Streaming on TV
I searched through the forums and couldn't find anything on this anywhere. Is there a way to watch the webcourses on a device like the Roku? I much prefer to watch them on my TV than my computer, but haven't been able to find a successful solution. There is a Youtube channel on the Roku, but no way to log in for the actual webcourses. Any plans for a Stan Winston channel maybe?
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If you are participating in one of the live streaming courses on YouTube you can use a Google Chromecast, as the YouTube player supports streaming to that device. When I'm watching the live webinars I keep the live chat open on my laptop and Chromecast the video feed to my TV. You may be able to get that to work with the Roku as well, but I've not tested that personally.
The challenge with supporting something like the Roku is that access to the lessons is based on your subscription plan with the school, which Roku would not be aware of on a person by person basis. Access to on-demand videos is currently handled through the SWS website, which knows your subscription plan when you are logged in.
If your laptop has HDMI out, you can watch the on-demand lessons on your TV that way. I use a Mac Mini hooked up to my TV as a home-entertainment computer, which allows me to watch SWS on-demand lessons on a TV. I also use this for other services that don't support Chromecast or Roku.
I'll be sure and bring up the idea of supporting devices like the Roku with the team.
/Chris
Thank you for your response. I know there are channels available on Roku that you have to have a subscription through the channel brand to log in to watch. For example A&E has a channel but you have to log in with your cable provider to see any full episodes, so I think it could be a potential option for Stan Winston webcourses.
Thanks again,
Karyn
My pleasure!
With a service like A&E all their subscribers have a single level of access for all their content, which Roku is easily able to handle.
The challenge here is that each student can have different and unique subscriptions. One student may have purchased 3 lessons, another may have a plan that gives them access to a specific number of lessons for a period of time (for example 4 lessons a month), another may have access to all lessons with an annual subscription.
This variety of options lets students tailor their subscription plan to meet their own learning and budgetary needs, which is great for students, but tricky for limited technologies like Roku.
/Chris