Tech Question - Apple TV & Direct TV or Uverse Streaming App

Ok, so now after setting up all my tripod mounted satellite system in the 4150 I had a brain wave.

I have Uverse at home so can stream live tv for free on my iPhone with no data usage. I can do the same with DTV as I have that service for the camper.

I know (because I tried) that we can't do a "monitor out" connection from the free streaming iPhone or iPad app's to an external monitor or TV. It shuts down the streaming app as soon as it detects an external monitor. Makes sense, they don't want me using my phone as a cable box.

Now the generation 4 Apple TV can "airplay" through Bluetooth, but the Apple TV and iPhone still need to be on the same network so still require wifi (but almost zero data usage over the wifi signal).

So here's what I'm thinking.

I can create a "network" by using one iPhone as a hotspot to provide WiFi for the Apple TV. At that point, I should be able to "airplay" from my wife's iPhone and sling via Bluetooth the free streaming Uverse live TV signal to the big TV through the Apple TV.

For clarification, Uverse live TV streaming is data usage free on 4G networks. I have a 25 Gig 4G data plan split over both phones, but if WiFi is only used to create the "network" and not to sling the data the amount of my 4G data plan it would use should be next to nothing.

Who thinks I'm crazy?

Rookie17 said:

So here's what I'm thinking.

I can create a "network" by using one iPhone as a hotspot to provide WiFi for the Apple TV. At that point, I should be able to "airplay" from my wife's iPhone and sling via Bluetooth the free streaming Uverse live TV signal to the big TV through the Apple TV.

For clarification, Uverse live TV streaming is data usage free on 4G networks. I have a 25 Gig 4G data plan split over both phones, but if WiFi is only used to create the "network" and not to sling the data the amount of my 4G data plan it would use should be next to nothing.

Who thinks I'm crazy?

Click to expand...

I'd guess Apple's and Directv's and AT&T's engineers and marketing people have given a lot of thought about how to prevent you from using your free data to get a good picture on a large screen TV.

danemayer said:

I'd guess Apple's and Directv's and AT&T's engineers and marketing people have given a lot of thought about how to prevent you from using your free data to get a good picture on a large screen TV.

Click to expand...

I'd bet your guess is correct!!

Without meaning to sound arrogant or foolhardy, I was also guessing that we may have a shot at circumventing it and wondering if anyone had tried it yet, or could see a technical hitch I was missing

My experience has been if you think your going to get fast Wifi, forget it. I have not found a location yet that I have stayed in that had Wifi that was worth a ---- and my "hotspot' is generally not. So up goes the "tailgator" and in about 5 minutes I have TV.

Lynn1130 said:

My experience has been if you think your going to get fast Wifi, forget it. I have not found a location yet that I have stayed in that had Wifi that was worth a ---- and my "hotspot' is generally not. So up goes the "tailgator" and in about 5 minutes I have TV.

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That sounds exactly what I am looking for Lynn1130. Is tailgator a brand or slang for dish sitting on the tailgate?

Thanks in advance.

Cary

"Tailgater" is made by King. Google "King satellite" and you'll get lots of info and pictures.


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Rookie17 said:

I can create a "network" by using one iPhone as a hotspot to provide WiFi for the Apple TV. At that point, I should be able to "airplay" from my wife's iPhone and sling via Bluetooth the free streaming Uverse live TV signal to the big TV through the Apple TV.

Click to expand...

Do you even need to provide a wifi signal to the Apple TV just to airplay the stream from one phone across bluetooth? (I haven't tried it, as we have a 3rd gen Apple TV).

You might find that the streaming app itself has to support bluetooth airplay as a function (iOS would provide the actual support, but it might be up to the app to implement it). It might block you there.

With our Roku, I turned resolution down in the Roku to 720 and it streams thru T-Mobil binge without hitting normal data. The session for streaming is end(Netflix) to end(TV), if the carrier is watching the bandwidth being used, which most are, then it is not free streaming at higher resolutions, as they know it is not going to an allowed "small" screen. Chris

Just thinking out loud here... if one phone is providing the WiFi hotspot, and another device is pulling the data through to the screen... aren't you going to get double-charged for the bits going through(since it's going through both devices)?

I know when I hotspot my Android phone via Verizon, the data absolutely shows up in my usage, no matter who the end user is.

I have no "tv" as in no cable or satellite. I use the Apple TV with my phone (T-Mobile) with a streaming service.

As you said if you hotspot your phone to the Apple TV then mirror that same phone to the Apple TV you can then watch Netflix/Hulu on the tv.

Make sure you turn the resolution down or you burn through data quickly.

I knew some of you folks would be smarter than me, so thank you

So it seems I should be able to get this working as intended with a Gen 4 Apple TV. However as has been pointed out, the issue will likely be the resolution on the larger monitor as it seems the consensus is that larger monitor will require more data usage (than an iPhone or iPad showing the same programming) and that additional data requirement will be seen by the AT&T carrier?

It never even occurred to me that a larger monitor display would require additional data. But it makes sense, as the small screen obviously does not require the higher resolution.

So seems like bottom line, yes it will work most likely. Just be ready to expect 720p resolution.

Next step is to see how much I can confuse myself getting this stuff to talk to each other nicely. Lol... just as well my hair has already turned grey.

We used to use a Slingbox for years. Left everything at the house and streamed it across the internet. But as said before the WiFi in most parks is sketchy at best. Usually in the morning or late in the evening is the best time. But some parks were better than others. The park I am in now has 66Mbs wireless. I can stream 4k from Netflix across it...most of the time.

And that pretty much is the story with Wifi and RV parks or hotel/motels for that matter. They tell you that they have super high speed, rocket wifi and then you get in the back of the park or are blocked by a bunch of trees that cuts the wifi to "sometimes I get it sometimes I don't". I don't depend upon the park's wifi when I travel and as I said my hot spot is good, sometimes.

Just to clarify, my intent was to not use or rely on WiFi at all. With exception of the WiFi signal created from the hotspot on an iPhone to create a local network for the Apple TV.

But not for streaming the large amounts of data.

If I get this to work as intended - which at this point is somewhat realistic excepting a high resolution picture - it actually solves some of the campground WiFi issues you are mentioning. At least from a live TV perspective.

On a side note, I also just today discovered the Samsung Galaxy View... an 18.4 inch tablet with 4G capability. Which in all reality could be the best overall compromise between screen size, resolution, and streaming free live TV through Direct TV or Uverse apps without a satellite or cable source, but with full channel line up capability.
Off to the AT&T store now to check it out.