Posted on 04/10/2015 8:40:24 PM PDT by PROCON
I have basic cable TV service with few movie choices and would like to send internet movies from my laptop to my fairly new flat screen TV which has various HDMI inputs.
FReeper help is appreciated.
A direct cable/wired connection from your HDMI out on your laptop to HDMI in on your TV would be the cheapest and easiest.
WiDi will work, if your laptop has it and you have a smart TV.
Intel Wireless Display technology, or WiDi, has become increasingly common among both laptops and HDTVs, and you might already have everything you need to wirelessly stream your display. Many connected HDTVs support WiDi and Miracast (wireless smartphone and tablet streaming that uses the same technology), and if yours doesn’t you can get a WiDi/Miracast adapter for around $50. You need a computer with WiDi built-in, and most current Intel-based Windows notebooks should already have that covered. This system works very well for playing movies and browsing the Web on your HDTV, but slight latency keeps it from being ideal for fast-action games.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2390463,00.asp
Thanks, I think running an HDMI cable will work best for me.
I'd suggest Monoprice (monoprice.com), and I've always had excellent results with their products.
They've got excellent products, great prices, and support that can't be beat.
I've been using their products (mostly computer cables, but also hdmi cables) since 2010, and I've only had 1 problem, just recently. I bought a couple of USB3.0 cables from them for portable hard drives, but the cables just wouldn't provide USB3.0 connectivity using all combinations of 2 different laptops and 2 different drives. On-line chat allowed me to explain the issue (about 10 minutes of telling them what was going on and answering questions,) and the next day I saw the credit posted to my credit card.
Mark
I just got a Roku to do that - i like it so far
I have a hard wire for my laptop and another for my iPad. I use a digital adapter for both because they do sound too. The digital adapters plug into an hdmi cable plugged into the tv.
So easy.
With a Roku you are limited. Everything is free streaming online so a computer hook up to the tv gives you unlimited access to everything.
That all sounds dirty.
If you have a Mac or IPad, Apple TV is the way to go. It works seamlessly and with no wires or cables. We had the same dilemma last Christmas when my wife wanted to watch her favorite Christmas shows she had recorded on her Mac laptop on our TV. We looked into a Rube Goldberg array of cables and adapters, but the cost was nearly as much as simply buying an Apple TV box. Apple TV also allows you to get Netflix, Hulu and even other channels like Smithsonian
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.