[Originally written on 2020-04-29]
We have recently built out our home gym to include a NordicTrack S22i studio cycle and a NordicTrack X22i treadmill. Both of them have large screens (~ 22") that are running an old version of Android to run the interface, including the iFit Cardio app that was preloaded onto them.So far, here are our issues with the S22i:
- 2020-04-26: When connecting the HDMI cable, a (non-bike) workout will stop showing the video after about 4 minutes. You'll still hear the sound, but the video goes away. If you run a workout like this without the HDMI cable, it will continue without interruption.
- 2020-04-29: My wife was 58 minutes into a cycling workout and the app just shut down. After returning to the app, it had lost its place and she couldn't return to her workout successfully.
[Addendum]
Ultimately, I decided to skip the S22i or the treadmill for feeding video into the TV. After first trying a Google Chromecast, I have settled on an Amazon Fire Stick. The Chromecast required a device (my wife's iPad) to connect to BeachBody first and then connect to the Chromecast. She experienced frequent buffering issues and other problems. I just installed the Fire Stick, but it works well with Beachbody and Plex (for dancing DVDs, though Esther has to verify that the chapter markers were put at useful places).
My next challenge is to side load iFit, so Esther can do non-machine based workouts on the TV and not rely on the smaller screens of the bike or the treadmill. I'm guessing she won't do that terribly frequently because she's been loving the BeachBody options, but I'd like to have it there in any event.
[Addendum #2, 2020-11-25]
Our gym is pretty much complete, we even have encouraging messages (via vinyl decals) on the walls. A few notes on how the technology has developed in the gym:
- I noticed (likely after a spin workout on the S22i) that there was a cable and ethernet jack in the gym alongside the bike. I decided to find that cable in the network room and was fortunate that I could. I did have to terminate the cable on the network side, but it wasn't hard. After that, I hooked up a PoE injector and plugged it into my 24 port switch. In the gym, I plugged in an ethernet cable, ran it along the outside of the room and installed what had been my outdoor WiFi access point (Ubiquiti). It is only 2.4 GHz, but from what I could tell, so were the bike and the treadmill (I'm pretty sure the Firestick, as well).
- The NordicTrack devices are working much much better. We now almost never have any unexplained shutdowns or workout restarts.
- Running Beachbody on the Firestick has worked really well. While there is some initial buffering, there is almost never a lag in the workout itself.
- iFit does not have a native FireStick app, as noted above, and sideloading was not successful. I got it on there, but in the end, I couldn't get it past the screen requiring you to accept the health risks of the device. Frustrating, but not unexpected due to the apparent crappy software skills of this company.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with how our setup has turned out. A couple of pics:
