Can I play lovefilm from PC tp TV ?

Billman

Hi I often here people say you can play iplayer or any other pre-recorded player on your TV too. I wanted to join lovefilm and use there online player to connect to my TV. The only difference is I need a lap top instead. Wirelessly this would cut down electricity to do the same thing as my desktop. I assume that I could plug in a lap top anyway perhaps and put the router into it instead. It would be easier if I could use my lap top from a wifi signal to do the same thing and just plug the laptop in as not to wear down battery after just one film. I use my desktop more so want to avoid plugging in the router to my notebook/ laptop constantly as well.

I am not good with computers but assume this could easily be done by myself or my friend. Lovefilm have no mention of using a laptop to do this and just show the latest xbox and streaming devices for there onine films. Seems odd they don't mention a lap top as well. This is the link of a cheap laptop notebook I hoped would do the job. A second hand one off ebay-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOXED-EPC-...item4ab2d4cbda

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...9071117AAKlCs4

I have never had a notebook or a laptop so am asking for your help really-thank you!

The second link shows a write up with the specifications of-

Processor: XBurst 400 MHz 32-bit CPU
Display terminal: 7-inch 800*480 true-color LCD
RAM: 128M RAM
Storage: 512M NAND Flash
USB port: 2 extensible USB ports
External storage: SD card slot
Input device: standard keyboard and mouse
Broadband interface: 10/100MB Ethernet interface
Network access: ADSL, WiFi, CDMA, GPRS (optional)
Appearance of the device

Would this be a better all round deal for other life usages

http://www.val-u-computers.co.uk/acatalog/DELL_D600_99.html

Does the laptops/notebook surfice and will the lap top idea work with lovefilm on line player.

Thanks very much !

adriandilly

To display your laptop screen on your TV and output to the TV's speakers..
If your TV has VGA in port and Audio In socket you could buy a VGA monitor cable and an 3.5mm Audio cable (assuming your laptop has a VGA out (15 Pin socket) and headphone socket)

Buzby

Too many variables to answer - you could buy a PC to TV adaptor from Maplin and run it to the TV and not even buy a laptop, the cost is around £25-£30 last time I looked. It all depends on the type of input your TV will accept. These days, HDMI sockets are on both TV and Laptops (if reasonably recent), so a cable between the two would do the trick, and is the cheapest solution.

Billman

I am trying to cut down on electricity per month by using a laptop. I figure per month if I use my desktop with its fan, processor etc etc its cheaper using a laptop.

The idea for me is not to have my desktop on . Instead just having the router on to wifi everything to my laptop. Then the laptop (one cable only) to the tv. I will have to check the TV is internet ready or just enabled as well I think.

The other problem is it might not be possible to use wifi in this scenario ?? ie- to make sure it 'always' works perhaps I should use an ethrenet cable to my laptop from the desktop router and then the cable from maplin to my TV.

Does this sound right both electricity wise and cable wise or can wifi be used from router to laptop first of all.

Let me no if I need to explain it better I have never done this before hence the questions

Thanks.

almillar

Billman - your laptop has a processor and fan too you know, but you're right, a laptop does cost less electricity to run than a desktop, especially an older one.
Your theory is to connect a laptop to a TV. It's a good one, easy peasy. So practicalities - we need to know what connections you have on your TV and your laptop. The one cable solution would be HDMI - do you have that at both ends? WiFi? Bet your TV doesn't have WiFi. You can send video wirelessly, but you'll be spending lots of money, especially if you want HD. Lovefilm? Doesn't matter, whatever you have on your laptop will go to your TV.

Inflatable_Armadillo

Billman wrote: »

I am trying to cut down on electricity per month by using a laptop. I figure per month if I use my desktop with its fan, processor etc etc its cheaper using a laptop.

The idea for me is not to have my desktop on . Instead just having the router on to wifi everything to my laptop. Then the laptop (one cable only) to the tv. I will have to check the TV is internet ready or just enabled as well I think.

The other problem is it might not be possible to use wifi in this scenario ?? ie- to make sure it 'always' works perhaps I should use an ethrenet cable to my laptop from the desktop router and then the cable from maplin to my TV.

Does this sound right both electricity wise and cable wise or can wifi be used from router to laptop first of all.

Let me no if I need to explain it better I have never done this before hence the questions

Thanks.

Hang on, you say your TV might be internet ready? What do you mean by that? Do you mean it is an internet ready or so called smart type TV or that you can just connect a computer (desktop or laptop) and use this as a large computer monitor?

The majority of modern LCD/LED/Plasma TV's will take inputs from a computer and display said computers output as a big monitor. How you then connect your TV & laptop together depends on the connections available on the TV and on the laptop. As you have the TV already, then it is the type of connections that the TV will take that will be your starting point. There are various methods and at the very least I would expect your TV to have a VGA and audio ports. If your TV is HD then a VGA cable will transmit HD quality pictures and the audio cables will transmit standard audio (and not surround sound). Unless you use an have an HDMI out connection on your laptop, then you will need two connections, one for picture and one for sound.

So, this brings to connection issues. First thing, if you do have an internet/smart TV then we can just connect this to your router and bobs your uncle? Can you just plug you TV straight into your router (using a Cat 5 cable) or is your router remote from your TV? You can move you router to the TV by installing a phone line extension and moving the router, but guess that is not your preferred option given you are talking about wireless connections?

Now, some TV's can be connected to your router/network with a wireless dongle, but I would avoid this and just use the ethernet point on your TV. The cheapest and most reliable way to do this is, without moving the router, is to use a powerline network adapter - these TP-Link ones are great and the cheapest on the market. You will need at least two, one for the TV and one for the router, to form a powerline network.

This brings up back to the laptop connection to the internet/router and then all back to the TV, and how you deal with that. If you are wiring in your TV to the laptop (as it is not a smart TV) for streaming movies and content you can use a wireless connection of course, but unless you have a very strong and/or a high speed wireless router, I would down the powerline route, so instead of connecting you TV to the second powerline point, you would just connect your laptop.

I think that covers it!