Forum Discussion

sk44tyler's avatar
sk44tyler
Reel Rookie
2 years ago

Screen Mirroring without Internet in Vehicle

Currently there is functionality Roku devices are missing, which would be very useful for many people with children going on road trips. 

Currently, I have a Roku 4K streaming stick in my van attached to a rear screen entertainment system. I want to use Apple devices (e.g. iPhone and iPad) to store movies/tv shows and play the content through the Roku stick via either AirPlay or screen mirroring (for my kids on long road trips). Unfortunately, I discovered as soon as I left my driveway, the screen mirroring stops. It turns out that Roku forces both the Roku device and mirroring device (iPhone and iPad) to not only be on the same WiFi network, but to have internet access as well!  Obviously internet access is not feasible in a moving vehicle unless you pay for a hotspot (which my wife does not).

This internet requirement makes no sense in my mind… I know for a fact that Airplay does not require internet access as I previously used an Apple TV in the van to do screen mirroring without internet (I can’t any longer b/c the location of the hdmi input in my new van makes it not feasible). Anyways, can this feature be added for Roku streaming devices (I’m hoping it’s a simple OS update)?  It would make many people like myself very happy. Thanks in advance. 

1 Reply

  • sk44tyler's avatar
    sk44tyler
    Reel Rookie
    2 years ago

    Well I officially give up on trying to make the Roku stick work in my vehicle for screen mirroring. As a last ditch effort, I purchased a travel router and hooked it up in the back of my van and connected both my iPad and Roku to it (without internet). By doing this, it lets me screen mirror from my iPad (you must select proceed without internet connection every single time you connect). Unfortunately, the screen mirroring is unusable when trying to watch a movie… the video and audio freeze/pause every 5-10 seconds, making the movie unwatchable.

    All I can say is that I’m extremely disappointed in Roku. I will be returning my Roku and going with a generic wireless display adapter that is half the price of the Roku and is a device that will actually work for my application.