Digital video ... how to play from my iPhone

[WhereStream]

I'd like to play videos from my iPhone, but ... can't figure out how this is done.

Can play a DVD via the DVD player ... works great.

But the iPhone ... a mystery.

There are USP ports all over the place — this is in a 2017 19-footer — but none of the one's I've tried (near the TV and near the DVD player) — are the secret path.

The TV "source" selection shows TV, two HDMI options, AV and component.

None of these selections are the key.

What's up with digital video?

[MrArrowhead]

There are a couple ways you could do it. Apple makes a cable to connect to to HDMI ports via either style connection an iPhone would have...newer ones would be HDMI to Lightning, older is 30 pin to HDMI.

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Lightni.../dp/B009WHV3BM

https://www.amazon.com/1080P-Adapter.../dp/B00A6Q596I


Another method would be to get an Apple TV, it connects to the HDMI port either directly on the TV or through the DVD player. With it you can Air Play from your phone to the Apple TV to display anything you have on the phone.

Brief guide to how to air play to an Apple TV
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204289

[HowieE]

Check with Apple customer service not sure if you need a router or not. I do it at home with my I Phone as the control but the TV is hooked via cable to my router and i am viewing on that cable input htmi 2

[HiJoeSilver]

Depends on the video. Videos you took on the phone or playing through app or video streaming service?

Apple TV plugged into one of the HDMI ports. You can cast from your phone. You'll need a wifi router to connect through. Hootoo makes nice small travel routers.

You can also get cables to go from phone to hdmi port on the tv.

[WhereStream]

These are movies on Amazon's app.

I can play them in the house, using an Apple TV device ... for some reason I thought the Airstream was set up to play videos without the Apple TV.

[Tsunami-v2]

Have you looked at Chromecast? I have an older Chromecast unit and I can "cast" video from my iPhone to my Samsung smart TV. You have to load Googles Chrome web browser on to your iPhone. You'll also need to be connected to a network. I have a router in my AS, so it connects that way. I'm not familiar with the newer Chromecast devices and how they are configured..

Check this link out.

https://store.google.com/product/chromecast_2015

And of course look at YouTube for How-to's on Chromecast

[MrArrowhead]

You can use an Apple to HDMI connection to view any thing on your phone...works like screen share. If your phone is newer it would be the same lighting connection on one end and then an HDMI female connection on the other end. Older phone with the 30 pin connector is available as well. Then just get how ever long of an HDMI cable that you would like to connect into the TV or the DVD player.

Or if you have wifi set up in your trailer you can use your Apple TV just like you would at home with the Apple TV plugged into the TV HDMI.

[HiJoeSilver]

The problem with the chromecast is that it needs an actual internet connection. More than just a ad hock wifi connection between the phone and chromecast via a local wifi router. While at home this may work but in campgrounds or boondocking it's not helpful. There is a workaround but it's a pain and you have to do it each time you want to use the chromecast. This comes into play with video you have saved locally. Since you're more concerned with streaming with a good wifi internet connection available, an Apple TV, Amazon fire stick, or roku should work.

[cazual6]

Originally Posted by MrArrowhead

There are a couple ways you could do it. Apple makes a cable to connect to to HDMI ports via either style connection an iPhone would have...newer ones would be HDMI to Lightning, older is 30 pin to HDMI.

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Lightni.../dp/B009WHV3BM

https://www.amazon.com/1080P-Adapter.../dp/B00A6Q596I


Another method would be to get an Apple TV, it connects to the HDMI port either directly on the TV or through the DVD player. With it you can Air Play from your phone to the Apple TV to display anything you have on the phone.

Brief guide to how to air play to an Apple TV
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204289

i concur.

Or the lighting to HDMI also works.

[AStreamNerds]

Install an Apple TV then use Airplay -
works great and no network needed.
Here is our video on youtube that shows how to do it https://youtu.be/aoBdtzwmM1g

[WhereStream]

Thanks, AStreamNerds, I'll check out the video.

I have an Apple TV box in the house, but ... I thought it connected via wifi to our router, and any video I played from my phone went to router first (hey, I'm no expert in these things!).

I want to see what you've worked out.

[KJRitchie]

I use an Apple TV and the Apple Lightning/HDMI connector. I can stream AppleTV Netflix or HBONow from its apps via iPad hotspot(on VZ unlimited) from the Apple TV but because it uses so much data my 15g hotspot limit is reached before the monthly cycle ends so I end up using the iPad connected directly to the the TV via the Lighnting adapter. It's much less hassle than using the Apple TV. I rarely use my 3rd gen Apple TV now in the Airstream and because the iPad has cellular and is on the VZ unlimited plan its not restrained by the 15g hotspot limit.

