# Streaming PC movies on TV



## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

My dad watches movies and videos on YouTube. He wants me to set it up to so that he can watch his films directly on his television in his living room. I told him there must be a way to do it with either a capture card, TV tuner, etc. but I'm not sure how or what we'd need or if there's newer technologies that wouldn't require a cable running though his hallway.

Any suggestions?


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## helios19 (Nov 25, 2008)

Hi Solidify,

I haven't heard of any newer technologies that could provide video output on TVs from a PC through wireless. I would suggest having a dedicated system near your TV. All you need is any basic system with a low end video card (that supports HDMI preferably).


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Well that's not ideal considering his desktop is in a different room that the television set and I don't think his computer has a graphics card. His computer's graphics card is discrete, built into the motherboard.


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## helios19 (Nov 25, 2008)

I was thinking you could get a cheap system (nothing fancy) to use as a entertainment PC. Apart from that, I'm not too sure of an alternative. Perhaps one of the others could better assist you.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

I think I might just install him a VGA/DVI/HDMI cable from his PC to his TV and just have him plug it in when he wants to use it.

All other suggestions are still welcome, as helios mentioned.


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## yustr (Sep 27, 2004)

There are devices to do exactly what you want from companies such as Netgear and HP and others.

When I was researching them a couple of months ago the main issue was distance and line-of-sight limitations. Basically, they're made to allow you to sit on the couch and stream your laptop 10 feet across the living room. But I needed it to go around a corner and through a couple of walls so I decided to hold off. Do your research and check the return policy of the store.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Will do.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

If my father's computer has both a VGA and DVI port on the rear I/O panel, would I be able to buy this or this (depending on which port is not already being used by his monitor), connect it to the HDTV's HMDI port and then simply switch feed/input when I want to watch from the TV?

Or would it be better to just buy this instead?


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## yustr (Sep 27, 2004)

I doubt the first would work. His computer vid card would have to be able to send digital out thru the VGA port. Better check on that.

There's no difference between 2 & 3 except you'd have to buy a HDMI cable with 3. But remember, DVI only passes the video signal. Audio would have to be done elsewhere, either the computer speakers or some other setup.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

> I doubt the first would work. His computer vid card would have to be able to send digital out thru the VGA port. Better check on that.


How do I do that?



> DVI only passes the video signal


Damn! Thankfully you told me. I had no idea. 

In that case, I'll explain to you his situation and what he wants to do and maybe you can suggest me the most efficient and least costly solution. His PC is in a room that is about 30 feet (if he'd to properly fix the wire) away from the TV that he wants to use in his living room. 

Tomorrow, he's going to send me photos of his computer's read I/O panel so I know which component cables we have the option of using. Same thing for his TV, although I'm sure all new TV's have HDMI ports. I want to make it as easy for him to watch from his TV as possible which is why I suggested having two inputs/feeds rather than having to disconnect and re-plug each monitor and TV depending on what he wants to use to see the picture.

I'll get back to you with the photos/info tomorrow and hopefully you'll be able to suggest me something.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Here are the pictures he sent me of the back of his TV and computer:














































In the last photo, I asked him to remove his monitor's VGA plug to make sure it was a VGA port.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

yeah vga is 15 pin and usually blue where as dvi is usually white and has 29.

If your dads card has a hdmi and the tv has hdmi then you can buy a big hdmi cable to connect the pc to the tv.


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

Have you looked into a streaming media player? There are a variety that provide different services. Apple TV will let you stream media from your PC but it has to be done through itunes, which doesn't always work well (I could never get it to import my entire media library). A Roku player won't do it by itself but there are third party fixes that will let you stream from your PC. There are others that I don't have any experience with.

The problem with connecting the TV to the PC via cable is that you'd essentially be using the TV as a monitor. If you want to put on a different movie or make any changes, you'd have to go to the PC and control it from there unless you want to buy a wireless keyboard & mouse or run long cables.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

CubicleCowboy said:


> Have you looked into a streaming media player? There are a variety that provide different services. Apple TV will let you stream media from your PC but it has to be done through itunes, which doesn't always work well (I could never get it to import my entire media library). A Roku player won't do it by itself but there are third party fixes that will let you stream from your PC. There are others that I don't have any experience with.
> 
> The problem with connecting the TV to the PC via cable is that you'd essentially be using the TV as a monitor. If you want to put on a different movie or make any changes, you'd have to go to the PC and control it from there unless you want to buy a wireless keyboard & mouse or run long cables.


