Mirroring BBC iPlayer / Amazon Prime from iPad to TV (1 Viewer)

[March Hare]

Hello

We have an iPad and genuine Apple Lightning HDMI cable, and want to play downloaded content from iPlayer and Amazon Prime on the TV.

The connection works fine for Netflix content, but won't allow us to play iPlayer nor Amazon Prime content.

We've also got a Chromecast, and although that works ok, it is using mobile data (on board Huawei mifi), which we're trying to avoid - unless there's a way to play already downloaded programmes via Chromecast without using data?

Thanks!

 

[bluesifi]

Hi, Amazon will no longer work via HDMI, which is a pain. If I want to watch Prime I use my Firestick and link to mobile as I have unlimited data.

 

[Dave46049]

There is a cable you can buy that links to hdmi from your apple phone - not sure how much I bought one off amazon a few years back I think it was about £30 then.

The other option I can think off is to use your phone to create a personal hotspot ( this acts as a wifi router ) you then connect your TV to that and just mirror from your phone to the tv using chromecast or apple tv.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Gazz Kaz+Spag]

There is another work around and this also works for sky go which also stop you using a HDMI to your TV. A laptop with a android emulator like blue stacks and then connect that to TV. I use this all the time works a treat.

 

[Welsh girl]

We use the HDMI cable to mirror skygo. I didn't know about the android emulator though. How do I go about getting that? Please

 

[Gazz Kaz+Spag]

Just Google bluestacks and down load to laptop. Basically apps from your phone can be used on your laptop. It is android though but still have Bbc, sky and prime apps.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Welsh girl]

Can you download it onto a smart TV?

 

[Gazz Kaz+Spag]

I think its just for windows based devices but IPTV may be also better

 

[March Hare]

Hi, Amazon will no longer work via HDMI, which is a pain. If I want to watch Prime I use my Firestick and link to mobile as I have unlimited data.

Hi bluesifi!

Many apologies for such a late reply, but thanks for your reply. I absolutely agree with your sentiments about Amazon no longer working via HDMI! I guess the Amazon Prime and iPlayer Apps must be able to detect the HDMI connection - and perhaps it’s to stop people casting to large audiences?

Thanks for the info ref the Firestick, but we’re trying to find a way to cast dowloaded programmes without using data if possible - this is for when we (finally) get to travel abroad when unlimited data is not truly “unlimited” in our experience.

We don’t have a Firestick, but a Google Chromecast - which we opted for because we understood that it was possible to cast to a TV via the Chromecase without using Data, but so far we’ve not been able to get it to work but will keep trying....

Thanks again!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[63720]

AFAIK I think you will need data anyway. To use a Chromecast you'll need to download and install Google Home, however we gave up trying with an iPad as it was such a faff including burning out a cheap cable so if you're still trying buy the real thing. We ended up using a tablet which was a stopgap before going all out for a Firestick and shelved the rest. Good luck.

 

[March Hare]

There is a cable you can buy that links to hdmi from your apple phone - not sure how much I bought one off amazon a few years back I think it was about £30 then.

The other option I can think off is to use your phone to create a personal hotspot ( this acts as a wifi router ) you then connect your TV to that and just mirror from your phone to the tv using chromecast or apple tv.

Hi Dave46049!

Thanks very much for your reply!

Thanks also ref the HDMI—Apple cable. We do have an Apple ”Lightning” cable which used to work fine connecting the iPad to the TV to cast previously downloaded iPlayer material (ie. Casting without using Data), but it no longer works - and neither does it work with Amazon Prime material.

Ref using the phone to create a wifi hotspot, we have tried this approach but I believe it uses the data allowance - although more than happy to be corrected on this!! It’s just that we’re trying to find a way to cast BBC iPlayer / Amazon Prime downloaded material without using data allowance (for *when* we’re travelling overseas).

