Streaming Orcons iPlayer to TV

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Streaming Orcons iPlayer to TV

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PottsyNZ

336 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1230410 3-Feb-2015 12:12

This all sounds overly complicated.

Just cast the chrome tab with iplayer to a chromecast, no fone needed. You might need to switch it down to 480p, but I do find tab casting is getting better.

If you don't like that, get a longish hdmi cable..

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1230434 3-Feb-2015 12:49

Yes, it does sound complicated, but thanks for the info. When you say use a PC, how about one of these tablet gadgets (which I have never used/had).
Aren't they like a mini PC ? Does it have an HDMi output and can you browse with the necessary flash player etc etc. I should understand all this better, but I don't - it's
confusing. The geographical problem - isn't that got around by Orcon giving access to BBC, or are you saying Google will get in the way?

trig42

5814 posts

Uber Geek

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#1230451 3-Feb-2015 12:55

Google will get in the way with *some* devices - one of them being the Chromecast (it is a Google device).

However, to make this more confusing, they will only get in the way in some instances. If you use Google Chrome on you laptop, with the chromecast extension, and 'cast' the Chrome tab to your chromecast, it should work fine. If you, however, use the cast option from within iPlayer, it hands off the stream for the Chromecast to take over, and then Google gets in the way.

It sounds as if the technical things may be a bit beyond you (there is plenty of reading around - a lot in these forums), so the easiest way to do it would be with a laptop connected to your TV via a long HDMI cable. Tablets may work if there is an app for the player you want available (but then you may run into issues of not being able to acquire the App, because you do not have a Playstore account in the country the App is available in).

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1230476 3-Feb-2015 13:08

Can you use Google Chrome on a PC with the chromecast extension, and 'cast' the Chrome tab to the chromecast and see BBCiPlayer, or if it only possible with cast option with iPlayer (which won't work). I'll can the Tablet idea as I certainly don't have a Playstore a/c or even know what one is!.

Maybe the raspberry pi v2 is the answer. About US$35 and they say "You can do most of the things with this that you can do with a PC. You can surf the web, you can watch videos, you can play games like Minecraft. If the really is true... could be handy and apparently it'll run Windows 10. I've got the old pi but it's browser won't play videos.

PottsyNZ

336 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1230570 3-Feb-2015 14:49

ADKM: Can you use Google Chrome on a PC with the chromecast extension, and 'cast' the Chrome tab to the chromecast and see BBCiPlayer, or if it only possible with cast option with iPlayer (which won't work). I'll can the Tablet idea as I certainly don't have a Playstore a/c or even know what one is!.

Maybe the raspberry pi v2 is the answer. About US$35 and they say "You can do most of the things with this that you can do with a PC. You can surf the web, you can watch videos, you can play games like Minecraft. If the really is true... could be handy and apparently it'll run Windows 10. I've got the old pi but it's browser won't play videos.

You can cast the entire tab, regardless of what's playing. This is how I get skygo going on my telly for Super 15 games *cough*. Some webpages like youttube have a cast option that will direct the chromecast to do it's own thing and pull it directly..come to think of it I think only youtube does this at present.

At this stage it's just wireless HDMI really...as said above if you're no too savvy just run a long cable.

The other option is miracast which is a microsoft option..apparently they are good enough to play games over but I hvan't had any personal experience.

Forget the Pi2 and Win 10. It's nothing but a news story at present and the version of win10 will be command line by the sounds of thing.

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1230670 3-Feb-2015 17:44

ADKM: Can you use Google Chrome on a PC with the chromecast extension, and 'cast' the Chrome tab to the chromecast and see BBCiPlayer, or if it only possible with cast option with iPlayer (which won't work). I'll can the Tablet idea as I certainly don't have a Playstore a/c or even know what one is!.

Maybe the raspberry pi v2 is the answer. About US$35 and they say "You can do most of the things with this that you can do with a PC. You can surf the web, you can watch videos, you can play games like Minecraft. If the really is true... could be handy and apparently it'll run Windows 10. I've got the old pi but it's browser won't play videos.

For the record I have now blocked the google DNS servers on my router.
I can cast from my PC to the chromecast using the cast button on the bbc iplayer web page - the icon in the playback bar.
Therefore you dont see it playing on the PC.
It plays fine.

Using the general google cast extension in chrome just pops up a BBC iplayer page on the chromecast that says something like 'iplayer - ready'.
On the PC the video just plays - but nothing ever appears on the chromecast/TV.

Other apps that arent chromecast ready (or whatever term might be used) can be played by from the chromecast extension button.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1231464 5-Feb-2015 02:49

Blimey.. what's one to make of it all !

