Media Player for Travel?

[eblend]

Hi guys,

So just came back from Mexico and the resort had shitty TV reception and only like 2 channels in English, and since I travel often, I figure I should do something about this. I have Plex at home but streaming isn't always going to work as some places, like my resort, don't have fast enough WiFI or no-wifi at all. Wondering what would be a good option for me for these situations?

Ideally I would get like a Cromecast or a Roku stick and then just stream off my Plex offline downloads right off my phone, but I don't think it works like this, I believe both devices need to be on the internet or on the same network at least. Before I travel I always sync some shows to my phone or PC, so if I could present those on the TV directly it would be ideal. I hear you can get some USB-C to HDMI adapters but I haven't looked much into those either, maybe that's all I would need.

Looking for recommendations.

[davidI]

Book or Kindle.

(Sorry for not helping with your question at all and you'll probably think I'm an asshole for saying this but it's a bit sad if you need TV everywhere, including a resort in Mexico).

[ExtraSlow]

Long HDMI cord and play from your laptop or tablet.

[eblend]

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Book or Kindle.

(Sorry for not helping with your question at all and you'll probably think I'm an asshole for saying this but it's a bit sad if you need TV everywhere, including a resort in Mexico).

I did have a book, and read a few during my time there, which is like 6 hours on the beach every single day. Wife and I don't party and after dinner, between like 8 and midnight or whatever, would be nice to watch something.

[killramos]

iPad (or iPhone for that matter ) + HDMI Cable.

Offline downloads. Not rocket science.

[gpomp]

I bring one of these when I travel since I can’t get Plex to work in a lot of places. I throw a bunch of stuff on a 128 GB Micro SD card and I’m good to go.

https://www.miccatron.com/micca-mpla...-media-player/

[dirtsniffer]

I have travelled with an hdmi cord for a long time. Generally works well. Cat5 cable too. Has come in handy.

Ive read that you can use a chromecast to stream locally stored entertainment as well

[revelations]

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Book or Kindle.

(Sorry for not helping with your question at all and you'll probably think I'm an asshole for saying this but it's a bit sad if you need TV everywhere, including a resort in Mexico).

Yea this - we did not turn on the TV once during our 10 day trips to Hawaii or Cuba. Books, laptops and kindles on the deck at night - or drunk, or excursions.

[lasimmon]

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Yea this - we did not turn on the TV once during our 10 day trips to Hawaii or Cuba. Books, laptops and kindles on the deck at night - or drunk, or excursions.

Different strokes for different folks. News at 11.

[ExtraSlow]

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Different strokes for different folks. News at 11.

No, if you are not vacationing my way, you are doing it wrong.

[colsankey]

Plex allows offline downloads to your device. I'd just load up a phone ornstick with media and if you want to play it on a big screen throw a chromecast dongle in there.

[eblend]

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Plex allows offline downloads to your device. I'd just load up a phone ornstick with media and if you want to play it on a big screen throw a chromecast dongle in there.

I don't think the Chromecast will work without it being on the WiFi network itself. I did some searching online and there is guest mode, but I don't think that removes the requirement for WiFi for the Chromecast dongle itself. Would be the ideal solution if I could do that. HDMI cable to a table might be my Sufrace might be solution, but don't like to take the surface on each trip if I don't need it.

[killramos]

Yea dealing with the wifi to make a chrome cast work defeats the plug and play purposes.

[davidI]

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I did have a book, and read a few during my time there, which is like 6 hours on the beach every single day. Wife and I don't party and after dinner, between like 8 and midnight or whatever, would be nice to watch something.

Fair enough. I haven't had a tv for over a decade so I guess I just don't understand the appeal.

I use a USB-C to HDMI from my laptop to monitor and it works fine. If you have pre-downloaded content and the TV is new enough to have an HDMI that should work. Some TVs have USB as well so in that case you can just throw content on a memory stick. The few resort-type places I've been to have a place to borrow DVDs as well, though that was years ago so perhaps they no longer do that.

[jwslam]

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I don't think the Chromecast will work without it being on the WiFi network itself. I did some searching online and there is guest mode, but I don't think that removes the requirement for WiFi for the Chromecast dongle itself. Would be the ideal solution if I could do that. HDMI cable to a table might be my Sufrace might be solution, but don't like to take the surface on each trip if I don't need it.

yes Chromecast requires the two things to be on the same network... there's not direct connection between your phone and the Chromecast dongle

I have one of these(ish things) I was just thinking about giving away. You'd have to source your own USB/Bluetooth remote or keyboard though. Has a microSD slot, or you could just use a regular USB stick.
It's pretty old though. Pretty sure it's on Android 4.4 and no clue what the internal specs are anymore. Still plays youtube 720 fine though.

[taemo]

part of our travel/vacation experience is to watch the local channels and the cheesy movies.

otherwise it's just preloaded laptop or ipad then connect it to the tv via HDMI.

[Asian_defender]

I have a 13" 2 in 1 laptop with a HDMI port. Would recommend for vacations if you have downtime
The new Ryzen 5 machines are awesome

[eblend]

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part of our travel/vacation experience is to watch the local channels and the cheesy movies.

I know all about this, and normally I would no problem, that's how we discovered Forensic Files, Criminal Minds and a few other shows which we loved, just this time around the reception was so unreliable. I don't know what they use on backend but it would basically be like bad satellite signal and image would break out and sound cut out like constantly. It would work sometimes but when wife ran the hair drier, same result, so really not sure, some kind of interference it seems. Some days it worked okay, and then crapped out for last couple, no idea, wasn't big enough deal to call for it, but wife suggested, I normally don't mind disconnecting completely but we have enough shows to watch at home that will take us the next 10 years to watch together, so while on vacation at night would have been a good time to watch a few good ones. My surface has a Mini-displayport port, will grab a MDP to HDMI cable and try it out. My phone unfortunately won't output video over USB-C it seems based on quick research.

[Xtrema]

1. Get a cheap Android tablet with SD card.

2. Get a USB to HDMI adapter

3. Get a retractable HDMI cable

Everything else is over thinking it.