Possible to display looped video on TV from laptop, with playlist playing?

[Spiritseeker]

Hi all,

I am really not au fait with this kind of technology, and don't even know the terminology to search for to try and work it out myself. Would anyone mind helping me by letting me know if what I want to do is even possible, and if so, how?

I currently watch films that are on my laptop, through my Samsung UE40D6530, so I'm assuming it's the same sort of principal to watch the video I'd like to loop. However, I've no idea how to make it loop? I haven't picked the video yet, but it could be anything between 10 and 60 seconds only I imagine, that I'd like to have displayed on the TV. Would it be possible to do this? Normally I click the 'source' button on the TV remote, and then navigate to the video file and click ok, then it runs. I don't think there are many options when doing this, but maybe there is a loop option somewhere I am not aware of. Otherwise, maybe I'd have to loop it with some kind of software on my laptop and somehow get the TV to 'see' the laptop monitor rather than load a file?
The connection between laptop and TV is over a wireless network btw.

And at the same time as the video is looping, I'd like to load up a playlist of music files. Idealling I'd like to simply use my itunes library on random but I have a feelign this may not be possible, and I'd have to load up a music file through the TV as per the way I load up films (once a file comes to an end, the TV automatically starts the next one, so it would cycle through all the files I put in my playlist folder).

Is this combination of looped video and music files possible to set up at all?

I'd be very grateful for any help at all!

thanks

Charlotte

 

[next010]

The media players built into TV's tend to quite limited, Samsung might have a loop option somewhere on it but playing playlists while video is running is out of the question.

The easiest way to do what you want it to connect your PC to the Samsung and use it as an external display. There are also wireless video senders that also exist which send the desktop to the TV.

You can then use any software you want, MPC-HC, Potplayer and VLC all contain many such features like looping and software like XBMC may be able to mix and match your video/audio needs.

 

[Spiritseeker]

Thank you for the reply.

It looks like a wireless video sender is a piece of hardware that I'd need to purchase? Is there any way to do this without having to buy something - ie a piece of software that does the same thing as if I were to connect the TV and laptop with a cable and use the TV as a monitor? Forgive me if that seems like a silly question...!

Actually, even if I were to connect the laptop and TV wirelessly or with a cable to use the TV as the monitor, this would still rely on my laptop's speakers for audio, right? In which case, this would not be worth doing, as ideally I don't even want the laptop in the same room, but really the speakers are terrible and the ones on my TV much better.

I think I probably just worked out that this isn't going to work unfortunately!

Anyway, I appreciate the time you took to help.

Thank you!

 

[next010]

Well it is possible to capture the desktop as a live video stream then you play it as a video through a DLNA server/client, Wild Media Server has this feature but it is commercial software, there may be a free one out somewhere that does it, I know the feature has been requested for Serviio a popular free DLNA server. However this method introduces a noticeable lag/delay and might not be suitable for your needs.

The wireless hardware options are Netgear Push2TV if you have an Intel WiDi laptop, then you have third party cheap options like this USB/HDMI dongle (resolution limited) and then there are more expensive ones which capture the output of HDMI (laptop must have HDMI output), they all handle video and audio.

For cable hook ups if your laptop has a HDMI output it should be able channel the audio to the TV speakers, you will probably have to set the HDMI as audio output in Windows control panel, some media players like MPC-HC and Potplayer allow you to custom set the audio output so you dont have to change the Windows control panel setting. If connecting via VGA then you will need to hook up audio output on laptop to the TV, probably via 3.5mm jack on laptop to RCA phono inputs on the TV.