How do you display video from your Mac to your TV, when in a different room ?

[FrenchPB]

Hey all,

I currently have an iMac that's linked to my HDTV via a VGA cable. Both are in the same room, so that's convenient, no problem at all.

However, I'll soon move in a bigger apartment, where the computer will be in a different room than the main TV, which brings this question :

If your Mac is located in a different room than your TV, what is the best solution do display HD videos on the TV screen ?

I consider that ripping .mkv video in itunes format to display them via the Apple TV is not an acceptable solution.

A long cable going through the rooms won't work as well (wife won't accept that)...

I don't know what to do... is my only solution to sell my iMac for a MacBook that I'd plug to the TV everytime I want to watch something ?

I can't find the right solution, hope you guys can help.

 

[Tomorrow]

I consider that ripping .mkv video in itunes format to display them via the Apple TV is not an acceptable solution.

What's wrong with doing this? This is exactly the sort of thing Apple TV was made for.

 

[FrenchPB]

What's wrong with doing this? This is exactly the sort of thing Apple TV was made for.

I watch sports games everyday that I download on the internet. These files are 720p and weigh at around 4 GB each. It takes an hour or so to download, and that'd take several hours to handbrake the video in an itunes format just to watch it once...

Right now, I download the file and play it directly on my HDTV. The TV is like an external monitor, and there's no encoding to do.

 

[GGJstudios]

What's wrong with doing this? This is exactly the sort of thing Apple TV was made for.

I agree. As an alternative, I have a Mac mini connected to my HDTV via HDMI that I can operate remotely. I use Plex to deliver ripped movies and TV shows to any computer in my WiFi network, or to play them on the HDTV. You can do the same with downloaded videos.

 

[FrenchPB]

I agree. As an alternative, I have a Mac mini connected to my HDTV via HDMI that I can operate remotely. I use Plex to deliver ripped movies and TV shows to any computer in my WiFi network, or to play them on the HDTV. You can do the same with downloaded videos.

I can't encode such big files everyday. Apple TV can work fine for movies, but for sports games it just doesn't fit my needs really.

The Mac mini connected directly to the TV is quite an expensive solution as I'd have to buy one just for that purpose. I'd rather sell my iMac and buy a MacBook that I'd connect to the TV when I need it.

Do wifi multimedia box exist ? Like a box similar to the apple tv but that would work with different formats (any VLC format for example) ? That might be the cheapest and most convenient solution ?

 

[Tomorrow]

You're talking about doing all this to watch sports on your TV?

It could be that I'm misunderstanding the problem, but it almost sounds to me like a DVR would be a more workable solution.

 

[FrenchPB]

You're talking about doing all this to watch sports on your TV?

It could be that I'm misunderstanding the problem, but it almost sounds to me like a DVR would be a more workable solution.

I download some soccer games that are not broadcasted in my country, and for which there's no internet offer.

My only way to watch those games is to download them on the internet (the games are capped and shared via torrents). However, I really enjoy watching them on my big screen TV.

Right now, it's easy cause the iMac is linked to the HDTV with a VGA cable.

I'd like to find a solution for when they won't be in the same room.

 

[bmcgonag]

Do you have any other equipment that we can make suggestions for? anther computer, or mac, or roku box? Anything?

Is your tv internet ready? Is it on your network?

 

[FrenchPB]

Do you have any other equipment that we can make suggestions for? anther computer, or mac, or roku box? Anything?

Is your tv internet ready? Is it on your network?

Well, not really. The TV will stand on its own, and I'll probably have to buy something new to make that work.

Since I want to sell my current iMac, I'm wondering whether I should go for a MBA so that I could plug it to the TV when needed.

 

[bmcgonag]

Buy a Roku HD ($89 US) i think, maybe less....then get Plex server and client on your iMac, and you can setup a channel on your Roku to play the video streaming over your network from your mac on the Plex server. It's pretty cool.

 

[Hermes Monster]

I stream movies from my iMac upstairs to my PS3 in my living room, using PS3 Media Server. It's flawless most of the time, but you'll need a decent Internet connection i.e. > 8mb.

Whatever choice you make, you're going to have to invest in something.