Best Way to Play Video Content From A Computer Through An HDTV?

[LucasM]

What is the best way to play video content that is on a computer hard drive through an HDTV?

Or, I suppose more simply (while possibly more difficult), what is the best way to - preferably wirelessly - use an HDTV as a second or duplicate screen for, say, a laptop?

I've seen boxes that are supposed to do this (can't find the links for them, so don't have the names).  But of the ones that I'd looked at, a great many reviews said that they performed poorly.

Would it be better to just bite the bullet and get a 15-20' computer monitor cable and link directly?  [I saw one at Best Buy for $65 for this very thing. ]

[MartyS (Gromit)]

The long cable idea is probably the best if you want to get exactly what is on your screen on the TV.

I looked at lots of options to get the monitor in our observatory dome to connect to the PC in the control room, only reliable way was to get a 75 foot VGA cable.  So you can get them that long and they work fine, they are a little expensive since they put extra shielding between the lines to prevent crosstalk over such a long distance.  25 foot ones are pretty common for projector setups so shouldn't be too expensive.

I'm currently looking into a way to get a monitor working down the hall from the control room for video presentations, I have seen adapters to send VGA or DVI/HDMI over to Cat5 or coax, but it's been hard to find info on how well they work.

Now if you just want to stream video or audio, something like an AppleTV box works fine, I stream all the stuff I have in iTunes on my PC to the home theater.  For non-DRM protected video and audio there are lots of apps for other boxes like the Roku.  Unfortunately pretty much all the Airplay stuff you see on non Apple devices only works with music, not video.  My Samsung TV has an app that is supposed to connect to a program on the PC that does the same thing as the Roku app but I never tried it.

[Edward J Grug III]

We LOVE the AppleTV.

[LucasM]

Thanks, I'll take a look at the AppleTV.  I'd prefer wireless if possible, but it I absolutely have to, I can just go with the long VGA cable.

If I do have to go with the VGA cable, that wouldn't be too bad, because for most of the distance between the HDTV and where I'd be using the laptop there are media cases lining the walls, so it could easily be hidden behind them.  Though, on the 'easiest access' side it'd be a tripping hazard on my 'off' days [when my brain is functioning at such a low level that I forget there's something there I could trip on; one of the reasons I'd prefer wireless (I think my iPod died prematurely from that happening and yanking the thing down onto the floor)].

[MartyS (Gromit)]

You'll also need to run a long audio cable to plug into the laptop to get sound.  I know they make combo cables for connecting to projectors, we have them in the conference rooms at work.  It has the VGA and headphone jack at the computer end, and VGA and RCA connectors for the TV end.

If your laptop has HDMI then you might get away with one cable, I don't know the max length for HDMI.

[Variety of Cells]

I have a Roku box that I use to watch netflix and amazon video.  Works great.

I use an HDTV as my monitor.  I would not recommend using a VGA cable to connect to your TV.  There are resolution and formatting issues with an analog signal going to an HDTV.  HDMI would be the preferred way to go (unless your TV happens to take DVI, then by all means do that).  The only thing is that HDMI cables, long ones especially, are fucking expensive last time I checked. But if your laptop has a DVI or mini dvi out, which it probably does unless it's fairly old, then converting that to HDMI is easy with an adapter, and you'll be much happier with the image quality. 

I looked into trying to send video signal over cat 5, and I was not successful.  For when I want to watch stuff from a computer in my living room, I set my fiance's laptop next to my tv and plug a DVI to hdmi cable into it.  Then I use a remote mouse on my iphone to control the computer that works pretty well.  It's not perfect, but I don't have to get up from the couch to play the next video.

Oh, but if you do have a DVI out on your computer and you decide to convert that to HDMI, you'll still have to run a separate audio cable.  Only if your laptop has an HDMI out will you not have to run another audio cable from your headphone jack.  And to do that you'll need to get a 1/8th to male left and right RCA adapter from radio shack. 

EDIT:  Also, if you're running that separate audio cable to your tv you'll have to see if you can change the audio source for an input to a different input that has RCA connections. My tv can do it, but I'm not sure how common a feature that is.  If you use separate speakers then its not an issue.

[SJP]

As far as HDMI goes, NEVER go to the store to buy one...all those cables are egregiously expensive.  Amazon has 50 ft cables for $25 and less (and a majority of them are well-made...I personally have never had a problem with any cables I've purchased from there, especially from a company called Media Highbridge), and shorter lengths are WAY less expensive.  Of course, if you don't have HDMI out, then this isn't practical.

I did, however, find a website that offers three solutions: The Imation Link, Veebeam HD, and Netgear Push2TV.  Granted, it is from 2011, but I'm assuming similar boxes, or updated ones, are available from these manufacturers.  The advantage of these over stuff like Apple TV is that they aren't service-based...they are simply ways to connect your laptop wirelessly to your TV without needing to worry about weird service issues (they bring up the fact that some of the boxes like Roku or Apple TV can have Hulu Plus but not Hulu Free, but again, they may have changed since the article was written).  But, they also aren't cheap...of the three listed, the least expensive is $119.  Still, it's something to look into.

[MartyS (Gromit)]

(they bring up the fact that some of the boxes like Roku or Apple TV can have Hulu Plus but not Hulu Free, but again, they may have changed since the article was written).

This is still true, of all the devices I have with Hulu apps I don't think any of them will play the free stuff.  I don't know if once you get a plus account if the apps will play the free stuff, since I never make it past the login screen.

[LucasM]

Oh, but if you do have a DVI out on your computer and you decide to convert that to HDMI, you'll still have to run a separate audio cable.  Only if your laptop has an HDMI out will you not have to run another audio cable from your headphone jack.  And to do that you'll need to get a 1/8th to male left and right RCA adapter from radio shack.

Thanks to everyone who's added to this thread (hopefully it's useful to others too, not just me).

The laptop has no HDMI out.  So that limits things.

And this reminded me of something, so it appears I can at least rule the 'DVI out' and 'VGA out' out.  I tried (when working on the unfinished and mostly abandoned Frankenstein iRiff) to connect my computer to my home theater system for audio only.  In doing so I finally figured out that the massive hum that came through my system was because the electrical outlets each were connected to were on different circuits.  So if I went this route I'd actually have three long wires going to the area of the home theater: one for video, one for audio, and one for power.  Way too cluttered and too much hassle to change where each is plugged in each time I'd want to use it that way: the transformer for the laptop is hidden behind furniture and would have to be dug out each time I wanted to use it, and then returned to that position each time I'd move it from its current location to where I'd be using it as a TV input.

So I can narrow it down to 'wireless' units for sure.  Since I would not be using the computer for access to online/streaming material (the TV and blu-ray player can apparently do that themselves without the middleman), it appears it narrows it down to wireless units that can duplicate the laptop's desktop for video file playback (and whatever else I may want to do on the laptop).  Haven't yet been able to figure out which will do this best.