Do you carry a streaming device for hotel use?
 

How many of you carry a streaming device for hotel use? And which do you use? Roku, Google, Amazon, etc

I carry an ipad.

Nothing to physically connect to the hotel tv for streaming.

Yes. Chromecast and a Travel Router that can run a VPN connection back to the US.

For the most part I only use it with Youtube (the VPN gets US-based content, which isn't always available otherwise) and stream content from my computer (VLC or Videostream for Chromecast).

With the travel router it works perfectly, especially as I use the router for other things as well so it's always up and running in my room.

what travel router do you use?

Check out this super-sized thread for some ideas: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trav...tel-rooms.html

The thread Craig has linked to is the place to look, but personally I use a GL-AR300M running the latest firmware (possibly latest pre-release firmware, but I think it's out now).

This firmware has a great feature where you can control which devices go over the VPN based on their MAC address, as well as allowing you to forcing the Guest network to always go over VPN.

I have it configured to force my Chromecast and a spare low-end smartphone that I always travel with onto the VPN, presuming it's enabled. Thus if I want US-based content I can enable the VPN, then use that phone to search for content and stream it to the Chromecast, whilst everything else on the network just uses the direct link. If I want something else to go over the VPN, I just connect it to the Guest network and it's on the VPN.

The only catch with this model is that it's not 5Ghz, so where possible I try to connect it via ethernet, but if that's not possible then I'll normally use a separate Buffalo AirStation AC433 (complete with UI in Japanese, which I don't speak!) to connect to the hotel wifi, and then connect that via Ethernet to the GL-AR300M's WAN port. The Buffalo uses so little power than I can actually power it from the USB port on the AR300M, so I still only need a single power cable!

My smartphone and tablet are both streaming devices I carry along...

I use an HDMI output adapter for my phone and tablet and connect that to the hotel TV with an HDMI cable. Works great, and I'm not stuck watching fuzzy SD channels on an HDTV.

Are you running iOS or Android? Which HDMI cable did you find?

I have tried a couple which do not work.

I use the amazon fire stick and it allows you to log into the hotel WiFi by entering a password and accepting the terms when you get redirected. I have found other devices like my Apple TV don’t work because you can “accept the terms” when you get redirected to the hotel page. I have yet to have it fail me.

I’ve got a second fire stick that I bought specifically for travel. And so far it’s only worked in one of three hotels. The first and third wouldn’t show the video from the device at all, the second worked great.

after doing some plugging and unplugging I think that some hotels just get TVs with the extra HDMI ports disabled. I tried all three on the LG tv in the hotel I’m staying in tonight and of the three ports, only port 1 works. The other two are somehow disabled. Unfortunately, that’s also the one the hotel box is plugged into which is kinda annoying.

Phone, laptop, that's it. My utility/cable bag grew to a ridiculous size so I have gone as minimalist as possible. I did used to take a chromecast thing but for the scant use it got it was just extra weight/bulk.

Just an FYI there is a coupon for this device, the GL AR300 that makes it 30 USD on Amazon. At that price I just got one to see if I like it. Got some sketchy travel coming up.

I use iOS, Apple makes a Lightning to HDMI adapter. On my Galaxy S2 I had an adapter too, I think I bought it from Amazon, but that was a long time ago and it didn't work as well.

On short trips I am growing tired of hacking hotel phones and then worrying if the morning goes wrong that I will forget my tech which is hidden in the phone. I also run into some hotels where the cleaning staff uses the tv to mark a room as clean which means that all the settings are changed and which forces me to reset the tv in the morning and rehack it for a show or two at night. It is usually easier to just watch the show on my Surface or iPad. Over the summer, I am renting an apartment in London for ten days and that will be the exception, but my television hack kit had grown in size and was taking too much space. Most Marriots made it simple, but with Hilton properties where I am Diamond not so much. I have a Tmobile data SIM in my iPad and in the US I can just stream off that without using my datacap up.