Hands-On Tech 229 Transcript
Please be advised this transcript is AI-generated and may not be word for word. Time codes refer to the approximate times in the ad-supported version of the show.
Mikah Sargent [00:00:00]:
Coming up on Hands-On Tech. Let's take a look at what we can do when we want to stream our own stuff while we're staying in a hotel, a motel, or even Holiday Inn. Stay tuned for this episode of Hands-On Tech. Welcome back to Hands-On Tech. I am Micah Sargent and today we're we are taking a look at an interesting question that comes in from Larry. Larry has written in with the following: I recently returned from a trip to San Francisco in the Bay Area.
Mikah Sargent [00:00:38]:
I use Sling TV at home for my streaming TV at the hotel I stayed at. I attempted to cast the feed from the Sling TV app to the smart TV in the hotel room. It didn't work. I had to watch the channels that were not available on the hotel TV on my phone on the Sling TV app. I assume the same problem would occur attempting to watch YouTube videos or other streaming apps. Is there a way to cast from a phone app to a hotel TV when traveling? Yeah, there is. And honestly, I get it. It's frustrating.
Mikah Sargent [00:01:12]:
It's annoying. One of the main reasons why this is the case and why this works the way that it does is that hotel networks have a lot of different protections in place because they are often offering WI fi to their many guests. So different devices are kind of isolated so that you aren't running into issues where someone is accessing, you know, the hotel TV after they are checked out. Right. Like you don't want this stuff to be accessible after the fact. And so that's probably what's preventing your phone from being able to look on the network and find the TV on that same network. There are some hotels that have figured out ways to make this work. And so that's probably why, you know, you had this, this expectation it can be hit or miss.
Mikah Sargent [00:02:11]:
So let's talk about what we can do to solve this issue and what I do to solve this issue. Anytime I'm traveling, I take an Apple TV with me. So with an Apple TV, the Apple TV 4K, little expensive, but you can use it at home as well. And it's very small. As long as the TV has HDMI and you can plug it in, then everything that you watch at home in the way that you watch at home is going to work there on the Apple tv. You can also airplay from your phone to the Apple tv, which is kind of the big thing there, being able to just mirror the content that's on your phone to the television, assuming that you have an iPhone, being able to mirror that content onto the TV is really nice and you can also use it, you know, with your, your phone's hotspot if you need to if you're having trouble getting it to connect to the network from the hotel. But that is one option. You can also go with an Amazon Fire TV stick.
Mikah Sargent [00:03:26]:
These are much less expensive and are very small, which is great and includes the Sling TV app and is just as simple as plugging in the HDMI dongle to the back of the television and then being able to watch content there. The mirroring and phone view is not going to be what you would want likely, but given that it has the Sling TV app built in well, or is available to you rather it's going to provide what you're asking for specifically here. Another suggestion I might make to you, not as convenient, but perhaps the most foolproof option is to just get an HDMI cable, USB C to HDMI or Lightning to HDMI adapter. If you don't have. If you've got an older iPhone, you plug in your phone and you plug it into the HDMI port on the television and then you're able to see your Sling TV stuff. Now, depending on the app and depending on the content protections that are in place, you may may have issues here. So give this a shot at home before you, you know, take it with you on the road. Make sure that you know, Sling TV is showing up on the.
Mikah Sargent [00:04:57]:
The television that's, that's being connected to the phone. But that is a good option because you're essentially circumventing any necessary part of connecting to. Connecting a device to the network that is not a phone. Sometimes it can be difficult to get these little like the Apple tv, like the Fire TV stick. It can be difficult to get them to connect to the WI fi because of what are called captive Captive networks where you. I think it's captive, I'm forgetting the term, but it is where you have a little interstitial screen that pops up and says what room are you staying in? What's your last name? And you hit Enter and then it lets you connect to the wifi. That can be something that confuses these devices. Apple has improved it with the Apple TV because a lot of people do like to take them with them and use them in hotels.
Mikah Sargent [00:05:52]:
But you know, you just want to make sure that the option that you're choosing works. So some suggestions here, don't rely on the hotel having an HDMI cable if you're going to bring your Apple TV or your Fire TV stick or just do this HDMI Cable solution. Bring that HDMI cable with you. Some hotel TVs have hard to reach ports, so be mindful of that as well. Also pack a small USB power adapter because not all hotel TVs are going to power the device adequately. So in the case of the Amazon Fire TV stick you want, the idea is that you would be able to just use the USB port on the back of the tv. Some of them don't have them. Some of them have them, but they're lower powered.
Mikah Sargent [00:06:43]:
So bring a little USB power adapter with you. And might I suggest that if you aren't needing to watch live content, why not download content for offline viewing in case the hotel has crummy wi fi and is not able to do it as well. The Apple tv, the Fire TV stick. Or might I suggest if you can find one, because I think they're like gold these days, a Chromecast. Because the thing about Chromecast is the multi platform streaming mirroring aspect of Chromecast. And it was a bummer to see Google switched to the Google TV streamer. Something, something. It's this huge device from these beautiful Chromecasts that they used to tout.
Mikah Sargent [00:07:43]:
But those are going to be your best bets for a seamless experience. Of course, yeah, you got to pack an extra device. But honestly, over relying on the media that the, that the hotel is going to provide, I think it's a better experience in general. If I'm going to be going there, I just want to watch the stuff that I would normally watch. And for me an Apple TV has always provided that because even when I'm not trying to access something directly on the Apple tv, being able to use my phone to connect to the Apple TV which then projects it onto the screen is very handy. So those are my suggestions for you, Larry, when it comes to streaming content on a hotel tv. Hey, I would love, love, love if you joined us in a special place. The special place is Club TWiT.
Mikah Sargent [00:08:43]:
twit.tv/clubtwit is where you go to sign up when you join our club. We've got monthly and yearly plans available to you again at that special link. TWiT TV Club can join for $10 per month or $120 per year. And when you do, you get a lot of great stuff. You get every single one of our shows, including this one, ad free. It's just the content, none of the ads. In fact, you get your special little.
Mikah Sargent [00:09:12]:
These feeds are unique to you. They say your name in them even. And so when you go and you get these free or these feeds that are ad free. You are able to get them right there in your podcast player as soon as they're available. You also gain access to our members only video feeds. So that means our Club Twitch shows like Hands On Apple, the other show that I do, Hands-On Tech which is this show, Hands on Windows Home Theater, Geeks, iOS Today, this Week in Space and the untitled Linux show. Plus access to our TWiT+ bonus feeds which include behind the scenes stuff, my Crafting Corner, Stacy's Book Club, the AI User Group and access to the members only Discord Server which is a fun place to go to chat with your fellow Club Twit members and also those of us here at TWiT. Lots of conversation today in the Club Twit Discord, which we love and I'm going to be running a D&D campaign or an adventure, I shouldn't say campaign, an adventure soon with contributors and hosts for our club members.
Mikah Sargent [00:10:18]:
So if you like Dungeons and Dragons you gotta join the club. It would be great to have you there. And by the way, it does start with a 14 day free trial so you can check it out see if it's for you. I think you'll end up sticking around Twit TV Club Twit. That's how you get into the club and I am looking forward to saying hello to you there. Thank you so much for writing in. As always, I invite you to let us know what you decided to do. In the end you can reach out hot@twit.tv is the email address where you can send your questions and your follow ups as well.
Mikah Sargent [00:11:00]:
Thank you so much Larry for writing in this week and I will catch you all again next week for another episode of Hands-On Tech.
Leo Laporte [00:11:12]:
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