Streaming Netflix in the Car

Streaming Netflix In The Car

Having movies in the car is a must for those that travel frequently.  As a family, we can put on thousands of miles a year, travelling to see family and hitting our favorite camping destinations.

Having videos in the car gives us quiet kids (for our sanity), and gives our little ones something to do other than ask ‘are we there yet’!

Ever since we got our iPhone, we have been able to successfully watch netflix vids while on the go.  With just a couple iPhone attachments and the right know-how, it is pretty easy to accomplish.

Here are the things you need to make this work:

1.) iPhone or a phone that can do video out.  Standard Video or HDMI??

Most in car video solutions have inputs for standard RCA video (the red, white, and yellow connectors).

Depending on your phone, there are a few things you need to get in order to hook your phone or tablet to these connectors.

 

What you need for the new iPhone/iPad:

a.) Lightning to HDMI Adapter 

 

*Important – This adapter allows you to hook up an HDMI cable and your charger to the phone/iPad at the same time.

 

b.) HDMI to Component Adapter

This is an essential piece to turn your digital signal into something your car TV can use.  I have used this one personally, and it works great.  It does need power itself, so we’ll add that here:

c.)  USB Cables for power

Both the phone and the converter need power.  In order to power them, pick up these cables:

Standard USB Cable

Link for Standard Power Cable (will open a new window)

USB cable for your phone.  The Amazon brand cable will work great and save you a bunch of money 🙂

Link for Lightning USB Cable (will open a new window)

 

d.) Dual USB Car Charger

Since we have 2 things to power, this handy little unit will do a great job for both.

Dual USB Car Charger (will open a new window)

 

Android Phones/Tablets with HDMI Out.

Most Android phones have been made with HDMI outputs recently.  Here’s what you’ll need:

a.)  Mobile HDMI Cable:

Link For Mobile HTML Cable (will open a new window)

 

b).  Everything other than the lightning cable above.

 

Cable for iPhone/iPad.

Since iPhones and iPads have video out capability, they are perfect for streaming netflix in the car.

You will need the video out cable which can be purchased for under $30:

 

iPhone Video Out Cable

Link for iPhone/ iPad video out cable

 

2.) Hooking up your phone to your video player.

In our minivan, we have a built in DVD player that has video inputs.  It is a bit of a pain because the video inputs are way in the back row of the minivan.  We needed to use a couple adapters and extensions to make it work.  Some cars have this connection closer to the front.

Video Input Hookup Streaming Netflix

Since this connection is way in the back, we have a long RCA cable plugged in that goes all the way to the front of the car.

In our minivan, the audio ports that are used here only go to the headphones in the back seats.  This would normally be fine with us, but we find it is more trouble trying to keep those headphones on their heads.

Instead we port the sound through the main radio in the front.  Here is a pic of the adapter cable up front:

Streaming Netflix, Car Adapter

You can see the RCA extension adapter plugged into the red cable.  (I used a red cable because I had one laying around, the normal color of this connector is Yellow – which is the Video part of the cable).

The USB connector plugs directly into a car USB power adapter.  I like the dual port one that can charge the iPhone and another device at the same time.

Notice the audio cables are not hooked up here either.  We grab the audio right from the phone with the headphone jack.

Streaming Netflix Hookup Pic

Here we have the connections ready to go.  When I get into the car, I just pop the phone into the holder and plug away.  This gives me easy access to the phone.

For iPhone 5:  By far- the best mount is the RAM mount.  I’ve tried others, and this one is the best mount I’ve ever used for a phone.

Link For RAM Mount (will open a new window)

 

For iPhone 4/4s:  The iGrip is a GREAT holder. You can get it for under $10 on Amazon.

Our minivan does not have an MP3 connection, so we go old school with the tape cassette converter.  When we have the video playing, we just change the selector to ‘Tape’ and then fade the sound to the back of the van.

This has worked really well for us.  The only time you might have problems is if you travel in the ‘boonies’ a lot.

 For just a couple bucks (and a Netflix account of course), you can have a much larger selection of videos at your fingertips for those large trips.

No Netflix Account Yet??

Here is an offer to get 1 year free subscription to try them out:

Netflix Special 1 Year Offer

How ’bout you?  How do you cope with the long trips?

