Iain55
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Looking for advice on best streaming device to tether to my wifi hub ?
Travelling Europe later this year.
Travelling Europe later this year.
Moped
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We use our Samsung phones and a C connector to HDMI lead. Massive memory for pre trip downloads. If you are using a U.K. sim for streaming be aware of the roaming data limits even with an unlimited data plan. We download using any free WiFi source we encounter when travelling. Any form of streaming or casting does use data.
All the main TV viewing channels have apps that can stream live as does Sky and BT. Before making specific recommendations I would need to know what your normal main Viewing patterns are. Live TV, catch up, subscription live sport, or a subscription streaming service such as Netflix? With a smart phone HDMI arrangement all bases including streamed UK radio are covered.
Forget Apple and Google products. They lack TV connection flexibility when travelling and tethering. Anything Samsung with a C connector provides total flexibility or TV streaming devices by Amazon do provide some flexibility as with a minor tweak you can download APK apps, but memory on these devices is limited, so you are restricted to streaming, which when roaming can limit viewing.
Maybe an Amazon tablet might be good? These can connect to a TV using an HDMI lead and have plenty of memory for storing downloads. Much much better than a Fire stick so go for the Amazon tablet with plenty of memory and a micro HDMI to HDMI connection!
Or a Samsung tablet with a C connector to HDMI set up.
All the main TV viewing channels have apps that can stream live as does Sky and BT. Before making specific recommendations I would need to know what your normal main Viewing patterns are. Live TV, catch up, subscription live sport, or a subscription streaming service such as Netflix? With a smart phone HDMI arrangement all bases including streamed UK radio are covered.
Forget Apple and Google products. They lack TV connection flexibility when travelling and tethering. Anything Samsung with a C connector provides total flexibility or TV streaming devices by Amazon do provide some flexibility as with a minor tweak you can download APK apps, but memory on these devices is limited, so you are restricted to streaming, which when roaming can limit viewing.
Maybe an Amazon tablet might be good? These can connect to a TV using an HDMI lead and have plenty of memory for storing downloads. Much much better than a Fire stick so go for the Amazon tablet with plenty of memory and a micro HDMI to HDMI connection!
Or a Samsung tablet with a C connector to HDMI set up.
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Moped
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A Firestick is OK for U.K. use with an unlimited data plan.
For European use something that can download and store TV viewing is essential if you want to go ex satellite.
Fisherman
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Never taken the van abroad moped.
But I thought you may have been able to use it for subscription tv such as Netflix.
The big problem is the limitations on data abroad.
But for uk use the firestick works great.
Moped
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For general video watching and streaming and connecting to a TV with HDMI consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with 64GB onboard memory and add an SD card of up to 512GB. You will need a type C to HDMI lead. Download all the apps you need, iPlayer, Now TV, BT TV, TV Player, ITV player, 4Ondemand and 5Ondemand, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Britbox, etc., and maybe also subscribe to a low cost VPN such as Surfshark and your European viewing will be sorted!
Make sure all settings are low standard definition else you will eat up data.
Mobile data in Europe can be a bit slow at times so you may experience buffering at times if streaming. More so if a BIG live football match is on TV as this will strain local mobile data services. That’s why if possible I prefer to download and watch to avoid this.
Make sure all settings are low standard definition else you will eat up data.
Mobile data in Europe can be a bit slow at times so you may experience buffering at times if streaming. More so if a BIG live football match is on TV as this will strain local mobile data services. That’s why if possible I prefer to download and watch to avoid this.
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GeoffL
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FWIW, we have a Fire TV Stick but use it a little differently. Our phone plan on Three offers "go binge" unlimited standard definition stream on Netflix. So we use a PAYG mifi that needs a topup to connect to the Internet to initially connect the TV Stick with my phone via WiFi and then cast (screen mirror) from my phone to the Fire TV Stick. Once casting is established, the mifi can be turned off as the phone and TV Stick communicate directly. I can then navigate to Netflix on the phone and view content free of charge and without eating into my data allowance. Convoluted, yes; but it works. HTH, Geoff
Mr and Mrs Tupcox
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Fire stick all the way .
