Hi Jeff:
I have none of the devices you listed, other than my little 10-year-old laptop. My highspeed connection gives me excellent streaming of Netflix and Hearts of Space music.
I don't need fancy to be happy!
CoCo
by AK - Jeff 20 Replies latest jw friends
Hi Jeff:
I have none of the devices you listed, other than my little 10-year-old laptop. My highspeed connection gives me excellent streaming of Netflix and Hearts of Space music.
I don't need fancy to be happy!
CoCo
depends on what sort of outputs you have on your video-card.. I don't have HDMI on my computer either, but you can buy a DVI->HDMI convertor for like $10 and have your HDTV as a second monitor.. really the best and cheapest options.. no streaming hassles, just a bit of HDMI cabling through the wall..
I wouldn't get a device JUST for streaming Netflix. So pick the device that you are most likely to use in addition to the Netflix streaming feature. If you aren't going to play games, a game console will be useless to you. If you aren't going to rent/buy DVDs/BlueRay discs, the blueray player will be useless to you. If you aren't going to do gaming OR discs, then I've heard good things about the Roku, but as I said up front, a one-trick device doesn't do it for me personally.
I would just buy a cable that is DVI on one end and HDMI on the other.
For sound use a 3.5mm to RCA cable (or optical if your computer and TV/receiver have optical).
IMHO, if you want a Blu-ray player, just buy one with built-in Netflix capability. Almost every maker has one, and they usually cost no more than one without.
If you don't need a Blu-ray player, I think the new version of AppleTV is the way to go. Like most Apple stuff, you take it out of the box and it just works. My (-N) router is in the basement and the AppleTV is on the second floor. It streams Netflix perfectly.
Good luck getting your HDTV set up.
We just use our Wii game console.
We have Xbox 360 hooked up to a 60-inch flat screen TV... I'd go for a game console with internet capability like the XBox, the PS3, or the Wii. I'd prefer the PS3 since it already has Blu-Ray, but my bf already had the 360.
Netflix is friggin' awesome, though lol. Totally worth it, even if you just get the one-disc-out-at-a-time option...some movies aren't available in streaming, so it's nice to have the option to get it mailed.
You can pick up a video card with an HDMI output for less than $40. You can run any of the programs that Roku offers using just your computer (including Youtube which isn't available on Roku yet). The Roku and other systems like it offer ease of use with their own menu etc. You'll have to search for the programs you want to display with your computer and design you own menu.
Jack
You said that you have a 'G' router? That could be a potentially weak link. You should seriously consider upgrading...
V665
G router is plenty fast enough for streaming netflix, fyi. My roku only has Wireless-G anyway and works great.