Forum Discussion

Boondocker's avatar
Boondocker
Reel Rookie
2 months ago

Off-grid (Boondocking) camping, streaming baseball games

Does anyone have success streaming their favorite ballgames while boondocking? The MLB app is not available to my LG tv, so I have to use an old Roku Express to use the app.  Problem is, it only connects at single digit mbps. MLB wants 25 mbps. 5K phones are capable of speeds well in excess of 100 mbps and the Roku Ultra boasts "30% faster than any other Roku player", but is only 4K compatible, and there is no customer support available to ask these questions.

So... if I use a 5K phone hotspot, with the Roku Ultra (4K), should I be able to get the minimum 25mbps download speeds, necessary to stream Cub games from the MLB app while boondocking? Does anyone have any success stories?

tv & player wifi

6 Replies

  • atc98092's avatar
    atc98092
    Community Streaming Expert
    2 months ago

    I use my Ultra on WiFi. I have several different models of Ultras, including the latest 4850. They all will connect to WiFi at 200 Mbps or higher, with my 4850 hitting around 280 Mbps. 

    However, even though your phone might be capable of data rates that high, it requires a really good cellular signal to reach those speeds. If your phone is showing 1 or 2 bars at most, you'll never come close to those speeds. Assuming your Express is one of the older ones, it's a single band WiFi so can't reach the speeds available with dual band WiFi players. So any of the dual band Roku players should be capable of high enough connection speeds for MLB. But again, it's all dependent on the signal strength of your cellular signal.

    • Boondocker's avatar
      Boondocker
      Reel Rookie
      2 months ago

      bought an Ultra, brought it home, opened it up and immediately realized it's no good for me.  It must only power up via usb and this one needs to be plugged into a 110v wall outlet.

      • atc98092's avatar
        atc98092
        Community Streaming Expert
        2 months ago

        Ah, I didn't realize you didn't have a 120v power source. Yeah, the Ultra won't run on USB power. But I believe every other version of Roku will, such as the Express 4K+, which is a very good performing player as well. Remember, your Express only supports 2.4GHz, which on Roku devices is far slower than a 5GHz connection. I would expect an Express 4K+ or any new version of the Stick would be just fine for your use.