[underwear]

Can someone tell me if I'm missing a trick here?

Currently I have:
Panasonic BD35 Blu ray player
Onkyo 606 receiver
Freeview aerial
Humax 9200T
(...and a decent 1080p tv)

I also have an NTL broadband connection, desktop computer, and an elderly wireless router. But I don't have an ethernet cable near the TV.

What I want is:

1. The ability to play avi's from the internet and from friends on my TV. I could
a) Burn DVDs - tedious
b) Spend 100 quid on a media extender thingy like the iomega
c) Try and find some other way to play files from my computer on the TV..???

2. To upgrade to Freesat. Obviously I need the dish, after which I could
a) Spend £300 on the new Humax Foxsat (though apparently I might want to keep my old humax as well for the freeview-but-not-freesat channels)
b) Buy a freesat decoder and find a way to record to the media extender or the TV

Left to my own devices I'll end up doing 1b and 2a, but it feels like there should be a better way....?

Thanks
Chris

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by underwear

Can someone tell me if I'm missing a trick here?

Currently I have:
Panasonic BD35 Blu ray player
Onkyo 606 receiver
Freeview aerial
Humax 9200T
(...and a decent 1080p tv)

I also have an NTL broadband connection, desktop computer, and an elderly wireless router. But I don't have an ethernet cable near the TV.

What I want is:

1. The ability to play avi's from the internet and from friends on my TV. I could
a) Burn DVDs - tedious
b) Spend 100 quid on a media extender thingy like the iomega
c) Try and find some other way to play files from my computer on the TV..???

2. To upgrade to Freesat. Obviously I need the dish, after which I could
a) Spend £300 on the new Humax Foxsat (though apparently I might want to keep my old humax as well for the freeview-but-not-freesat channels)
b) Buy a freesat decoder and find a way to record to the media extender or the TV

Left to my own devices I'll end up doing 1b and 2a, but it feels like there should be a better way....?

Thanks
Chris

A media player networked with your PC using a pair of home plug adaptors should do the trick

[underwear]

Thanks for that!

So for "media player" you mean something like the Iomega media extender, right? And the homeplugs allow a fast data connection to my desktop. Hence I have an easy transfer of avi's from my pc to the media player where I can watch them on the TV. So far so good.

How does the freesat dish connection work in this scenario? I'd need a separate decoder for that, right? Where is the application to allow me to choose which programs to record, and save them on the media player - is that something the media players (or decoders?) have built in?

Cheers, Chris

[grizzlybearpuma]

for option 1
why dont you just use your tv as a monitor
is your desktop pc in the same room and does it have 2 display ports on the gfx card (dual screen just makes it easier but not essential)

you can get display cables upto (and probably beyond) 10 meters for a few quid (on amazon) and a 3.5mm jack cable for sound
if you have a hd tv it will probably have the relevant ports on the back to connect

[underwear]

Originally Posted by grizzlybearpuma

for option 1
why dont you just use your tv as a monitor
is your desktop pc in the same room and does it have 2 display ports on the gfx card (dual screen just makes it easier but not essential)

Nice thought, but the TV is on the ground floor and my computer is in the attic!

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by underwear

Thanks for that!

So for "media player" you mean something like the Iomega media extender, right? And the homeplugs allow a fast data connection to my desktop. Hence I have an easy transfer of avi's from my pc to the media player where I can watch them on the TV. So far so good.

How does the freesat dish connection work in this scenario? I'd need a separate decoder for that, right? Where is the application to allow me to choose which programs to record, and save them on the media player - is that something the media players (or decoders?) have built in?

Cheers, Chris

A media player streams content from your PC's hard drives to the TV (converts the content to a PAL RGB signal or component that the TV can display). It does not act as a recorder, your PC does that. To record free to air channels from Astra easiest way is to fit your PC with a satellite tuner card. The faster home plugs can stream High Definition content.