Ok Tailgating techies

[TheColonyEagle]

Ok so it’s looking like I’m gonna be able to tailgate all day next Sat. Will have an RV for Sat. I have a question for you pros about TV. The ideal situation would be to have a satellite but I don’t have that. 

So I have the directv app. I have a TV. I’m gonna get an HDMI adapter for my iPhone. I have unlimited data with AT&T (Plus I believe that AT&T customers can stream directv with no data limit) Cell coverage seems to be decent up there. Looking at getting up there in the morning and watching for 6-7 hours or so. From say 8:00-9:00am to 3:00pm or so. The 2:30 game I want to watch will be over air  

Anyone do this set up?

Edited August 24, 2018 by TheColonyEagle

[UNT 90 Grad]

7 hours ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Ok so it’s looking like I’m gonna be able to tailgate all day next Sat. Will have an RV for Sat. I have a question for you pros about TV. The ideal situation would be to have a satellite but I don’t have that. 

So I have the directv app. I have a TV. I’m gonna get an HDMI adapter for my iPhone. I have unlimited data with AT&T (Plus I believe that AT&T customers can stream directv with no data limit) Cell coverage seems to be decent up there. Looking at getting up there in the morning and watching for 6-7 hours or so. From say 8:00-9:00am to 3:00pm or so. The 2:30 game I want to watch will be over air  

Anyone do this set up?

I did something similar once.   The differences were that I was streaming the ESPN app rather than DirecTV and I only did it for a couple of hours. 

I regularly do over the air games at tailgate.   Sometimes getting the antenna positioned just right is a challenge. 

[ipd054]

If you have the directv app you should be able to use a chromecast type setup .  Plug it in to the tv and link to your phone.   With AT&T Dircetv will not cost you data so stream away.  (just as a side, some channels will not let you cast certain shows)

I personally have YoutubeTV and I cast games via my phone and a chromecast all the time.  (When I am at events where I can not be at a game)  Last year I was at a industry event and put the world series game on one of our TV's and we were the most popular kids at the party!

[TheColonyEagle]

Excellent. Thanks for your replies!

 

 

[ipd054]

Quick point of clarity.  for chromecast to work you will need a wifi connection - I use either wifi or a hotspot connection. (some people have been able to set up an internet free wifi network and get them to work, I have had no luck in doing so)

Your fix of a HDMI from your phone should work but I would test it before lugging everything out to Apogee.

Also if you go the hotspot route the "sponsored data" on att may not work and you could be charged data,  for some it does charge and others it doesn't.

 

 

[dmaxel]

According to this, DirecTV Now will not give you free data if you use a Chromecast (falls under the same category as Apple TV). So HDMI cable is the best choice (sadly, as it's far from ideal) to where you don't have to worry about your data usage. I would've suggested possibly getting T-Mobile back when they had a plan with unlimited hotspot, but they recently removed that option. 😞

Edited August 24, 2018 by dmaxel
misread my own link

[TheColonyEagle]

so I tested it at home...

seems to work fine.

 

however, when I used the DirecTV app, i got "HDMI not supported"

But I was able to use WatchESPN and FoxSportsGo and "project" onto the tv with the adapter

 

[Withers940]

26 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

so I tested it at home...

seems to work fine.

 

however, when I used the DirecTV app, i got "HDMI not supported"

But I was able to use WatchESPN and FoxSportsGo and "project" onto the tv with the adapter

 

I dont know where you live but you might take a trip to the apogee parking lot to test the connection to make sure you can get the same connection.

[TheColonyEagle]

1 minute ago, Withers940 said:

I dont know where you live but you might take a trip to the apogee parking lot to test the connection to make sure you can get the same connection.

I'm heading up there to get some swag next week....so I'm going to test it out

 

[Withers940]

5 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

I'm heading up there to get some swag next week....so I'm going to test it out

 

Atta boy!!! 

[Cerebus]

Your connection in an empty parking lot is going to be much better than when thousands of people (and their phones) show up.  

[TheColonyEagle]

25 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

Your connection in an empty parking lot is going to be much better than when thousands of people (and their phones) show up.  

Kind of what I was thinking....

I noticed inside the stadium last year....my cell coverage was much better than it was in the past.

Is that something they did infrastructure wise? Or am I imagining things...

Also....the good news is I just need the ESPN app for GameDay in the morning and the FoxSportsGo app for the 11:00am game (My friend that's going is a UT grad so we're gonna watch that game) so we should be done with the cell phone by 2:30 or so.....the parking lot won't be totally full by then. I can watch the afternoon game via over air antennae (probably switch on the Auburn/Wash game that's on ABC)

Edited August 24, 2018 by TheColonyEagle

[dmaxel]

43 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

Kind of what I was thinking....

I noticed inside the stadium last year....my cell coverage was much better than it was in the past.

Is that something they did infrastructure wise? Or am I imagining things...

Also....the good news is I just need the ESPN app for GameDay in the morning and the FoxSportsGo app for the 11:00am game (My friend that's going is a UT grad so we're gonna watch that game) so we should be done with the cell phone by 2:30 or so.....the parking lot won't be totally full by then. I can watch the afternoon game via over air antennae (probably switch on the Auburn/Wash game that's on ABC)

Yes, cell providers make upgrades all the time. Even if the signal level remains the same, capacity can be improved through a variety of (very technical) means. But yes, your experience will be very different when everything's empty compared to game day.

If you have an unlimited plan, you shouldn't have to worry about how much data you use on your phone. I know they say that over 22GB they can deprioritize you, but I haven't noticed that actually affect me any in the DFW area.

I guess long story short, you have options. 🙂 Sucks though that the DirecTV NOW app doesn't allow HDMI -- I guess AT&T wants to make you feel like you can do a lot, but not to the point where you can milk it.

Edited August 24, 2018 by dmaxel

[TheColonyEagle]

1 minute ago, dmaxel said:

I guess long story short, you have options. 🙂 Sucks though that the DirecTV NOW app doesn't allow HDMI -- I guess AT&T wants to make you feel like you can do a lot, but not to the point where you can milk it.

So the I believe the DirecTV Now (the one you pay for) app does now let you stream via HDMI.

The plain ol' DirecTV app (free one that comes with subscription) does not....

 

[dmaxel]

3 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

So the I believe the DirecTV Now (the one you pay for) app does now let you stream via HDMI.

The plain ol' DirecTV app (free one that comes with subscription) does not....

 

Looks like you're right: https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/directv-now-brings-back-hdmi-lightning-support/

If DirecTV NOW has all/most of the channels you care to see (they do have quite a lot!), it may be worthwhile to drop regular DirecTV and switch to that instead. Everything's moving towards the Internet anyways. I personally have YouTube TV and it's been a fantastic service over more traditional TV choices.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

I am hot spotting my roku device and streaming my playstation vue app to the tv. 

 

[ipd054]

If you have good internet service at your home drop Directv and go with Directv now, you can add HBO for $5 a month opens up a lot of options.   I had it for 3 months and liked everything but the DVR which capped out at 20 hours and missed recording some shows.  Drove me to YouTube TV which I really like. (unlimited DVR, 6 individual users)

[dmaxel]

1 hour ago, ipd054 said:

If you have good internet service at your home drop Directv and go with Directv now, you can add HBO for $5 a month opens up a lot of options.   I had it for 3 months and liked everything but the DVR which capped out at 20 hours and missed recording some shows.  Drove me to YouTube TV which I really like. (unlimited DVR, 6 individual users)

I also (personally) found YouTube TV to be less buggy than DirecTV NOW. It might not have the big channel selection compared to the top DTV NOW package, but it has grown a lot and covers just about all of my sports needs.