OT: How to have internet in my Living room??
- Thread starter CKreef
- Start date
waynesworld
Premium Member
Depending on the distance of the computer in the office and TV there are a few different ways of doing it. Some of the things u need to know to plan it is how far the computer in office is from TV, can you run wires to connect them and how much u want to spend?
waynesworld
Premium Member
The easiest way I know then would be to get a older computer put a wireless card in it and set up a wireless router in the house or a wireless card in the main computer. Then you will set up the main computer to store all your stuff but use the old one mainly for IE. You may want a wireless keyboard and mouse to surf with or you would have a wire on your floor.
DMBillies
Active member
If you can hook a standard tower computer up to it with a wireless card and router (the router I assume you have), that might be the best bet that I can think of without running a cord. As Wayne said, it wouldn't have to have a lot of storage (which is really cheap now anyway) because you could stream music or videos from your main computer. Just enough get up and go to not drive you crazy while using it to surf.
A media server would get you music, video, etc from your computer, but I don't think they'd help you with internet surfing.
A media server would get you music, video, etc from your computer, but I don't think they'd help you with internet surfing.
Mnemic
New member
Well 50 Ft is abit to far to hook the PC to the TV Directly.
You could get the Video signal there using HDMI/DVI, but you would run into the problem of controling the PC remotely.
Wireless Keyboards & Mice usualy have about a 15' range at best.
Getting one that works on RF is going to cost more money too.
USB can't go that far either w/out powered repeaters every 8 foot or so. There are devices that let you push USB 1.1 signals over ethernet cable, and back to USB for 50+ feet though, but not cheap.
LCD Tvs and LCD monitors are totally different monsters.
As someone who uses a PC as my "Tivo" (MythTV) I'd say this.
Check your TV and verify it has either VGA, HDMI, or DVI inputs.
VGA would be the easiest, since the TV will do the scaling for you from VGA to its Native resolution. If you don't have VGA or DVI, but you do have HDMI (Note: HDMI & DVI are interchangeable with simple cables. HDMI Just carries an Audio stream as well), you will need to get a Cable that changes DVI from your PC's Video Card into HDMI for the TV to support. Assuming you are using windows, you will then have to set an appropriate resolution to have your computer "talk" to the TV. DVI/HDMI is a bidirectional signal, your TV actualy tells your Computer what its capable of, and your computer should adjust acordingly. however its been my experience this doesn't work as well as its supposed too. Mostly because basic TV displays operate at very different resolutions then computers. Widescreen makes things even worse. Usualy you can get a picture, but its "fuzzy" to read, and doesn't match up properly. They are getting better though, so if you have newer equipment it may be plug and play.
Best solution is whats been said here. Get a used PC (or Laptop) and hook it up directly via VGA or HDMI/DVI, and try to tweak it.
Just don't go with an intel based video card. Find a System with an ATI or Nvidia.
You could get the Video signal there using HDMI/DVI, but you would run into the problem of controling the PC remotely.
Wireless Keyboards & Mice usualy have about a 15' range at best.
Getting one that works on RF is going to cost more money too.
USB can't go that far either w/out powered repeaters every 8 foot or so. There are devices that let you push USB 1.1 signals over ethernet cable, and back to USB for 50+ feet though, but not cheap.
LCD Tvs and LCD monitors are totally different monsters.
As someone who uses a PC as my "Tivo" (MythTV) I'd say this.
Check your TV and verify it has either VGA, HDMI, or DVI inputs.
VGA would be the easiest, since the TV will do the scaling for you from VGA to its Native resolution. If you don't have VGA or DVI, but you do have HDMI (Note: HDMI & DVI are interchangeable with simple cables. HDMI Just carries an Audio stream as well), you will need to get a Cable that changes DVI from your PC's Video Card into HDMI for the TV to support. Assuming you are using windows, you will then have to set an appropriate resolution to have your computer "talk" to the TV. DVI/HDMI is a bidirectional signal, your TV actualy tells your Computer what its capable of, and your computer should adjust acordingly. however its been my experience this doesn't work as well as its supposed too. Mostly because basic TV displays operate at very different resolutions then computers. Widescreen makes things even worse. Usualy you can get a picture, but its "fuzzy" to read, and doesn't match up properly. They are getting better though, so if you have newer equipment it may be plug and play.
Best solution is whats been said here. Get a used PC (or Laptop) and hook it up directly via VGA or HDMI/DVI, and try to tweak it.
Just don't go with an intel based video card. Find a System with an ATI or Nvidia.
NeveSSL
Got tubes?
Forget used. Get a Mac Mini. A lot of people are using them in their home entertainment systems (they're small and don't look too bad) and hooking them up to their LCDs. I think they're only about $500 and come with some pretty good software from Apple to use it with an LCD TV and also come with a remote.
Wireless ethernet (802.11g at least... 802.11n if you want it) can stream the media from your main computer (acting as a file server) to the Mac Mini. You can even store your DVDs on the other computer and stream them with surround sound (IE, just like watching it) to the Mac.
If you do go used, just like you said don't go with Intel graphics or ANY other integrated graphics. They've come a long way over the last few years (just like integrated audio), but still not quite up to snuff.
Fun stuff!
Brandon
Brandon
Wireless ethernet (802.11g at least... 802.11n if you want it) can stream the media from your main computer (acting as a file server) to the Mac Mini. You can even store your DVDs on the other computer and stream them with surround sound (IE, just like watching it) to the Mac.
If you do go used, just like you said don't go with Intel graphics or ANY other integrated graphics. They've come a long way over the last few years (just like integrated audio), but still not quite up to snuff.
Fun stuff!
Brandon
Brandon
rsteagall
New member
http://www.avsforum.com/
nuff said.
nuff said.
.
.
PS 3 worked for me. I ran the Cat 5 cable to a box behind the TV. You can get the Cat5 wire, connectors, and boxes from Lowes. The connectors even come with the little push down tool.
As long as you're OK with installing the boxes, attaching the connectors is a piece of cake.
.
PS 3 worked for me. I ran the Cat 5 cable to a box behind the TV. You can get the Cat5 wire, connectors, and boxes from Lowes. The connectors even come with the little push down tool.
As long as you're OK with installing the boxes, attaching the connectors is a piece of cake.
Mnemic
New member
Wii uses Opera, which is a pretty solid browser.
Supposedly the latest Wii Firmware updates allow use for any USB keyboard to work. May want to give it a shot. Supposedly a Mac Keyboard works well.
Edit:
Check this out
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/15/logitech-cordless-keyboard-for-wii-arrives-at-e3/
Supposedly the latest Wii Firmware updates allow use for any USB keyboard to work. May want to give it a shot. Supposedly a Mac Keyboard works well.
Edit:
Check this out
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/15/logitech-cordless-keyboard-for-wii-arrives-at-e3/
Similar threads
