Dumping Cable, getting an HTPC

[Rage Against the McKee]

I like to save money where possible myself, but I also really like having ESPN and pirating shows, movies, and tv channels really isn't any better than theft, imo. If I were going to cut the cord, I would only watch programming that I am paying for.

[Boom Roasted]

I'm just doing the Chromecast because its cheap and I want to be able to put the Netflix up on my basement/porch TV as well as watch youtube Cats video's while I get pumped up for gameday's.  Also, rewatching each weeks game on youtube on a big screen from my couch vs. a Ipad is a pretty good reason. 

Trying the cord cutting thing at Lady BR's apt with the Chromecast.  We will see how it goes, without much of a need for sports I feel like she should be ok?

[pissclams]

my panasonic plasma tv has this crap all built in. as does xbox and ps3.   i'm still going to buy a chromecast this morning to see what it can do. 

[steve dave]

my panasonic plasma tv has this crap all built in. as does xbox and ps3.   i'm still going to buy a chromecast this morning to see what it can do.

yeah, my tv has all that stuff but I only use pandora and pull up home movies and music from my laptop. it has netflix and youtube and crap but I will never use it. if it had watchESPN I would use the living crap out of it though.

[pissclams]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

[steve dave]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

I just, like, go to the network on my tv and pull up my laptop and it shows all the videos on my laptop and I play them. pretty pud. laptop has to be on obviously.

[mocat]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

I just, like, go to the network on my tv and pull up my laptop and it shows all the videos on my laptop and I play them. pretty pud. laptop has to be on obviously.

your TV is its own streaming device, or do you have a separate streaming box?

[steve dave]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

I just, like, go to the network on my tv and pull up my laptop and it shows all the videos on my laptop and I play them. pretty pud. laptop has to be on obviously.

your TV is its own streaming device, or do you have a separate streaming box?

it has it built in.

[XocolateThundarr]

I use this software on my "media" PC to stream content to various devices throughout my house.  It works very well.

http://www.conceiva.com/products/mezzmo/

[mocat]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

I just, like, go to the network on my tv and pull up my laptop and it shows all the videos on my laptop and I play them. pretty pud. laptop has to be on obviously.

your TV is its own streaming device, or do you have a separate streaming box?

it has it built in.

well that's nice. I still haven't rooted my appletv or whatever so i can only watch what apple lets me watch, which is not much.

[steve dave]

I also have a 3TB one of these:



attached to my router for storing pictures and videos that I can pull stuff up from the same way

[pissclams]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

I just, like, go to the network on my tv and pull up my laptop and it shows all the videos on my laptop and I play them. pretty pud. laptop has to be on obviously.

your TV is its own streaming device, or do you have a separate streaming box?

it has it built in.

well that's nice. I still haven't rooted my appletv or whatever so i can only watch what apple lets me watch, which is not much.

sounds like you squandered the opportunity to watch other stuff

[mocat]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

I just, like, go to the network on my tv and pull up my laptop and it shows all the videos on my laptop and I play them. pretty pud. laptop has to be on obviously.

your TV is its own streaming device, or do you have a separate streaming box?

it has it built in.

well that's nice. I still haven't rooted my appletv or whatever so i can only watch what apple lets me watch, which is not much.

sounds like you squandered the opportunity to watch other stuff

 

[pissclams]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

I just, like, go to the network on my tv and pull up my laptop and it shows all the videos on my laptop and I play them. pretty pud. laptop has to be on obviously.

your TV is its own streaming device, or do you have a separate streaming box?

it has it built in.

didn't you buy a streaming box?  that Western Digital thing?

[steve dave]

how do you pull up movies from your laptop

I just, like, go to the network on my tv and pull up my laptop and it shows all the videos on my laptop and I play them. pretty pud. laptop has to be on obviously.

your TV is its own streaming device, or do you have a separate streaming box?

it has it built in.

didn't you buy a streaming box?  that Western Digital thing?

yeah, it's on my basement TV. it does essentially the same thing.

[Boom Roasted]

Chromecast came in the mail yesterday.  Was pretty easy to set up.  Just plug it in and plug in the power source then click a few things on the Ipad.  Netflix and Youtube both worked very well and the picture was very clear.  It does a good job of sizing the picture to the screen which was one thing I wasn't sure about

I dont have a laptop so will be trying chrome on Lady BR's tonight to see if I can pull up hulu, ESPN, etc and make it work just as well.  I assume the chrome app for Ipad and other Apps will start getting the "cast" button installed in updates so i can throw more things onto the TV in the next month or so.  With such a quiet release the developers are probably scrambling to put it on their apps now.  Pretty disappointed the Chrome App wouldn't have an update right at the same time though...

One thing I have liked so far is that you can put one on any tv in the house for a pretty cheap price and then decide what videos go where from any phones/ipads in the house and continue to search for videos while its playing.  Could be fun to booze and everyone in the room can pick their own songs/videos from their phone and take turns putting them on the screen.

[Emo EMAW]

Guys, if you were completely redoing a stone fireplace/hearth/mantle to mount a TV above the fireplace, what would you bring to the wall behind the TV besides power?  Multiple HDMI feeds?  Just one?  None and just transmit wireless?  Trying to wrap my head around this project.

[pissclams]

i wouldn't mess with wireless hdmi.  i would include 4 HDMI, ethernet, power, usb, and audio cable. 

[Tobias]

Guys, if you were completely redoing a stone fireplace/hearth/mantle to mount a TV above the fireplace, what would you bring to the wall behind the TV besides power?  Multiple HDMI feeds?  Just one?  None and just transmit wireless?  Trying to wrap my head around this project.

i recently wired ethernet/coax throughout the house and haven't had the motivation to tackle the same problem (i hate having TV above the fireplace in the first place but have no other options)

[steve dave]

(i hate having TV above the fireplace in the first place but have no other options)

yeah, didn't see you as a tv above the fireplace type.

[Tobias]

(i hate having TV above the fireplace in the first place but have no other options)

yeah, didn't see you as a tv above the fireplace type.

i get that a lot, steve dave

[steve dave]

(i hate having TV above the fireplace in the first place but have no other options)

yeah, didn't see you as a tv above the fireplace type.

i get that a lot, steve dave

 

[Skipper44]

i wouldn't mess with wireless hdmi.  i would include 4 HDMI, ethernet, power, usb, and audio cable.

clams advice covers all conceivable bases.  I would add a dedicated digital audio cable that can just be rg6 coax and then you would need the either a rca or spdif connector/adapter depending on what the TV has. 

Also, if the run to the location of the cable box/blu ray/receiver is long (more than 10 feet) you may be ahead to run just one long HDMI cable and buying a receiver with HDMI switching (almost anything over $200 will have at least 3 inputs) if you are doing speakers or a switch like this one if you are not http://www.amazon.com/Rocketfish-1080p-4-Port-Switch-Switcher-Remote/dp/B002VL92D2/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

[michigancat]

I don't get cable because I'm poor. And WatchESPN's quality is better than ESPN FullCourt (at least it was two years ago). But yeah, way worse than cable.

[Skipper44]

I don't get cable because I'm poor. And WatchESPN's quality is better than ESPN FullCourt (at least it was two years ago). But yeah, way worse than cable.

I have found the picture quality on WatchESPN is really good for the games that are on ESPN and ESPN2 when watching on the xbox, i would say 80% as good as the Directv picture.  But the "espn3" style broadcasts are very hit or miss - sometimes you get great picture for a Vandy @ South Carolina on Tuesday night SEC network game and the next week SoCar @ LSU is almost unwatchable