I don't want to to do wireless for him because unless I spent a lot of money on a good quality device (since most freeware such as Windows Media Center and iTunes are not very good), the video quality will not be the best. That's why I prefer the cable. Isn't there a way that I can plug his computer to his TV via a cable and then go to his TV and switch Inputs or video source like you'd do when playing Xbox or switching to satellite. As for the wireless keyboard, that won't be a problem. The room is right beside his computer room so he told me he will simply play the film from his computer and then come to his TV in his living room while it has began and then switch the feed. He's not very picky with this stuff because he's old school and doesn't know how to use technological gadgets at all. I'm trying to make this as easy as possible for him with as least steps to remember. 



greenbrucelee said:


> If your dads card has a hdmi and the tv has hdmi then you can buy a big hdmi cable to connect the pc to the tv.


His computer doesn't have HDMI. The pictures above show you what he has.


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

In that case you can pick up any cheap video card that has an HDMI input, run the HDMI cable, change audio settings to use the TV speakers, and that should do it. Yes, you would switch video inputs on the TV just like when you're playing Xbox.

Edited to add: That PC looks super old; I'd check the board to see what kind of slot it has for the video card.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

I wasn't planning on buying more hardware apart from the wires so I'm gonna pass. Thanks.


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

You could get a VGA to HDMI adapter but I don't think it's going to look good.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

If I did that, would I be able to plug it in the PC without removing the monitor's cable (refer to pictures above)?


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

I'm afraid not. You'd need another video input for multi-monitor support. I don't think the GPU even supports that. 

You could get a VGA splitter that would duplicate the video output. That might work, but it's another piece to buy.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

But if you look at the photo, isnt that a free VGA port right above the blue VGA port for the computer monitor?

And if I decided to get a VGA splitter, like this one for example (Newegg.ca - SIIG CE-VG0A11-S1 1x2 Compact VGA Splitter), I'd still need to be a really long VGA cable to be able to attach his TV the second port on the VGa splitter. Having said that, I'm wondering if it will be less costly to buy a single wire (a long VGA to HDMI wire, that's IF that second I/O port above the blue one in the picture is a second VGA port) or just buy the long VGA wire and the splitter.


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

No, that's a serial port. It looks like VGA but it's completely different.

You would need the splitter _and_ a VGA/HDMI cable.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

OK. I'll look into it. Any cheap deals you've seen lately?


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

Amazon.com: Monoprice VGA/HD15 Male to 2x VGA/HD15 Female Splitter Cable: Computers & Accessories
VGA to HDMI Cable, 6 feet: Amazon.ca: Electronics

I don't know if the cable is long enough for your needs but that's the type that you're looking for.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Ok that works thanks. And if I use this setup, the VGA to HDMI cable delivers both video and audio? Unlike the DVI cable..?


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

No, actually. You'd need actual HDMI without adapters. 

Probably your best bet is to get an extension cord for the computer speakers and set them up by the TV. Other than that, it's either a new video card or wireless audio.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

OK, so just to clarify, here are my options. 

1. He buys a video card that has HDMI that he puts in one of his PCI expansion slots and then he can just buy a long HDMI cable from the PC to the TV.

At that rate, he's going to be spending quite a bit on a video card so isn't there something that can accomplish what he'd like to do for maximum 50$?


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

Splitter + adapter + extension would be a pain but it would be cheaper. That's the thing about older tech - it's a hassle.

Keep in mind that he doesn't need a $500 gaming GPU, any video card with an HDMI port will do. Something like this would work:

PowerColor Go! Green AX5450 512MK3-SH Radeon HD 5450 (Cedar) 512MB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - Newegg.com

Of course, the problem with a new video card is that you'd have to make sure that you've got the right slot for it and that your PSU will handle it. Assuming that you have all the required hardware, that card I just linked plus a 15 foot HDMI cable shouldn't cost more than $50 USD, and that's not including the $10 rebate on that card.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

> Splitter + adapter + extension would be a pain but it would be cheaper. That's the thing about older tech - it's a hassle.


I know what the spliter is and I know what the extension is but what kind of adapter would he need? 



> Of course, the problem with a new video card is that you'd have to make sure that you've got the right slot for it and that your PSU will handle it. Assuming that you have all the required hardware, that card I just linked plus a 15 foot HDMI cable shouldn't cost more than $50 USD, and that's not including the $10 rebate on that card.


