Sometimes streaming apps operate and appear differently on different browsers or operating systems. You should be okay, but the software on a Smart TV is generally poor compared to a stand alone device.
This is especially true for playback of videos from a flash or hard drive. The types of video/audio allowed is very limited compared to a standalone media player.
While the phone will probably support it, your cell plan, especially if you’re on a cut-rate MVNO plan may not. It’s not uncommon for hot spot feature to cost $5-10 more per month.
That sounds really good. I didn’t know much about ROKU before this thread.
Will ROKU pause, rewind, Fast Forward streaming shows?
That’s the best feature watching on Tablets and PC’s.
Can your cell company disable this on your phone?
I figured you just have a data plan with your cell company. You pay “X” and get “Y” data allotment. They should not care how you use your data. They are just metering it.
So, making yourself a hotspot is just using data, same as always. For the setup of a TV I would think it would not be much but I suppose it could if they try to download some updates to the TV.
I will say, when I have used my phone as a hotspot, is uses up data a LOT faster than you might expect. If your plan is data limited that could be a real problem, real fast, even when you think you are not using a lot of data. Something to keep in mind.
I really doubt that you need to set up a new TV with an internet connection, particularly if you’re just going to use it to watch DVDs. If I were you, I’d verify that before acting on what you heard only anecdotally.
They can & do, probably because they can & charge you more for it.
Here’s Cricket’s plans; notice that you only get hotspot on their most expensive plan, even then the hotspot data is limited while the plan data isn’t.
Yes, with the DirectTVstream app you can do that with the live streams. Also with anything you record and watch later.
And once you have the DirectTVstream subscription you can have it on your ROKU as well as other devices. I take my iPhone to the gym and watch live TV on the treadmill.
So weird.
It’d be like the water company charging you different rates for water out of your kitchen faucet versus water sent to your clothes washing machine versus water used in your toilet.
One of the companies, maybe Verizon, had promised not to do that for some time when they got access to some new frequencies, but I think they no longer have that restriction. However, many of their plans now allow hotspots.
For a while, there were some apps that didn’t require root that would allow you to turn on your phone hotspot, but I don’t know if they still work, or now require root access.
Keep in mind that not all Smart TV’s are equivalent in performance or the operating system they use for the smart function. Often, the cheaper TVs skimp on the smart performance to save money and the apps may be slow or have more issues. If it’s a TV for the workout room, then no big deal. But if this is going to be something you watch regularly, you’ll need to make sure the smart features will be functional enough.
I would actually recommend getting an external streaming device like Roku, FireTV, or AndroidTV device rather than use the embedded Smart TV functions. These external devices plug into an HDMI port and will often provide a better streaming experience than the TV itself. And since they are external, they allow you to upgrade or change the streaming system as necessary. This allows you to pick out the TV you like based on the TV’s features alone and you can hook up whatever streaming system you like. But since pretty much all TVs these days have smart features, you can add an external device later if you are not satisfied with the TV’s smart platform.
One other advantage of an external device is you can unplug it and take it with you when you travel. Simply hook it up to the TV wherever you are and you can watch all your apps.
But with regards to the smart platform in TVs, it’s best to get one that uses Roku, FireTV, or Android (Google) as their embedded operating system since those are more widely supported. Some TVs have a proprietary or lesser-supported system, which may have a more limited app selection. Most apps will be supported on those 3 platforms.
I bought a cheap(ish) smart TV for my bedroom (the fancy TV is in the living room).
Once it is going it is fine but I gotta say the response from the remote and loading guides and whatnot is really bad. And this is a mid-range TV.
You get what you pay for.
Here’s the link to the streaming platforms that DirectTV supports. Make sure the TV’s streaming platform is one they list:
HDMI port. Sheesh.
Shhh! Don’t give them any ideas.
I’ve only used tethering/hot spot in two scenarios.
How old is your DirecTV equipment? Do you ever have any problems with it?
The reason I ask… a few years ago I had to schedule a service call with AT&T. (We have U-verse, not DirecTV.) The DVR was acting wonky and we had a few other issues. When the guy came out he said all of our equipment was old and needed replacing, and he replaced all our cable boxes with wireless ones. (Except the one with the DVR, which had to be wired.)
When I asked him how much extra the wireless boxes would cost me a month, he said “Nothing. If you call and ask us to install wireless TV boxes, then you get charged. But if we decide to replace them, they’re free.”
So if you have a reason to schedule a service call, you might be able to get free wireless boxes out of it. 
My DirecTv equipment at the new house was installed in 2017.
I’ll see if it can be upgraded next time they come for service.
Anecdotal includes some cautions in print that this can be a pain with a few TVs 
. To quote:
One last concern is potentially running into complications during setup since some smart TVs require you to create an account and “login”, followed by immediate software updates.
This is not all that common but there are more and more brands requiring this so just be on the lookout for it.
That said I think Whack-a-Mole’s workaround is an option for me if this pops up, so I’m no longer particularly concerned.