# How To Stream Videos To My Tv



## Oriole (May 14, 2015)

I want to be able to watch films on my TV as and from whom I please. I’m not interested in the all-singing-dancing prepackaged offerings as come Roku, Apple TV, etc. I thought I had found the solution in a Samsung BD-H6500 blu-ray player which, as well as playing DVDs and offering its own assorted apps, has a browser.

The trouble is, as Samsung has confirmed, their browser has a limited functionality and cannot download and instal whatever add-ons and plug-ins (such as Adobe Flash Player or Microsoft Silverlight) might be needed to play some videos. Also, whilst it will take an optional extra wireless keyboard, replacing the remote controlled virtual keyboard that obscures half of the screen, it is unlikely to improve an innately sluggish, temperamental performer.

The apps perform better than the browser. The player has both a Youtube app and a YouTube bookmark in the browser. But the bookmark YouTube is just not as responsive as the app YouTube.

And not everything is good with the apps. Whilst the YouTube app will play the free trailer version of Mulholland Drive, picture and sound, it can only offer a silent movie version of the paid-for rental full movie version (from SC VOD UK). Similarly, the browser provides no sound to PressTV Live. However, both play properly on my iMac.

I should add at this point that my internet connection seems OK. The downloading speed at my router, with an ethernet connection to my iMac, is 13.54 Mbps, whilst my Samsung player’s settings has all four ‘radio waves’ illuminated on the little wi-fi ikon next to my router.

One solution that suggest itself would be to stream all films to my TV via a ‘proper’ computer, a laptop, wi-fi preferably, keeping the Samsung player for DVDs and the iPlayer apps.

I don’t particularly want to change my Panasonic TX-P42G20B TV, which is Full HD 1920x1080p, with built-in Freesat and Free view tuners plus Panasonic’s Viera apps, though it’s not ’smart’. It has USB and ethernet ports, but they seem to be for bringing the internet to the built-in tuners and apps, not for outputting a computer onto the TV screen. It does allow “displaying PC screen on TV”, though requiring individual PC and audio cable connections to trail inconveniently across the sitting room floor.

Would a ’smart’ TV be the answer? Do any of them they contain proper computers? Samsung say that none of their products, not even their ‘smart’ TVs, contain fully functioning browsers.

Am I simply making unnecessary problems for myself? After all, my Samsung player already allows me to link its YouTube and Vimeo apps with corresponding accounts I’ve set up via my iMac. I can also cut out the hassle of accessing other websites via the Samsung browser by also doing this on my iMac. If only the Samsung player didn’t have the silent movie problems I’ve mentioned.

Anyone had similar experiences and also hit upon the solution?


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## Satcomer (Sep 19, 2015)

I wouldn't get a Samsung TV because the majority of them will fall within 3 years! I feel you best bet would be to go to eBay and get an Mac Mini that has a HDMI port on it. Then just install Plex or Kodi on it and use that to stream to it easily.

Also you could go with something like a Synology DS214play. Plus with the new Apple TV with it's App Store Apps then an App might do what you want to do.


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## Oriole (Sep 22, 2015)

Thank you for your suggestion, Satcomer. I finally plumbed for a Surface-3 tablet and a Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter, plus an LG BP-250 Blu-ray player for DVDs. I would have preferred an iPad, but for its price, plus the fact that I would have needed an Apple TV simply for a wireless connection. The Microsoft adapter is brilliant, doing just what I want; no more, no less.

The only downside is what I take to be the relative unreliability of the Surface 3 / Windows 8.1. It came with a free upgrade to Windows 10 but I've been unable to install it, let alone know if I've properly downloaded it. Microsoft have been no help, and appear to be overwhelmed with Windows 10 problems. I've given up bothering to upgrade.


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