Streaming Orcons iPlayer to TV

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

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#162196 1-Feb-2015 20:19

Now that Orcon have BBC iplayer is there any way to stream it to the TV ? I have a DLNA connection between PC and TV, and also a raspberry
pi (but that doesn't have a decent browser afaik). The TV is one generation older than smart, you can get YouTube but there's no browsing capabilty.
Is there a cheap tablet available with HDMi output - would that work ?

Thanks for any ideas/suggestions.

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381 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1227292 1-Feb-2015 20:25

Can you stream it from a Chrome browser to a chromecast ?

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1227296 1-Feb-2015 20:36

Just googling chromecast. Have you got one ?

Reanalyse

381 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1227297 1-Feb-2015 20:43

Yes - but in having a look the iPlayer does not appear to have ability to cast (unless you use a media server on the PC such as Playon)

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1227310 1-Feb-2015 20:54

From Google... With Chrome, you can access the entire Web, meaning you can watch every type of content you can think of right on your TV. Anything you can view on your Chrome browser, you can watch on your TV.

From what you say though, it's not that straighforward? Playon sounds like it could be a bit of a learning curve...

Sounddude

I fix stuff!
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#1227347 1-Feb-2015 22:06

Is your TV a smart TV? If you can change the region to the UK, you should be able to use a iplayer app from that.

Otherwise the Apple TV support iplayer aswell as Roku devices.

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1227358 1-Feb-2015 22:20

You mean the Roku Streaming stick. It's about $30 more than Chromecaast. Is it worth it, do you think ?
Any idea why it work with iPlayer when the other doesn't?
No the TV is the one before smart. It's only semi-smart!

benokobi

927 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#1227378 2-Feb-2015 00:32

The chromecast requires a smartphone to send the initial requests and if I remember correctly the stick comes with it's own remote to control more like an Apple tv.

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ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1227379 2-Feb-2015 01:24

Blimey... smartphone, initial request. This gets more and more involved!
I'll ring Dick Smith and see what they know... as they sell them. But if anyone has one and
can explain what it is, how it works and if it is selective (as in won't work with iPlayer) please let me know ?

Thanks.

robjg63

4096 posts

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#1227394 2-Feb-2015 07:34

Get a Chromecast. Approx $60.

Plug into spare HDMI port on TV. Plug.... Hey - just read this page:

https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/2998456?hl=en

You don't need a smartphone etc.windows PC can do the setup.
You can then play whatever you can play in your browser to your TV.

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

trig42

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#1227420 2-Feb-2015 09:03

Sounddude: Is your TV a smart TV? If you can change the region to the UK, you should be able to use a iplayer app from that.

Otherwise the Apple TV support iplayer aswell as Roku devices.

Pretty sure iPlayer isn't available on Apple TV.
Should work fine with an Adroid, iOS or Laptop though: http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/tv/connected/chromecast/chromecast

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1227664 2-Feb-2015 13:07

Thanks Robjg. that answered a few questions (adn I see there's a user help forum too)

I'd get one today but I'm bit concerned about the comment 'iPlayer does not appear to have ability to cast'
without Playon. Assuming I can find Playon and make it work. You say 'then play whatever you can play in your browser to your TV. "
which sounds ideal. But I don't know what to believe. My concern is, Will I get it home and find other things won't play without something or other ?

Maybe Dick Smith will let me return if, in that case. I'll ask !

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1228996 2-Feb-2015 21:01

Trig42, thanks for that link. Sounds like it will work but don't imagine it'll be easy e.g.

Select any TV programme (live BBC TV channels are not available to cast from a web browser) on www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer (New version of iPlayer only)

Is that what we get on Orcon ? And obviously it won't work with anything in the browser or Live BBC TV channels would work, I imagine.
Will find out tomorrow if I can buy one and able to return, or not.

robjg63

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#1229065 2-Feb-2015 22:41

ADKM: Thanks Robjg. that answered a few questions (adn I see there's a user help forum too)

I'd get one today but I'm bit concerned about the comment 'iPlayer does not appear to have ability to cast'
without Playon. Assuming I can find Playon and make it work. You say 'then play whatever you can play in your browser to your TV. "
which sounds ideal. But I don't know what to believe. My concern is, Will I get it home and find other things won't play without something or other ?

