Amazon’s Fire TV aims to ‘mirror’ Chromecast with Allcast screen mirroring support

By Ryan Waniata April 8, 2014

Amazon FireTV remote — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Just stretching its infant legs, Amazon’s brand new Fire TV is apparently already on the move in hopes of grabbing a big ol’ slice of set-top box market share. As Engadget reports, the long-awaited device, which debuted last week, will soon add support for AllCast to provide the box with a fancy, possibly game-changing new trick: screen mirroring.

According to the report, the AllCast app, which allows Android users to mirror any video rambling on their Android powered smartphones and tablets on the big screen, is currently waiting for full approval to go live on the Amazon app store. However, for those who can’t wait for the real deal, there’s apparently a shortcut.

Using AllCast on your Fire TV while still in beta takes some Android savvy. To get the app up and running, users will need to sideload the AllCast Android application programming kit (APK) onto their Fire TV. Once done, the set-top box should become visible to the AllCast app on an Android device. From there, it should be open season for mirroring from your device.

That said, this sort of trickery often voids warranties, and can also get less experienced users in trouble fast. Knowing that the app is coming should be enough for now, and we recommend most users simply wait for the real thing to go live. If you just can’t wait, it may work out fine for you beta style, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…

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