In this review, I look at the Ottocast Car TV Mate Max Wireless CarPlay, Android Auto, and HDMI Adapter. You can buy this dongle for $79.99 with coupon OTTOCAST10 direct from Ottocast – https://shrsl.com/4tzay, and for $99.99 from Amazon US – https://amzn.to/3QbtY3q.
TLDR: The Ottocast Car TV Mate Max is an upgraded version of the Pro model, now featuring wireless Android Auto alongside wireless CarPlay and HDMI input. It allows users to seamlessly switch between these modes, with the added ability to auto-launch into a preferred mode. While wireless CarPlay and Android Auto perform ok, pairing speeds could be improved. HDMI functionality is hindered by low frame rates and aspect ratio issues, making it best suited for casual viewing. Despite these drawbacks, it’s a solid choice for those wanting a multi-functional adapter that expands their in-car entertainment and connectivity options or those seeking Android Auto support on a CarPlay-only car system.
In the ever-evolving landscape of in-car entertainment, Ottocast has consistently been at the forefront, delivering innovative solutions that enhance the driving experience. Their latest offering, the Ottocast Car TV Mate Max, builds upon the foundation laid by its predecessors, introducing notable enhancements that cater to both iOS and Android users.
In the box there is a detailed instruction manual, the adapter itself, and a USB-A to USB-C adapter to ensure compatibility with modern CarPlay USB ports.
Design and Connectivity
Visually, the Car TV Mate Max mirrors the exact same design aesthetics of the Pro model. It features a compact, square casing adorned with a textured circular detail on top, exuding a sleek and modern appeal. The adapter comes equipped with a tethered USB-A cable for its connection, a USB-A port for powering external devices, and an HDMI input port.
This design ensures seamless integration into a vehicle’s existing CarPlay system, maintaining a clutter-free environment. The tethered cable has a good length to it, at least 30cm, which can help with connecting to certain HDMI devices, however, should that tethered connecting cable ever fail, you can say bye-bye to this adapter!
Seamless Setup and User-Friendly Interface
Setting up the Car TV Mate Max is a breeze. Simply plug the adapter into your car’s wired CarPlay port, and within 9 seconds, the main menu is displayed. The intuitive interface presents two primary options: wireless CarPlay/Android Auto and HDMI input. A notable enhancement over the Pro model is the addition of a Settings area, which contains an auto-launch feature, allowing me to set the adapter to automatically start in my preferred mode. This streamlines the user experience, reducing the need for manual selection each time the vehicle is started.
Performance: Speed and Stability
Performance is a critical aspect of any in-car adapter, and the Car TV Mate Max is a mixed bag of emotions. Including the initial boot-up, it takes approximately 17 seconds to connect to wireless CarPlay and a much longer 25 seconds to establish a connection with wireless Android Auto (via CarPlay. More on that later).
Once connected to either platform, the experience is stable and reliable, providing uninterrupted wireless access to your preferred phone apps and services over CarPlay or Android Auto. Although CarPlay retains its sharpness, Android Auto on the other hand can appear a little fuzzy, or lower in resolution than native/wired. A more dedicated Android Auto adapter would be better here but this is a compromise to this adapter’s function and its unique HDMI feature.
Unlike many wireless adapters out there, there’s no GPS pass-through support on this adapter. It is also worth noting that navigation is carried over to the car instrument cluster if your car supports that in wired mode. Interactions aren’t the smoothest though in either platform. I found its wireless performance to be very similar to Ottocast U2-Air Pro adapter. Although that adapter is now basically vintage in its performance when compared to the performance of more dedicated wireless adapters that are releasing today.
HDMI Functionality: A Mixed Bag
The inclusion of an HDMI input is this adapter’s standout feature, offering the simple flexibility to connect to external devices such as video streaming sticks or smartphones. However, during testing, the HDMI performance exhibited some show-stopping limitations.
