iPad 2, Amazon's Prime, and Google's Chromecast: do they work together?

[tadd5181]

I have an iPad 2, and I bought the Prime offered by Amazon (allowing streaming movies/TV). I tried hooking my iPad while streaming a movie via Prime to my TV using an apple HDMI cable: No go. Apparently you can't sending streaming stuff to the TV via HDMI.

However, can you send the streaming movie (again coming to my iPad via Amazon's Prime) to the TV using Google's Chromecast?

I have read on this forum you can do this using Roku, but can you accomplish what I want with Chromecast?

Any help appreciated.

 

[twerppoet]

I've heard that Chromcast support (in some form) is coming to iOS. I don't think it is available yet.

The ability to send stuff to your TV via the HDMI cable, or AirPlay (streaming or otherwise) is up to the app developer. If Amazon's player does not alow it then extra hardware and/or cables are not going to make any difference.

 

[tadd5181]

But my question concerns the Chromecast...does it or does it not work to stream the Prime movies on my iPad to my TV?

 

[twerppoet]

The short answer:

No. Chromecast will not (at this time) let you steam Amazon Prime movies to your TV.

Longer answer:

You're thinking that Chromcast is some kind of miracle way of bypassing the apps on the iPad. It is not. If an app does not do streaming, then the app does not do streaming. There is not way to bypass that fact.

If the Amazon Prime app does not stream, then Chromcast will not add streaming capability.

And as far as I know, Chromecast does not work with iOS yet. I've heard rumors that Google intends to support it on iOS, but I don't know what form that support will take. It will probably be an app, which will mean only stuff you seen in a Google app will stream. Otherwise it would have to use AirPlay, which would require changes in the Chromecast hardware itself.

 

[AQ_OC]

There is an Chromecast app for iOS. I have it on my iPads. I have not used it yet, however. One should note that Chromecast is not a device that streams what's on your device to your TV...it merely redirects a websource to your TV, thus bypassing your device. So, to use it, you need to be able to stream a source within your web broswer (Youtube will let you do this on an iPad). I don't think the Amazon Prime will let you do this on an iOS device. It wants you to use the App. However, the best way to test it is to get Chrome on your iPad and see if you can stream a Prime movie using Chrome...if you cannot, then it is unlikely that Chromecast will ever work with it.

 

[twerppoet]

There is an Chromecast app for iOS. I have it on my iPads. I have not used it yet, however.

Thanks. I didn't think it was out yet.

Hmm, looking at it, the app is just for setting up your Chromecast device; a utility. It does not enable streaming from the iPad. Unless I have the wrong app. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chromecast/id680819774?mt=8


A quick look at the supported channels for Chromecast does not show an Amazon channel, of any flavor; but it is able to stream from the Chrome browser on a computer; if you install the extension. Chromecast

Does Amazon Prime offer movie streaming in a browser?

That won't work on the iPad, of course, since you can not add extensions to iOS Safari. It would not surprise me if Google added this ability to Chrome for the iPad, but the description on the App Store does not mention the feature; and I'm sure they'd make a big deal of it if the feature was there.


So the answer is:

• Still no streaming of Amazon movies from the iPad to the TV using Chromecast.
• Direct streaming of Amazon movies from the internet through Chromecast to the TV might be possible, but there's nothing in Google's Chromecast pages to confirm it. But there is no reason why Google and Amazon couldn't get together and add an Amazon Prime channel in the future.
• Streaming to your TV from a computer using the Chrome browser and Chromecast extension is probably possible.
• Something I'm not seeing, which would not surprise me that much.

 

[AQ_OC]

I'm surprised that the OP can't stream amazon prime movies to a tv over HDMI from an iPad. I'm doing it right now to an Apple TV. So amazon is not restricting its content from streaming from an iPad to a tv. I think this will work over an HDMI cable as long as HDCP is maintained in the link. By the way, amazon has been very good about providing support for its content on iOS, which is one reason I use amazon (and it helps to to avoid total lockin within a single ecosystem).

 

[tadd5181]

I had heard that the streaming from Amazon's Prime was possible to an Apple TV (which I do not have). But now i've heard that it is possible to use ROKU to stream the Prime movies from an iPad to a non-Apple TV. So my new question is: has someone actually used Roku to stream a Amazon Prime movie to a TV? (The cheapest Roku is twice the price of a Chromecast device, $35 vs. $60). Help on using the Ruku to accomplish would be appreciated

 

[Mickey330]

I had heard that the streaming from Amazon's Prime was possible to an Apple TV (which I do not have). But now i've heard that it is possible to use ROKU to stream the Prime movies from an iPad to a non-Apple TV. So my new question is: has someone actually used Roku to stream a Amazon Prime movie to a TV? (The cheapest Roku is twice the price of a Chromecast device, $35 vs. $60). Help on using the Ruku to accomplish would be appreciated

Yes, I have a Roku device and yes, I get Amazon Prime on it. I also have an Apple TV that I can use AirPlay to stream the Prime movies to the TV. But, I prefer the Roku because I don't have to use the iPad. Oh, and plus Roku had an app that you can use as a remote to operate the Roku. Very handy.

But. I'm not streaming from the iPad to the Roku. Yes, you can stream videos and song and such from the iPad to the Roku, but that's only stuff on the iPad. The Roku is connected to my WiFi and streams Amazon Prime on it's own channel. It comes with its own remote, so you don't even need an device to view Amazon Prime on your TV. You just need WiFi...

But, since I can use the Roku app to control my Roku device, here's a screenshot of the Roku remote on my iPhone (that can also be installed on the iPad):

And here's the Roku showing my Amazon Prime channel on my TV:

Hope this reassures.

Marilyn

 

[tadd5181]

I do NOT have an Apple TV...I have a Samsung TV. What I want to know is whether I can get movies from Amazon Prime (which now show up on my iPad2) to go from my iPad2 to my Samsung TV by using the Roku. If my question is not clear, please let me know. Also since my original post had Chrome cast in it, I am asking a new question with just Roku involved.

 

[AQ_OC]

I do NOT have an Apple TV...I have a Samsung TV. What I want to know is whether I can get movies from Amazon Prime (which now show up on my iPad2) to go from my iPad2 to my Samsung TV by using the Roku. If my question is not clear, please let me know. Also since my original post had Chrome cast in it, I am asking a new question with just Roku involved.

Please re-read the post above yours from Mickey330. Your question is answered very clearly. The Apple TV is not a TV set, it is a streaming device similar to a Roku. You can use your iPad 2 and a Roku to stream Amazon Prime movies to your Samsung TV, as Mickey330 has explained in a prior post. Also, your Roku can play amazon prime movies without the need for an iPad, even though you can get an app to use your iPad as a remote control for the Roku.