RedRoar75

Hi guys - I'm intending to stream some movies/episodes from my PC to my TV but dont fancy having cable stretching from my PC (in the study) to my living room. Is there an alternative? I've heard about infra red recvrs (do they work?).

Any advice, gladly recieved

Robbies

Apple TV is one option which uses your wifi if you have it. There are restrictions on file types that can play however (but there are ways round this)

We looked into this, and decided to go with Western Digital WDTV - hooks up to TV with HDMI, and all you do is keep a USB hard drive attached to it with your movies etc on it. We download onto the laptop then move everything over to this hard drive. Nice and easy, and the WDTV plays a huge amount of file types.

Its far cheaper too at under 500dhs (prob 450 dhs now - carrefour/Jacky's etc have them)

Blue Cat

get a dvd with a usb port, simple

RedRoar75

cheers - I'm also using a service to watch stuff on the hoof rather than downloading it. i think i have a way round it - can get wireless router and then my ps3 can pick it up and use that to surf the net.

matt-e

Easiest solution. Make sure your PC and PS3 are networked, either cabled or wireless (might struggle with Full HD content if wireless though). Download and install PS3 Media Server (it's free) on your PC and bingo, you will be able to watch all your videos store on your PC through the PS3 and on your TV.

The only downside of this is that your PC has to be on all the time when you want to watch something. Alternatively buy yourself a Western Digital MyBook World Edition (the new version with DNLA support). I got mine from Geant hypermarket for about 700 AED. It's 1TB storage and can be accessed from the PS3 at any time. PC then no longer needed other than to copy and load content on to it. It works great.

Millhouse

...or move the PC nearer the telly?

I had a chappie here make me up a box for this purpose. 1000Dh later, I have a PC connected to the telly. It's on all the time as it also acts a server for the skype phones, iplayer and bit torrent downloads.

Seems to work a treat... until of course the shitty internet plays up.

Cry haddock

All good solutions so far. I have a Kiss 1600 DVD player that lifts any stored media from the main PC via the wireless and plays directly to TV with navigation by remote control.
I also have a spare PC permanently wired into the TV for streaming.
throw in a uk VPN and no need for local shite TV
CH

RedRoar75

cheers - have the media server already installed - do you know if you can stream web content from the PC to it? I'm playing around with the VPN tonight (took an age due to paypal screw up) and wondering if

1. The PS3 internet connection will be standard (or via VPN), if VPN is running on my pc
2. If it isnt VPN, I can stream using the media server - from PC to Ps3?

I've only ever used the media server for watching downloaded movies, already on my pc..

DrubbleTubble

Does wireless have a broad enough signal to stream movies?

Blue Cat

yes

what is a kiss dvd?

CeeBee

You can buy a multimedia hard disk that connects to your router. Generally these are 1TB and act almost as a server. You network the hard disk and can then drag and drop all your downloads etc.

if you're looking at live streaming then the only way to do it would be to HDMI your PC / TV. In terms of actual downloaded files then the multimedia hard disk is your best bet.

WDTV Live would be a good option.

Also this http://www.westerndigital.com/en/pro...sp?DriveID=589

CeeBee

p.s. I have a WDTV player also and it's fantastic.

Kim67

We have apple tv, it's excellent.

captaincaveman

Pop down to the shops (sharaf DG) and buy a 'Netgear Digital Entertainer'.

Put this where DVD would be and set up.

It scans your laptop / pc and via the wireless router (assuming you have one) it creates a playlist of music / films / tv / photos you have on your computer and off you go.

Easy as pie (about 1200aed).

matt-e

I don't think the PS3 has VPN capabilities. You can get a router that supports VPN and then route all your network via the VPN. I have a Linksys running dd-wrt firmware via a PPTP connection. It works ok but not great. The max speed I get via the VPN Router is about 80kb/s. I could upgrade it to an OpenVPN connection and get much faster speeds but my networking knowledge is not good enough to be able to do it. This would ultimately be the best solution if you could set it up.

I believe that if you download VLC Player you can take a stream and then re-stream it on your local network. If so you can connect to the VPN with your PC, watch the live content with VLC Player but tell it to re-stream to your PS3. I think that is possible although I've never tried it!