Recommendations on streaming video units

[2k05GT]

I was wondering what type of streaming devices people use for video content. I have a network storage drive with my movies on it, I use FireTV and an app to play the movies from the drive at home, but in the RV being I don't have a network what do you use to play content.

BTW all my DVD's I converted to digital format or ordered digital formats from the DVD movies owner. They are all in MP4 format.

It is possible to stream movies from my Cellphone using Netflix, Disney plus, Hulu ext. If a cell signal is present.

[NavyLCDR]

I have a GL.iNet GL-AR300M16 Portable Mini Travel Wireless Pocket Router connected to a USB port in my trailer powered by my trailer batteries. So I always have a WiFi network available in my trailer whether it is connected to the internet or not. When I am at home, the travel router connects to my home WiFi and extends it throughout my trailer. The same is true when I activate my phone's WiFi hotspot. I prefer to establish my WiFi network this way because the network my devices in my trailer connect to is always the same, even if the source of internet changes, and the WiFi network is available even when there is no source of internet for it.

I have a Raspberry Pi with a 2 TB hard drive connected to it with over 500 movies. The Raspberry Pi runs two media servers concurrently, Plex and Kodi. Kodi is the GUI and connects to the TV via HDMI. My TV remote controls Kodi. The Plex server is available on the WiFi network and if I want to watch movies on my phone, tablet, or laptop I use Plex for that.

For streaming from the internet, I have a Roku box. One of the reasons that I chose the travel router that I have is because it has an Open VPN client built-in. My home router has an Open VPN server built-in. By using VPN, I can route my trailer's internet traffic through my home router which allows me to use my Xfinity streaming service remotely, and I have my "cable TV" available to me on the road. The Roku also has a Plex app, so I can also play the movies from my Raspberry Pi that way as well.

The downside to Roku is that it only likes to operate when it can connect to the internet, which is the original reason I added the Kodi media player to the Raspberry Pi to play directly to the TV via HDMI. I was originally going to use Plex alone.

I love my setup, it is extremely versatile, fairly low cost, and my wife was pretty amazed when I started playing Looney Toons cartoons on HBO Max the first Saturday morning camping!

[NMWildcat]

Yep, if you can cast it to your TV or use a phone usb to hdmi adapter cord. And if you have an unlimited data plan you can use your phone as a hotspot for your firestick.

[2k05GT]

We have a Winegard Gateway in the RV, model GW-1000, I believe we have to get a cellular service for it, it says it requires a sim card to work.

[tomkatb]

Figure out your providers rules.

I was surprised my provider limits the hot spot data a lot. Making the cord to connect the phone to the tv necessary. Could cast as well. I have not figured that out to date.

Data disappears fast!

[Aussieguy]

whatever you use at home... take it with you
movies are on the drive


local network does not need to be connected to internet

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by 2k05GT

We have a Winegard Gateway in the RV, model GW-1000, I believe we have to get a cellular service for it, it says it requires a sim card to work.

The GW-1000 is the router for the Air 360+ antenna. The GW-1000 and Air 360+ antenna system can use cell signal for internet (which requires a SIM card and separate data plan), or it can act as an extender for an existing WiFi signal. To use your phone hotspot as the source, you would turn on your phone's hotspot, then you would configure the GW-1000 to connect to the phone's hotspot WiFi signal.

In either case, cellular data usage limits depend upon the plan you subscribe to. My phone WiFi hotspot is unlimited, but they will cap the speed if I use more than 10 GB/month.

Originally Posted by Aussieguy

whatever you use at home... take it with you
movies are on the drive

local network does not need to be connected to internet

Correct. My Raspberry Pi needs no internet connection to play on the TV with KODI via HDMI, nor does it require internet to stream movies over my local network.

[Aussieguy]

additional...
I use my phone when available......... to make a hotspot
then connect tv to the hotspot network




can then use netflix / hulu and all the free Samsung channels

[Hclarkx]

We usually camp where there's no cell service. And there are just two of us. We download to a 10.5" tablet (Samsung S7+) before leaving home or when we have cell service. The tablet sits on a small DIY cantilevered table in front of our recliners about 25" from our eyes. Essentially 4K and great color. Sound is through powered high-end media speakers via BT (slight delay but not bothersome). The tablet also usually has a few GB of downloaded music on it as well as about 50 GB of MP3's from our home CD collection.

[bikendan]

Moved thread from the Modifications and Updates section to the Appliances and Electronics sub-forum since the OP's topic is about Electronics.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Forest River Forums mobile app

[2k05GT]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Yep, if you can cast it to your TV or use a phone usb to hdmi adapter cord. And if you have an unlimited data plan you can use your phone as a hotspot for your firestick.

The problem is the TV's they installed are not smart TV's I will have to use a device to cast to too use the TV.

I may be swapping out the 3 TV's they put in ConneXX HD LED TV's
Model CX39A21

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by 2k05GT

The problem is the TV's they installed are not smart TV's I will have to use a device to cast to too use the TV.

Do they have an extra HDMI port that you could connect your drive to? Not knowing the capability of your drive or the tv, I'm just throwing an idea out there.

[2k05GT]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

Do they have an extra HDMI port that you could connect your drive to? Not knowing the capability of your drive or the tv, I'm just throwing an idea out there.

