Wireless presentation tools advice needed please

TheBigDipper

You're all a load of smart b**gers here, so I'm sure someone can help. 

I need to present some Keynote slide sets (which might include sound clips or video clips) onto a large TV that has an HDMI input. I'm hoping to use an iPad rather than a Macbook for this. As I don't have an HDMI adaptor for the iPad, I wondered about doing this wirelessly instead of buying a Lightning-to-HDMI adaptor and using a cable. 

So, if I was using my Macbook, I'd be able to access the building wifi system (it's a sports club) and use Airplay to mirror the screen on my Mac onto the TV via a spare AppleTV box I've got. I can do the same with the iPad, too. If this was being done in a building without a wifi (another possibility for another time) I'd be able to set up my Macbook as its own wifi router and the AppleTV would see that and it would still work. That's not something an iPad can do.

Anyone got any ideas how I can get this done using an iPad? I'm not in control of the TV, so I can't guarantee any smart client software on it, just an HDMI port to plug into. 

Snags

I'm not familiar with the Apple stuff, but in principle it sounds like you could do it with a local wireless access point/AirPlay box to link the two up. You just need it to be able to issue IP addresses. Assuming you have an iPhone (you seem to be thoroughly apple) can you not use the hotspot function on that as the glue?

TheBigDipper

Snags said:

I'm not familiar with the Apple stuff, but in principle it sounds like you could do it with a local wireless access point/AirPlay box to link the two up. You just need it to be able to issue IP addresses. Assuming you have an iPhone (you seem to be thoroughly apple) can you not use the hotspot function on that as the glue?

Thanks for being helpful.

If I'm allowed access to the venues wifi, I know the AppleTV/mirror solution will work. If the venue won't permit (or doesn't have any wifi) then I believe using my Macbook to create a network will probably create something the AppleTV can see and connect to - thus also working. I'm going to test that at home tonight.

It's the iPad option that's bugging me. If there's a wifi, fine, it's the AppleTV option and mirror my iPad to it. If there's no wifi, how can I make it work... Bluetooth? Take my own unused, spare wifi router with me? It's all starting to seem kludgy compared with just buying an HDMI adaptor and using a wire.

Snags

The following is "in princple" stuff, because of my lack of hands-on with Apple-specific solutions.

If you have an iPhone you can (probably) do the same thing you do with your Macbook - turn the iPhone into a mobile hotspot, and let the AppleTV and iPad both connect to it, so that they can talk to each other with the iPhone as a bridge.  Note: this assumes that an iPhone hotspot allows intra-device communication, and doesn't just isolate each connecting device, which it might (for the same kind of reasons that on a public wireless network you don't want all devices to be able to 'see' each other).

Otherwise, yes, you take what amounts to a wireless router with you to act as the bridge.  And yes, it's more faff than a lead

OR instead of a lead, you get an adapter gizmo that will plug straight into the HDMI on the TV/screen and has all the receiver stuff built in for direct comms with the iPad.  In Windows terms this would be something like Miracast/Continuum.  In general terms things like a ChromeCast or similar will also get you there.

The important thing being that any "sticky thing" you get must be capable of supporting direct comms between the iPad and itself (even if you need an app for it) rather than relying on a broader wireless network.

I thought you could get AppleTV/AirPlay devices that would do this, but, again, I'm largely ignorant of the Apple-specific world.

Snags

Here you go, this article seems to cover exactly what you want, with kit you appear to have.

TheBigDipper

Snags said:

Here you go, this article seems to cover exactly what you want, with kit you appear to have.

Ta very much.