Nokia has released a beta version of the Play To app, which makes it possible to stream content from one of its Windows Phone-based Lumia phones to a compatible TV wirelessly, the company said in a blog post on Thursday.
For the wireless sharing to work, the TV has to have a Wi-Fi connection and be compatible with DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance). If that is the case, users should be able to stream videos shot with their phone or look at photos, according to Nokia.
An estimated 440 million DLNA-certified devices, from digital cameras to game consoles and TVs, have been sold, Nokia said.
Future releases of the application are planned to include the ability to share music, Nokia added.
The Play To application is still a beta, with all that this entails; known issues include interoperability problems with Sony Bravia TVs that prevent video from being shared correctly and HD video may not share correctly either, according to Nokia.
Also, the application can't be detected by devices such as Microsoft's Xbox360 and the Sony PlayStation3, but that will change in a future release.
For users who can live with those limitations, the app is available for download from Nokia's Beta Labs site. Play To works on Lumia models 710, 800, 900 and 610.
The company didn't give any indications as to when the app will exit the beta testing stage. But it encourages users to share their experiences, good or bad, to help get the product to the point where it is ready for prime time.
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