# Connecting Tablet to TV



## one eye guy (Aug 7, 2012)

I have a 10" RCA tablet that I'd like to connect to my TV. It has a HDMI port and the manual says it can be connected but the port on the tablet is smaller than the one on the TV.
Can I buy a cable with different size connectors? I didn't even know they came in different sizes.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

choose your poison.

generally you can get a cable with mixed size connectors. Once you figure out what you have on each the TV and tablet, post it.


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## Greg.Now (Feb 23, 2015)

nap pretty much solved it. But if I may add, you can buy HDMI cables with different ends. For example, end A is type D and end B is type C and all the other possible combinations.


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## one eye guy (Aug 7, 2012)

Thank you nap and Greg for clarifying the differences. I was able to find an adaptor kit with a micro and mini connectors so I just connected to mini and was able to connect to the tablet. The other end was the standard size and connected to the TV. It works well. Thanks again for your help.


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## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

For a solution you didn't ask for . . . 

For $35 you could have NO wires
http://www.google.com/chrome/devices/chromecast/

Assuming that your tablet is a fairly recent Android one. :thumbsup:

I got one before Christmas (and got my dad one for Christmas) and it is pretty slick.


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## one eye guy (Aug 7, 2012)

Thanks for the info Nick. Will have to look into that. I might consider making a swap. The chromestick sounds similar to a ROKU which I recently bought.


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## Greg.Now (Feb 23, 2015)

one eye guy said:


> Thanks for the info Nick. Will have to look into that. I might consider making a swap. The chromestick sounds similar to a ROKU which I recently bought.


chromestick is way cheaper but roku has better features and more supported channels.


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## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

one eye guy said:


> Thanks for the info Nick. Will have to look into that. I might consider making a swap. The chromestick sounds similar to a ROKU which I recently bought.


I'd look into that then. I only suggested the Chromecast as it was cheaper.

I've never used a Roku but my understanding is you can screen mirror with it :thumbsup:


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## Greg.Now (Feb 23, 2015)

NickTheGreat said:


> I'd look into that then. I only suggested the Chromecast as it was cheaper.
> 
> I've never used a Roku but my understanding is you can screen mirror with it :thumbsup:


yep. the screen mirror thing works like a charm. It is also really easy to do w/c is one of the reasons why I highly recommend roku.


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## ktkelly (Apr 7, 2007)

Greg.Now said:


> yep. the screen mirror thing works like a charm. It is also really easy to do w/c is one of the reasons why I highly recommend roku.



Water Closet?


What's that got to do with TV? :laughing:


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## one eye guy (Aug 7, 2012)

Sorry guys, didn't mean to abandon the conversation. I got sidetracked. So now I have another question. What does screen mirror mean? Never heard of it. Does it mean since I have a ROKU I would have no need of the chromecast?

PS- I do know what a water closet is. I've been to England.


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## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

Screen mirror means it shows what is being shown on your tablet screen. Right down to your emails, passcode, etc. 

I've not used a Roku, but it sounds like it'll work just peachy for you. I might have recommended you purchase the Chromecast in the beginning, but not if you already have the Roku.


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## one eye guy (Aug 7, 2012)

Thank you Nick. I only got the Roku recently so I haven't had a chance to see all it can do. That's a feature I wasn't aware of so I've got some homework to do. I'm 66 years old but I enjoy learning about some of the newer technology. It keeps my brain active.


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## kphammond9 (Apr 21, 2015)

Slightly off topic, but one of the really great apps that works on a roku is called plex. If you have a pc with movies, TV shows, music, etc on it, you can use plex to organize your media and stream it to any device connected to your home network (Roku, tablet, smartphone, etc) all wirelessly. I can even access my plex server from work, as long as my home pc is on.


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## Hick (Nov 21, 2014)

I live out in the boonies with satellite net & very limited data caps. Would cromecast or roku use internet data or is simply streamed over wi-fi or something similar. I would love to ditch the wires & have my laptop displayed on the TV myself but cant do anything that actually uses internet usage.


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## kphammond9 (Apr 21, 2015)

Hick said:


> I live out in the boonies with satellite net & very limited data caps. Would cromecast or roku use internet data or is simply streamed over wi-fi or something similar. I would love to ditch the wires & have my laptop displayed on the TV myself but cant do anything that actually uses internet usage.


Chromecast and Roku do use an internet connection for much of their content, but the plex app itself doesn't have to. It uses your local network to stream media from your pc to whatever connected device you have (could be anything plugged into your router or on wifi). Plex would access the internet when you add new content (it runs a media "scraper" that looks at your media, figures out what it is, and downloads display info like cover art, posters, plot summary, etc). But that's a one-time thing. Once it's set up, you don't need to access the internet to play anything within your home network.

