Features, settings & updates

[tomich]

Hi.   I’d like to stream video content that I’ve downloaded onto my iPad to a TV in my recreational vehicle.  If I get the Roku Express and hook it up to the TV, will it stream directly or does it require WiFi as well. 

[atc98092 · Accepted solution]

A: yes, it requires a network connection between the Roku and the device storing the media.

B: if the video content is downloaded from iTunes, you cannot play it on anything but an Apple device. iTunes video (not music) contains Digital Rights Management (DRM) and will only play on Apple devices. If it's downloaded from some other location, but merely stored on the iPad, I believe you'll need to transfer the file(s) from the iPad to something else. I don't know of any media server solution that will run on an iPad that would be accessible from a Roku player. 

Now, there's one other option, and that's using Airplay. You can play the media on the iPad (which handles the DRM), and screen share the iPad to the Roku. Note that AirPlay isn't available on every Roku player. Depending on the model Express you get, it might not support AirPlay. Even buying new it's possible to end up with an older model, although very unlikely from a major retailer such as Best Buy. This page provides specific models numbers of the supported players.