by AK - Jeff 19 Replies latest social entertainment
Wow, Moshe. That is a lot of streaming stuff. No boxes or hookups, just the Tv? All you need is a wireless router I assume?
Unfortunately, due to my wife being out of work, we prob can't seriously look at a large device like that at the moment. But I want to take a better look for a later date.
Thanx all for the ideas.
Jeff
buy a Mac mini and connect it to your tv as a monitor - then you can stream anything you want from the internet right to your TV without limitations. This is going to be my set up in the near future. I just cut the cable.
You can get almost anything on tv streamed to you live on the internet - I use Hulu.com, Clicker.com, iTunes, Netflix and one other site that I can't remember off the top of my head. Mac Mini will run DVDs - but you may need to purchase a Blue Ray if you want that.
I know about Roku, but currently don't think it any better than the laptop I have connected to my television to stream Netflix.
The PC client won't allow you to stream the HD feeds, AFAIK--only the various set-top boxes, BD players, 360/PS3, etc let you get HD content. The Wii client will be SD-only as well.
Some Netflix-enabled BD players are only slightly more expensive than the HD Roku, so if you don't have a BD player, that seems to make the most sense.
Thanx - yes the HD bluray looks like a possible option.
My current tv is only 720p so I don't know how crucial HD streaming capabilities really are at this point. But thanx for that info - I did not know that.
Jeff
I love my roku, I use it every day!
You could hook up your laptop to your TV and use it as a monitor, then stream from the laptop. There's a special cable you'll need for that, but it's not expensive
My current tv is only 720p so I don't know how crucial HD streaming capabilities really are at this point. But thanx for that info - I did not know that.
Currently, the HD content coming from Netflix is 720p.
It's true that the SD content (DVD quality) from Netflix streaming is good. Also, most of the Netflix streaming content is only available is only SD. However, 720p is way better than SD and it will look great on your HDTV. (They have plans for 1080p content streaming, but it's not available yet.)
Moreover, there is no need to knock your TV as "only 720p". Here's the truth: If you're sitting further than six feet away, and your television is 50" or less, the difference between 720p and 1080p is (for all practical purposes) insignificant. It's a specification on a sheet of paper, rather than a meaningful difference.
Great question !!!!!!
I have been looking for a Blu Ray with the internet streaming thing also. Why wouldn't wireless be the way to go ???
At our local store, the Sony BDPS570 is selling for $215 ... the Samsung BDC650D for about $200. The Sony is also 3D "Capable" ... whatever that means. However, you need a 3D TV to get the use of that feature.
Anyway, isn't it worth $50-$60 more for a wireless Blu Ray than having to run cables around the house ???
Any other Blu Ray suggestions appreciated.
Rub a Dub
I agree. BluRay is prob the way to go instead of Roku for me. BluRay is here to stay for a while anyway, so it won't get dated too fast. I really could care less about the 3d. I will never be that tied to movies for it to make that big of a deal for me. I need to look into bluray closer.
Jeff
Anyway, isn't it worth $50-$60 more for a wireless Blu Ray than having to run cables around the house ???
Some people have lots of trouble getting movies to stream wirelessly, because they're consistently using relatively high bandwidth for a real-time application, so it's potentially problematic. Other people have no problems. It probably depends a lot on the quality of the wireless transceiver at each end, and any potential interference or signal blockage in the area where it's set up. Ethernet will not be prone to these potential issues.
Some people have lots of trouble getting movies to stream wirelessly, because they're consistently using relatively high bandwidth for a real-time application, so it's potentially problematic. Other people have no problems.
A Fender ...
Point well taken. I think I am going to try the wireless Blu Ray and see how things go.
I remember 5 or 6 years ago when I was sitting on the fence between a new wired internet in the house and the more expensive (at that time) wireless, I decided to pay the extra and go wireless. In less than a day with the wireless, I knew I made the right decision. Sitting on the patio with my laptop and no wires connected was all it took!
Anyway, the Sony 570 model looks like the one I will get. We have the higher speed internet via cable instead of DSL so I am not expecting any problems. We will see how it goes.
Rub a Dub