> You can cast the entire tab, regardless of what's playing

> For the record I have now blocked the google DNS servers on my router.

> Therefore you dont see it playing on the PC.

>It plays fine.

> On the PC the video just plays - but nothing ever appears on the chromecast/TV.

With all due respect, does the bloody thing work or not !!

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Sounddude

I fix stuff!
1928 posts

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#1231484 5-Feb-2015 07:44

Hi ADKM

No need to block google DNS if you are using Orcon Global mode. Global mode takes care of that for you. Chromecast is supported out of the box.

robjg63

4098 posts

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Subscriber

#1231498 5-Feb-2015 08:50

Sounddude: Hi ADKM

No need to block google DNS if you are using Orcon Global mode. Global mode takes care of that for you. Chromecast is supported out of the box.

Hi Sounddude
Do you have a chromecast and a windows PC with the chrome cast extension installed?
It seems iplayer in a browser window has changed recently and its possibly a bit trickier to cast to now.

Can you try this for me and let me know what you get?

If have your chromecast switched on and fire up iplayer in a chrome browser (on a windows PC) you get a screen like this:

If you can see the image above you will see there is the regular cast extension (1) and the iplayer app itself also has a cast icon (2)

If I try using the regular cast icon (1) - the chromecast just pops up a BBC iplayer page with the message ready to cast - nothing plays on the chromecast. The web window keeps playing the video.

If you use the iplayer cast icon (2) the chromecast starts playing audio/video and nothing shows as playing in the web browser window.

In either case the chromecast now seems to 'know' that iplayer is now a supported app and loads some app code into the chromecast to do the work.

Can you tell me if you see what I see?

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

PottsyNZ

336 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1231507 5-Feb-2015 09:21

I just switched to MYR from Orcon so can't test their global mode directly, but will have a go on MYR's similar "fibre tv" service tonight and see how I go.

Sounddude

I fix stuff!
1928 posts

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#1231517 5-Feb-2015 09:28

robjg63:
Sounddude: Hi ADKM

No need to block google DNS if you are using Orcon Global mode. Global mode takes care of that for you. Chromecast is supported out of the box.

Hi Sounddude
Do you have a chromecast and a windows PC with the chrome cast extension installed?
It seems iplayer in a browser window has changed recently and its possibly a bit trickier to cast to now.

Can you tell me if you see what I see?

Hi Rob

Yes I do @ home. However won't be able to try it until early next week sorry!

robjg63

4098 posts

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Subscriber

#1231622 5-Feb-2015 11:27

ADKM: Blimey.. what's one to make of it all ! > You can cast the entire tab, regardless of what's playing > For the record I have now blocked the google DNS servers on my router. > Therefore you dont see it playing on the PC. >It plays fine. > On the PC the video just plays - but nothing ever appears on the chromecast/TV. With all due respect, does the bloody thing work or not !!

Sorry ADKM - I wasnt trying to deliberately confuse you.

I think the way the BBC has implemented the iplayer app (using a chrome web browser) has changed recently.
This seems to have affected the way you could use a chromecast device to get the BBC iplayer content from a web browser to the chromecast device.

Getting iplayer to stream to a chromecast sounds like it may be somewhat beyond what you wish to do.

Maybe a laptop connected to your TV may be the easiest method.
I also note that it looks like Windows 10 will run on the newly released raspberry pi 2.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/02/microsoft_eyes_slice_of_raspberry_pi_with_free_windows_10/

Maybe that might be an option - though it isnt available just yet.....

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1231701 5-Feb-2015 12:28

Thanks for all the responses... will follow anymore findings with interest. The pi2 with win10 may be the best bet and
have taken in board 'chromecast sounds like it may be somewhat beyond what you wish to do.'

Regards, ADKM

eluSiveNZ

188 posts

Master Geek

#1231734 5-Feb-2015 13:53

ADKM: Thanks for all the responses... will follow anymore findings with interest. The pi2 with win10 may be the best bet and
have taken in board 'chromecast sounds like it may be somewhat beyond what you wish to do.'

Regards, ADKM

Why not run RaspBMC or OpenELEC on the Pi and use the iPlayer add on ?

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1231777 5-Feb-2015 15:38

Why not run RaspBMC or OpenELEC on the Pi and use the iPlayer add on ?

Short answer is I don't know how. I got the pi thinking it would work as a browser (it's main use is streaming avi's from the PC which it's great at).
but while you can browse no videos will play. Was told that was because Flash isn't supported and never will be. Is RaspBMC what is uses ? I only know it as
xbmc, now called Kodi.

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