While audio remained mostly in sync (+180-200ms in audio delay), there was a noticeable drop in overall frame rates, resulting in a ‘choppy’ visual experience. Details in the video also showed some noticeable compression, even though the source material and bandwidth speeds were high enough to warrant a sharper image. Overall, this makes the HDMI function more suitable for casual viewing rather than high-definition video playback. And you’d better forget gaming on this adapter with this amount of frame drop and audio lag.
A nice touch, though, is that CarPlay or Android Auto can co-exist whilst HDMI is being watched. So nipping back to CarPlay or Android Auto is done quickly by selecting the exit option in the platform and selecting the CP/AA option to view it. Before you ask; I don’t think audio carries over from HDMI to CarPlay/Android Auto.
Compatibility and Versatility
Designed primarily for vehicles equipped with a wired CarPlay system, the Car TV Mate Max offers a hidden compatibility feature for Android Auto users. Whilst running Android Auto, I noticed that my car system was still running in CarPlay mode. This opens up possibilities for Android users, allowing them to utilise Android Auto on car systems that only supports Apple CarPlay. This is a ‘feature’ that many brands seem to no longer support. This conversion of CarPlay to Android Auto was last seen on the CarlinKit 4.0 and Ottocast U2-X and Ottocast U2-X Pro adapters, so it is good to see a newer adapter that supports this operation, which will hopefully continue to be around for at least a few years.
Keeping Up-to-Date
Ottocast ensures that this Car TV Mate Max remains current with firmware updates that can be applied over-the-air (OTA). Updating the adapter is straightforward, with updates accessible through the adapter’s IP configuration menu. This user-friendly approach ensures that you can easily benefit from the latest features and any compatibility improvements, of which this adapter does need some!
At the time of recording, though, this adapter was already on its latest firmware, so I can’t say how the updating goes. Updates usually only bring compatibility improvements and bug fixes, rather than any new features.
My Impressions
The Ottocast Car TV Mate Max does well in offering a seamless wireless connection for both iPhone and Android devices, allowing you to enjoy CarPlay or Android Auto without the need for cables. The addition of HDMI input further enhances its versatility, enabling the connection of external devices for media playback.
However, there are areas where the adapter could be improved, greatly. Enhancements in pairing speeds for CarPlay and Android Auto would elevate the user experience and match the speeds of more dedicated adapters selling today. Furthermore, with Android Auto’s display quality being slightly lower compared to native implementations could do with some enhancing, along with speed reductions in interaction responsiveness and improved frame rates.
The absence of GPS pass-through support is a limitation for users who rely on precise navigation data from the car’s own navigation systems. Additionally, the frame rate during HDMI playback should be improved to provide a smoother viewing experience.
How this adapter displays HDMI needs to be addressed. Now in its third iteration of this model, and I am still seeing the same issues of incorrect aspect ratios, or a reduced ‘windowed’ appearance that prevents full-screen viewing on all the car displays I have tested the TV Mate series of adapters. So further support in this area needs to be drastically address, seeing as this HDMI feature is this adapter’s main unique selling point over most other adapters.
The Ottocast Car TV Mate Max completes this series of adapters with a feature set that really should have been achieved in the very first original model. It now offers a comprehensive solution for users seeking wireless connectivity from both CarPlay and Android Auto, as-well-as media versatility in their vehicles. While there are without question some areas for improvement, particularly in HDMI playback performance, the adapter’s latest feature set and user-friendly design make it a compelling choice for anyone looking to enhance their in-car entertainment and connectivity experience.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Brief overview
0:27 – Unboxing
0:40 – Features & design
1:21 – Boot-up & main menu
2:44 – Wireless Android Auto
4:48 – Wireless Apple CarPlay
7:77 – IP config menu & updating
8:09 – Auto boot function
9:00 – HDMI video input
10:02 – YouTube streaming
11:58 – Netflix streaming
13:55 – VLC streaming
14:45 – Plex media
15:50 – Switching CP/AA & HDMI
16:02 – My impressions
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