TV streaming on Aurora

[galeforce9]

Hi.  I’m aware the tv kit on Aurora is not the best.  I’m considering getting the star link streaming package and wondered if anyone has been successful, particularly on aurora, or the other older ships, in streaming from iphone to tv.  Ideally it's my phone that i will have on the package, so presume some sort of mirroring would be required.   I think it's possible that perhaps you can get some sort of cable from ipad to tv to do the job too but not sure and then that would need to be my device.  Thank you 👍🏻

[otbc]

39 minutes ago, galeforce9 said:

Hi.  I’m aware the tv kit on Aurora is not the best.  I’m considering getting the star link streaming package and wondered if anyone has been successful, particularly on aurora, or the other older ships, in streaming from iphone to tv.  Ideally it's my phone that i will have on the package, so presume some sort of mirroring would be required.   I think it's possible that perhaps you can get some sort of cable from ipad to tv to do the job too but not sure and then that would need to be my device.  Thank you 👍🏻

 

I did this over Xmas with my Chromebook using a USB-C to HDMI cable - worked fairly well, but it did have temperamental moments! Just FYI you can't stream iPlayer when abroad without a VPN, likewise with a few of the other free-to-air channels such as ITV.

[galeforce9]

Just now, otbc said:

 

I did this over Xmas with my Chromebook using a USB-C to HDMI cable - worked fairly well, but it did have temperamental moments! Just FYI you can't stream iPlayer when abroad without a VPN, likewise with a few of the other free-to-air channels such as ITV.

Thank you!!!  

[9265359]

On Aurora with the pathetically small TVs then I am not sure it is worth the hassle of trying to view something on the TV rather than straight from an iPad.

 

As for connecting iPhones or iPads to TVs it isn't as straightforward as connecting an Android phone or tablet, a Windows laptop, or a Chromebook. With the newer iPhones and iPads with USB C connectors then theoretically you can get a USB to HDMI connector / cable, but my experience with anything other than the official Apple cables is that it isn't worth it. With an older iPhone or iPad with a lightning connector then even with the official Apple adapter (which is eye-wateringly expensive) the end result isn't great.

 

The alternative to showing stuff on an iPhone or iPad on a TV is that you use AirPlay but you need either an AirPlay capable TV - and those on Aurora certainly are not - or you need to plug in to the TV an AirPlay receiver. However lots of streaming services don't like you using AirPlay so they block you casting it to the TV, so that won't work.

 

And then as already mentioned, if you are outside the UK now then you can't stream most content from the UK - Netflix is an exception where they will just show you the content licensed for that location - i.e. in Spain you get Spanish content - although lots of that might be the same as UK content.

 

What you can do as an alternative to streaming stuff live is to use the facilities that the BBC iPlayer app and the Netflix app offer to download content and to watch it without an internet connection - although with both there is a time limit they will allow it to stay on the device.

 

There are other solutions to the issue, but this isn't really the place to discuss them.

 

[Fionboard]

 Been on Aurora many times over the past couple of years and always had large TVs. It is the lack of signal at times which is the problem. But I don't cruise to watch TV as I do too much of that at home! 

[terrierjohn]

45 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

 Been on Aurora many times over the past couple of years and always had large TVs. It is the lack of signal at times which is the problem. But I don't cruise to watch TV as I do too much of that at home! 

But some of us who are older and less mobile than others, do use our cabins more and like to have TVs large enough to see from anywhere in the cabin, and which have stable pictures. Which in a modern world with state of the art satellite communications should be achieveableveven at sea.

[Fionboard]

7 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

But some of us who are older and less mobile than others, do use our cabins more and like to have TVs large enough to see from anywhere in the cabin, and which have stable pictures. Which in a modern world with state of the art satellite communications should be achieveableveven at sea.

Only ship I have been on recently that still has rubbish TVs is Ventura. However, Aurora (and Arcadia) TVs are fine now. 

[terrierjohn]

7 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Only ship I have been on recently that still has rubbish TVs is Ventura. However, Aurora (and Arcadia) TVs are fine now. 

Auroras accessible cabin TVs are still rubbish, as are all Ventura and presumably Azura cabin TVs  and Princess have managed to change all their Grand and Crown class ships TVs, so P&O have no excuse.

[Fionboard]

On 2/9/2024 at 5:55 PM, terrierjohn said:

Auroras accessible cabin TVs are still rubbish, as are all Ventura and presumably Azura cabin TVs  and Princess have managed to change all their Grand and Crown class ships TVs, so P&O have no excuse.