I like this idea. I spoke to him and he said he can push 60$ but he really doesn't want to go over that. He's the kind of user that doesn't care much for qaulity. He just wants something he can buy and be reassured that it will WORK and doesn't have to fiddle with it. And considering I don't like with him and I'd be the one setting it all up for him, I'd like to minimize how many visits I'd have to make, since it's quite a drive. 

But like I said, I like the video card idea. 



> you'd have to make sure that you've got the right slot for it and that your PSU will handle it. Assuming that you have all the required hardware


Would you mind helping me verify that before I buy the video card and HDMI cable? I can Teamview his computer any time I need to in order to gather his PC specs. But if you need me to go to his house, I'd rather you tell me everything I need to do when I get there so I don't have to go back and forth.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

In other words, just tell me what you need to know and I'll look into it.


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

You would need the VGA to HDMI adapter or cable in addition to the VGA splitter and the extension cord for the computer speakers' audio jack if you're going that route.

If you're going to get the video card then you're going to have to verify that he has a 400W or better PSU and that he has the proper PCIe slot for the video card. The easiest way is to look up his computer's brand and model number on google and find the specs there. If it's an OEM machine then it will usually have the brand and model number somewhere on the case. Otherwise you'll have to open the computer up and look for yourself.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

> You would need the VGA to HDMI adapter or cable in addition to the VGA splitter and the extension cord for the computer speakers' audio jack if you're going that route.


Ok so forget about that route.

If you're going to get the video card then you're going to have to verify that he has a 400W or better PSU and that he has the proper PCIe slot for the video card. The easiest way is to look up his computer's brand and model number on google and find the specs there. If it's an OEM machine then it will usually have the brand and model number somewhere on the case. Otherwise you'll have to open the computer up and look for yourself.

OK. So I'll report back with his PSU's wattage and his PCIe slot interface. I'll remote assist his computer and install CPU-Z or Speccy on his system to find out the information and let you know. Besides that, nothing else I need to find out to guarantee comparability?


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

That should be it. I don't think any software will tell you what the PSU is, so you might need the make and model of the PC.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

True but I have a feeling his PC is OEM like mine with random parts that were thrown together so I might have to open the case (and therefore go there in person). But if I were to give you his PC specs, would there be a way to confirm or deny whether he has a 400W+ PSU? For instance, by examining a PC with 4 GPU's in SLI, you'd be able to guess what the minimum PSU wattage the user has.


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

I guess I could hazard a guess but I wouldn't rely on that figure. If it's an OEM machine and the PSU has never been replaced then the specs for that model will confirm what PSU it has. Otherwise you have to look at the label on the physical unit.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

oem systems usually come with a 250 -300w generic power supply so for any half decent modern card the psu would also need replaced with a decent unit although you wouldn't need a big wattage unit dependant on the gpu ofcourse.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Also, can the VGA (from motherboard) and HDMI (from video card) be plugged simultaneously and provide a feed to both the computer monitor and TV as the same time or will only one feed at a time be available?


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

So here's what you told me to get from my father's computer to verify the video card's compatibility:


The computer brand and model
The PSU wattage
PCIe slot interface

Attached is a copy of the complete specs for his computer which was created by Speccy's diagnostic utility. Feel free to go through it because I wasn't able to determine the details that you needed. 

As for the PSU wattage, I'll just take the chance and assume its 400+ watts. I don't really have the time to go to his place only to check that. If it doesn't work because of that, the onus is on me. 

Let me know if the rest checks out, please.. or perhaps if you can suggest me a cheaper video card or cable that is compatible and will get the job done. Here's what I'm considering now:

Newegg.ca - PowerColor Go! Green AX5450 512MK3-SH Radeon HD 5450 (Cedar) 512MB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
Newegg.ca - SYBA CL-CAB31007 30 ft. HDMI Cable M-M - HDMI Cables


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

Solidify said:


> Also, can the VGA (from motherboard) and HDMI (from video card) be plugged simultaneously and provide a feed to both the computer monitor and TV as the same time or will only one feed at a time be available?


Yes, you can run both the TV and monitor at the same time. However, you would be using the VGA port from the video card, not the motherboard. The onboard graphics should be disabled once the video card is installed. If it's not, then you'll have to change the settings in BIOS.