Plex works on both roku and chromecast. They each have pros and cons. The chromecast is cheaper, but is wifi only. I have mine set up right next to my router, so the wifi signal is strong and fast. The roku 3 has an ethernet port, which is almost always faster, but it's pricier.

EDIT: One major difference between the two: the roku comes with its own remote control. With the chromecast, you control it with your tablet or smartphone by downloading compatible apps (including the plex app). I prefer not having an extra remote to fuss with, since I always have my phone on me, but I could see the merits of both.


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## Hick (Nov 21, 2014)

kphammond9 said:


> Chromecast and Roku do use an internet connection for much of their content, but the plex app itself doesn't have to. It uses your local network to stream media from your pc to whatever connected device you have (could be anything plugged into your router or on wifi). Plex would access the internet when you add new content (it runs a media "scraper" that looks at your media, figures out what it is, and downloads display info like cover art, posters, plot summary, etc). But that's a one-time thing. Once it's set up, you don't need to access the internet to play anything within your home network.
> 
> Plex works on both roku and chromecast. They each have pros and cons. The chromecast is cheaper, but is wifi only. I have mine set up right next to my router, so the wifi signal is strong and fast. The roku 3 has an ethernet port, which is almost always faster, but it's pricier.
> 
> EDIT: One major difference between the two: the roku comes with its own remote control. With the chromecast, you control it with your tablet or smartphone by downloading compatible apps (including the plex app). I prefer not having an extra remote to fuss with, since I always have my phone on me, but I could see the merits of both.


Appreciate the info. Do you know of any options that are free or do not have a monthly payment. Like i said, I cant stream internet anyways. No netflix, youtube, nothing. I am mostly simply wanting to use my TV as an external monitor to play video games & watch movies directly off my laptop without having to deal with plugging a wire in each time.

Thanks again.


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## kphammond9 (Apr 21, 2015)

Hick said:


> Appreciate the info. Do you know of any options that are free or do not have a monthly payment. Like i said, I cant stream internet anyways. No netflix, youtube, nothing. I am mostly simply wanting to use my TV as an external monitor to play video games & watch movies directly off my laptop without having to deal with plugging a wire in each time.
> 
> Thanks again.


Plex is free except for the client app, which is maybe $5. The chromecast is $35 and the roku3 is $100. The roku stick is $50 (also comes with a remote, but is wifi, like the chromecast). None of them require a monthly subscription.

If you want to play games, you might want to go with a roku. Chromecast will tab cast a chrome browser window, but I don't think it will do a full screenshare. One of the other posters said the roku will. I don't have one, so I can't vouch for that.

If you have a samsung or vizio tv and can do without the gaming, the plex client may work directly on your tv, without the need for a second device (roku or chromecast). That's pretty close to free. 

Details are here:
https://plex.tv/downloads


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## Hick (Nov 21, 2014)

LG TV. Though I misread, I thought the cromecast was $35 monthly. I will look into them. Thank you lots mate


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## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

No the Chromecast is just $35 to purchase, one time only. But it does require internet connection, even to mirror your screen, is my understanding. Though I haven't checked this out. Maybe just to set up; not entirely sure.


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## kphammond9 (Apr 21, 2015)

NickTheGreat said:


> No the Chromecast is just $35 to purchase, one time only. But it does require internet connection, even to mirror your screen, is my understanding. Though I haven't checked this out. Maybe just to set up; not entirely sure.


I'm not 100% sure, so don't get mad if I'm wrong... but I believe that all you need is a LAN wifi connection. Chromecast can connect to the internet for things like firmware updates (and if you want to stream any online content), but for general use, I think all it needs is a wifi connection to your router. I guess one way to test it is to see if you still have a wifi connection if you unplug the connection between your router and your modem.


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## NickTheGreat (Jul 25, 2014)

kphammond9 said:


> I'm not 100% sure, so don't get mad if I'm wrong... but I believe that all you need is a LAN wifi connection. Chromecast can connect to the internet for things like firmware updates (and if you want to stream any online content), but for general use, I think all it needs is a wifi connection to your router. I guess one way to test it is to see if you still have a wifi connection if you unplug the connection between your router and your modem.


You very well could be right. I should test that theory sometime, but I will probably forget! :laughing:


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## one eye guy (Aug 7, 2012)

Nick, According to the people at Roku the tablet I have is not compatible so I guess I'll just do the cable connect. It's not something I'll be using a lot anyhow.


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