Winegard ConnecT 2.0+ /FireTV

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DonTom

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Apr 21, 2005
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Auburn, CA or Reno, NV
Can somebody here explain how all this works?

I have the TV working with my V W/L Hotspot. & Amazon Account. Does it eat up a lot of data? How does it work? I mean all that video through a portable Hotspot? I was just watching Forensic Files on it and it worked as well as any other TV, if not better.

I have a "FireTV" in this RV, whatever that means. This is all in my new to me 2022 Vison listed below. My first long trip in it.

I found the cable outlet for my Winegard hidden in a cabinet above the kitchen table lift-up TV. Photo below.

I has two buttons on it, both were pushed in and on with a red light for each. I found it that way, on. But isn't it supposed to put put a Wi-Fi signal output? I am not seeing it. Also have a coax output connected to nothing. Next to it, I have two more TV cable screw on receptacles. Two inputs. Says "roof sat." on top. Below says "input line 1" and "input line 2". This has no buttons or switches.

So what is all this stuff and how is it supposed to work?TVwinegard.JPG

-Don- Quanah, TX
 
A FireTV is essentially a TV with an Amazon FireTVstick streaming device built in instead being an HDMI add-on. And depending on what format video you're streaming, yes, it can eat a lot of data in a hurry. We stream around 3-4 hours daily with our FireTVstick connected to one of our two hotspots, using 200-250 GB of data per month.
 
I strongly suggest that the OP take a look at some of the material available at the Mobile Internet Resource Center (MIRC): Internet for RV & Boats

The folks who run MIRC provide accurate, unbiased information. Some of it is free; some requires a subscription. But IMO it is the best place for a newbie to get oriented to this complext topic. It is less biased than information you will get from post on forums such as this where people tend to tell you that what they have is the best for you.
 
A FireTV is essentially a TV with an Amazon FireTVstick streaming device built in instead being an HDMI add-on. And depending on what format video you're streaming, yes, it can eat a lot of data in a hurry. We stream around 3-4 hours daily with our FireTVstick connected to one of our two hotspots, using 200-250 GB of data per month.
I have heard of a Fire stick, but I really have no idea what it is or even what it does.

Other than I can read here.

-Don- Henrietta, TX
 
I have heard of a Fire stick, but I really have no idea what it is or even what it does.

Other than I can read here.

-Don- Henrietta, TX
Both your Fire TV and the FireTVstick use various Android based apps to stream programming that you watch on your screen. There are thousands of apps available from Amazon, some that allow free viewing and others that require a paid subscription. If you want most of the various "cable" channels plus your local TV stations, then services like YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu Live, and other subscription services are where to go. For free streaming, services like Pluto, Tubi, IMDb TV, Crackle, and others offer a wide variety of programs, movies, etc. The apps for all of these services are free to download at Amazon.com. Your TV likely has some of them pre-installed though, and if you subscribe to Amazon Prime, there's a lot of video content there as well.
 
Yeah, I do. But I never used them for any video stuff.

-Don- Henrietta, TX
Your TV most likely already shows you the Prime streaming video offerings. You mentioned watching Forensic Files in your OP. Was that listed on your TV's home screen at startup? If so, then that was most likely from Amazon Prime Video.
 
as that listed on your TV's home screen at startup?
Yes, and I just updated my V W/L account to the max they allow for $110.00 per month (I was paying half that}. But now my V W/L plan says:

"You have unlimited data."


I didn't even know they offered an unlimited plan.

So I just went from the lowest to the highest plan with V W/L data.

I just looked it up. "Unlimited" means:


"How many GB is Verizon's unlimited data plan?


With the Verizon Plan Unlimited, you get a 15 GB/month allowance of 4G LTE / 5G Nationwide1 data for Mobile Hotspot feature/app and mobile hotspot devices each billing cycle. Once you've used the 15 GB of data, your mobile hotspot data speed will be reduced to up to 600 Kbps for the rest of the billing cycle."


How well will the TV work at 600 kbps?

Anyway, FF and other real-life crime thingies are my favorite stuff to watch on TV. And that is working great! I am watching the TV as I type this. Using the HotSpot for both.

Should I just forget about the Winegard, or can it still do something useful for me?

