Does this software exist?

[Bobmuhthol]

I am looking for something that I can use to stream video over my network. Essentially I want the ability to see what my PC sees with my laptop in another room. The goal is to play an HD movie on my PC and have it show up on my TV without having to get a 50 foot HDMI cable. The movies are in .mkv format, otherwise I would use an Xbox 360 as a media extender.

Also, playing the file on the laptop over the network works, technically, but there is a bottleneck somewhere so the video does not play smoothly.

To make this more clear: PC plays movie -> movie transmits over network to laptop -> laptop displays movie, emits audio -> laptop is connected to TV -> TV displays movie, emits audio

[Drew]

Personally I would try some different players on my laptop before I gave up on the laptop playing it. You seem to be indicating that the problem isn't the lack of computing power on the laptop but a network problem. If that's the case then the PC is going to decompress the movie and actually have to send more data over the network which obviously would be a bad thing.

[Anebriated]

cant just share the file and pull it up on the laptop? thats how my old apartment was set up. We had a PC in the back that we used as a storage server and just loaded it up with our music and movies. then we had our laptops in the TV room where we could plug one in and play movies through the TV.

[AnticorRifling]

Remote desktop too choppy for you?

[Deathravin]

I use TVersity for streaming media to my PS3 (video, music, pictures). It works with a lot, and I hear they've been trying to get Netflix on it too... Just set it up on my media server and my PS3 finds it automatically.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<You seem to be indicating that the problem isn't the lack of computing power on the laptop but a network problem.>>

I am not sure exactly how files are accessed over the network (that is, which computer is doing what), but both computers can play the file locally. When opened over the network, performance degrades, but I am not positive that this indicates that the network is unusable for what I want. This may be the case.

<<cant just share the file and pull it up on the laptop?>>

These movies are 5+ GB each. It doesn't seem to want to run seamlessly when shared.

<<Remote desktop too choppy for you?>>

I haven't tried to remote desktop through the LAN. That's really what I want to do but I don't know a good client to do it with (would the Windows client really run HD content smoothly?).

[Anebriated]

gotcha.

[AnticorRifling]

<<Remote desktop too choppy for you?>>

I haven't tried to remote desktop through the LAN. That's really what I want to do but I don't know a good client to do it with (would the Windows client really run HD content smoothly?). No idea I haven't tried it for HD content but it worked great for me for regular content when I wanted to watch videos while I was at a customer's desk.

[Celephais]

Are you sure you cannot play mkv's through the xbox as a media extender?

[Stanley Burrell]

http://www.ramelectronics.net/wireless/wireless-pc-to-tv/c50000-c50007.html

These transmitters are expensive as shit.

[Bhuryn]

Run a cable.

[Euler]

GET cable.

*fixed

There is all sorts of stuff to watch that way.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Are you sure you cannot play mkv's through the xbox as a media extender?>>

I am not positive but I have found no way to do it. If it matters, I have one of the ones that was made without HDMI built in. Don't know if software has changed over time and I am not willing to mod the 360 in any way.

<<Run a cable.>>

Find me a cheap 50' HDMI cable and 3.5 mm (?) audio cable and I might consider it. Sounds like an awful idea though.

<<There is all sorts of stuff to watch that way.>>

I have like every cable channel except the sports packages. Doesn't give me HD movies for free, though, and especially not all the ones I want.

[Anebriated]

especially not all the ones I want.

Im sure you can find porn online for less hassle.

[Bobmuhthol]

I am currently trying to use TVersity but I do not understand what I'm supposed to do for my 360 to recognize it.

[Deathravin]

TVersity has forums.

It should just show up, i dunno... I only have a PS3, and I didn't really have to do anything.

[Euler]

I am currently trying to use TVersity but I do not understand what I'm supposed to do for my 360 to recognize it.

when I was your age, TVersity was called books.

[Doughboy]

Crap, I can't remember how I got TVersity to work on my 360... Works fine once you get it going though. I do remember going through the built in software to get it to work though. I'll poke around for you to see if I can find it again.

[Fallen]

Getting the 360 to connect with your computer is tricky. You can do the same steps over and over and it wont work. Then, all of a sudden it will work ... for a while, then you change some minor thing with your wireless settings and BOOM, gone. I imagine paying for the official software to turn your xbox 360 into an extended media player would smooth out the process quite nicely.

[Deathravin]

Sounds like a pain in the ass. My PS3, I hooked up a media server, and it said, "HEY I found this media server... what do you want to do?"

[Fallen]

Sounds like a pain in the ass. My PS3, I hooked up a media server, and it said, "HEY I found this media server... what do you want to do?"

Yeah. PS3 seemed to do the deed with FAR less hassle than the X-box. I don't normally mess with that particular function of it, though. It was setting up the PS3 I think that knocked my X-box 360 for a loop. Sounds like you have an X-box 360, Bob. If you play with it enough you SHOULD be able to get it to work. It is possible to do without buying additional software. You need to tweak settings on your router, your computer, and your X-box. I would look over FAQs online and keep plugging away at it.

My one piece of advice would be to rebootthe PC/X-box once you think all is programmed correctly. Sometimes doing that will get it to work where it wouldn't otherwise.

[Back]

Sounds like a pain in the ass. My PS3, I hooked up a media server, and it said, "HEY I found this media server... what do you want to do?"

Bluetooth wireless.