I have an iPad and have movies I can play in the Video app.

I want to project the movies on a TV set.

I have the following hardware:

1. Apple TV, but I can't find the remote, and without that you can't set up the Remote app, which would be my first choice. I want to see if I can avoid a trip to the Apple Store and the $20 expense of buying another remote.

2. Chromecast. I also have a variety of Android devices I can play video from in case they you can use a Chromecast to mirror an Android screen and not an iOS screen.

3. Amazon Fire. See the comment for Chromecast.

I'm sure most people will tell me to go get the Apple TV remote, but first I really want to explore the Android approach. I can't believe Google or Amazon missed this.

Ideas??

It works!

1. Predictably no one wanted to talk about Chromecast or Amazon Fire.

2. I went to the Apple Store on 5th Ave and got a new remote for Apple TV.

3. Got everything all set up, or so I thought, but still no AirPlay icon on either of my iOS devices. Checked everything N times.

4. Then realroz suggested perhaps not everything is fully updated. The iPhone and iPad were, but not the Apple TV. I hadn't been using it. That was the problem. Once it was updated the AirPlay icon showed up on both iOS devices, and I was able to play stuff in the Video app. Bingo. The perfect travel companion.

Comment

On the ride back from the Apple Store on a CitiBike, I thought, this should be a lot easier. I have the most popular phone in the world. The device is made by the company that makes that phone. I should be able to pair the two devices the way you do with Bluetooth and it should "just work." All this michegas is ridiculous.

And what was Google thinking? Here was their huge opportunity to get into the iPhone installed base of users. Make it that easy to connect the devices and boom, you're in. Not that they won't be in eventually anyway (imho). I'm still holding my Apple shares however, so don't tell me I hate Apple.