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Using Streaming device in Fairway Villas

icydog

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I’m going down to the Fairways in a few days. I want to be able to stream Hulu, Paramount, HBO, Prime, Apple TV + Disney etc.

We used to use our Amazon FireSticks but compared to the Apple TV device the FireSticks are like pushing a truck uphill.

Can I use an Apple TV device on their new TVs? Or do I have to stick with the Firestick? Can I use Roku?
 

dioxide45

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I suspect that Fairway Villas likely has the "smart" boxes on the back of the televisions. These boxes have built in apps that feed to the television. We have been seeing these boxes on the back of the television at just about every Marriott Vacation Club property. So on the televisions, you can directly log into apps such as Prime, Netflix and YouTube. The others you mention won't be directly available.

That said. Those boxes do have an HDMI input and as long as you can also find an available electrical outlet nearby, there would be no problem connecting it up. You can then use the input button on the remote to control the input signal that the box is receiving. I have found that you can't connect your 'sticks' devices directly to the television. The remote provided in the unit controls the box, not the TV directly. So you need to have whatever device you bring connected to one of the HDMI ports on the box. One problem we have found with those HDMI ports that go through the box is that the color is very washed out. You can see an example of what I mean in this post. All said, it works, it could just be better IMO.
 

icydog

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They do have those smart boxes. Last time I had to get an actual TV remote (not the toss away kind they give you in the room without asking) to change the input. But then it got super tricky. I had to use thtee remotes
1.TV remote to change inputs

2. FireStick to select streaming programs

3. The toss away remote to control the volume of the TV.

I got used to doing this but my friends who travel with me couldn’t figure out how to stream so they watched regular TV when I was out.

The new FireSticks have a way to hook the TV functions like volume to the device. Maybe I should buy a couple 9f them. They’re on sale now on Amazon.
 

dioxide45

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The problem with the volume with Firestick is that it is really just a Universal remote and you have to program it to work with whatever device you have it connected to. It may also use HDMI control to control the TV volume. I wouldn't rely on that to be easy to set up. Perhaps it is, I have just never done it.
 

dougef

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I was just there.

The good news - I was able to use my Roku by following the instructions provided by Roku on using the device in a hotel or dorm. A little tricky, but it worked.

The bad news - Fairway Villas has just about the worst wifi I have had in a hotel or timeshare in several years. Very, very slow with frequent disconnects! Sometimes the streaming worked okay. Other times it disconnected so often we had to give up and watch regular tv.
 

icydog

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It’s because they don’t have enough routers around the property. One year the whole building was out because someone (okay it was me..) accidentally pulled the plug on the router that was on my nightstand. The crew came in and said everyone was without WiFi bc I disconnected the router. I felt so foolish.
 

jmhpsu93

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It’s because they don’t have enough routers around the property. One year the whole building was out because someone (okay it was me..) accidentally pulled the plug on the router that was on my nightstand. The crew came in and said everyone was without WiFi bc I disconnected the router. I felt so foolish.
Yes, it's your fault because there's a router on your nightstand???? LOL
 

dioxide45

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Yes, it's your fault because there's a router on your nightstand???? LOL
I often unplug things that are on the nightstand. The alarm clock is usually quick to go and the telephone too. The nightstand is a very odd location for the router.
 

emeryjre

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Top of the line IT work at that place. Not
 

icydog

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I agree. It took up 33% of my space. I, too, take the phone and the clock off my nightstand. In fact, I unplug the phone immediately since the only ones calling the room are incessant timeshare salespeople.
 
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