Ottocast Play2Video Ultra is $126, down from $154, and it turns a car’s factory wired CarPlay into wireless CarPlay in about 2 minutes.
China is keen on giving us every gadget known to mankind. Apple CarPlay was once only wired, same goes for Android Auto. If you’d like the convenience of using wireless CarPlay, “AI Boxes” such as Ottocast’s Play2video will plug into your infotainment’s USB where your phone did.
From there, you pair your phone to the Play2Video Ultra and CarPlay pops up on the screen as usual for this entry to mid-level adaptor.
Like most of these units, they allow it to connect to your phone’s WiFi to access lovelies like YouTube, Spotify, Prime Video and so on. It will play while driving but of course in Australia that is a no no.
We found the Play2Video Ultra easy to connect in about 2 minutes. It takes slightly longer afterwards to then auto connect when your car restarts. These gadgets should be easy to use, and should there not be enough power in the USB to run the dongle, there’s a bypass power cable in the box, a Y-cable that draws from a 12v port to feed the adaptor.
Above: Ottobox Play2Video Ultra Wireless CarPlay Android UNBOXING and review
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ABOVE: Play2Video Ultra
What $126 Buys You
Ottocast Play2Video Ultra costs $126, down from a regular price of $154. That buys 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, Bluetooth 5.4, and dual-band WiFi 6, all in a 79 x 39 x 15mm case rated from -20C to 70C.
Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and IPTV come preloaded. The App Hub lets you install up to 5 more from a list that includes TikTok, TikTok Lite, DAZN, Tubi, RTL+, ARD Mediathek, U-NEXT, and LINE MUSIC. Netflix won’t run in split-screen, which is the one gap in the list, it needs a screen of its own.
It’ll also play local files off a USB stick, and the car’s own steering wheel controls keep working. Firmware updates come by OTA through the OttoPilot app. Pair a phone once and it reconnects when the car starts, and it remembers earlier connections, so with a few phones on the list it goes back to whoever used it last.
The video apps are why some people may buy one of these, and they’re also the catch. It’ll play while the car is moving, which is illegal in Australia, so it’s a parked-up feature.
The Ottocast Play2Video Ultra Compatibility Trap
Check your car before you spend a cent. Ottocast Play2Video Ultra only works in a car that already has factory wired Apple CarPlay, built 2016 or newer. If your car has wired Android Auto and no CarPlay, she’s-a no work. If it already has wireless-only CarPlay, there’s nothing for the box to do unless your native connection is unstable. And, that can certainly happen. Phones need iOS 10 or newer, or Android 11 or newer, though some Samsung and Google handsets get away with Android 9.
Sony aftermarket head units are out. BMW models with factory wireless-only CarPlay aren’t supported, and Ottocast lists BMW as not for purchase at all. Non-touchscreen cars are listed as unusable, with an optional remote controller and an AiControl app offered as the workaround. Mitsubishi owners need special confirmation before buying. As a sidenote, BMW after market drop-in head units work for some models, in which case they then have wireless CarPlay that bypasses BMW’s unforgiveable cash grab.
Ottocast’s own test is the quickest way to settle it. Plug your iPhone into the car with a cable. If CarPlay comes up on the screen, the adaptor will work, and if you’re not certain what you’re looking at, our guide to connecting Apple CarPlay walks through both methods.
How It Compares With the Boxes We’ve Tried
The Ultra replaces the older Play2Video Pro, and the changes see RAM and storage both double, to 4GB and 32GB. Bluetooth moves from 4.2 to 5.4, and WiFi 5 becomes dual-band WiFi 6, which Ottocast claims is up to 40% faster. The App Hub didn’t exist on the Pro at all. The case shrinks from 85.22 x 50.76 x 15mm to 79 x 39 x 15mm, about a third smaller, and the carbon fibre look gives way to an IML finish. Whether the finish troubles you on something that lives in a USB port under the dash is quite another question.
We’ve had a run of these things through the studio. Ottocast’s own OttoSafe Cam is the closest relative, a dash cam and wireless CarPlay bundle at $202. Its WiFi held without a single CarPlay dropout and it connected faster than most built-in CarPlay systems. It doesn’t do Android Auto at all. Ottocast Play2Video Ultra is $76 cheaper and covers Android Auto, but you lose the camera.
The Atoto CB6 and Lamtto’s RC18 do the same wireless CarPlay and Android Auto job, so this is a crowded shelf rather than a clever new idea. The Onecarstereo box we tried went off the rails after a promising start.
Ottocast’s Australian store ships free or express from NSW, with 30-day returns and a 1-year Australian warranty. A second year is sold separately as OTTOCARE +. Ottocast Play2Video Ultra plugs into the port your phone used. No trim to lever off, nothing to wire in. For $126 it took about 2 minutes and gave the car a feature it left the factory without.
just to confirm, we drive press cars and all but one this year, have had wireless carplay. Most new cars do, but a decade agi that was no so.
Ottocast Play2Video Ultra Quick Reference
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | $126, down from $154 |
| What it converts | Factory wired Apple CarPlay to wireless CarPlay, plus wireless Android Auto |
| Car requirement | Factory wired Apple CarPlay, built 2016 or newer |
| Phone requirement | iOS 10 or newer, Android 11 or newer (some Samsung and Google on Android 9) |
| RAM and storage | 4GB / 32GB |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 |
| WiFi | Dual-band WiFi 6 |
| Size | 79 x 39 x 15mm |
| Operating range | -20C to 70C |
| Preloaded apps | Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, IPTV, plus up to 5 more via the App Hub |
| In the box | Adaptor, USB Type-A to Type-C plug adaptor, bypass Y-cable, manual |
| Warranty | 1 year Australian, 30-day returns, optional second year via OTTOCARE + |
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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