3 Go binge for Netflix. £10
Virgin for itv hub 120 gb data use all in eu £23 roam like home .
So all the tv you need and 2 phones £33
3 Go binge for Netflix. £10
Virgin for itv hub 120 gb data use all in eu £23 roam like home .
So all the tv you need and 2 phones £33
barryd
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For a long Euro trip I just download complete series before I go and watch them straight on the laptop. Some USB speakers for a bit of volume. No connection necessary. Like others if I need to download a series or some new episodes come out I just wait until I Find a free wifi source (Usually FON via the iBoost) and download them. I got sick of trying to use wifi to stream and mobile signals "were" too limited data wise.
Nabsim
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Amazon also do the Fire TV as well as the Fire TV Stick. The Fire TV allows you to record/download onto it. Did I see on some other threads that the Amazon stuff will show content that you cannot get outside of the UK without a VPN? If I haven't dreamed that then that is also a consoderation
GeoffL
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You can also download to your phone using the Amazon Prime Video app in UK (assuming you have Prime) and mirracast to a Fire TV Stick abroad.
Moped
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Remember that the opening thread specifically stated “travelling Europe”.
Three Go Binge guaranteed 100% uses your roaming data allowance when outside the UK. This has been widely reported in previous topics and as a Three user myself I can say with certainty this is a fact. Go Binge use when roaming does not show in your data use, which is annoying, and you end up hitting your roaming limit after maybe 8GB or 10GB or whatever depending on how much Go Binge you think you have used when roaming, but in reality not!
The Fire TV requires a power source, either a power socket or a USB point. A USB point on the TV will work for this purpose if it has one. When wildcamping you will need a 12v power source for it so check that your TV has a USB point, or purchase one of those 3 into 1 12v multi socket units.
Current generation Fire TV sticks have support for memory cards so download storage should not be an issue.
Remember that streaming uses mobile data. When roaming best to download using free WiFi if possible when and where this is available. This is not as convenient with a fire stick as it is with a mobile phone or tablet. For UK use and an unlimited data plan, a Fire Stick is a low cost option.
Even though casting does not use data, you still have to have source material to cast, and this has to be downloaded. Netflix and Amazon do limit the number of shows you can download at any one time so if you are on an extended overseas trip you will start using data in due course unless free WiFi is readily available, which when wildcamping it is not. Casting in addition increases power usage relative to HDMI as you have to have device wifi turned on when casting. Casting is only useful for downloads, not for live TV streams.
For European travellers, the tablet/smart phone with HDMI connection is a far better option offering total flexibility for those with roaming data limits, which includes Three Go Binge users, but at a higher cost. You could always transfer your SD memory card from your Fire Stick to your phone and download onto the card when in a bar or cafe, and then move it back to the stick, and this may be the only option if your phone or tablet does not support an HDMI connection.
My view is, if you are going for a good all round solution and total download and streaming flexibility, pay more and purchase a Fire or Samsung tablet with the HDMI support and use the HDMI connection. It gives you a second viewing option and you can tether to the tablet if you want to stream using mobile wifi.
Laptops are OK of course as long as they support HDMI but, unlike tablets, they are power hungry, and not as convenient to carry around as a tablet.
If your smartphone supports HDMI then this may well be all you need.
Three Go Binge guaranteed 100% uses your roaming data allowance when outside the UK. This has been widely reported in previous topics and as a Three user myself I can say with certainty this is a fact. Go Binge use when roaming does not show in your data use, which is annoying, and you end up hitting your roaming limit after maybe 8GB or 10GB or whatever depending on how much Go Binge you think you have used when roaming, but in reality not!
The Fire TV requires a power source, either a power socket or a USB point. A USB point on the TV will work for this purpose if it has one. When wildcamping you will need a 12v power source for it so check that your TV has a USB point, or purchase one of those 3 into 1 12v multi socket units.
