So you've got internet enabled TV, or IPTV (which we covered in last months guide), but you've said to yourself that's nice, but what about all of the movies I've already downloaded to my computer, how can I stream them to my TV as well? You don't want to have to re-download or pay for them twice so here are some of the simpler ways to watch them on your computer (and not your computer screen!). Here are 3 options:

If you’re running Windows 7, and connected to a HomeGroup, media streaming is probably already setup, if not, go Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Homegroup and tick the Video box.

If you are running Windows 7, but not using HomeGroup, then fire up your Windows Media Player.

If you’re running an older version of Windows, check out TVersity. It’s free and really easy to use.

You will need an internet enabled device connected to your TV. Your Xbox or PS3 will do the trick.

In Windows Media Player, click the Library tab, then Media Sharing.
Click Share my media box and then OK (you might need to type in your network password at this point)

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Then, Allow and OK.
From your Xbox, go to Video Library, select the source (your computer) and select what movie you want to watch.

NB: Digital Rights Management (DRM) will prevent you from watching movies which you may have purchased from various sources. The most common is iTunes. It doesn’t mean you can’t stream them, it just means you’ll need an authorised device such as Apple TV to allow you to do it (see our next point).
If you’ve downloaded your movies from iTunes, you won’t have any success with streaming them unless you have an Apple TV. Fortunately, you can get one for a small investment of $99, it’s tiny so it takes up minimal space and if you already have an iTunes account for iTunes and haven’t used it for anything other than songs, then it’s just another great option that you have for new movies in the future. The downside is however, is that if iTunes doesn’t recognise the media file type, it won’t be able to play it for you.
We don’t really recommend this one - but you could just simply plug your computer into your TV via a HDMI cable. Probably sounds the easiest, but then your TV is nothing other than a glorified computer monitor, you won’t be able to control the movie via your remote control and of course, no one else can use the computer while it’s sitting near your TV. If you are lucky enough to have the very latest model laptop which supports Intel Wireless Display, you do have a much better option – check out the Netgear PTV2000.

Our gizmotechs can help you set up your Media Centre or Apple TV, as we can help with more than just computer repairs.

October, 2011

Streaming movies to your TV

Have more questions or need help? Contact Gizmo on 1300 275 449 or help@gizmo.com.au