A crazy idea. Has anyone tried this.

[Majja13]

So I have pondered my adult mental wellness plan many times. This being the child entertainment system when they are whining about it being cold,smokey ect outside and just want to go inside and be kids of today.

So what I have been wondering is if using a Chrome cast and a wifi router to stream movies I have down loaded on my tablet would take less juice then running a DVD player. I know with TV/DVD Combos that the highest amount of juice is used to run the DVD player. SO by eliminating it and the mess of DVD's would this other solution save a little juice, keep the TT a little more organized? I have also thought about a cheap laptop, but that would be more of an expense to me as I have everything but the Chromecast for the other option. And secondly how hard would it be to convert a router to a 12 volt DC then using an inverter for 120?

Fire away this is a brain storming post.

[braindead0]

Remove the TV? Thread title is crazy idea, just tossing that one out there.

[Rootus]

We went the cheap & easy route. I bought a pair of Kindle Fire tablets ($40/each) and a pair of 32GB memory cards ($12/each) and then preloaded each with some movies, TV shows, and games. We try to avoid using the tablets at all when we're camping, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do, and as a distraction they are super effective.

However, If I were doing it again, I'd consider just getting refurbed iPad Minis from a couple generations back. A bit more expensive, but I'm growing weary of the Android/FireOS media management. Even when it works correctly it's a PITA, and I run into a lot of buggy behavior. Eventually gets the job done, but I think my sanity might be worth ponying up a few more bucks for the Apple tablets.

[jarata1]

Why don't you run a chord from tablet to back of tv with hdmi cords

[GordonThree]

With regards to powering the router off 12v. According to Asus, the router requires 19v input. That's a really weird voltage for something electronic, and I can't imagine anything inside the router actually requiring 19v... It's most likely a means to deliver more current, using a step-down converter inside the router.

If it were my router, the first thing I would do is try powering it off 12v directly. The built in step-down converter likely outputs 5v or 3.3v internally, it will likely work with 12 as it does with 19. On the off chance plan A didn't work, I would pick up a DROK step-up DC/DC converter, rated for at least 3 amps from Jeff's website and set the output for 19v.

[2oldman]

Majja13 wrote:
I never thought about using my hot spot on my phone in place of the router.

There ya go.

[ChooChooMan74]

Majja13 wrote:
Gordon Three it is an Asus RTN56U Wireless.

ChooCHoo please I would be interested in seeing your set up. If you would rather email them my email is shuter1371@gmail.com

I could add 2 more 6 volts, but really I hate having the DVD's around the trailer and working if they are scratched ect.

I never thought about using my hot spot on my phone in place of the router.

Give me some time. I am off work, but about to pick up the little one from school. I will post on here, just in case others are interested.

[bobndot]

Introduce the kids to something different ?
Give them a rotary phone and tell them to figure out what it is and how it works.

[Majja13]

Gordon Three it is an Asus RTN56U Wireless.

ChooCHoo please I would be interested in seeing your set up. If you would rather email them my email is shuter1371@gmail.com

I could add 2 more 6 volts, but really I hate having the DVD's around the trailer and working if they are scratched ect.

I never thought about using my hot spot on my phone in place of the router.

[2oldman]

Majja13 wrote:
how hard would it be to convert a router to a 12 volt DC then (sic) using an inverter for 120?

Perhaps you could consider increasing your battery capacity.

[ChooChooMan74]

I do, but do it a bit differently. I use a pocket router as a DNLA server, and store Ripped movies on a USB thumb drive, and when watching on A TV instead of a tablet, I use a FireTV Stick, which is more powerful than a Chromecast. If you're interested in my setup, let me know, and I will go into details and pictures.

[GordonThree]

Both plans revolve around the TV, which is going to be your biggest drain, regardless of dvd player usage. The tv's backlight and audio amplifier will use more power than the built in dvd player. The chromecast is a piggy little device too, mine gets hot while operating, and I believe the power adapter that ships with it is rated for 5 watts (my 24in Vizio led tv only takes 9 watts)

What sort of router do you have that needs to be plugged in to power to operate? Either a portable hotspot or cell phone hotspot run off an internal battery and just recharge as needed. Some folks running full time might leave the hotspot plugged into the charger all the time, most likely an automotive type charger (12v in, 5v out.)

Since you haven't bought a Chromecast yet, don't. If you want a streaming stick, get a Roku. They are about the same price and the Roku works by itself. Rather than needing a phone/tablet to control it, it has a remote control. Plus it supports Amazon Video, a service Chromecast will never support (although there are workarounds.)