> As for the PSU wattage, I'll just take the chance and assume its 400+ watts. I don't really have the time to go to his place only to check that. If it doesn't work because of that, the onus is on me.


That board should have the required PCIe slot. Unfortunately, it tells us nothing about the PSU. It might work, it might not. You'd be taking your chances, so it's up to you.

The parts you selected are fine. 

As an aside, it's better to either copy the text into the post or to add a screenshot. Attachments are a common way of spreading malware - I'm obviously not accusing you of anything, but a lot of people won't open attachments for that very reason. That could make it difficult when someone is trying to troubleshoot an issue.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

> However, you would be using the VGA port from the video card, not the motherboard.


Oh yes, true. :facepalm:



> it's better to either copy the text into the post or to add a screenshot


Alright, np. 

Is there perhaps a lower quality video card or one that will will require less power from the PSU that still delivers a HDMI capability?.... just to be on the safer side that it will work .


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

The GT 610 requires 300W. It's usually more expensive than the Radeon but it looks like there's a rebate deal for it right now on Tiget Direct.

Buy the Zotac GeForce GT 610 Synergy Edition Video Card at TigerDirect.ca


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

OK. I will buy one of the two as soon as my dad gets back to me with the HDMI cable length that he needs to reach his TV. Despite the unknown PSU wattage, the video card you posted above is also compatible?


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

Yes. The lower wattage requirement also makes it a safer bet.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Alright, wonderful. You'll be hearing back from me on this thread after I buy and install it on my father's PC. I appreciate your help.


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

Okay, great. Let us know how it goes.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

It seems to be a max run of about 50 feet of HDMI cable, assuming it is a good quality cable. $$$$

BG


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Well this whole setup is on temporarily hold this my dad can't afford the hardware right now. I'll be sure to let you know when we do it.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Cubicle Cowboy, when I asked you "can the VGA to HDMI cable deliver both video and audio", you said that the VGA and DVI cables do not deliver audio, only video. But I saw this VGA cable on Amazon that claims to have audio transferring capabilities. Can you confirm it? If that's the case, since the 25ft cable is only 10$ with Free Shipping, I'd just but a VGA splitter and use that cable. 

Amazon.com: Premium 25ft HD15 M/M VGA / SVGA / UXGA with AUDIO Monitor Projector Cable Stereo 3.5mm Audio - Double Shielded UL Listed: Computers & Accessories


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## CubicleCowboy (Dec 4, 2012)

Is this the cable you're referring to? It looks like you tried to link something but the BBcode messed up.

Amazon.com: Premium 25ft HD15 M/M VGA / SVGA / UXGA with AUDIO Monitor Projector Cable Stereo 3.5mm Audio - Double Shielded UL Listed: Computers & Accessories

If so, then the audio is delivered by the 3.5mm audio cable that is run through the same sleeve as the VGA cable. It's basically two cables in one. If you look at the picture, you can see the 1/8" jacks on either end. That can work if you've got some speakers that you could connect the other end of the 3.5mm cable to.

Judging from the picture, it doesn't look like you get much slack with the 3.5mm so the speakers might have to be placed in an awkward position. This cable looks like it was designed for those old school CRT monitors with the speakers built in. You can go ahead and give it a shot but I don't think it will give you good speaker placement.


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## yustr (Sep 27, 2004)

Another thing to consider is HDMI tends to be fairly picky wrt signal properties. A 50' run using cheap (notice I didn't say inexpensive) cable plus various converters might cause the TV to act funky.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

CubicleCowboy said:


> Is this the cable you're referring to? It looks like you tried to link something but the BBcode messed up.
> 
> Amazon.com: Premium 25ft HD15 M/M VGA / SVGA / UXGA with AUDIO Monitor Projector Cable Stereo 3.5mm Audio - Double Shielded UL Listed: Computers & Accessories
> 
> ...


Yeah, I realized a bit after you posted that. I won't but it.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

yustr said:


> Another thing to consider is HDMI tends to be fairly picky wrt signal properties. A 50' run using cheap (notice I didn't say inexpensive) cable plus various converters might cause the TV to act funky.


That's why I'm going to opt for the video card with HDMI capability and just buy the long HDMI cord. It's my best bet and will hopefully minimize the likelihood of his TV acting 'funky'. :grin:

But nothing is done yet. When he has the money, well start researching for this again.


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