The Proper Samsung Galaxy Car Dock for your Device

The first thing I do when I purchase a phone is buy the Car Dock that is made for that phone.  I don’t like the generic car docks, you know the ones that squeeze the phone in and hold it.  While those may work fine, I prefer the fit and polish of a car dock that was made to hold the phone. 

Samsung creates some awesome phones, and they hit it out of the park with their Galaxy device.  In this post I will show the various car docks that are made to fit the Galaxy device and provide a sweet car experience for you and your android phone!

Samsung Galaxy S3

The anticipation for this phone is un-real.  This is sure to be one of the best phones of 2012.  At the time of writing, the dock for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is not available, but as soon as it comes out, you will certainly see it here.

Samsung Galaxy S2

This dock is for the Samsung Galaxy S2. It fits well and has a quick release tab for mounting/unmounting:

You can grab this on Amazon:

Samsung SGH-i777 Galaxy S II Vehicle Mount Car Kit

Samsung Galaxy / Samsung Fascinate

The starter of them all, the Samsung Galaxy – or Fascinate as it was called on Verizon.  This dock is more plain-jane, but can hold your device well in the car.  It has a sweet price of under $10 too:

Available on Amazon:
Car / Vehicle Mount for Verizon Samsung Fascinate Galaxy S

 

Samsung Galaxy Note

One of the most intriguing devices I have ever seen is the Samsung Galaxy Note.  This device is plain HUGE, but would be awesome for use in the car!  There is a car dock available for the Samsung Galaxy Note, and it is not to pricey either.

Grab it on Amazon here:
Samsung ECS-K1E1BEGSTA Black Vehicle Navigation Car Mount for the Samsung Galaxy Note

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Last but not least is the Galaxy Tab.  One of the first Android tablets, the Galaxy tab makes a wonderful car media system. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab Vehicle Mount [ECS-V980BEGSTA]

 

There you have it.  A wonderful line of high-tech devices made even cooler with proper accessories. 

 

Smallest i7 Laptop – 2011 Laptop Guide

A couple years ago I ditched my full power laptop for the likes of a Netbook.  I didn’t want the size and heft of practically a full PC in my backpack, so I went little, and my patience took a beating for it!

I love the little laptop, but I need full power so I don’t go crazy!  So I went searching around for a laptop that was really small – some would call this an ultraportable, and a laptop that had plenty of power to get the job done.  I also did not want to spend more than $1000! 

Enter the Acer Aspire TimelineX.  This is one of the smallest laptops that carry the i7 Intel chip.  It comes ready to do all the work you want to do, filled to the gills with specs that are on par with any full featured laptop.

One of the best specs with this laptop was the battery life.  It is spec’d out to get a full 8 hours of battery life from one charge! 

It is sleek and very small with an 11.6 inch screen.  This baby is pretty much a netbook sized powerhouse, perfect for those on the go.

All the reviews around the net are totally positive for this laptop.  From those ready to buy a 11.6 Mac Airbook, to those looking for a ultra convienient travel laptop.  They all rave at the great size and power of this laptop.

It comes with one of the best ultra-portable keyboards around.  The keys are nearly full size, and have plenty of space in between.  The mouse supports finger and swipe gestures for zooming and navigating, similar to much more expensive laptops.

It comes standard with VGA, HDMI, USB and Ethernet ports right on the machine.  No need for expensive converter dongles, this laptop is ready to hookup to anything you need.

This has been one of the best deals that I have seen on an I7 Laptop of this size.

If you are in the market to find the smallest i7 laptop for 2011, then look no further than this baby here.  It’s small, but packs a powerful punch.  The best part is that it will not break the bank!

 

Sweet Droid 3 Accessories Everyone Should Have

The Droid 3 will be out on Thursday.  This is a phone that I have been waiting for ever since I got my Droid X some time ago.  I really liked the X mostly for it’s size and screen, but what it really lacked is the slide out keyboard.

So now I am off to grab the new Droid 3 as soon as I can.  So with that I am on a mission to find the accessories for the Droid 3 without paying the crazy Verizon store prices!

 

1.) The Droid 3 Car Dock.  This is the most important accessory for me as I drive a ton and love having the Droid always accessible in it’s spot.

Looks like they updated the design of the car dock.  The dock for the X had a longer arm from the suction cup to the phone itself.  This made the phone bounce a little on the bumpy roads.  Looks like they updated to make it more stable, and it just plain looks cool too!