Ref the Chromecast, from the instructions it appears that you can set up a “guest mode” connection via the Chromecast that doesn’t use mobile data — I believe it emits a WiFi and Bluetooth beacon / handshake to create the connection between the Chromecast and the selected device ie. tv, and this is the bit that we’ve not been able to get to work. I just wondered if you’ve used this function please?

Thanks again!

 

[March Hare]

There is another work around and this also works for sky go which also stop you using a HDMI to your TV. A laptop with a android emulator like blue stacks and then connect that to TV. I use this all the time works a treat.

Just Google bluestacks and down load to laptop. Basically apps from your phone can be used on your laptop. It is android though but still have Bbc, sky and prime apps.

I think its just for windows based devices but IPTV may be also better

Hi Gazzag!

Thanks very much for your replies - we’re new to Bluestacks so thanks for the recommendation of using it as an android emulator!

Can I just check please, is this so that the laptop (with Bluestacks loaded as well as iPlayer and Amazon Prime Apps etc) can then be connected to the TV - presumably via an ethernet-type cable, thus avoiding using an HDMI cable which is what appears to be causing the problems? Just want to check if we’ve got the right end of the stick

Slight problem is that we don’t have a laptop now (just a desktop PC), but would be prepared to invest in one if it allows us to cast Amazon Prime / BBC iPlayer downloaded material. That’s unless an Android tablet could be used - presumably though it would have to have an Ethernet connection?

Thanks again!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Wissel]

Either a Windows laptop or a Mac Book will allow all the apps to play on another screen via HDMi.

It's how we do it.

Edit: Another option is a small PC. We have used one for years and only just stopped using the latest one as I wanted a Mac for certain software.

Ours will be for sale here very soon and is ideal for downloads as has 6tb of storage. Also a low power i5 processor, 16gb DDR4, SSD and vibration dampening. Its small., silent, low power and fast. Looking for £200 if interested I can post pics etc.

 

[Andy MacD]

I went through all of this last year and eventually came to the conclusion that the laptop screen wasn’t much smaller than the tv so just got a decent Bluetooth speaker to connect to the laptop and watch on that. Much less stressful, my motto for this year is to keep things simple.

 

[rnb100]

If you want to watch any Apple device on your TV, then get Apple TV and use 'mirroring'. I've got it in my bedroom and sitting room and use it frequently. I do use a Firestick in the van though and can't comment on how good it'll perform in your van.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Dave46049]

Hi Dave46049!

Thanks very much for your reply!

Thanks also ref the HDMI—Apple cable. We do have an Apple ”Lightning” cable which used to work fine connecting the iPad to the TV to cast previously downloaded iPlayer material (ie. Casting without using Data), but it no longer works - and neither does it work with Amazon Prime material. Not sure you can cast without data as you need to link via a wifi hotspot - however doing this I would not have thought would use any data at all.

Ref using the phone to create a wifi hotspot, we have tried this approach but I believe it uses the data allowance - although more than happy to be corrected on this!! It’s just that we’re trying to find a way to cast BBC iPlayer / Amazon Prime downloaded material without using data allowance (for *when* we’re travelling overseas). It would use data if you are downloading from a provider, but if it's already downloaded there should be no data implications - but it needs to be available even if it doesn't use any - you may however get caught by updates which will use data.

Ref the Chromecast, from the instructions it appears that you can set up a “guest mode” connection via the Chromecast that doesn’t use mobile data — I believe it emits a WiFi and Bluetooth beacon / handshake to create the connection between the Chromecast and the selected device ie. tv, and this is the bit that we’ve not been able to get to work. I just wondered if you’ve used this function please? Haven't used that - but it makes sense - I thought the chromecast would be plugged into your tv and then linked to the ipad?

Thanks again!

 

[Gazz Kaz+Spag]

I connect my laptop with a HDMI to the TV i picked a laptop that had one as i knew i would use it in the MH. The main reason i wanted it was for Sky go that don't allow any external screen to be used. Now others are following this idea and app can just be added to blue stacks. If you can connect another way to your TV ie. PC input that should work too.