Tablets for streaming to TV

[ylexot]

Personally, I wouldn't want to stream from the internet to a tablet over wifi and then stream from the tablet to the TV (or other device) over wifi. Seems like a high probability of bandwidth issues/lots of caching/slow-downs/etc.

[itsbob]

Originally Posted by HeavyChevy75

Wondering which tablet is the best one for streaming movies to the television. I don't want to replace my laptop at this point but my laptop can't stream movies to tv. I am looking at IPAD but not sure.

I do have a kindle fire but that isn't really a tablet.

iPAD only streams to Apple TVs... through an app called Airplay..

Unless you wire to it, which iPad also doesn't have an output.

Samsung Tablets use AllShare, and you have a Samsung Smart TV you can stream to it.

iPad will stream to other "AirPlay Ready" devices, but don't think any TV other than Apple TV has the capability.

Both of these systems (and others) use your home wireless connection to connect all of your devices without going out to the internet to interface or share data.

I have AirPlay on our iPad and can stream audio to my Yamaha receiver, and have "AirPlayIt" on my PC so I can stream music (not sure about video) from my PC to the iPad.

AllShare on my Samsung SmarTV and our Samsung phones we can do the same sharing all of our data and streaming to our TV, and I believe do the same between the PC, phones and TV (but haven't tried it yet), but I don';t have a Samsung Receiver so would only hear through the TV speakers unless I want to run another set of cables through the wall for audio back to the receiver from the TV.

[Tilted (Premo)]

Originally Posted by ylexot

Personally, I wouldn't want to stream from the internet to a tablet over wifi and then stream from the tablet to the TV (or other device) over wifi. Seems like a high probability of bandwidth issues/lots of caching/slow-downs/etc.

I understand that concern and I'm sure it's a problem for some people, but I haven't noticed a problem (even with video streaming which would seem the most likely case in which a problem would arise, most other kinds of content shouldn't create an issue).

Sometimes I'm just streaming content (e.g. a movie) that's already on the iPad though. And sometimes I'm mirroring stuff that doesn't involve video.

[Booboo3604]

Originally Posted by Tilted

You can also use a wired connection between the iPad and a TV (with a converter and HDMI cable).

Can you please tell me which converter you use? I bought a docking station that you supposedly could push video to your tv through and could never get it to work. Customer service said it was the app (Netflix). I would really like to be able to hook up my ipad to my TV for tv and movie watching. Thanks in advance!

[abcxyz]

If you are going to do this often, a cheap Blu Ray player may work better. I think mine was $99 at Target and it can stream every thing any of the tablets can, better.

[ylexot]

Originally Posted by Booboo3604

Can you please tell me which converter you use? I bought a docking station that you supposedly could push video to your tv through and could never get it to work. Customer service said it was the app (Netflix). I would really like to be able to hook up my ipad to my TV for tv and movie watching. Thanks in advance!

If it is because of the app, no adapter in the world will help you.

[ylexot]

Originally Posted by abcxyz

If you are going to do this often, a cheap Blu Ray player may work better. I think mine was $99 at Target and it can stream every thing any of the tablets can, better.

Even websites?

[Tilted (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Booboo3604

Can you please tell me which converter you use? I bought a docking station that you supposedly could push video to your tv through and could never get it to work. Customer service said it was the app (Netflix). I would really like to be able to hook up my ipad to my TV for tv and movie watching. Thanks in advance!

I don't use a converter myself, I stream everything wirelessly (through a $100 Apple TV box). But here are the convertors from Apple for VGA output and for HDMI output. I suspect that you could find cheaper 3rd party converters. Maybe by searching Amazon?

If one of those is what you tried and it didn't work with Netflix, please let me know. I'm curious to know if that's the case because the Netflix app doesn't block me from streaming it wirelessly to my TV. The HBO app does, so I'd guess it also won't work with a wired connection.

Just in case you have the newest iPad or an iPad Mini, here's the Lightning to VGA converter and the Lightning to HDMI converter. They're quite pricey and I fear there may not be 3rd party alternatives for them yet.

[Tilted (Premo)]

Originally Posted by abcxyz

If you are going to do this often, a cheap Blu Ray player may work better. I think mine was $99 at Target and it can stream every thing any of the tablets can, better.

Are you sure about that? With a tablet you can stream stuff from browser windows (and lots of other stuff). Do Blu Ray players have channels from the major networks that allow you to stream their content when you want - TNT, ABC, TBS, ESPN, Lifetime, History Channel, Discovery, A&E, NBC, etc.? I ask because I really don't know. I have a Blu Ray player that streams some stuff (e.g. Netflix), but it's a year or two old and I've not looked at the latest Blu Ray players.

[Tilted (Premo)]

Originally Posted by ylexot

If it is because of the app, no adapter in the world will help you.

Yeah, but I'd be surprised if the Netflix app doesn't allow mirroring to a TV over a wired connection. I have no problem mirroring it wirelessly. I just tried it to confirm - I wouldn't normally do that because Netflix is one of the few (3rd party) channels that the Apple TV box has built in, so anytime I wanted to watch Netflix on the TV I'd just use that.