NETGIGS live music shows are streamed online to audiences in multi-camera high definition video and stellar stereo sound. With the click of a button the shows can be sent from a phone to a Smart TV.

After reading the Feedback from our last NETGIGS stream, we found that not everyone can easily start a stream from a device to a TV.

As a result, I decided to make my very first NETGIGS BLOG about “How to watch a NETGIGS Streamed Event”

How to prepare for a NETGIGS Event:

• Sign up for a free account, if you haven’t already you can do so here: Create Free Account
• Buy a ticket - Go to the show webpage and click the Buy Ticket/Watch Show button
• To watch a show - Go to the show webpage at Showtime and click the Buy Ticket/Watch Show
• Click the Play button ▶️ when it appears, when the show video starts playing, you will see any stream to TV options on your device.

Android devices can cast to Chromecasts and some Smart TV’s (please check your device compatibility well before the scheduled Event)

How to cast your Android screen using the Google Home app:

Step 1. 

• Casting your Android screen is available on devices running Android 5.0 or later. 
• Casting your Android screen is not supported on IOS or Windows devices.
• Turn off 'Power Saving Mode' on your Android device. Power Saving Mode can limit the processing power of your device, which might affect the performance of the Cast Screen feature.
• Important: The 'Microphone' permission in the Google Play Services app needs to be turned on to successfully use the 'Cast Screen / Audio' feature with Chromecast. 

If you don't have this permission turned on, the Cast Screen session will immediately disconnect after trying to connect. 

To turn on microphone permissions:

On your Android device, tap Settings.

Scroll down and tap Apps  Google Play Services  Permissions.

Look for 'Microphone' and slide the slider on.

Step 2.

• To cast your screen from your Android device, make sure that your mobile phone or tablet is on the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast device.
• Open the Google Home app.
• Tap the device for which you want to cast your screen.
• Tap Cast my screen  Cast screen.

To stop, go through the same motions and select Stop mirroring.

Some Android devices also let you screen share from the pull-down quick settings menu. On the default Android operating system (OS), this settings option is called screen cast, but it might be called smart view, quick connect, smart share, or a number of other things depending on which phone or tablet you have.

Please note: If you have issues casting using the above methods, you can connect most phones/computers directly to a TV with a HDMI cable, (check that your HDMI cable is compatible with your phone/pc/TV connections.)

Useful Tips: In the event of an internet outage please refresh your browser, if you are experiencing lagging issues check your internet speed, closing out of any programs that you don’t need is also a good idea, double-checking your audio and video settings before the Event will prevent a lot of potential issues when it’s Showtime!

iOS devices can Airplay to Apple TV’s and some Smart TV’s (please check your device compatibility well before the scheduled Event)

How to mirror what’s on your iPhone or iPad display:

• Ensure that both the Apple TV and iOS device are on the same Wi-Fi network.
• If you have an iPhone X or newer or an iPad running iOS 12 or later, swipe down from the upper-right corner to reveal the Control Center. Otherwise, swipe up for Control Center instead.
• Tap the “Screen Mirroring” button.
• Select your Apple TV from the list.
• On your iOS device, enter the four-digit code that appears on your TV screen.

To disconnect from the TV, follow steps 1 through 3, and then select “Stop Mirroring” from the list.

Please note: iPhone and iPad’s cannot cast to CHROMECAST. The workaround requires a significant effort to screen mirror to a Google Cast device. You need to first mirror your phone or tablet to a PC using an app such as ApowerMirror, and then mirror your computer to your TV. Basically, you need to make a mirror of a mirror, which sacrifices some features and is far from optimal, and we don’t recommend it.

Apple AirPlay is an easy and high-quality screen mirroring protocol. Unfortunately, it can only be broadcast from Apple devices, but some smart TVs can act as receivers. Apple TV set top boxes can also act as receivers.

How to AirPlay

• Simply tap the AirPlay icon (it looks like a TV with a triangle at the bottom)
• Select your Apple TV from the device list.

Alternatively

• Bring up Control Center and tap the AirPlay icon (it looks like a concentric circle with a triangle at the bottom.)

Using AirPlay with these methods consumes less battery than mirroring, and it allows you to use the iOS device for other tasks while the NETGIGS Event continues to play on your television.

If your TV isn’t compatible:

The most straightforward way to connect your iOS device to a TV is using a wired connection. For an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with a Lightning connector, you can use  Apple’s Lightning Digital AV adapter, please be aware that cheaper versions of the adapter will not support streaming from a platform that uses copy protection, such as NETGIGS.

Useful Tips: In the event of an internet outage please refresh your browser, if you are experiencing lagging issues check your internet speed, closing out of any programs that you don’t need is also a good idea, double-checking your audio and video settings before the Event will prevent a lot of potential issues when it’s Showtime!

Last but not least: Do not wait until Showtime to learn how your devices interact, we would hate for you to miss the start!

I hope that you have found this information useful. If you can think of any additional tips please let us know in the comments field below.

Enjoy the show!

Di Spillane

NETGIGS - Communications Officer