Maybe Dick Smith will let me return if, in that case. I'll ask !

Sorry - you lost me there.
Whats playon got to do with this?

You seem to indicate you have:
A TV
A PC
A wifi network
Orcon (and BBC access unblocked).

If you hook a chromecast up to your TV and open up chrome browser on your PC, go to BBC iplayer website and start playing something - you should be able to click the 'chromecast' icon and have it launch on your TV.

In fact the BBC now say their web page supports casting to a chromecast.

There are 2 ways you could use the chromecast.
1. A site streams video through your browser but is not especially chromecast aware.
In this case you will have installed the chromecast extension for the chrome browser - you can just click that icon in your browser - select your chromecast device and what is playing on the PC (Audio and Video) should also be playing on your TV.
*nearly* every site can be streamed like this - there are some that wont - you would have to google if you are not sure. BBC iplayer/ITV/4od do work.

2. Apps that are chromecast aware (BBC iplayer is chromecast aware now apparently).
There is an icon on the media playback toolbar - you click that and the chromecast is told to go and get the content directly via your internet connection and start streaming on the chromecast - it wont be playing on the PC.

That said I have tried the chromecast tonight and can get 4od and ITV to play to it (method 1).
I can not get BBC iplayer working with it (either method 1 or 2) - it just displays ready to cast .... ah - maybe its that thing where the chromecast always uses googles DNS and you have to do some tricky things to get it to use an unblocker - sound of penny dropping. PC is using a DNS unblocker - it tries and hands the stream to the chromecast (method 2) and the DNS on the chromecast says - nope - no BBC in your area....

I might have to have a look at this....

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

ADKM

860 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1230086 3-Feb-2015 02:32

Robjg, you're right... I do have all those things indicated and your methods 1 or 2 sound very plausible. Why then do some sites not work (doesn't matter what they are, just why they don't and others do). Kind of suggests it could be more a frustration than anything else. You saying BBCIplayer fails kind of euchres the whole deal. How about YouTube? The YouTube available on the TV is not as good (or the same) as what you can browse to. DNS-specific and tricky things I'd rather avoid. Was going to pick one up tomorow, but will hang fire now so many thanks for the warning. If you do get further with it please let me know.. The reference to PlayOn was from someone earlier in this thread who said BBC iPLayer wouldn't 'cast' without it.

robjg63

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#1230175 3-Feb-2015 08:22

If you were looking for a perfect system - you probably need to hook a PC to your TV.
There will be some websites that might not stream (via chrome browser) to the chromecast - I think older flash based video streams may be an issue.
I found ABC australia and SBS were fine - likewise 4od/ITV/channel 5 (also UK)

Most media players have some sort of limitations etc.

With the chromecast they decided to hardwire the DNS servers it uses to use the google servers.
Consequently (without some router configuration to direct the google DNS lookups somewhere else) it will always tell the truth about where it is.
BBC iplayer - No - you are in NZ
Netflix - No to are in NZ etc etc
This is only the case when the site is aware of chromecasting - 4od, ABC, SBS arent - so you have to use the chrome casting extension in the chrome browser and as I said it plays on your PC and also streams the video/audio to the chromcast device - so you can see it on your TV. The chromecast browser extension lets you mirror what is on your browser to your TV - could be the stuff website - could be audio/video content.

Youtube should be ok - though I gather some of their content has some geo checks - I suppose they might not play on chromecast (without tweaking as mentioned above).
Youtube is chromecast aware so would hand the streaming of audio/video completely to the chromecast - like BBC iplayers site does.
As I said - at that point the chromecast is using googles DNS servers and it cant lie about where in the world it is.

Hope this makes sense.

I will have a play with the router - to redirect the google DNS server lookups to my Unotelly DNS - doesnt look hard and should fix chromecast - will let you know.

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

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