TV, Streaming, Internet

[MudFrog]

Hi, I just picked up a 2009 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe last month. I have been getting it all packed up and ready to camping!

Just so you know.... I am really new at this so am going to stick to campgrounds till I get good at backing up and get a few adventures under my belt.

Okay now I am to my tv. There wasn't one in it so I grabbed my small tv in the spare bedroom but now am thinking. Which is always dangerous! At home I have a tv that uses a fire stick for all my streaming. Does anyone have a apple tv, fire stick cube or anything else that helps you stream when your in a campground? If so can I get your opinions on what you like best? Do you find the internet connection is fast enough to stream?

Yes I know I shouldn't even worry about tv when I am going to be out and about meeting new people... I guess I am just a Wired Woman! I figure I will wean myself some day :-)

Thanks for your time,

Lisa

[thrifty bill]

I like no TV the best. TV in a small camper is more trouble than it is worth. Very few if any campgrounds have decent wi-fi either.

Take a few trips first, see if you really miss TV or not. And experience the lousy wi-fi that is available at campgrounds. Most of the time, I give up on campground wi-fi and find a Starbucks, McDonalds, or similar when I really want it.

[Jon in AZ]

We preload content on our tablets. It’s not for regular consumption when camping, but it helps with kids on the long drives, and once in a while we have a movie night in the camper, usually when it’s too cold, wet, and/or windy for a campfire.

We rarely have hookups, so regular TV is out. We can recharge tablets in the car when driving or in the trailer from the battery.

I agree that internet access is likely to be spotty at many campgrounds. That why we preload.

[Alice L]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

We preload content on our tablets. once in a while we have a movie night in the camper, usually when it’s too cold, wet, and/or windy for a campfire.

I'm not tech savvy, but I do have a laptop and a Samsung tablet. How do you preload? Where do you preload from? I normally carry DVD's with me to watch late at night on TV, but need electricity. No electricity, no movies. Helps me fall asleep.

Thanks.

[OCJohn]

Originally Posted by Alice L

I'm not tech savvy, but I do have a laptop and a Samsung tablet. How do you preload?

Here are many ways/sources, but here are two common ones...
• Downloading TV shows and movies on Netflix
• Download Prime Video Titles

[Jon in AZ]

We have a Netflix subscription, and some content is available for download to view offline (within a certain time window). Normally we do it at home before we leave, but I recall one time we forgot and downloaded several shows while we ate breakfast at McD’s.

Old episodes of NCIS put me right to sleep!

[redbarron55]

We have "unlimited" Verizon geezer plan and I often stream from my phone to the TV using one of the adapters from the USB to HDMI.
You can also stream from the hotspot on the phone as well.
We have also installed a King Jack TV antenna and have a Dish tailgater that we use.
With all of that often we still can get nothing when in the mountains or the woods.
We installed an Insignia 24" tv that will run off 12 volts or 120 and has a DVD as well.
Today you can probably get a small smart TV with apps built in to replace the firestick.

[steve dunham]

We have a TV in our trailer , if it works or doesn’t work is of little consequence . We do play a movie occasionally on a rainy night.
To be honest I read your original post 3 times and all I got was more confused , it almost seemed like it was written in a foreign language. , Obviously I am not a techie so my opinion may be of no value

[tractors1]

We use a Roku all over the planet, including camping. For the internet we use a phone as a hot spot with a booster antenna. Works well.

[trainman]

Well you got a lot of answers, but let me say one thing here, camping, internet, TV, WiFi, etc. all come at a price and you in most cases you will have to pay for it. I'm not going to go into all the options that are out there, but I will say that if you just want TV them purchase a HD TV ($30 average price) antenna, put it outside and run the coax cable to the TV. Now don't expect to get TV everywhere, because over the air TV can't be gotten if the signal is not within range. That's the only free TV out there and it's iffy at times. Many just use there cell phone, but be sure you have unlimited data, because the cost of data can add up right quickly and it's expensive. A lot of RV parks say free WiFi, but it can be pretty iffy also.

trainman

[JBB]

Originally Posted by trainman

Well you got a lot of answers, but let me say one thing here, camping, internet, TV, WiFi, etc. all come at a price and you in most cases you will have to pay for it. I'm not going to go into all the options that are out there, but I will say that if you just want TV them purchase a HD TV ($30 average price) antenna, put it outside and run the coax cable to the TV. Now don't expect to get TV everywhere, because over the air TV can't be gotten if the signal is not within range. That's the only free TV out there and it's iffy at times. Many just use there cell phone, but be sure you have unlimited data, because the cost of data can add up right quickly and it's expensive. A lot of RV parks say free WiFi, but it can be pretty iffy also.

trainman

We use a pair of indoor HD rabbit ears outside on a pole! We paid 6.99 + tax at Publix while we were camping! Scanned in over 33+ channels. But we go camping for outdoor activities, not to watch TV. But being able to catch the news and local weather is nice or if it's bad weather! Free is always better.

[JBB]

Also, we've been using the same rabbit ears outside for 3 years now. They have withstood all kinds of stormy weather and work good!

[Kevin A]

To each his/her own regarding using a TV or internet. For us, we need to be hooked up to the internet fairly regularly due to my wife's continuing employment. We find campground wifi to generally be too spotty and slow for most streaming and data, so we regularly use our Verizon mobile hotspot on our phones for internet use and a Fire Stick for television when there isn't local over-air available or a campground cable hookup. We also have a Sony Bluray player for movies and it is wifi-capable, too. Works for us!

[DLDK]

I'm using a Roku Ultra. I can load my videos on a USB drive or stick and plug it into the USB port on the Roku. It can play the videos without the need for an Internet connection.

I tried a Chromecast but I couldn't find a way to make it work without an Internet connection. There are times where even our phones don't have service so we can use them as a hot spot and the Chromecast wouldn't work if it didn't have a connection.

[Rzrbrn]

We don't do campfires, we prefer fresh air. So for us having options for the evening is important. We have a King jack antenna on our Casita and it will bring in local stations when in campgrounds that are within reception range. But when camping in primitive campground or boondocking we are usually out of range. Sometimes we hook up a blu-ray player. We also have a Verizon jetpack, but again it has to be within range of a tower, and when it is we sometimes stream Netflix. Many campgrounds have cable. So be sure to take a 25' length of coaxial. We used to only take a ten footer but it failed to reach a couple of hook ups, so do the 25'. My wife likes to watch the news and weather whenever possible. Another nice thing to have is a Kindle, but in order to download books you must be within range of a tower. So download a bunch of books when you can.

[thrifty bill]

I hate, hate, hate, campfires. The smoke really gets to me. We do have a TV/DVD player combo, and we bought the PBS series on the National Park system. It was fun to watch those at night. Had to get a small sound bar, as the sound out of most of these TVs is pitiful.

[Rzrbrn]

I use two headphones instead of a sound bar. I have a bit of a hearing problem and these are so much better than our sound bar at home.

(Amazon): Sennheiser RS120 On-Ear Wireless RF Headphones with Charging Cradle

[steve dunham]

Sitting by the fire

[John in Santa Cruz]

I concur with the campfire sentiments expressed above. I like to watch the starry skies at night. a campfire blinds you. ditto bright camp lanterns.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Sitting by the fire

Photo is a bit shaky. Must be shivering.