Solving playback issues

[jonathanmurthy]

So I'm a new Roku user and feel free to correct any of my assumptions. Just moved over from chromecast.

Our situation is that we use an iOS device to screen mirror our apps.

Right now we watch Amazon Prime videos to go to sleep, but the playback stops after the first episode. Is there anyway to have Autoplay,  continuous play, or automatically play the next episode that I'm not aware of?

Do we have to sign into all the accounts on Roku itself in order to have that functionality as opposed to using screen mirroring?

Any light anyone can share on this situation would be greatly appreciated.

[DBDukes]

@jonathanmurthy 

Are you mirroring, or are you casting?

If mirroring, then the Roku is simply a remote screen, nothing more.

If casting, Roku is launching an app, and any settings that control actions such as playing the next item would be controlled by the Roku app.

Chromecast works the same way, insofar as downloading a version of the app behind the scenes to play content; however, Chromecast doesn't usually offer such settings.

Gotta ask: why change from Chromecast to Roku, if you want to use it like a Chromecast?

[jonathanmurthy]

It is using Airplay which I interpret to be screen mirroring as it does mirror whatever is on my iOS device. However whenever I watch Prime Video it only plays a single episode in a series. I'm just surprised it doesn't autoplay and I was wondering if there was a setting somewhere I could change. 

I got Roku because there are certain apps that I can't cast with it and I wanted to see if Roku was a good alternative. But maybe I've misunderstood exactly how Roku is different.

[DBDukes]

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@jonathanmurthy wrote:

It is using Airplay which I interpret to be screen mirroring as it does mirror whatever is on my iOS device. However whenever I watch Prime Video it only plays a single episode in a series.... 

If you watch the content on the iPhone does it autoplay? If you're mirroring via AirPlay, I would expect that since it's the phone connecting to Amazon Prime Video service, that the phone app settings would control that.

Your iPhone was likely not mirroring to Chromecast, but casting which means it was running an app that is on the Chromecast. And if there wasn't an app for a certain service in the Google Play Store, then the Chromecast couldn't download it to play, and you couldn't cast.

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@jonathanmurthy wrote:

... But maybe I've misunderstood exactly how Roku is different.

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Roku, along with Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV (the $50 one with a remote) all work pretty much the same insofar as the standard way most use it is to use the remote and select what's on TV. Traditional TV style.

There are differences, of course, but the idea is the same. Roku supports AirPlay for mirroring, similar to Apple TV. Roku also supports casting from Google Cast protocol that drives the original cheaper Chromecast devices, and which Chromecast with Google TV also supports. I understand Amazon Fire TV supports casting, but I never looked into it.