Current generation Fire TV sticks have support for memory cards so download storage should not be an issue.
Remember that streaming uses mobile data. When roaming best to download using free WiFi if possible when and where this is available. This is not as convenient with a fire stick as it is with a mobile phone or tablet. For UK use and an unlimited data plan, a Fire Stick is a low cost option.
Even though casting does not use data, you still have to have source material to cast, and this has to be downloaded. Netflix and Amazon do limit the number of shows you can download at any one time so if you are on an extended overseas trip you will start using data in due course unless free WiFi is readily available, which when wildcamping it is not. Casting in addition increases power usage relative to HDMI as you have to have device wifi turned on when casting. Casting is only useful for downloads, not for live TV streams.
For European travellers, the tablet/smart phone with HDMI connection is a far better option offering total flexibility for those with roaming data limits, which includes Three Go Binge users, but at a higher cost. You could always transfer your SD memory card from your Fire Stick to your phone and download onto the card when in a bar or cafe, and then move it back to the stick, and this may be the only option if your phone or tablet does not support an HDMI connection.
My view is, if you are going for a good all round solution and total download and streaming flexibility, pay more and purchase a Fire or Samsung tablet with the HDMI support and use the HDMI connection. It gives you a second viewing option and you can tether to the tablet if you want to stream using mobile wifi.
Laptops are OK of course as long as they support HDMI but, unlike tablets, they are power hungry, and not as convenient to carry around as a tablet.
If your smartphone supports HDMI then this may well be all you need.
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Dorwyn
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I have an Amazon Fire 8, no HDMI. I have a NowTV with a month's sports TV, hope to watch F! next weekend, and the one after. It drinks data from my Huawei5776,, but it's what I want to watch. I have a laptop with HDMI. On which I have Online TV 13, from which I can watch most UK TV channels live, but no good for F1, bearing in mind that late night repeats on Channel 4 are one hour later in France and Spain. I like F1, but also like my sleep. I've got an Amazon Firestick and Prime, which don't seem to work too well. I'vegot a cheapo Samsung mob which I rarely use, so don't need a fancy one. It's a real pain. I don't want to buy anymore gizmos that work only if the wind is in the right direction, so to speak. Help!
maingate
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Greta Thunberg is right, you old fogies are destroying the Planet with all this streaming and smartphoning! 
Don't believe me? Do a bit more streaming and watch 'Dirty Streaming: the Internets big secret' on BBC iPlayer, you may be surprised at the facts.
Don't believe me? Do a bit more streaming and watch 'Dirty Streaming: the Internets big secret' on BBC iPlayer, you may be surprised at the facts.
Gazo D
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I have read the fire stick uses alot of data, well alot more than others I personally went for the Roku express which I have read uses far less data than the fire stick does. I went for the Roku as I am limited to 60gb a month on my campers dongle.
Its just something I read when looking into it, it could be wrong but the roku is brilliant and glad I went for it.
Its just something I read when looking into it, it could be wrong but the roku is brilliant and glad I went for it.
GeoffL
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Greta Thunberg is wrong, and "Dirty Streaming" is typical BBC IMO. This would be the same BBC that commissioned pieces from Attenborough that claimed Polar Bears and Walruses were on the verge of extinction due to climate change when both species are thriving! I've done the maths and found that, even if we accept that the greenhouse effect is real and blame CO2 for every bit of atmospheric global warming, it's impossible for humanity to have raised the global average temperature by more than a quarter of a degree celsius. Since CO2 makes up only a few percent of all greenhouse gasses, the actual figure is probably an order of magnitude less. There is no man-made climate emergency except in the minds of the activists who want to create panic to further their political agenda.Greta Thunberg is right, you old fogies are destroying the Planet with all this streaming and smartphoning!
Don't believe me? Do a bit more streaming and watch 'Dirty Streaming: the Internets big secret' on BBC iPlayer, you may be surprised at the facts.