This package said it contains a custom audio and power USB cable?  Does this mean that it will grab the audio thru the USB so you don’t have to fiddle with hooking the audo cable into the phone after it is docked?  Wow that would be great!  I have been wishing for this feature for a while.  I’ll let you know if this is true as soon as I get one in my hands.

UPDATE:  I just got my Droid 3 Car Dock, and Yes, the audio gets pumped thru a special USB cable that has an audio jack on the end.  So all you have to do is put the phone in the dock and you are ready to go.  No more searching for the audio cable and hooking it into the audio jack on the phone!  Nice Job Motorola! 

You can grab the Droid 3 Car dock here

 

2.) Droid 3 Car Charger.  Just about any Droid car charger will work for this phone, and if you buy the car kit above it comes with the charger.  So for those who do not have this yet, here is a link to get this cheap.

You can grab the Droid 3 Car Charger here

 

 

3.) Droid 3 Multimedia Station.  I really liked the multimedia station for my Droid X as it gave the phone a nice ‘home’ while charging or sitting on the bedstand.  Like the X, this station includes an HDMI port thru that will allow you to hookup to your HD TV and mirror the output of the phone on the TV. 

You can grab the Droid 3 Multimedia Dock here

 

4.) Bluetooth Wireless Headset.   This is a universal accessory that is really nice, especially in those states where using the phone while driving is illegal.  I like the Motorola brand Bluetooth headset because the have special ‘hooks’ into the phone that will give you added features like reading your text and emails.  I also like it because it has a neat flip open type of door that shuts the unit off when you don’t want to use it.  That keeps the battery going for a long time cause you never forget that you left it on!

You can grab the Motorola Bluetooth Headset here

 

These are my ‘Must Have’ accessories list for the new Droid 3.  I am excited to pick up this new phone and I will be back with my first thoughts on the Droid in a few days!  What about you?  What kind of accessories are your ‘Must Haves’?  Let me know in the comments below.

 

Droid Bionic Car Dock and Other Sweet Accessories

One of the best parts of having a Droid phone is being able to dock it while in the car.  Free navigation, cool media player, and thousands of car type apps makes the Droid the thing to have in the car.

The Droid Bionic is a new phone from Motorola, has some killer specs and will be touting the new Verizon 4G LTE service.

This new phone will be sweet in the car, so I want to make sure I grab the Bionic car dock for it.  I like being able to find accessories for phones somewhere outside the Verizon store, saving me some cash in the process. 

Read more about the Droid Bionic Car Dock Here

Now the Bionic multimedia dock is a little bit more than the normal multimedia docks for other phones.  The Bionic is a webtop device, which means that your phone could essentially double as your laptop.

The bionic will be able to have a laptop-like device that will let you use it on the go.  That will come in the future.

Right now, you can get the multimedia dock or HD dock as it is called sometimes.  You will be able to connect a keyboard and mouse, along with an HDMI screen to ‘blow up’ your phone experience to new levels.

Check out the Bionic Multimedia Dock here

 

Your phone just is not complete unless you have a sweet bluetooth adapter.  (Just don’t keep it in your ear all the time – OK? 🙂  The bluetooth headset has become a must have, especially in those states where driving and using the phone is illegal. 

My favorite bluetooth headset is the Motorola H17 Bluetooth headset.  My favorite part of this headset is the little ‘flapper’ that allows you to shut the unit off by just closing the flap.  This keeps the headset going for months, because I never forget to turn it off.  It also has special hooks into the Motorola phones that will read emails and text messages to you from the earpiece.  O ya- it has great call quality too.  It uses multiple microphones to cancel out noise that is not your voice so the other end hears you loud and clear.

I saw it at Amazon for a good price. Check it out here.

Most People like to have a case for thier phone.  I can totally understand this, they just got done paying hundreds of dollars for a cool phone – why scratch it up?

Well I am not really one of those guys, but if you are, there are cool skins out there for the Droid Bionic.  Like this silicone one.  They stay on really well, and don’t add much heft to the phone.

Droid Bionic Silicone Case

With so many new phones out there today,  I am very impressed with the Motorola lineup.  With great build quality and superb call quality, these phones just cannot be beat.