Casting Solution for iPad
 

I'm often carrying my iPad Pro and leaving my laptop home. With 5g and Microsoft Remote Desktop, it handles my needs. With my LTE Surface I carried a Microsoft Miracast stick and could cast to it without intervening wifi. I was wondering if anyone could think of a simple casting stick I could carry with me for this purpose? I don’t want to carry an Apple TV in my little roller board.

there are some inexpensive usable AirPlay enablement apps available for the Fire TV platform - Fire TV Sticks are pretty small and portable. I travel with one and use the app AirPin - which I think was $3-4.

Roku has an offer for a $25 player. Works great with iOS/Airplay. https://www.roku.com/offers Regular price is $30 (or the same cost as a Fire TV Stick lite).

More info: https://support.roku.com/article/360057488733

Google Chromecast but you haven’t specified a port type for the device

Chromecast supports airplay? I'll need to test this out.

The only "stick" I know that natively supports airplay 2 are the rokus. Not sure if this works "direct" though without wifi access. I'll need to try on my roku tv

You need an app for the iPhone connection to Chromecast.

Interesting. For me, this would be best if I can avoid using hotel wifi at all. I guess I'd have to tether the Chromecast to my Phone. Which App would you recommend for airplay mirroring? If I go this route... I assume it will use my Phone's data (not the hotspot data? ) or allow me to play locally saved content from my phone?

Scratch my idea since I use Google Home to connect my iPhone to Chromecast which will probably not work for you since both devices need to be on the same WiFi network.

which app do you use?

Netflix has the support built in .. the app has the cast icon in the upper right of the screen when playing something. Make sure you're on the same network. You can either cast content or use airplay mirroring with Netflix. I just tried it and it shows my Fire TVs.

-David

Yeah, I know some apps have it built in, but I'm more interested in enabling mirroring the whole system as the OP stated, not just certain apps.

Just occurred to me and you didn't ask this specifically, but how about a long hdmi cable and iPad AV connector (or USB C - HDMI dock)?

+1 for the Roku. I always travel with a Roku Streaming Stick+. A good price for these is $30. They're always on sale during the holidays for this price. Supports AirPlay and Android's Screen Mirroring as well. Not to mention it's a Roku!

How's the hotel setup on a roku? I see they have some sort of hotel and dorm room setting?

-David

As someone who did travel with an old Apple TV I have been pleasantly surprised by how many smart TVs I have encountered that now support AirPlay.

I'm not the OP, but this is how I used to travel before getting my Firestick. (I don't use the firestick for casting... it is just my one luxury item I pack in my onebag for trips).

The benefit of the long HDMI with adapter is that it isn't reliant on hotel wifi, also no need to tether or take a travel router. I can show offline content from my iPhone, and use my iPhone data (not hotspot data) to take advantage of my unlimited AT&T on-device data.

It's not bad. I've used it before, but I always carry a travel router (or two) for my other devices. I find it easier than trying to use a Fire stick to log in.

If you're connecting with the Roku sans travel router, you power it on, pick the WiFi network you want to use like normal. It'll try to connect. Some hotel networks now are letting Rokus through without signing in. If it can get an IP but can't see the servers it wants, it'll prompt you to go to Hotel mode. It then sets itself up as a wireless repeater to the hotel network. You connect your phone to the Roku's WiFI AP, go through the hotel login screen, and the Roku functions as normal. Not really a hassle at all.

I travel with both a Gl.Inet Mango ($20) & a Gl.Inet Slate travel routers. Most people would probably be perfectly happy with the Mango. If you're doing VPNs or need 5GHz and gigabit ports, the Slate is the better choice. I like the Gl.Inet travel routers for many reasons, but the best feature is that their WiFi section is set up like mobile phones' in that it will remember multiple networks. I usually stay at Marriotts, so many times the router automatically finds the right WiFi and connects to it.

With a travel router, the procedure becomes: Power up the travel router, power up the Roku. All of my devices are already paired with the travel router. I just point the travel router to the hotel's WiFi with my phone and all of my devices magically start working. It's a beautiful thing.

Thanks for that info. Roku Express 4k+ arrived today, it's really great + airplay! I'll probably order the gl.inet slate. Thanks!

-David

I'm glad it's working out for you. I have a drawer full of Chromecasts, Apple TVs, Amazon Fire sticks, etc... but I keep coming back to the Roku. It can't do as much as some of the others, like use Kodi, BUT it does exactly what I want it to do and does it very well. The only gripe I gave about the Streaming Stick+ (which is what I travel with) is the proprietary antenna/power cable thing. I just toss the whole thing, Stick, Remote, and cables into a ziplock bag and keep it that way. The zip lock gets kept behind the TV while I'm at the hotel so I don't lose it.

One other thing to note: When traveling, the remote's buttons will get pushed and the remote will chew through batteries while it's getting squished in your luggage. I travel with rechargeable AAAs, so this doesn't bother me.

I haven’t travelled with mine but this thread has promoted me to try it. I wasn’t going to bring the remote and was planning to rely on the iOS app remote. Is there any reason you favour the physical remote (like controlling the TV volume) ?

Not for my remote, but early on, my mice would come out of my backpack powered up when their power button/switch got tripped. After getting a firm amenities kit (I think it was one from an ME3 airline... looks like a bigger version of a braces container) and keeping my power-up-able stuff in there, it stopped happening (I also toss my battery case in there so there's no way the case opens). My cables go into a pencil case I got from Walmart way back when. Little bit more weight, but saves me a lot of hassle.

I hate having to use my phone to control things, whether it be music playback, lighting, thermostats, etc. To use it as a remote that requires picking up my phone, unlocking it, going to the correct app, waiting for the app to load, then telling it what I want it to do. With a dedicated remote, I pick it up, one button & done. I When I'm "home", the phone goes on the charger and that's the last I use it for the day. The Roku remote "just works". Power, volume, mute, and Roku controls all on the same remote. And it does a great job figuring out which type of TV is connected to the Roku.

There's also the fact that hotel remotes (and what people do with them) are disgusting. I remember troubleshooting an IPTV system for a client who had a hotel. Lots of problems. We finally get it working (so we thought) and left debugging on and checked the logs in the morning. We go through the logs, everything looks good. Until we came to a room which had rented a movie. Out of decorum, let's just say it's something you wouldn't watch with your children around and the remote's functions got a lot of use that night. Ick.