Anyone hook up their computer to hotel TVs to watch Netflix

[Gonolz]

or Amazon Prime or whatever else? Was thinking about watching a movie at the hotel last night and PPV was $18+ tax. I ended up watching one on Netflix on my small computer screen instead. Would have been nice to just hook it up to the flatscreen TV. Anyone do this at home and/or hotels?

 

[Wendy79]

I've done it at home.

 

[Nole1217]

Yup. Just connect the HDMI cable and go.

 

[FreeFlyNole]

I carry an hdmi cable in my briefcase because I do a lot of presentations it hooks up to my Mac and any modern television. I've done it a few times.

However normally I just work when I'm in my hotel room.

 

[Naught-Nole-Buc]

Many times... works like a charm! You can also use a dongle for iPad into a vga port on a tv... but you'd need an aux cable too for sound. Most tvs have these connections as well.

 

[Urban Cryer]

I've heard a lot of hotels are now disabling the HDMI ports to prevent people from using their own stuff.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Do it all the time. I carry an HDMI cable in my laptop bag just for this. I also used to have a MHL cable to stream from my old phone (S4), but my newer S6 phone has it disabled, so check to see if your model allows this. But the HDMI should work at most hotels.

 

[Gonolz]

Mine is a hybrid computer/tablet with the only connections being a USB or firewire. I found a USB to HDMI adapter, so maybe that will work. Like Urban Cryer, I read that many hotels are disabling it (probably those who charge $18+ to watch a movie), but I'll get a USB HDMI adapter and HDMI cable and throw them in my bag next time and try it out.

 

[TennNole17]

Here's the trick.

 

[HulaNole]

I carry an HDMI cable. Usually though I just work on the laptop and then if nothing is on TV to have background noise I'll just have a podcast playing or play HBOGo/ on the iPAD.

 

[GoNolesTX]

Here's the trick.

This is very compelling.

Honestly though, if hotels are disabling HDMI ports on their televisions, they need to offer more than local stations and 5 Univisions.

 

[MIKE_G]

I've used my Chromecast on the road, but you would need an HDMI port for that as well. But you could still use your computer/phone/tablet while you cast Netflix or whatever.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

This is very compelling.

Honestly though, if hotels are disabling HDMI ports on their televisions, they need to offer more than local stations and 5 Univisions.

The only hotels Ive seen that have ever blocked the hdmi are at some Marriotts (but none of their sister branches oddly enough). It's the ones that still have that old assed 90's lodgenet sytem.

I friggin hate Marriots, especially before I was a member and they charged for wifi, seriously, wtf? Anyway I remember calling the front desk and they were going to send maintence up but they took forever, probably unclogging toilets or smoking cigs out back, but I ended up figuring it out myself by unplugging the rj45 connector in the back. There's multiple hacks on the net to get around this.

 

[Gonolz]

Here's the trick.

I can't believe I never thought of that.

 

[timenole]

Many times... works like a charm! You can also use a dongle for iPad into a vga port on a tv... but you'd need an aux cable too for sound. Most tvs have these connections as well.

I always find use for my dongle in hotel rooms.

 

[F4Gary]

So WTH is the trick? My ad blocker must be in overdrive.

 

[HulaNole]

So WTH is the trick? My ad blocker must be in overdrive.

 

[wdnole]

The only hotels Ive seen that have ever blocked the hdmi are at some Marriotts (but none of their sister branches oddly enough). It's the ones that still have that old assed 90's lodgenet sytem.

I friggin hate Marriots, especially before I was a member and they charged for wifi, seriously, wtf? Anyway I remember calling the front desk and they were going to send maintence up but they took forever, probably unclogging toilets or smoking cigs out back, but I ended up figuring it out myself by unplugging the rj45 connector in the back. There's multiple hacks on the net to get around this.

Yea, I do this all the time also.... I travel a lot and always have my 25' HDMI cable in my suitcase whether its a carry-on or regular luggage for longer trips.

The only time I've been to a hotel where it was disabled was also a Marriott (Courtyard I think) near the Denver airport. I called the front desk and they told me it was disabled per hotel policy, but they were soon supposed to change this (like it takes an act of congress to get this done).

I stay in Marriotts all the time, and that was the only one that had HDMI ports disabled.

PS: you can order a good quality 25' HDMI cable on Amazon for under 15 bucks. I've been using the same one since at least three years ago when the prices dropped.

 

[kc78]

I have, unfortunately most of my travel is outside the country where Netflix rarely works. I have used VPNs in the past, but they've started cracking down on those fairly hard. So I might just have to go back to reading.

 

[seminoledq]

The only hotels Ive seen that have ever blocked the hdmi are at some Marriotts (but none of their sister branches oddly enough). It's the ones that still have that old assed 90's lodgenet sytem.

I friggin hate Marriots, especially before I was a member and they charged for wifi, seriously, wtf? Anyway I remember calling the front desk and they were going to send maintence up but they took forever, probably unclogging toilets or smoking cigs out back, but I ended up figuring it out myself by unplugging the rj45 connector in the back. There's multiple hacks on the net to get around this.

So Marriott can block their HDMI ports but can't figure out how to block their peep holes?