How can I watch Youtube and other online content on my main TV

dx052

Me and my partner spend about 85% of our time watching various things from my laptop, which is a 14 or 15" screen. We watch shows on Youtube, Hulu, like American stuff and also watch various films from my HD and stuff that I have downloaded, and we seem to watch only a couple of soaps a week on our main TV which is twice the size. Is there a solution that does not require me connecting my laptop with a lead to my tv and cutting out loads of wires to view these programs on my TV alone?. I have now connected the HD to the TV which helps. Is it also possible to connect a TV to router as a solution maybe as I am scratching my head?

HeadAboveWater

HD = Hard drive on laptop I assume?

Inner_Zone

HeadAboveWater wrote: »

HD = Hard drive on laptop I assume?

If it does then it's misleading, should be HDD.

dx052

Yeah sorry, meant Hard Drive.

http://www.sharp.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/gb/hs.xsl/-/html/product-details.htm?product=LC42LE40E&cat=111

penrhyn

You could buy a Google or Apple TV box, or upgrade to a Smart TV.

martinthebandit

Am I missing something here? Why not just connect your TV to your laptop, that works for me.

iamtrev79

It all depends on your TV of course. If it is a more modern TV with Wi-Fi you could try connecting it to your laptop, or to your laptop via a router. You could also use the Wi-Fi to connect your TV to YouTube if it has access to the internet or a YouTube app if it is a "smart TV". I'm guessing they are fairly new TV features though which you might not have on your TV.

Another alternative could be to buy an external hard drive and have this permanently connected via a cable to your TV, so that you don't need to keep plugging your laptop in.

just some ideas

red_flump

You will need a box to plug in the TV to stream from the computer.

I use an Apple TV, but then you would have to use Handbrake (free) to add your content to itunes. Youtube is an app on Apple TV. Works over your network (wifi)

This looks good:
Gigabyte WS100 SkyVision Wireless HD Video Streamer

Clones your PC to your TV but needs to be in range (same room) as the transmitter plugged into your PC

2010

If your tv has got a HDMI socket on it, all you need is one cable.

marvin

I have 1 very long HDMI cable (5 m I think it is) which is permanently connected to the smart TV for things I have to run via the laptop, I just pick up the end which hides down side of sofa when I need to connect it.

I have a HDD plugged in the back of the TV which contains my music collection and any films I have downloaded.

I usually have a NAS drive (Network Accessible Storage, A hard drive connected to the network not to an individual computer) but this went faulty and had to be returned will be buying a new one as soon as the other's refund hits the credit card account.

The NAS can be available on any PC mobile phone in the house + my hard cabled networked SMART Tv.

All of these are individual options depending on the TV available connections.

[Deleted User]

dx052 wrote: »

Is there a solution that does not require me connecting my laptop with a lead to my tv

martinthebandit wrote: »

Why not just connect your TV to your laptop, that works for me.

OP doesn't want to connect the laptop.