+1 for that. Services are probably different on this side of the pond, but
the idea is the same.
I messed around for ages with the streaming capabilities in my TV, in my
Sony BluRay player, and in my Humax "freeview" (not sure you get that ?)
PVR. They all did some things well, some not so well, and some awfully -
but they were all different. In the end I bought a 2nd hand (nearly new)
Mac Mini off eBay and it sits under my TV as a media server. Runs XBMC to
stream almost any video file from my network, and runs iPlayer (and the
various other UK online "on demand" catchup services) via the internet.
Not wishing to start a Mac/PC war here - you could do this with a Mini PC
under the TV for significantly less cost I'm sure - and indeed, I could
have. But, having messed around with PCs like this before, I knew I would
be spending an age configuring it. Took the plunge on the Mac Mini, and it
did "just work". Plugged in, and working wonderfully within 45 minutes.
And the wife can work it too ! Won't be long before my 4-year-old has
mastered it. Horses for courses - I'll always have a PC on my desk
(although there is a 2nd Mac Mini there as well ...), but for media centre
duties the Mac Mini is the single best piece of A/V kit I've ever purchased.
On a slight tangent, best PVR I've owned is my current Humax. Records the
incoming Freeview transport stream straight onto the hard drive. And with
the "custom firmware" (there's a very active online group of super-geeks)
you can do so much more. Plug an Ethernet cable in, and you can drag video
files off it as if it was just another NAS on your network. Also allows
"recording" of iPlayer programs (a cunning trick - iPlayer allows the device
to "buffer" the file while you are watching it - and the custom firmware
gives you the option of saving it afterwards !). Not sure this bit is quite
so relevant to those in the USA, but a great bit of kit nonetheless ...
Jon
-----Original Message-----
From: Nathan Wajsman [mailto:photo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 05 December 2013 21:46
To: Olympus Camera Discussion
Subject: Re: [OM] OT:Advice on internet video streaming to TV
Can't you just use your computer and connect it to the TV with an HDMI
cable? That's what we do to watch Netflix.
Cheers,
Nathan
On 6 Dec 2013, at 06:03, Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> I've recently subscribed to NetFlix and Amazon streaming video services
> and loving it. I haven't watched an evening commercial on cable TV for
> months. I was able to do it because my main TV supports it directly. I
> just needed to string some Cat 5 cable from my router to the TV
> downstairs almost directly below it.
>
> But when I go to Florida I'll still have an HDTV set to use and a router
> not far away but the TV there has no built-in streaming capability.
> What external device do I need to buy to keep NetFlix and Amazon coming
> in? I think the Panasonic Blu-Ray player I have will do that in some
> fashion or other but that seems an odd way to receive video. I think a
> DVR will do the same (if it's the right one). I have no experience with
> DVRs but have been thinking about buying one (not renting from the cable
> co.) I guess Tivo is the brand to have. In fact I know of no others.
> So, what's the advice. What do I need and, if it's a DVR, can I
> transport it from one place to the other when I move back and forth.
> How important is the visual interface provided by the DVR or other
> device? I can't imagine that my Blu-Ray player is very smart in that
> area. But I have learned to do program selection on NetFlix and
> Amazon's websites. Trying to do it over the TV set is pretty awful.
>
> Thanks all,
> Chuck Norcutt (streaming video know-nothing)
> --
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>
Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
http://www.frozenlight.eu
http://www.greatpix.eu
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Blog:
http://www.nathansmusings.eu/
--
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