Hands-on with Microsoft Screen Sharing for Lumia Phones HD-10

Microsoft has announced a very cool accessory today that a lot of you are going to like. The Microsoft Screen Sharing for Lumia Phones HD-10 lets you beam content from your Lumia phone to an HDMI-connected screen like a TV. This is great for sharing photos and videos from your phone on a bigger screen, browsing the web on TV, or even work presentations. We got to check it out here in Berlin. Go watch our hands-on video!

So, how do you set it up? Microsoft Screen Sharing For Lumia Phones HD-10 works by tapping it with any NFC-enable Lumia smartphone to set up the connection and start mirroring. The NFC disc on top is removable, so your friends or co-workers can pass it around and tap the NFC disc to connect. The base just needs to be connected to your TV via HDMI. It supports audio output up to 5.1 surround sound and video output in full HD, up to 1080p.

When it comes to appearance, the Microsoft Screen Sharing accessory reminds us of a hockey puck. It measures 80mm in diameter, 21mm thick, and weighs 115 grams. The two ports on the back are for HDMI and micro-USB for power.

The HD-10 is compatible with Lumia devices that supports screen projection and other devices featuring Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast. While you might be interested in beaming your games to the TV, it might not provide optimal gaming experience because of latency in screen mirroring.

Microsoft Screen Sharing for Lumia Phones HD-10 is expected to be available in September 2014 for $79 USD. It will be available in white or black starting later this month.

Are you interested in beaming content from your smartphones to your TV? Will you be buying this accessory when it comes out? Let us know in the comments!

Mark Guim was formerly a Video Editor at Windows Central. He switched to Windows because the MacBook Pro isn't Pro enough. You can follow him on Twitter at @markguim.