for your information.

Conclusion

Alright, That was all Folks! I hope you guys like this cast to firestick article and find it helpful to you. Give us your feedback on it. Also if you guys have further queries relating to this article. Then let us know in the comments section below. We will get back to you shortly.

Have a Great Day!

Also See: How Do I Lock and Unlock the Fn Key – Tutorial

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Windy Moore

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