john m
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking of buying a smart tv has anyone successfully tried to connect it to the free wifi in a marina or tethered to a mobile phone does anyone know of a 22 inch tv that will run on 12 volts
Smart tv on marina wifi or tethered to mobile phone
- Thread starter john m
- Start date
westernman
Well-Known Member
Neither will be good enough to let you watch TV.
Almost all phone contracts have a limit to the amount of data. Limitless is typically 3GB or so a month - which goes a long way for downloading emails, but want let you watch TV for long even if it manages to keep up with the speed required.
Most marina WIFIs are pretty slow and have irregular speeds which stop you watching TV.
john m
Well-Known Member
Had anyone got a smart tv on board ? Is there any benifits the one im looking at is only £40 dearer
Highndry
Well-Known Member
John, they're only 'Smart' with a good broadband connection, even with genuine unlimited data (which is rare - there's usually small print that includes the words 'reasonable use') 3G isn't fast or stable enough to offer a good viewing experience.
Connecting to a Marina wifi is unlikely to earn you many friends either - when their connection slows down the first thing the marina will do is reboot the router and you have to re-establish your connection. Eventually they'll call in the IT people who will log in to the router and see which connection is sucking up all the bandwidth. It might take them a while to find you but they could. I wouldn't bother spending the extra £40 unless you're planning to use the TV at home too.
Connecting to a Marina wifi is unlikely to earn you many friends either - when their connection slows down the first thing the marina will do is reboot the router and you have to re-establish your connection. Eventually they'll call in the IT people who will log in to the router and see which connection is sucking up all the bandwidth. It might take them a while to find you but they could. I wouldn't bother spending the extra £40 unless you're planning to use the TV at home too.
SimonD
Well-Known Member
I've been looking into this myself. 3 offer unlimited internet and you don't necessarily need tethering (although they offer this on their top price plan). What you need (I think) is a phone with an HDMI output. The Samsung Galaxy range have this and there are others. Then you can download to your hearts content and view on the TV. Simples.
westernman
Well-Known Member
Verify how unlimited "unlimited" is. Every mobile plan I have seen has a limit on "unlimited" which is not very high - 3GB/month seems quite common (after which they slow your data rate down to pretty much unusable - or reserve the right to cancel your contract etc etc).
3GB is less than one HD film.
SimonD
Well-Known Member
Fair point, but 3 insist there is no 'fair use policy'. To quote from their website:
"> All-you-can-eat data - Explained
All you can eat data allows you to use as much as the Internet or consumer as much data as you wish without worrying about the cost or having to search for hidden and unfair “fair use policies”.
If your smartphone plan includes all you can eat data, then this is for data consumption actually on your smartphone. It does not include using your smartphone as a modem to connect other devices such as laptops and tablets – also known as “Tethering”. Tethering is included in (i) The One Plan; (ii) the One Plan SIM only; or (iii) By purchasing an Ultimate Internet Plan with the Tethering Add on. The add-on can be purchased via My3 on your handset and is also available to customers on our Talk and Text plans.
Does all you can eat data come with any limits? The limit is how much your device can consume – if you were to actively use data or the Internet on your phone every second, of every day, in every month (and we would be worried if you were !!!!) you would, subject to the current traffic management requirements (which vary from time to time), use up to 1000GB per month. So in essence there is a limit of how much data you can actually consume which is up to 1000GB. All this means that you can have absolute piece of mind and enjoy all the internet you need on your smartphone, without worrying."
So, it seems that watching on demand TV, iPlayer or downloaded a few films is not a problem. There 'all you can eat data' sims start at £12.90 a month. To get TV on the boat, plus weather forecasts, skyping the grandchildren etc. that seems like good value.
"> All-you-can-eat data - Explained
All you can eat data allows you to use as much as the Internet or consumer as much data as you wish without worrying about the cost or having to search for hidden and unfair “fair use policies”.
If your smartphone plan includes all you can eat data, then this is for data consumption actually on your smartphone. It does not include using your smartphone as a modem to connect other devices such as laptops and tablets – also known as “Tethering”. Tethering is included in (i) The One Plan; (ii) the One Plan SIM only; or (iii) By purchasing an Ultimate Internet Plan with the Tethering Add on. The add-on can be purchased via My3 on your handset and is also available to customers on our Talk and Text plans.
Does all you can eat data come with any limits? The limit is how much your device can consume – if you were to actively use data or the Internet on your phone every second, of every day, in every month (and we would be worried if you were !!!!) you would, subject to the current traffic management requirements (which vary from time to time), use up to 1000GB per month. So in essence there is a limit of how much data you can actually consume which is up to 1000GB. All this means that you can have absolute piece of mind and enjoy all the internet you need on your smartphone, without worrying."
So, it seems that watching on demand TV, iPlayer or downloaded a few films is not a problem. There 'all you can eat data' sims start at £12.90 a month. To get TV on the boat, plus weather forecasts, skyping the grandchildren etc. that seems like good value.
john m
Well-Known Member
It would only be used rarely maybe 1 film per month I might try it on my home smart tv and see how I get on I will post back but I need to wait till next week till I get a new phone contract also thinking of a miror cable for my iPhone with film on
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
I suspect that ownloading even one film will suck up all the broadband capacity of the marina wifi and annoy a lot of people!
Habebty
Well-Known Member
I have the 3 unlimited data plan (£36/month) with free tethering to my iPad. Works fine for Catchup tv in a reasonable 3G area. But then I don't watch that much tv, but still great for those rainy marina days.
single
Well-Known Member
Samsung Galaxy S4 on 3 will work fine.I found sim only unlimited for i think £13 a month then phone is £410.Ref. the tv, look at Kogan brand.
john m
Well-Known Member
Might be an idea to tether to an ipad then connect to a tv using a mirror cable
john m
Well-Known Member
I finally went and took out a 3 contract with unlimited Internet ( wich means unlimited) and I'm sitting at home watching I player on my smart tv and it is playing absolutely fine tethered to my iPhone 5 so now I'm getting a smart tv for the boat ill need to find one that will also work on 12 volts if possible
John
John
Richard10002
Well-Known Member
Hope you got the One Plan as the others don't allow tethering, even if it works.
I use a Samsung S3 with The One Plan from 3 and watch a Samsung 22F5410. Catchup TV works fine, but YouTube is sometimes difficult.
I use a 300W inverter to power it but, if you can find an adapter, it actually runs off 14V.
john m
Well-Known Member
Yes I got the 1 plan and they have assured there's no limit ,thanks ill have a look at these tvs
single
Well-Known Member
Otter
Well-Known Member
Same, unlimited and watch TV on the iPad and laptop, works every place we've anchored. With a 2 and 6 year old on board it helps a good deal. Requires very little 3G signal to make it work.
Ripster
Well-Known Member
We watch catch-up TV inc Skygo on the IPad using Marina WIFI and 3G. We have also connected the ipad via an Apple TV adaptor to the TV in the boat - all works fine - but not with the skygo app - not compatable with that. Only thing is that at times when many users might be logged on, you need a good ipad connection and this on our boat is only achieved by placing the ipad in the cockpit - thus why we have a cable to the TV when this happens.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Its just as well your not in Fox`s marina then to catch-up one programme would take you all year
Otter
Well-Known Member
Awesome idea - turns any TV into a smart TV - even simpler would be to use the mirror cable direct from the iphone, works at home, stupidly never thought to do that on the boat.