New streaming method on Wonder - no cables required.

[orville99]

On wonder and they have updated their IT system so as long as you have an internet package you no longer need to hook up an HDMI cable in order to stream to the TV in your cabin. It is now done directly from your device via chrome cast. (Works fine with our iPads as well).

 

Accordng to the IT person we spoke with, it is being rolled out across the fleet starting with the newer ships first.

Edited July 9, 2023 by orville99

[smokeybandit]

So they're putting a Chromecast in all cabins?

[ATG]

16 minutes ago, orville99 said:

On wonder and they have updated their IT system so as long as you have an internet package you no longer need to hook up an HDMI cable in order to stream to the TV in your cabin. It is now done directly from your device via chrome cast. (Works fine with our iPads as well).

 

Accordng to the IT person we spoke with, it is being rolled out across the fleet starting with the newer ships first.

They had this on Odyssey also.  But being the tech idiot I am, I couldn’t figure it out.

[OCSC Mike]

We saw it on Wonder last month just never bothered trying to use it.

[steveru621]

Been around for a few months.  This should suck up the remaining Internet bandwidth.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

So they're putting a Chromecast in all cabins?

Yes, at least on wonder.

[Newcruiser215]

Just got off the Wonder this morning and we took advantage of this new feature all week. Worked really well for the most part. 

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

So they're putting a Chromecast in all cabins?

Casting to the cabin TV has been a thing since Odyssey came out - it's just a wireless casting feature to the TV being implemented by RCI.

[notmyrealnameoremail]

2 hours ago, steveru621 said:

Been around for a few months.  This should suck up the remaining Internet bandwidth.

Since casting from your phone or other device will use intranet not internet, it shouldn't cause problems.  If there is a lot of extra streaming, that could impact internet access, but Starlink significantly increases internet bandwidth.

 

YMMV

[steveru621]

1 hour ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

Since casting from your phone or other device will use intranet not internet, it shouldn't cause problems.  If there is a lot of extra streaming, that could impact internet access, but Starlink significantly increases internet bandwidth.

 

YMMV

I guess you phone won't use WiFi???????

 

Some Routers will be overwhelmed.

[steveru621]

1 hour ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

Since casting from your phone or other device will use intranet not internet, it shouldn't cause problems.  If there is a lot of extra streaming, that could impact internet access, but Starlink significantly increases internet bandwidth.

 

YMMV

You aren't casting to your TV. Your TV becomes a device. 

[Billy Baltic]

6 hours ago, notmyrealnameoremail said:

Since casting from your phone or other device will use intranet not internet, it shouldn't cause problems.  If there is a lot of extra streaming, that could impact internet access, but Starlink significantly increases internet bandwidth.

 

YMMV

I agree. The process of casting just uses local network. The source of the material being cast is what could potentially increase usage. Presumably RC feel making this available will increase the uptake of internet packages.  

[Woodmnky]

This is really cool. Thanks for sharing. 

[orville99]

11 hours ago, steveru621 said:

You aren't casting to your TV. Your TV becomes a device. 

Actually, you are casting. The streaming content is on your phone or iPad, and you are wirelessly displaying that content on your TV. As far as I know, that is the definition of casting. 

[orville99]

5 hours ago, Billy Baltic said:

I agree. The process of casting just uses local network. The source of the material being cast is what could potentially increase usage. Presumably RC feel making this available will increase the uptake of internet packages.  

We were playing live network broadcasts on the TV last evening, so we were using internet bandwidth to get the content to our iPad, and then using the short haul chrome cast to display on the TV. I suppose if we were streaming downloaded content, then we would only be using the short haul network.

 

BTW, the ability to attach an HDMI cable to the TV has been permanently eliminated, so if you don’t have the internet package, I doubt you will be able to stream anything since you have to access a website to get the access codes.

[chiguy67]

Nice to know but we never watch much tv on a cruise.

[Jasukkie]

The big question, will the TVs in the sports bars permit streaming? The in-house lineup is generally lacking. 

[orville99]

21 minutes ago, Jasukkie said:

The big question, will the TVs in the sports bars permit streaming? The in-house lineup is generally lacking. 

Asked in playmakers last night and the answer was a hard no due to their licensing agreements with the networks. Ended up watching the women’s us open finals on our phone.

[RobInMN]

9 hours ago, orville99 said:

BTW, the ability to attach an HDMI cable to the TV has been permanently eliminated, so if you don’t have the internet package, I doubt you will be able to stream anything since you have to access a website to get the access codes.

Wonder should have the same system as Odyssey.

Unless they've physically blocked or eliminated the HDMI ports, you can still use it. On the newer ships with the more interactive custom menu, you have to unplug the network cable as well, and then unplug the TV and plug it back in/ When the network port is connected when the TV boots up, it automatically downloads and launches their custom software first, which does prevent you from using the Source button on the remote.

[RobInMN]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

Asked in playmakers last night and the answer was a hard no due to their licensing agreements with the networks. Ended up watching the women’s us open finals on our phone.

That's what I have to do during college football season. I'm a BigTen fan, and from my 2 experiences sailing on a game day, if it wasn't on ESPN (which includes the ESPN SEC channel), then it's not available. Nothing on any of the FOX networks or affiliated channels, which includes the BigTen Network.

Very unfortunate. I just put in my earbuds and found a corner in a lounge and streamed the Iowa Hawkeye game on my phone.

[Jasukkie]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

Asked in playmakers last night and the answer was a hard no due to their licensing agreements with the networks. Ended up watching the women’s us open finals on our phone.

It's so silly at this point. They should just get rid of in-house TV and provide TVs for streaming only. If a passenger chooses to cast an event they've paid for to a screen why should anyone care? It would only be visible to those physically in front of that screen, it's not being illegally shared. 

[orville99]

13 hours ago, RobInMN said:

Wonder should have the same system as Odyssey.

Unless they've physically blocked or eliminated the HDMI ports, you can still use it. On the newer ships with the more interactive custom menu, you have to unplug the network cable as well, and then unplug the TV and plug it back in/ When the network port is connected when the TV boots up, it automatically downloads and launches their custom software first, which does prevent you from using the Source button on the remote.

Tried all that and even called guest services and had them reboot the tv. The hdmi ports were physically accessible, but there was no way to change the input on the tv to actually use them. The new software that they installed blocks any input changes.

essentially, at least on Wonder, if you don’t purchase the internet package you are SOL on streaming anything.

Edited July 11, 2023 by orville99

[Scottdalfonso]

On 7/9/2023 at 10:47 PM, steveru621 said:

You aren't casting to your TV. Your TV becomes a device. 

This is incorrect. Your phone or tablet is the device... you are just sending a signal from the device to the TV, no wifi is actually needed to do this-you can even send anything that is on your phone to the tv with no wifi at all, it'll just show whatever is on your screen, whether it's the home screen or an app...But of course with wifi you can cast netflix\hulu etc to the tv. 

[steveru621]

You login in with the tv.

[orville99]

20 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

You login in with the tv.

No you don’t. You have to be logged into a website on the internet on your phone in order to stream. All the TV does is give you a code that you key in to the website to tell your phone which TV to connect to.