[HDTV] Best way to watch movies from PC to TV

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tanner775

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Hello,

I just baught http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-tc-p55st50/4505-6482_7-35118300.html and I wanted some advice/direction on how to be able to enjoy my HD movies that i have saved on my PC.

example: I have the lord of the rings trilogy 1080p in .mkv files that are combined like 60GB of Hard drive space. I don't know if its better to get a USB stick and just plug it into my TV or if I should transfer the files to my laptop and use an HDMI cable to plug in from laptop to TV.

I keep hearing about how smart TVs can connect remotely to your PC's hardrive and play it that way but I just want to know what provides the best quality.

Thanks.
 
If the picture quality is the primary thing then probably connecting a USB drive to the TV is the best. The problem with this is the TV may not have the codecs for playing the .mkv files that you have. You can check the owners manual or just try it. Some Bluray players have USB that can be used like this and handle mkv files.
Same problem may apply for playback over the network into the TV.
You can use your laptop or a media box like the Western Digital to play these files and should get fine quality from both if the laptop video is good with 1080p.
Both of these could be used to stream from your PC but the network may not be happy with the 1080p material.
 
Good Options:

1. Run a HDMI (or other) cable from Your PC to Your TV.

2. Buy a High Definition Media Player / HD Media Player / HDMP. They are on ebay starting under $30, and going up over $300. Use USB drives to transfer files.

3. Build a dedicated Home Theater PC (HTPC)

4. Put all Your files on a NAS (Network Attached Storage device) and server them to every TV in the house, using networked HDMPs on every TV.

5. Bonus points if You combine #3 with #4 and rack-mount it all.

Bad Ideas:

1. Do not burn DVDs and use those.

2. Do not expect a USB drive to work in Your TV.

3. Do not buy a "Smart TV" - the screen will be usable long after the TV's "current" software is hopelessly out of date.
 


 
Recycled said: Do not buy a "Smart TV" - the screen will be usable long after the TV's "current" software is hopelessly out of date.[/quotemsg] WHAT DO YOU MEAN?? this is a mighty strong statement - with no evidence. Assuming you have evidence, what is it?
 
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?? this is a mighty strong statement - with no evidence. Assuming you have evidence, what is it? [/quotemsg]

Just like a smart phone, DVD player, or Computer desktop or tablet they are constantly improved upon within months leaving you, the consumer having to buy a newer model as the older ones can't handle the new operating systems requirements for RAM memory needs, and many other things like software drivers and faster processors. He is absolutely right. As a TV for simple viewing goes it WILL WORK, what won't work is the "smart" options that are supposed to operate like you PC i.e. web surffing, video streaming, e-mailing, game playin, etc.
 
it may come down to weather or not how well your hdtv plays nice under pc use ?? some do a great job as a pc monitor some don't do too well

lots to look at when choosing a hdtv for pc use and knowing what to look for in one

good luck
 
Use an HDMI cable. Your PC is simply using your TV as it's monitor display only much bigger.
This is assuming you are at least 50 feet from your PC to your TV which is the longest you should run with an HDMI cable. This is also the least expensive solution. Be sure the video file is in 1080i/p quality and your PC has a HDMI video output port. If your pc monitor is a flat screen just follow the cord to the back of your pc and thats it. I'm using a 40 foot HDMI cable and it works great.

I bought a 43inch HDTV and assumed if it had a USB input port that it would work but found out very few flat screen tv's, even so called smart tv's support common video formats like .avi .mkv .mp4 After doing some google research for the owners manual and sloging through it I find in small print that it can only display old fashioned .jpeg .jpg PICTURE files. Man was I pissed after spending $400.00 dollars on that TV!
So I bought a 40ft. hdmi cable for $18.00 on Amazon. Could have gone much cheaper but it has more shielding and no data loss at that length
 


Just like a smart phone, DVD player, or Computer desktop or tablet they are constantly improved upon within months leaving you, the consumer having to buy a newer model as the older ones can't handle the new operating systems requirements for RAM memory needs, and many other things like software drivers and faster processors. He is absolutely right. As a TV for simple viewing goes it WILL WORK, what won't work is the "smart" options that are supposed to operate like you PC i.e. web surffing, video streaming, e-mailing, game playin, etc.[/quotemsg]

 
OK - I still think your statement is very limited - obsolescence may be the bane of windows PCs but it's not for Macs - the last two Mac desktops I sold ( good prices) were 13 and 9 years old. With TVs, firmware can be updated, yes? Then, if you are really desperate, you can often find a hack to get lots more time out of your hardware...
 
Apple pulls OS support for old macs after about 3 years. The old ones are a security nightmare.

Windows PCs actually have less obsolescence issues; if you're running Vista or newer, you have security updates still.

The manufacturer won't be giving out firmware upgrades for old TVs.

Did you really need to reply to a thread from 2012?
 
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?? this is a mighty strong statement - with no evidence. Assuming you have evidence, what is it? [/quotemsg]

ya right..............they are all smart. Try finding one that isn't

 
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