-Don- (just SE of Henrietta, TX)
 
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In a word, trying to stream video at 600 Kbps "sucks". That "unlimited data" but slow speed after some GB of high speed data is an old game the cell companies play. You do get the "unlimited data" they advertise, but the speed drop makes much of it all but unusable for anything beyond the vary basics. On the other hand, my $25/mo Visible (owned by Verizon) plan is truly unlimited with no slow downs other than some brief ones on really busy towers. Visible does limit the speeds to 5 Mbps for hotspot use, but even that is adequate for reliable streaming.
 
In a word, trying to stream video at 600 Kbps "sucks". That "unlimited data" but slow speed after some GB of high speed data is an old game the cell companies play.
Yeah, I noticed, But I will see how this works out for me. I don't watch a lot of TV.

-Don- (just SE of Henrietta, TX)
 
Hey Don, did your rig come with a wineguard batwing on the roof? You could always go with "old school" OTA TV. Or what I like to do, BCB DX. Numerous clear channel stations from across the US can be easily picked up on the dash radio. When there's zero cell or TV to be had, I get news/weather/talk shows over AM radio.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Hey Don, did your rig come with a wineguard batwing on the roof?
Nope. The Winegard Connect 2 looks like this.

But I think it can be used as a plain antenna as well as has other functions I know nothing about. That is why I started this thread.

But the TV works great without it, using my portable Hotspot. And works anywhere I can get internet coverage. Don't need TV coverage or antennas to watch TV anywhere. I am watching the TV right now from this rest stop.

-Don- (just SE of Henrietta, TX)
 
A workaround for the hotspot data limit is to get an adaptor so you can mirror your phone screen to the TV. If the system sees you watching the video "on your phone", they can't tell you're mirroring to the bigger screen and the hotspot limit doesn't apply.
 
A workaround for the hotspot data limit is to get an adaptor so you can mirror your phone screen to the TV
I have never tried to watch TV on a Smartphone. And I don't know what adapter you mean.

And why should that method use up less less data?

-Don- (just SE of Henrietta, TX)
 
I have never tried to watch TV on a Smartphone. And I don't know what adapter you mean.

And why should that method use up less less data?

-Don- (just SE of Henrietta, TX)
It doesn't necessarily uses less data. It's all about quality (resolution) of video and audio. You can adjust the streaming settings to lower quality, thus using less data.

 
A workaround for the hotspot data limit is to get an adaptor so you can mirror your phone screen to the TV. If the system sees you watching the video "on your phone", they can't tell you're mirroring to the bigger screen and the hotspot limit doesn't apply.
This is a good idea!
I have never tried to watch TV on a Smartphone. And I don't know what adapter you mean.

And why should that method use up less less data?

-Don- (just SE of Henrietta, TX)

Watching TV on the phone is not using a hot spot. So it doesn't get throttled to 600Kbps after the first 15GB, like the hot spot does. The adapter Old_Crow is talking about is likely a USB-C to HDMI.
Using that you can use Amazon Prime or whatever you want on the phone and it will be mirrored to whatever TV you've connected via HDMI.
 
I have a pay as you go phone, don't have the data to stream TV so it's park cable or OTA for me.

Don't need TV coverage or antennas to watch TV anywhere.

Well, not "anywhere". Come camping with me sometime...

For out in the boonies there's the DVD player or downloaded utoob videos on a thumb drive jacked into the TV. I also have a Fire stick on the TV which can view media from phones or tablets using Smart View which is part of Android. So Don, since you have a Fire TV you should be able to mirror your phone to the TV. I get you can stream shows right from the TV but sometimes it's handy to be able to see content on your phone without having to schlep files around or need cell/wifi connection.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
I have a pay as you go phone
Same with me, I perhaps make an average of three cell phone calls per year. I never have it on unless somebody askes me to, as you did last week for an hour or so before we met.

But with my portable Hotspot, it now has unlimited coverage, It gets used a little every "normal" day, but a lot of use on my RV trips like this one.

73, -Don- AA6GA/5 Frierson, LA
 
So Don, since you have a Fire TV you should be able to mirror your phone to the TV.
My main PAYG cell is a dumb phone.

I have several Smartphones, but none of them are achieved for the web. I use them for Bluetooth to my Zero motorcycles and also to activate those stupid Electrify America CCS DC fast charger at many Wally*Mart with my Hotspot. AFAIK, they are the only CCS fast chargers not to have their own card. CCS is for my Energica motorcycle, but my Chevy Bolt can also use CCS.

I also use the Smartphones for Bluetooth in both my RVs for the SmartShunt. I have never used them for anything else, including making phone calls.

73, -Don- AA6GA/5 Frierson, LA
 
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