The Drive is only an 8TB USB Drive, it would have to plug into a device that can control it.

Someone mentioned a Rasberry Pi, That might be an option.

[Mikec557]

Originally Posted by 2k05GT

I was wondering what type of streaming devices people use for video content. I have a network storage drive with my movies on it, I use FireTV and an app to play the movies from the drive at home, but in the RV being I don't have a network what do you use to play content.

BTW all my DVD's I converted to digital format or ordered digital formats from the DVD movies owner. They are all in MP4 format.

It is possible to stream movies from my Cellphone using Netflix, Disney plus, Hulu ext. If a cell signal is present.

We used the $99 Roku, the one that has a USB connection. That's key. Then we put all our digitized movies and TV shows (mp4) on a small portable hard drive, Costco $99 3~5tb.

Connect the HD to the roku by USB cable, connect the roku to the TV by hdmi. Roku has built in software to select and play the mp4 content on the hd. Simple. No network, no casting, and the roku remote has play pause control and TV volume and mute control, all on the one remote.

And a bonus, the remote that comes with that roku has a headphone jack in case someone else wants to sleep while you watch TV. And the ear buds that come with it work perfectly for this.

But it's key you buy the right roku.

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by Mikec557

We used the $99 Roku, the one that has a USB connection. That's key. Then we put all our digitized movies and TV shows (mp4) on a small portable hard drive, Costco $99 3~5tb.

Connect the HD to the roku by USB cable, connect the roku to the TV by hdmi. Roku has built in software to select and play the mp4 content on the hd. Simple. No network, no casting, and the roku remote has play pause control and TV volume and mute control, all on the one remote.

And a bonus, the remote that comes with that roku has a headphone jack in case someone else wants to sleep while you watch TV. And the ear buds that come with it work perfectly for this.

But it's key you buy the right roku.

That's interesting because my Roku does not like to work without an internet connection.

[RickV]

We used to use a Screenbeam Mini that connects to a HDMI port when we had Samsung phones that allowed us to Miracast. It makes its own WiFi network so you can connect to it using Miracast on you phone and stream. We made the mistake of buying Google Pixel 6 phones. Google Pixels only work with Chromecast devices and the Chromecast has to be connected to wifi so you have to hotspot to use it so you can't use your unlimited data. First i got the Winegard GW-1000 and a 100gb data plan from Verizon I hooked up the gateway and all seemed fine, then the gateway started dropping signal (which was good signal) every few hours and required a reboot to work again. I updated the software and it made no difference and after a few days of this I returned it. We now have a Verizon 8800L MiFi Hotspot with 100gb of data and it has worked great and is faster mps wise then the GW-1000. We have two phones with 50gb each of hotspot data too in case we use up the 100 gb.

[Mikec557]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

That's interesting because my Roku does not like to work without an internet connection.

You're right in the sense of streaming off the internet. But we use it to watch what we have on the hard drive.

We use a cloud based DVR service called Playon Cloud. With it you can record what you're legally entitled to watch, just like regular DVRs. Then we put them on the portable hard drive.

If your roku has a USB port, put an mp4 file on a thumb drive and plug it into your roku.

[BRinSCupstate]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

I have a Raspberry Pi with a 2 TB hard drive connected to it with over 500 movies. The Raspberry Pi runs two media servers concurrently, Plex and Kodi. Kodi is the GUI and connects to the TV via HDMI. My TV remote controls Kodi. The Plex server is available on the WiFi network and if I want to watch movies on my phone, tablet, or laptop I use Plex for that.

For streaming from the internet, I have a Roku box. One of the reasons that I chose the travel router that I have is because it has an Open VPN client built-in. My home router has an Open VPN server built-in. By using VPN, I can route my trailer's internet traffic through my home router which allows me to use my Xfinity streaming service remotely, and I have my "cable TV" available to me on the road. The Roku also has a Plex app, so I can also play the movies from my Raspberry Pi that way as well.

The downside to Roku is that it only likes to operate when it can connect to the internet, which is the original reason I added the Kodi media player to the Raspberry Pi to play directly to the TV via HDMI. I was originally going to use Plex alone.

The Raspberry Pi setup sounds very interesting. I’d like to read more about that if you know of any good resources. I’ve thought, a few times, about getting a Raspberry Pi just to tinker with, but never have.

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by BRinSCupstate

The Raspberry Pi setup sounds very interesting. I’d like to read more about that if you know of any good resources. I’ve thought, a few times, about getting a Raspberry Pi just to tinker with, but never have.

I am running Raspberry Pi OS Lite - so no desktop. Kodi is set to run as a service, so the Pi boots into Kodi:
https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-kodi/

https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-plex-server/

https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-mount-usb-drive/

It's a fun project. After having set it up a couple of times it now takes me less than 1/2 hour to rebuild it from scratch.

[Ballistic]

We use the following.

-Roku stick for streaming through phone hotspot.
-The two big streaming providers allow content to be downloaded to a phone or tablet, so having an HDMI adapter is easier than hotspot if to a streaming device.
-Plex app for stream from our NAS (use the roku stick for this also).
-Powered external USB HDD with movies from our library. This is the most used component in our arsenal as it works no matter the location.