Kelvin

[369goose]

In the “old days” we’d been fortunate to get some channels over the air in our Airstream. However now that most providers have gone digital what’s the best way, least amount of devices, etc to make the Samsung TV’ in our trailers useful for anything other than dvds?

What would I need to play games on my iPhone but watch on one of the Airstream TV’s?

[rgarza348]

We recently transitioned from hardwire (HDMI) to wireless connection and thought we'd share.

Prior to traveling in our AS we like to download our recorded DirecTv programming from our home DVR to our iPhones and iPad. We then use a Apple A/V adapter and HDMI cable to watch this content using the mirroring mode. This works pretty well but we got tired of having to get up to use the controls and started looking for a wireless option.

We now use an Apple TV in our AS to wirelessly mirror our Apple devices (no internet required) to the TV. We had talked to a representative at the Apple Store and from Best Buy. Neither seemed sure it would work without internet for authentication. The Best Buy rep suggested getting the Apple TV and if it didn't do what we wanted they would take it back with full refund. The Apple TV works very well. We just connect it to the TV with HDMI cable, power it up, and set Apple device to mirror mode.

[DMT]

I used to watch movies on iTunes by connecting my iPhone to the TV using the apple lightening to HDMI adaptor. This no longer works as Apple now will not let the phone play content on a connected device. I guess they think you are showing movies to the public or other such foolishness. Now I have to do this via Apple TV, or by mirroring the phone (AirPlay) to the Apple TV.

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by rgarza348

We now use an Apple TV in our AS to wirelessly mirror our Apple devices (no internet required) to the TV. We had talked to a representative at the Apple Store and from Best Buy. Neither seemed sure it would work without internet for authentication. The Best Buy rep suggested getting the Apple TV and if it didn't do what we wanted they would take it back with full refund. The Apple TV works very well. We just connect it to the TV with HDMI cable, power it up, and set Apple device to mirror mode.

I have an Apple TV box and Directv. I currently use that equipment to mirror YouTube to my home tv. Would you go into more detail as how you get programs from your Directv DVR to your I Phone?

[rgarza348]

Use the DirecTV app to download saved programming from your DVR to mobile device. This allows you to view the programming from anywhere within 30 days of the download. Simply mirror to your Apple TV when you want to start watching.

[WhereStream]

Originally Posted by rgarza348

We now use an Apple TV in our AS to wirelessly mirror our Apple devices (no internet required) to the TV.

Thanks, rgarza, this is good to know.

I was told an Internet connection (or at least a wifi router) was required.

I've got an Apple TV thing that we really don't need with our new television in the home. I may pull it out, hook it to the Airstream's Samsung and see if it works.

[rgarza348]

Use the DirecTV app to download saved programming from your DVR to mobile device. This allows you to view the programming from anywhere within 30 days of the download. Simply mirror to your Apple TV when you want to start watching.

[nryn]

Originally Posted by DMT

I used to watch movies on iTunes by connecting my iPhone to the TV using the apple lightening to HDMI adaptor. This no longer works as Apple now will not let the phone play content on a connected device.

I'm not sure this is true. I connect both iPads and iPhones to TVs and monitors all the time with HDMI adapters and play content of all sorts.

I've noticed that in some cases iTunes movie content can be downloaded in a format or resolution (HDR 4K I think) that is not compatible with some televisions, so those movies won't play on those televisions. And I've also noticed that some televisions (and perhaps some adapters, not sure) have some mismatch in HDMI spec so that the DCP (digital content protection) handshaking that goes on reports some sort of error. I've always assumed that this happens when there are older televisions (with HDMI, but not recent HDMI) in the mix. And I've abandoned all non-Apple HDMI adapters (most of which seem to not work reliably anyway).

When Apple moved to USB-C on MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and now their latest iPad things got a little wonky. I found on my MacBook Pro that it mattered somewhat whether you plugged in the adapter first, then connected the cable between the adapter and the TV. They seem to have gotten that sorted out by now but for a while there it definitely wasn't the simple user experience that I'm accustomed to with Apple equipment.

But we play movies and TV from iOS devices all the time through HDMI adapters. In fact a retractable HDMI cable and a lightning-HDMI adapter are now a standard part of our travel kit (they stay in our suitcase).