Why would accessible cabins have different TVs to the rest of the ship?. Maybe they have changed since the last time you used one? 

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Fionboard said:

Why would accessible cabins have different TVs to the rest of the ship?. Maybe they have changed since the last time you used one? 

No we were on board shortly after the pre covid refit when theTVs were replaced, but they hadn't bothered to change the accessible cabin TVs, apparently because they were not prepared to remodel or remove the dressing table surround to enable the bigger TVs to be wall mounted.

[Fionboard]

2 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

No we were on board shortly after the pre covid refit when theTVs were replaced, but they hadn't bothered to change the accessible cabin TVs, apparently because they were not prepared to remodel or remove the dressing table surround to enable the bigger TVs to be wall mounted.

That was 2019 so maybe things have improved now. She has had a fair bit of  refurbishment over the past couple of years - new furniture, carpets, mattresses, etc.  

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Fionboard said:

That was 2019 so maybe things have improved now. She has had a fair bit of  refurbishment over the past couple of years - new furniture, carpets, mattresses, etc.  

But if you have been reading @Selbourne he has reported that the accessible cabin TVs are still on the small side.

[Selbourne]

Just now, Fionboard said:

That was 2019 so maybe things have improved now. She has had a fair bit of  refurbishment over the past couple of years - new furniture, carpets, mattresses, etc.  

 

@terrierjohn is completely correct. The TV’s in the accessible cabins are still way too small. They were ‘upgraded’ very slightly a year or two pre Covid, so are a tiny bit bigger than the ones we had before, but they are still not as big as the new wall mounted ones in the standard balcony cabins. 
 

Then you have the issue of picture and sound quality, both of which are absolutely dire. It’s so bad that most channels are unwatchable. We spend a lot of time in our cabin and I like having the news on, but it’s so bad (dreadful picture and sound quality plus terribly unstable reception) that I’ve pretty much given up.
 

I'd be surprised if the non-accessible cabins don’t have similar issues (albeit with a bigger screen) but can’t comment as we don’t use them, but the ones that we have had on Aurora on all 8 cruises on her simply aren’t fit for purpose

[Fionboard]

12 hours ago, Selbourne said:

 

@terrierjohn is completely correct. The TV’s in the accessible cabins are still way too small. They were ‘upgraded’ very slightly a year or two pre Covid, so are a tiny bit bigger than the ones we had before, but they are still not as big as the new wall mounted ones in the standard balcony cabins. 
 

Then you have the issue of picture and sound quality, both of which are absolutely dire. It’s so bad that most channels are unwatchable. We spend a lot of time in our cabin and I like having the news on, but it’s so bad (dreadful picture and sound quality plus terribly unstable reception) that I’ve pretty much given up.
 

I'd be surprised if the non-accessible cabins don’t have similar issues (albeit with a bigger screen) but can’t comment as we don’t use them, but the ones that we have had on Aurora on all 8 cruises on her simply aren’t fit for purpose

That's a shame. I do not use accessible cabins but it seems disappointing for those that do. 

[9265359]

On 2/9/2024 at 5:44 PM, Fionboard said:

Only ship I have been on recently that still has rubbish TVs is Ventura. However, Aurora (and Arcadia) TVs are fine now. 

 

If they have been upgraded then they haven't updated the photos of the cabins on their webpage, as certainly the inside and seaview cabins seem to have rubbish tvs, and even the balcony cabins don't look great - Aurora, Cruise Ship Exclusively for Adults | P&O Cruises (pocruises.com)

[Fionboard]

4 hours ago, 9265359 said:

 

If they have been upgraded then they haven't updated the photos of the cabins on their webpage, as certainly the inside and seaview cabins seem to have rubbish tvs, and even the balcony cabins don't look great - Aurora, Cruise Ship Exclusively for Adults | P&O Cruises (pocruises.com)

They have not updated the pics. Not surprising! 

[9265359]

41 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

They have not updated the pics. Not surprising! 

 

Do they not want to sell any cruises!

 

Yes I know a TV isn't a high priority for some, but for goodness sake would it be that hard or that expensive to take a few new photos, as otherwise it is pointless doing a refurb if nobody knows about it.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, 9265359 said:

 

Do they not want to sell any cruises!

 

Yes I know a TV isn't a high priority for some, but for goodness sake would it be that hard or that expensive to take a few new photos, as otherwise it is pointless doing a refurb if nobody knows about it.

Probably because the cabins no longer look as new and pristine as the old photos. Also since turnround day only has about 1 hour max when they are cleaned and tidy and empty, I doubt that P&O have the ability to organise such a photo shoot!